UT Southwestern O'Donnell Brain Institute

Yogesh Tak, Ph.D., was awarded a 2026 O'Donnell Brain Institute Sprouts Grant for his research on tau amyloid toxicity. Dr. Tak is a postdoc in the Center for Alzheimer's & Neurodegenerative Diseases and in the Sanders Lab. Learn more about Sprouts Grants: bit.ly/42ko8UE

Congrats to UTSW medical student @GillianWitten, who was awarded the UTSW Dean’s Research Scholar Fellowship Program to spend a year studying the pathophysiology of depression with @drpouratian! @UTSWMedCenter @UTSWBrain #Neurosurgery

16th Annual @HeadfortheCure 5K! Thank you to our @UTSWBrain team for raising hope, awareness, and funds to support brain tumor patients and their families on May 2nd. impact.headforthecure.org/team/797672 @MatthewSunMD @Lucas_Mitre_ @UTSWMedCenter @UTSWBrain #Neurosurgery

Congratulations to Neurosurgery Resident, Dr. Rebeka Langston, who was awarded a 2026 O'Donnell Brain Institute Sprouts Grant. The award supports Dr. Langston's research project: "Spatial-genomic mapping of human arachnoid granulations to uncover novel CSF absorption pathways."

O'Donnell Brain Institute Investigator, Dr. Maria Chahrour, led two studies that shed new light on genes associated with #autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The findings could lead to improved diagnostics and therapies that can treat ASD at its genetic roots. bit.ly/3PkU0og

Team @UTSWBrain at Head for the Cure 5K Honored to stand alongside patients, families, & advocates committed to advancing brain tumor research and support. Our team of 84 members raised more than $5,700 as part of our mission to remove barriers between discover and care.

What drives @MariaChahrour? Understanding the “why” behind neurodevelopmental conditions like autism. Her lab studies genes and brain development to advance understanding and inform more personalized approaches to care. Learn more: bit.ly/4rJmYeu #UTSWMeetTheMinds

Congratulations to the trainees who placed in the poster contest at the 2026 O'Donnell Brain Institute Research Day. Jian Xue, Ph.D., Ryan McGrath, and Aleksandra Wosztyl were recognized for the research projects they are working on with OBI Investigators. #neuroscience

Our 2026 Annual Research Day on April 29 included talks from faculty and trainees working in brain science. Speakers included OBI Sprouts grant awardees, Research Interest Groups, and Scholar Program Fellows. We also had a poster contest and will share the winners names tomorrow.

Congrats to Dr. Venkatesh Aiyagari @Neurointensive, who received the 2026 Kapil Sethi, MD, FRCP Teaching Award by the Association of Indian Neurologists in America at the AINA Annual Meeting & Dinner on April 20th. @UTSWMedCenter @UTSWBrain #Neurosurgery

Come talk with members of the UT Southwestern Stroke Team tomorrow in Red Bird. They will be sharing life-saving information on how to recognize a #stroke and how to reduce stroke risk.

Register now for this free symposium where UT Southwestern movement disorders specialists will be sharing the latest management strategies for Parkinson's patients. Healthcare providers, patients, families & caregivers are invited.

Congrats to @BillDauerNeuro @UTSWBrain @UTSWNeurology on his induction to Association of American Physicians!

Each year, we award grants to trainees in brain science who are exploring novel ideas not easily covered by other funding sources. Prabha Acharya, Ph.D. received a 2026 Sprouts Grant for her work in @NapieralaLab where she is researching vision loss in Friedreich's Ataxia.

Two clinical trials actively enrolling today @UTSWMedCenter offer renewed hope for patients facing #glioblastoma. Learn more about SONOBIRD and ReSPECT-GBM in this article featuring Dr. Toral Patel. physicianresources.utswmed.org/news/two-trial… @UTSWMedCenter @UTSWBrain #Neurosurgery

@thewilliamslab co-led a study that shows it's not only muscles, heart, lungs, and other tissues that adapt to exercise. OBI Investigator, Dr. Williams, says their research found that neurons in the brain can program endurance capacity. Learn more: bit.ly/4bXuJch

Happy to report that our study on acute management of ‘Wake up’ strokes in ER across Texas and Louisiana is out! Congrats 🎊🎈 to our team @DaiwaiO84145 @NnrcUtsw @UTSWBrain @UTSW_NeuroRes @EricaJones_MD @stilettoscience @MarkGoldbergMD frontiersin.org/journals/strok…

Congratulations to our newly matched #neurosurgery residents, Dr. Nicholas DeWalt & Dr. Miguel Hernández-Rovira! We are so excited to have you join our team! @UTSWMedCenter @UTSWBrain #match2026 @UTSWNSResidency

Interventional #Psychiatry @UTSW and @drpouratian connecting with the community about #DBS for treatment-resistant #depression. @UTSWMedCenter @UTSWBrain #Neurosurgery

Dr. Fred Hitti is part of a UTSW multidisciplinary team exploring deep brain stimulation (DBS) for treatment resistant depression. A clinical trial is underway to learn if DBS can relieve depression for patients who are not helped with current treatments. bit.ly/4bNkjLa