About Us
OUR VISION
Since our founding in 1986, we have worked toward our vision of improving the outcomes of patients with traumatic brain injuries. We do this through the development of our best-in-class, evidence-based guidelines, groundbreaking research partnerships, and educational outreach.
OUR STORY
1980s and 1990s
In 1986, Dr. Jamshid Ghajar and the board of the Sunny von Bulow Coma and Head Trauma Research Foundation founded Brain Trauma Foundation (BTF) in order to support ongoing research on TBI.
In the late 1980s, BTF began awarding TBI research fellowships to young neurosurgeons at top universities to advance their research and foster interest in head injury.
BTF’s first evidence-based Guidelines for Managing Severe TBI (Coma) was developed in 1995. This pivotal patient care standard was the result of collaboration between a national and international group of experts dedicated to finding the best evidence to improve patient outcomes. In the two decades since, BTF has expanded to six additional guidelines, including Management of Severe TBI, Management of Pediatric Severe TBI, Early Prognosis in Severe TBI, Surgical Management of TBI, Pre-hospital Management of Severe TBI, and Field Management of Combat-Related TBI.
2000s
In 2000, BTF established the first New York State TBI trauma center tracking and compliance network with the New York State Department of Health; similar networks throughout the U.S. and internationally followed.
Then in 2002, BTF became the first organization to lead a university consortium to research the neurobiology of mild TBI (concussion) with funding provided by the James S. McDonnell Foundation. Six years later, BTF was awarded a second grant by the James S. McDonnell Foundation to lead another research consortium to examine the nature of attention and deficits in concussion patients.
A 2008 Department of Defense TBI Advanced Technology award funded BTF’s development of a portable device that detects concussion in seconds. Today, that technology is fully functioning and being applied and tested through BTF’s “EYE-TRAC Advance Study,” which tests 5,000 high school and college athletes and 5,000 military personal using BTF’s custom-developed portable eye-tracking device “Dynamic Visual Synchronization (DVS) Goggles”.
In 2009, BTF helped spin off Sync Think, Inc., a technology company dedicated to developing a commercial goggle eye tracking solution for concussion.
In 2011, BTF partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on the “Concussion Definition Consortium-An Evidence Based Project” to create an evidence-based definition of concussion to help with the identification, screening, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of the condition. That definition has since been adopted by organizations such as the NCAA.
Today
Today, BTF continues to focus on conducting innovative clinical research, updating its evidence-based guidelines, and working towards its goal of improving outcomes for the millions of people who suffer from traumatic brain injuries every year.
Alan Quasha
Chairman of the Board
Chairman and CEO, Quadrant Management
Alan Quasha founded Quadrant and is responsible for managing investments and overseeing the firm. In addition to his role at Quadrant, Alan is a Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Vanterra Capital; is on the investment committee of Trilantic Capital Partners Fund IV; is a member of the General Partner and investment committee of Vanterra Transformative Energy & Materials Fund I, L.P; is Chairman of Carret Asset Management, LLC; and is Chairman of Brean Capital.
During his extensive career, Alan has invested in numerous companies in the U.S. and emerging markets. Many of these investments involved restructuring and turnaround situations requiring significant hands-on operating experience.
Additionally, Alan is Chairman of the Brain Trauma Foundation and Chairman of Rumi Scientific. Alan holds a bachelor's degree from Harvard College, an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Master of Law degree from New York University Law School, and a Doctorate of Law from the Harvard Law School.
François M. Chateau
Partner, Dentons
François Chateau is a partner in Dentons' New York office, where he works closely with the Firm's global managing partner and Global Board on strategic development and management. He was previously Global Vice Chairman of Dentons and Chairman of the Global Board of legacy firm Salans, which he helped lead through the combination that created Dentons.
François is engaged in the representation of French and other European companies in the US, as well as US companies investing in Europe in general and France in particular. As a successful entrepreneur, François has extensive experience in contract negotiations, intellectual property issues, international tax planning, joint ventures, licensing and distributions agreements, venture capital and venture development. In addition to his transnational work, Mr. Chateau acts as an adviser to wealthy multinational families and individuals in their business affairs and as trustee for family trusts.
