Programs
Translating research into action through education, convenings, storytelling, and safe information tools.
The Warriors Keeper Initiative
A free, 8-week peer resilience program for Orange County Veterans, funded by the VA's SSG Fox Suicide Prevention Grant Program. Small cohorts spend time together through group activities that the group chooses for itself, from a climb or a hike to a shared meal or a ballgame. Along the way, each cohort elects a trusted peer, its Keeper, to be its first line of support. Participants also get a dedicated case manager and warm connections to VA care and local resources.
Audience
Veterans and former service members in Orange County, especially those who aren't connected to VA care or wouldn't walk into a clinic on their own.
Impact
Rebuilding the kind of team that military service once provided, so Veterans have people they trust, a path to support, and a peer network that keeps showing up after the program ends.
Cummings Lab: Brain Injury Research for Safer Combat Sports
A community‑driven research project at UC Irvine working directly with professional fighters to understand how real‑world weight‑cutting practices—especially severe dehydration—may increase vulnerability to brain injury. The team is combining an anonymous athlete survey with lab experiments that replicate actual weight‑cut conditions, building the first scientific dataset that can help fighters, coaches, and regulators make combat sports safer.
Audience
Anyone interested in helping to support brain injury research designed and performed with the individuals it is meant to serve.
Impact
This project aims to transform athlete safety by generating the first scientific evidence on how real‑world weight‑cutting and dehydration affect the brain, giving fighters, coaches, and regulators the data they need to make combat sports safer.
The Cognitive Frontline Newsletter
The Cognitive Frontline Newsletter breaks down recent neuroscience and traumatic brain injury research in clear and accessible language. Each issue explains what a new study found, how it fits into the current state of science and medicine, and what it realistically means for people living with the effects of concussion, TBI, or CTE. The goal is to give survivors, families, and advocates the tools to understand complex research without sensationalizing the science or overstating what is known.
Audience
TBI survivors, caregivers, athletes, veterans, clinicians, educators, and anyone seeking clear and grounded explanations of brain injury research.
Impact
Strengthens public understanding of brain health, counters misinformation, and helps readers make sense of new research in a practical and honest way.
BRF Conference on Concussion, TBI, and CTE in Athletes and Veterans
The BRF Conference brings together scientists, clinicians, athletes, veterans, caregivers, and advocates for an open and accessible discussion about concussion, traumatic brain injury, and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. The event creates a space where research findings, clinical insight, and lived experience can be shared in a clear and honest way. The goal is to strengthen understanding, reduce isolation, and support a community that often feels overlooked in conversations about brain health.
Audience
Researchers, clinicians, athletes, veterans, families, caregivers, and advocacy groups.
Impact
Builds a rare forum where scientific experts and people with lived experience can learn from one another and shape the future of brain injury research and support.
Educational Outreach Program
Our Educational Outreach Program brings hands-on neuroscience learning directly into classrooms and youth programs. We design interactive lessons that help students explore how the brain works, how it changes, and how it shapes the way we think, move, and experience the world. Each visit includes engaging demonstrations, real scientific tools, and age-appropriate discussions that spark curiosity and build scientific confidence.
Students may have the opportunity to examine real human and animal brains for comparative neurobiology, participate in activities that reveal how perception works, and ask questions in an open, supportive environment. Our goal is to make neuroscience accessible, exciting, and relevant for every young learner.
Audience
Elementary through high school students, after-school programs, youth organizations, and community groups.
Impact
Builds scientific literacy, encourages curiosity, and empowers students to understand and advocate for their own brain health.
BRF Community Brain Health Sessions
Our Virtual Brain Health Support Sessions provide a welcoming space for people living with the long-term effects of repeated concussions. These monthly Zoom gatherings bring together contact-sport athletes, combat-sport athletes, military veterans, and anyone who has experienced repeated head impacts and wants a place to ask questions, share experiences, and feel understood.
Each session includes at least one clinician and one scientist who can help translate the latest research into clear, accessible language. Participants may join anonymously or openly, and are encouraged to share only what feels comfortable. The goal is to make brain health science more accessible, reduce isolation, and support the people whose lived experiences drive and inspire our work.
Audience
Contact-sport and combat-sport athletes, military veterans, former high school and college athletes, and anyone navigating the effects of repeated concussions.
Impact
Reduces isolation, builds community, and helps participants understand their experiences through accessible science and supportive conversation.