Oregon Health & Science University's Brain Institute is among the top institutions in the nation for NIH-funded neuroscience research projects.
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OHSU Brain Institute is the only place in Oregon where the brightest minds in medicine and science are leaders in brain care, with national recognition for breakthroughs in treatment of Multiple Sclerosis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease. From prevention to intervention, we combine the highest quality brain care with groundbreaking brain research and the latest discoveries. OHSU is Oregon’s only public academic health center. We are a system of hospitals and clinics across Oregon and Southwest Washington. We are an institution of higher learning with schools of medicine, nursing, pharmacy, dentistry and public health. We are a national research hub with thousands of scientists working hard to develop new disease treatments and therapies. We are also one of Portland’s largest employers. As a public health organization, we provide services to the most vulnerable Oregonians and strive to improve health in communities across the state through our outreach efforts. OHSU encourages interaction, discussion, commentary, questions and even criticism but ask that you keep your comments and posts relevant and respectful. OHSU does reserve the right to moderate your comments on its social media platforms as necessary to prevent medical, personal and confidential information from being posted. In addition, OHSU will remove all spam, personal attacks, profanity, racism, excessive posting, as well as any off-topic commentary, advertisements about good or services or announcements about news or events not related to OHSU and may ban anyone who violates these guidelines. Please do not use social media platforms to disclose, share, talk about, send or request sensitive or personal information, especially private health information. OHSU cannot guarantee the confidentiality of any messages transmitted over the internet. By interacting with this page, you assume all risks related to sharing your information. Please also note that OHSU social media is only intended for use within the United States. Although OHSU is an academic medical center, we cannot provide medical advice for your personal health situation. If you have a medical issue that requires advice or treatment, we encourage you to contact your primary care provider. For more information, please read our disclaimer: https://www.ohsu.edu/about/social-media-directory
03/19/2026
Medicine mistakes happen. If someone takes the wrong medicine, the wrong dose, or has unexpected side effects, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222, even if it isn’t an emergency.
Poison Help is always fast, free, and confidential. Save the Poison Help line to your phone so you have it if you need it.
Oregon Poison Center
03/19/2026
"Serious burns are an under-recognized risk associated with smoking drugs. We hope that our study will increase awareness of this critical public health issue," said lead author Dr. Honora Englander, who directs an in-hospital addiction care team at OHSU.
New research led by OHSU found more than half of people treated for severe burns in hospitals and emergency rooms over nearly a decade also used smokable drugs other than to***co.
People using illicit drugs report widespread use of butane torches designed for cooking.
Oregon Medicaid data show people who use smokable drugs account for over half of all burn-related hospitalizations, ED visits.
03/18/2026
How do you know if you should call Poison Help or 911? Call 911 when someone is having trouble breathing, unresponsive, or having a seizure.
For all other poisoning symptoms, call the Poison Help line to connect with an expert! The Poison Help line is fast, free, and available 24/7, 365 days a year. You never know when you might need it. 1-800-222-1222. https://poisoncenters.org/
02/27/2026
Congratulations to Elias Wisdom, an Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) M.D.-Ph.D. candidate, who has been selected for the AAIC Neuroscience Next "One to Watch" Award by the Alzheimer's Association!
⭐ One to Watch: Elias Wisdom, an Oregon Health & Science University M.D.-Ph.D. candidate has been selected for the AAIC Neuroscience Next "One to Watch" Award. This award recognizes rising leaders who are redefining neuroscience through trailblazing scientific thinking, collaboration, communication, and outreach.
Wisdom is pioneering novel protein proximity labeling and advanced mass spectrometry to decode protein interactions in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinsons's disease, and Lewy body dementia. A La Grande native, former college baseball All-American, and current Ironman triathlete, Wisdom often credits long training runs for sparking research ideas.
He also attended the recent Oregon State Advocacy day and raised his voice to keep Alzheimer's and other dementias a priority with legislators.
Please join us in congratulating Elias's leadership in science and advocacy. 💜 🔬 👏
02/14/2026
A federally funded research initiative will enable researchers at OHSU and other organizations to assess the safety and effectiveness of state-regulated access to psilocybin, also known as magic mushrooms.
"There is an urgent need to assess the safety of these programs and their impact on substance use before more voters and policymakers are asked to consider their merits and drawbacks.," said Dr. Adie Rae, a scientist at the Legacy Research Institute in Portland and co-director of the Oregon Psychedelic Evaluation Nexis (OPEN).
