Brain Performance Institute — First of Its Kind Opened in October

November 1, 2017

Since 2013, the Brain Performance Institute has given tens of thousands of people of all ages the opportunity to take charge of their brains. A part of the UT Dallas Center for BrainHealth, the institute celebrated the public opening of its new, state-of-the art building on Oct. 12. Designed to represent the brain’s frontal lobe, the 62,000-square-foot facility is directly adjacent to the Center for BrainHealth’s campus. Funded by private philanthropy, it is the first institute of its kind, serving as a destination for individuals seeking to improve their brain health and enhance their brain performance.

“What sets us apart from all other brain institutions is the approach we are taking,” explained Dr. Leanne Young, Brain Performance Institute executive director. “We are focused on how to make your brain stronger wherever you are in life. Every day, we are opening eyes about what the brain can really do and empowering people to get the most out of their brains.”

Guests took part in a “reimagined ribbon-cutting” — a simulated, lighted brain synapse — signifying the official opening of the Brain Performance Institute. From left, Dr. Ian Robertson, co-director of the Global Brain Health Institute and T. Boone Pickens Distinguished Scientist at Center for BrainHealth; Debbie Francis, Center for BrainHealth advisory board chair; former first lady Laura Bush; veteran and former Dallas Cowboys player Chad Hennings; UT Dallas President Richard C. Benson; Georgeann McRaven, wife of UT System Chancellor William H. McRaven; Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman, Center for BrainHealth founder and chief director; Dr. Leanne Young PhD’16, executive director of the Brain Performance Institute; and former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert.

Conceived by visionaries at UT Dallas, Center for BrainHealth founder and chief director Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman and BrainHealth’s esteemed advisory board, the Brain Performance Institute is a delivery system for science-based protocols and resources developed and vetted by neuroscientists and clinicians at the Center for BrainHealth. This unique relationship between the center and institute significantly reduces the traditional gap between scientific discovery and public benefit.

Joel Robuck, Center for BrainHealth advisory board vice chair, said, “[My wife Linda and I] believe the research is of the highest quality, and its emphasis on translating its findings into useful solutions uniquely positions the center to address pressing brain health needs quickly.”

The Brain Performance Institute offers public lectures, drop-in classes focused on brain healthy habits and performance strategies — the institute’s flagship highperformance brain training programs and assessments— as well as a burgeoning suite of online programmatic offerings designed to appeal to a wide range people.

Tailored programs target a variety of populations, including middle school students, corporate executives, military veterans, athletes, individuals suffering from Alzheimer’s disease and many more, including the  virtual reality social cognition program for teens that was featured on NBC’s “Today” show earlier this year.

Center for BrainHealth launched a capital campaign to raise the funds for the building through private philanthropy.

For more information, visit BrainPerformanceInstitute.com.