As a dual French and US citizen, François is very active in the French-American community in the US and is a Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite in France. In addition to his role on Brain Trauma Foundation’s board, Francois is a Trustee of the Naked Heart Foundation and is a Board member of Interaudi Bank.
Jamshid Ghajar
President, Brain Trauma Foundation
Jamshid Ghajar MD, PhD, FACS, is a board certified neurosurgeon, Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery, Director of the Stanford Concussion and Brain Performance Center and President Emeritus of the Brain Trauma Foundation.
He completed the MD/PhD program at Cornell University Medical College. During his residency training in neurosurgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Jam invented and patented several neurosurgical devices that are currently used worldwide. After residency, he joined the faculty at the New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and was a founder of the Brain Trauma Foundation (BTF) in 1986.
Elizabeth van Merkensteijn
Philanthropist
Elizabeth van Merkensteijn began her business career at Young and Rubicam as an assistant commercial producer, leaving in 1995 as a Senior Producer. Sample clients included the US Postal Service, AT&T, Colgate Palmolive, Warner Lambert, Dr. Pepper and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Elizabeth came on the board of BTF in 2005
Elizabeth went to the University of Vermont, graduating with a BA in Art History and English. She continued her education at Columbia University graduating with a MA in English and Comparative Literature.
Deborah Ward
Realtor, Berkshire Hathaway New England Properties
Following a long career in the apparel industry, Deborah changed fields and currently works as a residential real estate broker. She is affiliated with Berkshire Hathaway New England Properties in Greenwich, CT. She has been ranked in the top 2% of brokers nationally. Deborah has been recognized with the Chairman's Circle Gold Award and the President's Circle Gold Award.
Deborah graduated from Boston College with a BS in Finance and Marketing.
Alan Quasha
Chairman of the Board
Chairman and CEO, Quadrant Management
Alan Quasha founded Quadrant and is responsible for managing investments and overseeing the firm. In addition to his role at Quadrant, Alan is a Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Vanterra Capital; is on the investment committee of Trilantic Capital Partners Fund IV; is a member of the General Partner and investment committee of Vanterra Transformative Energy & Materials Fund I, L.P; is Chairman of Carret Asset Management, LLC; and is Chairman of Brean Capital.
During his extensive career, Alan has invested in numerous companies in the U.S. and emerging markets. Many of these investments involved restructuring and turnaround situations requiring significant hands-on operating experience.
Additionally, Alan is Chairman of the Brain Trauma Foundation and Chairman of Rumi Scientific. Alan holds a bachelor's degree from Harvard College, an MBA from Harvard Business School, a Master of Law degree from New York University Law School, and a Doctorate of Law from the Harvard Law School.
François M. Chateau
Partner, Dentons
François Chateau is a partner in Dentons' New York office, where he works closely with the Firm's global managing partner and Global Board on strategic development and management. He was previously Global Vice Chairman of Dentons and Chairman of the Global Board of legacy firm Salans, which he helped lead through the combination that created Dentons.
François is engaged in the representation of French and other European companies in the US, as well as US companies investing in Europe in general and France in particular. As a successful entrepreneur, François has extensive experience in contract negotiations, intellectual property issues, international tax planning, joint ventures, licensing and distributions agreements, venture capital and venture development. In addition to his transnational work, Mr. Chateau acts as an adviser to wealthy multinational families and individuals in their business affairs and as trustee for family trusts.
As a dual French and US citizen, François is very active in the French-American community in the US and is a Chevalier de l'Ordre National du Mérite in France. In addition to his role on Brain Trauma Foundation’s board, Francois is a Trustee of the Naked Heart Foundation and is a Board member of Interaudi Bank.
Jamshid Ghajar
President, Brain Trauma Foundation
Jamshid Ghajar MD, PhD, FACS, is a board certified neurosurgeon, Clinical Professor of Neurosurgery, Director of the Stanford Concussion and Brain Performance Center and President Emeritus of the Brain Trauma Foundation.
He completed the MD/PhD program at Cornell University Medical College. During his residency training in neurosurgery at New York Presbyterian Hospital, Jam invented and patented several neurosurgical devices that are currently used worldwide. After residency, he joined the faculty at the New York Presbyterian Hospital-Cornell Medical Center and was a founder of the Brain Trauma Foundation (BTF) in 1986.
