Gift Fuels Optimal BrainHealth for Warfighters Initiative, Advancing Cognitive Resilience for U.S. Special Operations Command and Veterans A $3 million contribution from the Paul and Shelia Schlosberg Family Foundation will significantly advance the Optimal BrainHealth for Warfighters initiative from Center for BrainHealth at The University of Texas at Dallas. The program strengthens cognitive resilience ahead of deployment, as well as boosting long-term recovery from traumatic brain injury (TBI), post-traumatic stress (PTS) and similar issues among U.S. Special Operations Command (SOCOM) operators, veterans and their families.The Schlosberg Legacy
Paul and Shelia, who both passed away in 2024, had a long-standing history of philanthropy focused on creating transformative opportunities for individuals and communities. Through their family foundation, they championed causes that support active-duty service members and veterans. This transformational gift in their memory supports the family’s long and meaningful relationship with Center for BrainHealth and will uplift and enrich countless lives.“This contribution reflects the heart of who Paul and Shelia were,” said Andrea Schlosberg Winans, president of the Paul and Shelia Schlosberg Family Foundation and sister to Paul. “Supporting a program that enhances the well-being of our nation’s warfighters and their families is a powerful way to honor their legacy. We are humbled to help carry forward a mission they cared about so deeply.”
Shelia served as the founding board chair at Center for BrainHealth, working side by side with her sister, chief director Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman, to establish the cognitive neuroscience center in 1999. With a keen business acumen and passion for community outreach, Shelia developed the first strategic business plan for BrainHealth to make a business case for uniting scientific research and brain health interventions. She was a gifted leader and one of BrainHealth’s earliest and most ardent supporters.“Shelia was instrumental in creating a powerful way to message the complexity of our mission to the public,” said Dr. Chapman. “She and Paul poured their hearts into helping us imagine what was possible for brain health. Thanks to their life work, we will be able to dramatically expand the reach of this crucial program, with lasting impact for years to come.”
Transforming Warfighter Wellness
Research shows military service members face consistent, interrelated health and functional challenges, including traumatic brain injury, post-traumatic stress, sleep disturbance, depression, addiction and suicide. Yet most current interventions fail to capitalize on neuroplasticity, even though evidence shows the brain retains a remarkable capacity to be continually strengthened and rewired.The benefits of adopting brain-healthy daily strategies include heightened mental focus and agility, enriched strategic thinking, increased productivity and enhanced adaptability in new environments.Center for BrainHealth has delivered its proprietary, science-backed SMART™ Brain Training to more than 6,000 military cohorts, veterans and spouses with randomized trials showing significant gains in neural health, cognition, well-being, connectedness and real-life function.The Optimal BrainHealth for Warfighters program is advancing toward its ambitious goal to reach 100,000 warriors within five years, transforming brain health into a cornerstone of military readiness and recovery. Center for BrainHealth envisions a future where brain health assessments and cognitive strength trainings are fully integrated and regularly offered throughout military operations and into civilian life The goal is for brain health protocols to become widely adopted across SOCOM and accessible to service members and their families treated at the Intrepid Centers.“After 24 years in the Army, much of it in special operations aviation, I didn’t realize how much I had lost my sense of purpose,” said Thad King, CW4, U.S. Army (Ret.) and USASOC program manager for the Optimal BrainHealth for Warfighters initiative at Center for BrainHealth. “These strategies have changed how I think, how I conserve my mental energy and how I show up for my family. I’m no longer stuck in the details. I can connect information, reframe challenges and actually move forward. This program gave me back clarity, connection and hope, and I’m committed to sharing that impact with my fellow warriors.”Philanthropy Driving Change
With visionary partners like the Paul and Shelia Schlosberg Family Foundation, Center for BrainHealth is building a future in which every warrior has access to the tools that strengthen cognitive resilience and long-term well-being.In recognition of this gift, Center for BrainHealth will be home to the Paul & Shelia Schlosberg Garden in perpetuity. The serene garden will serve as a welcoming and restorative space for all who visit the BrainHealth campus. MEDIA CONTACT
Stephanie Hoefken
972.883.3221
stephanie.hoefken@utdallas.edu
About Center for BrainHealth
Center for BrainHealth®, part of The University of Texas at Dallas, is a translational research institute committed to enhancing, preserving, and restoring brain health across the lifespan. Major research areas include the use of functional and structural neuroimaging techniques to better understand the neurobiology supporting the continual growth of cognition, well-being and social connections in health and disease. This leading-edge scientific exploration is translated quickly into practical innovations to improve how people think, work and live, empowering people of all ages to unlock their brain potential. Translational innovations leverage 1) the BrainHealth Index, a proprietary measure that uniquely charts one’s upward (or early changes downward) holistic brain health trajectory whatever their starting level; and 2) Strategic Memory Advanced Reasoning Tactics (SMART™) brain training, a strategy-based toolkit developed and tested by BrainHealth researchers and other teams over three decades. 