Five-year, $3.3 million award is first to study the effect of psychedelic services in community settings.
02/13/2026
OHSU scientists are developing an eye drop specially designed to detect the fluorescent signal of a protein associated with Alzheimer’s disease.
Combined with the use of a noninvasive scanner, the research project could result in a low-cost, widely accessible screening tool to catch the earliest stage of the disease.
OHSU biomedical engineer and imaging scientist awarded federal funding for high-risk, high-reward project.
02/11/2026
Two OHSU faculty members have been awarded $750,000 grants through the OHSU Faculty Excellence and Innovation Awards, which honor exceptionally creative research with the potential to significantly advance human health.
OHSU Faculty Excellence and Innovation Awards support research to advance human health.
01/28/2026
Launched in 2017, the Oregon ECHO Network (OEN) is a statewide initiative that supports ECHO (Extension for Community Healthcare Outcomes) programming determined by a collaborative group of community partners and participants.
Hosted at OHSU’s Oregon Rural Practice-based Research Network (ORPRN), Project ECHO allows primary care clinicians and their teams to access the knowledge and tools to manage health conditions that they typically refer to specialty care.
The benefits of this approach include improved patient satisfaction, reduced medical errors and unneeded specialty referrals, and overall improved patient health for all Oregonians.
In a new study, OHSU researchers mapped exactly where harmful antibodies latch onto NMDA receptors, proteins on brain cells that play a role in memory, learning and cognitive function.
In the study published today, OHSU researchers identified specific sites on the NMDA receptor in the brain that, if they could be blocked, may potentially reverse the progression of the rare disorder anti-NMDAR encephalitis.
The condition affects about one in 1 million people annually, predominantly people in their 20s and 30s, best known by the bestselling autobiography and 2016 motion picture, “Brain on Fire.”
Scientists hope this discovery shows a promising target for treatment for this devastating autoimmune disease affecting the brain.
OHSU researchers use near-atomic imaging to find promising target for ‘Brain on Fire’ condition.
12/30/2025
A new systematic evidence review finds that cannabis products that carry relatively high levels of THC may provide short-term improvements in pain and function.
However, the review also found THC-based products led to an increased risk of common adverse symptoms like dizziness, sedation and nausea.
Research review also finds products higher in CBD than THC have almost no benefit in reducing pain.
12/27/2025
OHSU researchers warn that exposure to air pollution may have serious implications for a child’s developing brain.
In a recent study, OHSU’s Developmental Brain Imaging Lab found that air pollution is associated with structural changes in the adolescent brain, specifically in the frontal and temporal regions — the areas responsible for executive function, language, mood regulation and socioemotional processing.
Researchers warn these structural changes could impact children's health, well-being; environmental, public health policy will be critical to protecting brain health, they say.
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The OHSU Brain Institute has over 400 doctors and researchers treating people with diseases of the brain, teaching tomorrow’s doctors and searching for cures. The Institute exists to develop and sustain collaborations between neuroscientists and clinicians in Oregon and beyond.
This integrative work is guided by our senior leadership group:
Dennis Bourdette, M.D.
Chair, Department of Neurology
Director, Multiple Sclerosis and Nueroimmunology Center
Marc Freeman, Ph.D.
Director, Vollum Institute
George Keepers, M.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of Psychiatry
Bita Moghaddam, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair, Department of Behavioral Neuroscience
Nathan Selden, M.D., Ph.D.
Campagna Professor and Chair, Department of Neurological Surgery
Excellence in Care
OHSU is a national leader in neuroscience clinical care. Some of our achievements include:
OHSU is ranked as the Best Hospital in Oregon accordingly to US News and World Report.
The American Heart Association and the American Stroke Association awarded OHSU the Gold Plus quality acheivement award.
The OHSU Stroke Program was first Comprehensive Stroke Center in the Pacific Northwest.
Our Parkinson’s Disease and Movement Disorder Program is nationally recognized as a leader in treatment, research and education.
Supporter and Friends
Your involvement at the OHSU Brain Institute is vital. Our community's effort and energy gives people hope and helps OHSU researchers closer to finding cures. There are many ways you can get involved:
Join the Brain Research Awareness and Information Network (BRAINet) our volunteer outreach organization.
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Learn more on how the Brain Institute brings information and education to your community.
