Brain Awareness Week: Brain Breakthroughs Needed

Those of us in the business of learning more about the most complex part of the human body celebrate this particular period every year. It’s Brain Awareness Week, as declared by our friends at the Dana Foundation, and a great reason to stop and consider the importance of the single most valuable organ we have.

If you have a healthy brain, consider yourself fortunate. Since one in five of us has some kind of neurologic disorder or disease, odds are that you know several people, probably even in your inner circle, who are not so lucky. So you have an obligation to keep yours healthy in ways you already know: exercise, don’t smoke, take care of your heart, avoid sugar, keep your mind stimulated, avoid or moderate alcohol, prevent falls and foster healthy, social relationships.

That three-pound organ underlies everything we’ve got. It drives our ability to communicate, make decisions, solve problems and live a productive and useful life.

It is the outright hub of daily function. It controls intellect, emotions, personality, and consciousness. And truth is, we’re still not entirely sure how it works.

That’s where our mission comes in: to help advance neuroscience by providing researchers with the precious resource they desperately need—human brain tissue—to  help them reach the next, great breakthrough in brain health. We exist to raise awareness of the need and simplify the process for brain donation after death.

There’s an incredible urgency in trying to understand the human brain. Now more than ever—when we’re experiencing a mental health and addictions crisis in our communities, when people are living longer than ever—the clock is ticking to find new and better ways to prevent, diagnose, treat and even cure brain disorders. We are so proud to be in this community that treasures this crown jewel of the human body. Here’s hoping we can accelerate the insights so that Brain Awareness Week is something everyone can truly celebrate.