UT Southwestern Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute

10/12/2026

Shawn McClintock, Ph.D., Professor of Psychiatry, has been elected a fellow of the National Academy of Neuropsychology (NAN). Fellows are members of NAN who have advanced the science and profession of clinical neuropsychology. Dr. McClintock also serves as the Scientific Director of the Perot Foundation Neuroscience Translational Research Center in the O’Donnell Brain Institute.

10/08/2026

Anila D’Mello, Ph.D., received a grant from the NIH-National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders to study the neural basis of semantic language difficulties in autism spectrum disorder(ASD). Dr. D’Mello will collaborate with UC Berkeley researchers on conducting precision functional MRI in autistic and non-autistic adults to observe how the brain responds to the meanings of thousands of different concepts.

09/30/2026

Two Psychiatry Department Advanced Practice Providers (APPs) are being honored for their work. Shalini Maharaj, PA-C, and Snoben Kuruvila, PA-C, received UTSW APP Celebration Week Excellence Awards. Shalini was recognized for Clinical Practice and Snoben for Scholarly Endeavors.

09/28/2026

Dr. Benjamin Greenberg and Advanced Practice Provider, Michael Levy, are among the honorees of this year's UT Southwestern Advanced Practice Providers Excellence Awards. The APP Recognition Committee reviews nominations and selects individuals whose work exemplifies excellence in clinical care, community service, leadership, scholarship, and teaching. Dr. Greenberg was recognized for exceptional support of APP practice and professional growth. Michael Levy was recognized for his work with patients in the UT Southwestern brain tumor clinic.

09/22/2026

O'Donnell Brain Institute Investigator, Seungwon "Sebastian" Choi, is a 2026 recipient of the Suh Kyungbae Foundation (SUHF) Young Investigator Award. SUHF champions the evolution of basic scientific research by providing support to emerging scientists. The SUHF Young Investigator Award is the most prestigious junior faculty award for Korean biomedical scientists. Learn more about Dr. Choi's research. https://www.schoilab.org/

09/21/2026

A well-deserved congratulations to the UT Southwestern Inpatient Rehabilitation (IPR) team on receiving the DAISY Award! 🎉 This recognition reflects the compassion, dedication, and extraordinary care that the team brings to patients and families every day. Our IPR Program is one of the nation's premier neurological hospital treatment centers, specializing in stroke, spinal cord injuries, brain injuries, amputations, and others. https://bit.ly/3Q4MAmO

09/17/2026

We are offering a free educational event tomorrow on how brain computer interfaces (BCI) can increase independence and improve quality of life for people living with spinal cord injury, ALS, or the effects of stroke. Register to learn how BCIs work and see it in action during a live demonstration.

For people living with spinal cord injury, ALS, or the effects of stroke, changes in mobility can have a profound impact on independence and quality of life.

Brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) are opening new possibilities by translating brain activity into commands that can help people communicate, move, and interact with external devices.

Join UT Southwestern Peter O'Donnell Jr. Brain Institute on Sept. 18 to learn how BCIs work, who may benefit from this emerging technology, and see it in action during a live demonstration featuring BCI users.

Learn more and register: https://bit.ly/4ytdrvQ

09/10/2026

You can learn about brain computer interfaces, what they do, and the patients who can benefit from BCI at a presentation next Friday, Sep 18. Speakers: Dr. Cecile Verbaarschot, Dr. Nader Pouratian, Dr. Babu Welch, and users. More details and register: https://bit.ly/4ytdrvQ

08/31/2026

Dr. Manish Jha, Associate Professor of Psychiatry, will be leading a multi-site clinical trial of the weight loss drug tirzepatide as a therapy for methamphetamine use disorder. Dr. Jha, an O'Donnell Brain Institute Clinical Neuroscience Scholar (CNS), was recently awarded a grant from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) to conduct the trial. He says the OBI support he received as a CNS Scholar including mentorship, funding, and career development led to the collection of preliminary data and the NIDA grant award. Learn more about the potential for GLP-1s to treat drug addiction.
https://bit.ly/4x2JpOD

08/26/2026

UT Southwestern researchers led a study with Parkinson’s patients that discovered a previously unrecognized sequence of abnormal activity across multiple regions of the brain. The study tracked beta activity – a type of electrophysiological brain oscillation – in 23 patients who were undergoing deep brain stimulation implantation surgery to treat their Parkinson’s disease. The findings could lead to improved treatments.
https://bit.ly/4gnMgLx

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center studying Parkinson's disease have discovered a previously unrecognized sequence of abnormal activity across multiple regions of the brain, providing a new level of understanding that could improve treatment ...