Pamela J. Newman
President and CEO of The Newman Team, AON plc
Pamela is an international insurance broker specializing in Fortune 500 clients worldwide. She is President and CEO of The Newman Team at Aon PLC, which believes superior client service is a religion.
Additionally, Pamela is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and the Economic Club of NY. She is on the Board of the Police Athletic League of New York; is on the Corporate Board of Carnegie Hall; is a member of the Associate Committee of the Julliard School; is a member of the Women’s Medical Center Advisory Board of New York Presbyterian Hospital - Cornell Medical Center; is on the Board of the New York Citizens Budget Commission; and is on the Board of the PCI Media Impact.
Pamela Newman earned her B.A., M.A. and Ph.D. degrees from The University of Michigan. During her years in academia, she received a three-year teaching fellowship and was awarded the Horace A. Rackham Doctoral Research Grant.
Sarah Jessica Parker
Actress, Pretty Matches Productions
Sarah Jessica Parker is an American actress, producer, and designer best known for her leading role as Carrie Bradshaw on the HBO television series Sex and the City. She was also an executive producer on the show, and won two Emmy Awards, for Outstanding Comedy Series in 2001 and Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series in 2004.
Sarah Jessica made her Broadway debut in 1976 at age 11, in the revival of The Innocents, before going on to star in the title role of the Broadway musical Annie in 1979. Among her many roles, she is particularly known for the films Footloose, L.A. Story, Honeymoon in Vegas, Hocus Pocus, Ed Wood, The First Wives Club, and The Family Stone. In addition to her two Emmy wins, she has also won four Golden Globe Awards and three Screen Actors Guild Awards.
In addition to acting, Sarah Jessica is considered a style icon with immense commercial appeal, and has worked with the Gap and been named the Council of Fashion Designers of America's "Fashion Icon of the Year." She also has a successful fragrance line, sold through her company SJP Beauty, and a line of shoes called the SJP Collection.
George Soros
Founder, Soros Fund Management and the Open Society Foundations
George Soros is founder and chair of Soros Fund Management and the Open Society Foundations. Born in Budapest in 1930, he survived the Nazi occupation during World War II and fled communist-dominated Hungary in 1947 for England, where he graduated from the London School of Economics. He then settled in the United States, where he accumulated a large fortune through the international investment fund he founded and managed.
George has been active as a philanthropist since 1979, when he began providing funds to help black students attend Cape Town University in apartheid South Africa. The Open Society Foundations today operate in more than 100 countries, working to promote the values of open society, human rights, and transparency.
Soros is the author of over a dozen books, including The Tragedy of the European Union (2014). His articles and essays on politics, society, and economics regularly appear in major newspapers and magazines around the world.
Elizabeth van Merkensteijn
Philanthropist
Elizabeth van Merkensteijn began her business career at Young and Rubicam as an assistant commercial producer, leaving in 1995 as a Senior Producer. Sample clients included the US Postal Service, AT&T, Colgate Palmolive, Warner Lambert, Dr. Pepper and Kentucky Fried Chicken. Elizabeth came on the board of BTF in 2005
Elizabeth went to the University of Vermont, graduating with a BA in Art History and English. She continued her education at Columbia University graduating with a MA in English and Comparative Literature.
Deborah Ward
Realtor, Berkshire Hathaway New England Properties
Following a long career in the apparel industry, Deborah changed fields and currently works as a residential real estate broker. She is affiliated with Berkshire Hathaway New England Properties in Greenwich, CT. She has been ranked in the top 2% of brokers nationally. Deborah has been recognized with the Chairman's Circle Gold Award and the President's Circle Gold Award.
Deborah graduated from Boston College with a BS in Finance and Marketing.
Christina Hom Wilson
Philanthropist
Charitable work and Philanthropy have always been a major part of Christina’s life. She has been honored for her philanthropy by the Simon Weisenthal Center and Hearts and Hope. She has served on the Boards of Florence Fuller Child Development Centers and Honey Shine Mentoring. Currently, Christina is an Advisory Board Member to the Childrens’ Cancer Caring Centers and active with the Parent’s Leadership Council at Boston College.
