UT Southwestern Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute

12/30/2025

A multidisciplinary team at UT Southwestern received an O'Donnell Brain Institute grant to support their clinical research aimed at better understanding how brain activity gives rise to cognitive behavior. The project seeks to unravel how cholinergic systems influence theta oscillations that are crucial for memory formation, attention, and coordination between different brain regions. The grant is part of the OBI Human Neuroscience Collaborative Research Program that provides resources and funding for teams pursuing hypothesis-driven projects that will further scientific knowledge and encourage clinical and translational interdisciplinary research team development.

12/22/2025

A North Texas man who suffered a stroke in 2023 was not satisfied with the progress of his recovery, so he decided to seek treatment at UT Southwestern. Our rehabilitation experts devised a plan and helped him get back to his passion of playing Santa.
https://cbsn.ws/4sfaHAf

12/17/2025

Drs. Marc Diamond, Brendan Kelley, and Vibhash Sharma received an O'Donnell Brain Institute grant to support their clinical research in neurodegenerative diseases. The OBI Human Neuroscience Collaborative Research Program grant provides resources and funding for teams pursuing hypothesis-driven projects that will further scientific knowledge and encourage clinical and translational interdisciplinary research team development. The team aims to establish blood-based biomarkers that report on key pathogenic mechanisms and might serve as new sensitive detection tools and a means to monitor neurodegenerative disease progression.

12/11/2025

Yunsun Nam, Ph.D., Professor of Biochemistry and Biophysics and an OBI Investigator, will receive the 2026 Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Biological Sciences from the Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science & Technology. The award recognizes her groundbreaking research into how RNAs and proteins interact at the molecular level, and has shed light on gene regulation, cancer biology, and RNA-based therapeutics. https://bit.ly/4q3rZ1c

12/03/2025

Drs. Jaya Trivedi, M.D., and Padraig O’Suilleabhain, M.D., were honored for their service at Woven Health Clinic, a Dallas area community clinic, where they have volunteered for more than a decade. Dr. Trivedi and Dr. O'Suilleabhain received the Loehr Lifetime Achievement Award that recognizes medical professionals who make a lasting impact on medical research, high-quality patient care, and provide inspirational leadership.
https://bit.ly/4atZO70

12/01/2025

Rachel Bailey, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the UT Southwestern Center for Alzheimer's and Neurodegenerative Diseases, is a 2025 recipient of the Oxford-Harrington Rare Disease Centre Scholar Award. The awards advance promising discoveries from research labs into clinical practice. Dr. Bailey is working on a gene therapy for an ultra-rare and devastating neurodevelopmental metabolic disorder. Learn more about Dr. Bailey's work: https://labs.utsouthwestern.edu/bailey-lab

11/21/2025

Earlier this month, the UT Southwestern Stroke Team shared stroke education at the Ethiopian Evangelical Believers Church in Garland. The team took part in the church's health fair where they incorporated education materials in the Amharic language. Amharic is one of the top five languages spoken in North Texas. The event was made possible by 3 Orange Neuro ICU nursing volunteers — Yilma Gebreyes, Abdul Kamal, and Shahram Pahuj — whose dedication and energy helped make the day a success.

11/13/2025

Sarah Shahmoradian, Ph.D., Assistant Professor in the Center for Alzheimer’s & Neurodegenerative Diseases and Department of Biophysics, received a Parkinson's Foundation 2025 Impact Award. The award recognizes her research on the development of molecular imaging tools for diagnosing and monitoring ’s disease. Dr. Shahmoradian aims to provide the first atomic-resolution view of how a small-molecule PET tracer binds to misfolded alpha-synuclein fibrils in human Parkinson’s brain tissue. Learn more about Dr. Shahmoradian’s research: https://bit.ly/3XoPvt8

11/11/2025

The Food and Drug Administration recently approved a new diagnostic blood test for Alzheimer's disease for those who are 55 and older. Dr. Brendan Kelley, a specialist in the evaluation of neurological impairment in memory and cognition, spoke with KERA's Sam Baker about the test's usefulness and limitations. Listen to the interview with Dr. Kelley: https://bit.ly/4hS1zwp

11/07/2025

Attila Losonczy, M.D., Ph.D., Professor in the O'Donnell Brain Institute, will collaborate with researchers across the globe to decipher the neural code of learning and memory. The Losonczy Lab, Nusser Lab, and Spiegel Lab received a $12 million Synergy Grant from the European Research Council. The researchers' MemoryLoci project aims to understand learning and memory from circuits to synapses and molecules. Dr. Losonczy is Director of the OBI's new Program in Memory Longevity. Learn more about the pioneering research in the Losonczy Lab: https://www.losonczylab.org/

11/05/2025

Thanks to big ideas, investments, and, yes, brain power, UT Southwestern has accelerated research and treatment for brain diseases ranging from Alzheimer's and dementia to autism, epilepsy, essential tremor, depression, and intractable brain tumors. Take a deep dive into UT Southwestern Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute's discoveries. https://bit.ly/3JxoGQm

In her new office at UT Southwestern Medical Center, Ceci Verbaarschot, Ph.D., sits among unpacked boxes and discusses the intricacies of a brain-computer interface she is developing. The device is designed to restore sensation and movement in the upper...

10/31/2025

For World Stroke Day, the UT Southwestern Stroke Team gave staff the chance to test their knowledge of stroke treatment, process, and recognition. Participants had to answer each question in a row correctly to make tic-tac-toe. Congrats to the winner of the "BEFAST, Not Slow Tic-Tac-Toe Game," the 2 Blue Pre-Surgery Testing Unit! They won free lunch for the entire unit. Learn more about the signs of a stroke in this video with Drs. Parth Upadhyaya and Babu Welch: https://bit.ly/4qwpUvH