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“As the father of children who are athletes and as an NFL owner, I greatly value the positive role that sports play in people’s lives and am personally concerned about sports concussions. UCLA runs one of the best youth concussion programs in the nation, and I’m honored that my gift will allow the program to accelerate and expand its efforts to help kids, parents and coaches understand how to prevent and treat concussions and enjoy the sports that they love.” —Steve Tisch, 2014
Steve Tisch’s landmark investment in 2014 established the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program, a sophisticated research, prevention, diagnosis and treatment program for concussions and brain injuries. His philanthropy — the single largest gift from an individual to a medical center for a concussion-related initiative — has enabled the program’s director, Dr. Christopher C. Giza (RES ’94, FEL ’96, ’00), and his team of experts in the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA to advance the understanding of the neurobiology of sports-related concussion using the latest techniques in brain imaging, molecular biology and neuro-engineering. Their comprehension of the connection between concussions and long-term brain disease has enabled the team to devise innovative new treatments for those with concussion and promote safe sports participation for both the professional and nonprofessional athlete.
Over the past five years, the UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program has brought public attention to the detrimental neurological effects of sports concussions. From President Obama’s Healthy Kids and Safe Sports Concussion Summit in 2014 to the roll-out of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA)-United States Department of Defense (DoD) Concussion Assessment Research and Education (CARE) Grand Alliance project with all UCLA varsity sports, the team’s groundbreaking success was jump-started by Tisch’s crucial program funding.
In addition, the multiple community partnerships that have been formed have helped the UCLA Steve Tisch Brain- SPORT Program make significant progress in clinical outreach and research, define best practices, make contact sports safer and meet the demand for care that includes the treatment of children, athletes and veterans. The UCLA Steve Tisch BrainSPORT Program continues to be the most advanced diagnostic and treatment program for sports concussion and brain health in the country.
For more information, contact Samantha Lang at: 310-351-9806