Gregory Hawryluk
Neurosurgeon at Cleveland Clinic and Medical Director of the Brain Trauma Foundation
Dr. Gregory Hawryluk, MD, PhD, FRCSC, completed his neurosurgical residency at the University of Toronto. During this time he also completed a basic science PhD in Neural Repair and Regeneration under the supervision of Dr. Michael Fehlings which examined the mechanism by which neural precursor cells augment recovery from spinal cord injury.
He leads the development of the Brain Trauma Foundation's head injury guidelines, co-directed the development of the SIBICC algorithms and is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards for academic achievements such as the Murray Goldstein Award of the National Neurotrauma Society as well as humanitarian awards such as the University Health Network’s Sopman Humanitarian Award.
Specific expertise: Brain and Spine Trauma
Halinder S. Mangat
Associate Professor at University of Kansas Medical Center and Director of Research at the Brain Trauma Foundation
Dr. Halinder S. Mangat, MD, MSc, FNCS, FCCM, completed a double residency in Internal Medicine and Neurology, as well as a fellowship in Neurosurgical Critical Care at Cambridge University Hospital. He performed post-doctoral research in Neurochemistry at the Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, and more recently completed a Master of Science degree in Public Health for Development from the University of London, UK.
He is the lead for clinical research at the Brain Trauma Foundation and is leading the first clinical trial performed by the BTF: The safety of Early Lumbar Drainage to reduce post-traumatic intracranial hypertension in severe TBI, which promises to be a ground-breaking and paradigm changing interventional trial in TBI.
Hal also holds positions as Associate Professor at Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas; Adjunct Assistant Professor of Neurology, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY; Adjunct Assistant Professor of Neurology, Uniformed Services University of Health Services, Bethesda, MD.
Hal has published extensively in leading scientific journals, serves on committees of the Neurocritical Care Society, Society of Critical Care Medicine, the National Neurotrauma Society, and has been honoured as a Fellow of the American College of Critical Care Medicine, and Fellow of the Neurocritical Care Society for his work in the field.
Specific expertise: Brain trauma and neurotrauma in austere environments
Randy Bell
Neurosurgeon at Avera Mckennan Hospital and Director of Military Medicine at the Brain Trauma Foundation
Randy Bell graduated from the University of Arizona College of Medicine, and began residency at the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, MD in 2002 shortly before the initiation of the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. During his residency, he completed a fellowship in medical research at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research. He graduated from residency in 2009 and proceeded to a cerebrovascular and endovascular fellowship at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington, DC. He was then stationed in Okinawa, Japan, and returned in 2011 to Walter Reed as a staff neurosurgeon. He deployed to Kandahar, Afghanistan as the sole neurosurgeon for southern Afghanistan in 2013, caring for numerous closed and penetrating head injured patients. He returned to Walter Reed where he served as President of the Medical Staff and subsequently Chief of Neurosurgery at Walter Reed and the Uniformed Services University in 2017. He retired from active duty as a Navy Captain in 2022, and is now a staff neurosurgeon providing rural stroke care at the Avera Mckennan Hospital and University Health Center in Sioux Falls, SD.
Dr. Bell has published numerous articles on the care of patients with severe traumatic brain injury, with a specific focus on penetrating brain injury and penetrating cerebrovascular injury. He has received numerous military and civilian awards, including the CNS Galbraith Award, the Young Neurosurgeons Public Service Citation from the AANS, and three Meritorious Service Medals. He currently co-leads the international effort to create the 2nd edition Penetrating Head Injury Guidelines with the Brain Trauma Foundation and United States Military.
- Bijhan Aarabi
- David Adelson
- Paul Arnold
- Julian Bailes
- Randy Bell
- M. Ross Bullock
- Bentley Bobrow
- Randall Chesnut
- Michael Cusimano
- Anthony Figaji
- Gerald Grant
- Odette Harris
- Roger Hartl
- Peter Hutchinson
- Andy Jagoda
- Aditya Lulla
- Geoff Manley
- Daniel Michael
- Raj Narayan
- David Okonkwo
- Patti Raksin
- Guy Rosenthal
- Andres Rubiano
- Franco Servadei
- Lori Shutter
- Shelly Timmons
- Annette Totten
- Jamie Ullman
- Alex Valadka
- David Wright
