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Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute

A Decade of Discovery

In its first 10 years, the O’Donnell Brain Institute has grown from an ambitious concept – to overcome brain disease – into a vibrant research and clinical care center that is forging new frontiers in neuroscience and patient care. Every day our scientists, clinicians, and staff members are accelerating the pace of progress against conditions like Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, autism, epilepsy, stroke, and so much more.

Explore OBI's Advances

Imagine a day when...

Alzheimer’s disease is a preventable condition.
A drug can be administered to repair a brain injury.
Brain stimulation speeds recovery after a stroke.
Depression can be halted in its earliest stages with patient-specific therapies.

The Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute recognizes that in order to solve the most challenging brain diseases, our work must be multidisciplinary. To achieve this, we integrate and leverage the strengths of multiple independent departments, centers, and divisions at UT Southwestern Medical Center. By bringing together clinical and basic researchers in a comprehensive Institute, we are fostering collaborations and providing resources that set the stage for progress and discovery as we work toward our vision of a future without brain disease.

Latest News

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APPLY NOW

Applications are open for the Fichtenbaum Charitable Trust Award. The funding supports investigators with a focused interest on patients living with neuromuscular and/or visual diseases. In the neuromuscular category, there is a preference for research on myasthenia gravis, but all neuromuscular disorders are eligible.

Learn more

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TRAINEE GRANTS

The O'Donnell Brain Institute is accepting applications for our Sprouts grant program. The funding gives trainees the opportunity to take an independent role in formulating and carrying out a new research question relevant to their ongoing study. The awards support trainees under the supervision of an OBI Investigator.

More details

2026 travel grant awards are now open

SAVE THE DATES

The O'Donnell Brain Institute hosts and sponsors a seminar series that runs from September through May. Our invited speakers are internationally and nationally recognized leaders in neuroscience from around the country and the world.

See the upcoming speakers

Director’s Message

William T. Dauer, M.D.
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Solving brain disease is going to take everyone working together – the person studying molecules in the lab, the clinician understanding a patient’s symptoms, the staff caring for the patient, and everyone in between. We’re committed to that collaborative journey and confident of the outcome.”

William T. Dauer, M.D.Director of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute

Removing Barriers Between
Discovery and Care

At the O’Donnell Brain Institute, researchers and clinicians work closely together, by design. Combining basic and translational research with advanced clinical care produces scientific breakthroughs that can move from the labs to patients in the clinic faster than ever.

Expertise and Innovation

The O’Donnell Brain Institute has assembled brain scientists, neurosurgeons, neurologists, psychiatrists, radiologists, and specialists in rehabilitative medicine.

Their common goal: Discover and implement new and better ways to treat major forms of brain and spine diseases, and perhaps even prevent them in the future.

Collaborative Partners