Support Brain Health

The world-class community of brain scientists and clinicians at OHSU is leading the way toward a new era of hope and healing in the fields of neurology, neurosurgery and psychiatry. Together, they’re turning relentless research into groundbreaking therapies for patients at every stage of life.

Doctor looking at brain scans on a big monitor

The best in brain care, powered by discovery

The brain is one of the most complex organs in the human body. Containing 100 billion nerve cells that “talk” to each other through 100 trillion connections, it does more than govern our movements and emotions—it literally defines who we are as individuals.

That’s why diseases and injuries that strike the brain are so devastating. Understanding and discovering treatments for these complex issues is the greatest challenge in biomedical science—and the ultimate goal of the OHSU Brain Institute.

With the help of donors, OHSU has strategically invested in exceptional neuroscientists and in a research infrastructure that stands among the best in the nation.

Today, a number of newly recruited scientific leaders are teaming up with OHSU’s existing world-class faculty to explore the brain in ways few other institutions can. Their combined expertise and ingenuity is shedding new light on several facets of brain science and bringing the promise of lifelong brain health within reach. With your help, they’re ready to take these efforts to the next level.

A woman and her daughter pose for a photo in a swimming pool

Incisionless surgery for Parkinson's

Focused ultrasound treatment now FDA-approved as a treatment for Parkinson’s.

From left, Vickie Naylor, Donna Maxey and Bernadine Clay share childhood experiences in the Albina neighborhoods, reclaiming their history and their place in the present as they take part in Dr. Raina Croff's Sharing History through Active Reminiscence and Photo-Imagery (SHARP) study, September 20, 2017. (OHSU/Kristyna Wentz-Graff)

SHARP study

Raina Croff, Ph.D. seeks to elicit, preserve and deploy the stories of older Black adults to forestall their memory loss.

Tom Jacobs is among the people with multiple sclerosis participating in a new clinical trial at OHSU testing whether aerobic exercise leads to the repair of myelin, the protective sheath covering nerve fibers in the central nervous system. (Courtesy of Tom Jacobs)

Exercise for M.S.

Clinical trial examines whether exercise helps restore myelin in the central nervous system to address MS symptoms.

"This treatment gave me my smile back and changed my life. I thank God every day for another chance to live without tremors and to smile again."

Carolina Palacios de Ramirez

A couple dressed in outdoor gear lean in close to each other

Tribute giving

Behind every diagnosis there is a person, a story, and a reason to keep working on the biggest challenges in science and care. A donation to the neurosciences at OHSU is a thoughtful way to honor someone special whose life has been impacted by neurodegenerative diseases or other conditions. Your gift can recognize milestones in a survivor’s journey or celebrate their memory in a meaningful way.

Give in Honor / Memory

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Great minds, groundbreaking research

OHSU’s neuroscientists are among the best in the world at studying brain function and the specific effects of degenerative disease. Together, they’re translating fundamental knowledge into a new generation of treatments, preventions, diagnostics and strategies to improve patients’ quality of life. Here are some of the areas where they’re making an impact:

Alzheimer’s: OHSU is home to the nationally renowned Layton Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease Center. There, multidisciplinary specialists in degenerative brain disease work together to provide clinical care, perform cutting-edge research and conduct clinical trials of potential new therapies.

Parkinson’s: OHSU researchers and clinicians continue to raise the bar in the treatment and management of Parkinson’s disease. The Parkinson’s Foundation recognizes OHSU as a Center of Excellence, a designation given to only 45 programs worldwide. The designation recognizes top-quality patient care and advanced research to improve patients’ lives.

Multiple Sclerosis (MS): OHSU is one of seven top institutions in the Race to Erase MS Center Without Walls program. Participants from OHSU, Johns Hopkins and others are working together in pursuit of new treatments that can halt or even reverse the progression of MS.

Neurosurgery: OHSU is nationally recognized by U.S. News & World Report for neurology and neurosurgery programs that are among the nation’s best. We have top scores for nursing staffing, advanced technology and patient services.

ADHD: At the OHSU Center for Mental Health Innovation, scientists use state-of-the-art methods to develop new treatments and prediction tools for ADHD. Their mission is to create solutions that give hope to people suffering from this debilitating mental disorder.

OHSU’s neuroscience research vision is to stimulate bold discovery in the most critical facets of brain science and to accelerate the translation of these breakthroughs into new and better treatments across the lifespan. Private philanthropic support advances and accelerates neuroscience research across the university.