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
09/02/2025
September is Su***de Prevention Awareness Month, and we want everyone to know you’re not alone. Whether you need support, are reaching out to someone else, or just want to spread kindness, your voice is important.💛
Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) President Dr. Shereef Elnahal shares a quick message to the entire OHSU community to encourage us to come together, talk openly about mental health, look out for each other, and share helpful resources.
Together, we can make a real difference—there’s always hope, and always help.
***dePreventionMonth
08/26/2025
"Parkinson’s became very real in my life...Mary Anne’s caregivers were amazing."
Carol Herron is helping the OHSU Parkinson Center care for the caregiver. She was inspired to establish the M.A.R.Y. (Mobilizing Assistance and Resources Year-Round) Fund after seeing the care her late sister, Mary Anne Herron, received after her Parkinson’s diagnosis.
Carol Herron established the M.A.R.Y. Fund in honor of her late sister to help people with Parkinson's disease and their caregivers.
08/22/2025
A study by OHSU research found that people recovering from heart failure who keep a regular sleep schedule have a lower risk of hospitalization or death.
"Going to bed and waking up at consistent times is important for overall health," said lead author Dr. Brooke Shafer, a research assistant professor in the Sleep, Chronobiology and Health Laboratory in the OHSU School of Nursing.
OHSU review suggests a consistent sleep schedule is especially important for people recovering from heart failure symptoms.
08/21/2025
🚣 Rowing Through Parkinson’s: Meet Todd
When Todd Vogt was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2018, he thought his rowing career was over. Instead, he discovered the Paralympic pathway, and within a year, he was competing on Team USA.
From World Championships to the 2024 Games in Paris, Todd fulfilled a dream he once thought was out of reach. “Without Parkinson’s, I wouldn’t have had this chance,” he says. “It’s a strange gift in disguise.”
Now retired from international racing, Todd still rows daily, coaches others, and is joining the Movers and Shakers team for Portland to Coast. For him, the relay is about more than miles. “It’s the adventure, and the people,” he says.
Seven years into his diagnosis, Todd believes exercise has helped slow his symptoms, and he hopes his story inspires others with Parkinson’s to keep moving.
“I didn’t set out to be an inspiration,” he says, “but if my journey helps someone else, that means a lot.”
💙 Read Todd’s full story here:
When Todd Vogt was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2018, he thought his rowing career was over. Instead, he discovered the Paralympic pathway, and within a year, he was competing on Team USA.
08/21/2025
✨ Living Well with Parkinson’s: Meet Claudia ✨
When Claudia Danker was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2016, she turned to the thing she knew best: movement.
A lifelong athlete, Claudia leaned into exercise, cycling, boxing, walking, as her way to stay strong and slow the disease’s progression. “Exercise is the one thing I can do for myself besides medication,” she says.
Today, Claudia teaches boxing classes for people with Parkinson’s, inspires her daughter (now pursuing a career in physical therapy), and walks with OHSU’s Movers and Shakers team in the Portland to Coast relay. For her, the event is about more than the miles. “Being part of this team, being visible, telling our stories, it matters,” she says.
Now in her nineth year since diagnosis, Claudia continues to live fully in the present, with her husband as her biggest cheerleader and a community of teammates by her side.
💙 Read Claudia’s full story and learn how she’s raising awareness and resilience in the Parkinson’s community:
Now in her nineth year since her Parkinson's diagnosis, Claudia Danker continues to live fully in the present, with her husband as her biggest cheerleader and a community of teammates by her side.
08/14/2025
08/14/2025
08/13/2025
OHSU neuroscientist Dr. Eric Gouaux has earned a rare distinction as a two-time recipient of the Javits Neuroscience Investigator Award from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Gouaux will receive $5.4 million over the next seven years to extend the groundbreaking work of his lab to advance molecular understanding about how the brain processes information.
Publication in the journal Nature reveals structure and conformation of key receptors in synapses of the brain's cerebellum.
08/11/2025
Take charge of your brain health!
Join the Alzheimer's Association - Oregon & Southwest Washington Chapter for a community conference on brain health, aging and Alzheimer's science. Each event features Alzheimer's and dementia resources in Oregon and Southwest Washington.
Learn more and find an event near you: bit.ly/brainhealth25
08/07/2025
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has awarded OHSU $2.8 million to lead the Advancing Geriatrics Infrastructure & Network Growth, or AGING, Initiative, a national research agenda focused on older adults with multiple chronic conditions.
OHSU's Dr. Ana Quiñones, professor of family medicine in the OHSU School of Medicine, has been named co-director of the AGING Initiative, along with Dr. C. Barrett Bowling of Duke University.
Award will advance research on older adults with multiple chronic conditions.
08/01/2025
Exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 may lead to chronic health impacts that, in some cases, may become apparent only years later, according to new research in nonhuman primates led by OHSU.
The study raises the possibility that long-COVID may be far more common than currently estimated.
Long COVID is generally defined as a chronic illness with a range of symptoms or conditions that can last weeks, months or even years after the initial illness.
OHSU research in nonhuman primates finds long-term effects in both lean and obese animals.
07/31/2025
New OHSU research suggests that long-term effects of COVID-19 may be far more common and slower to appear than previously believed.
"Some adverse aspects of long COVID may not be apparent until some point in the future... That suggests the condition could be more common than current estimates reflect."
Even mild cases of COVID-19 in monkeys were linked to chronic health conditions that emerged later.
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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.
Stay informed about the OHSU Brain Institute by signing up for one of our newsletters.
Make a gift. We could not achieve what we do without private support. Your generosity makes and extraordinary difference.
Attend an event.
Learn more on how the Brain Institute brings information and education to your community.
