On May 14, 2015, the University of Texas System Board of Regents approved the establishment of the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute at UT Southwestern Medical Center, a recognized leader in neuroscience.

A $36 million gift from the O’Donnell Foundation enabled UT Southwestern to create the new Institute. The Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute at UT Southwestern is a comprehensive center dedicated to better understanding the basic molecular workings of the brain and applying these discoveries to the prevention and treatment of brain diseases and injuries.

Housed at UT Southwestern’s Zale Lipshy University Hospital, the institute will conduct research on the molecular-level workings of the brain in pursuit of treatments for Alzheimer’s and other conditions while treating patients with acute head trauma, neurological diseases like Parkinson’s and ALS, and other brain-related illnesses.