1,000 Reasons
for Hope

How the first 1,000 Legacy Donors studied at the UNITE Brain Bank are mapping the future of brain trauma research.

What’s inside the report

The 1,000 Reasons for Hope report celebrates the first 1,000 brain donors studied at the UNITE Brain Bank since 2008 and how they have advanced research on concussions and CTE. Inside you’ll find never-before-seen donor demographics, new testimonials from donor families including Dwayne Johnson, and a roadmap for the future of brain trauma research.

This report, created by research collaborators from the VA, Boston University, and the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF), explains how the next 1,000 brain donors will answer critical questions that take us closer to preventing, diagnosing, and treating CTE and other long-term consequences of concussion and traumatic brain injury.

Special message from CLF CEO Chris Nowinski, Ph.D.

Thanks to our Legacy Donors and their families, as well as our incredible research team, we are closer than ever before to ending CTE. Through tireless research, awareness and prevention efforts, we continue to pave the way for the eradication of this disease. Our discoveries have already inspired changes to sports that will prevent many future cases of CTE in the next generation of athletes. Join us on our journey to cure CTE by 2040.

We would not be able to End CTE without the individuals and organizations who support this research through their donations and their advocacy. If you would like to see this groundbreaking research continue, below are six ways you can increase the impact of the research at the UNITE Brain Bank and our Global Brain Bank partners.

Pledge Your Brain

Our research is revolutionizing the world’s understanding of brain trauma. By pledging, you can help us solve the concussion and CTE crisis.

A gift that directly supports Dr. Ann McKee and her research team at the UNITE Brain Bank so they can accelerate scientific discoveries.

Give now to support CLF’s education and advocacy, patient services and research programs.

Resource Center

If you or a loved one have suffered a recent concussion, are struggling with lingering symptoms, or are concerned about CTE, we want to hear from you.

Join Project Enlist

Project Enlist is serving as a catalyst for advancing critical research on TBI, PTSD and CTE among military veterans.

Our 1,000 Legacy Donors are the reason we have so many reasons for hope. Learn their stories of loss, recovery, community and hope.

Who we work with