Before the work of the Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) Center at Boston University\u2019s Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine, there was no precise characterization of CTE<\/a>, a neurodegenerative brain disease. Researchers couldn\u2019t even point to a comprehensive compilation of clinical or demographic data about those affected.<\/p>\n Since the center\u2019s founding in 2009, however, we know a lot more about the condition, which affects people with a history of repetitive head impacts, including athletes, military service members, and first responders. The center has published more than 100 studies<\/a> on CTE and traumatic brain injury, including papers that link cumulative hits to the head to loss of white matter in the brain and tackle football to increased risks for Parkinson\u2019s disease and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).<\/p>\n The CTE Center is just one of many hubs for research at Boston University that makes a real-world impact. BU is also home to the Community Service Center<\/a>, founded as \u201cThe League\u201d nearly 40 years ago by students wanting to help their community; and the National Emerging Infectious Diseases Laboratories<\/a> (NEIDL), which focuses on understanding how pathogens cause disease and how to diagnose, prevent, and treat emerging threats.<\/p>\n Though the mission of each may be different, they have something in common beyond their public-interest approach: They all rely on alumni support. And they have turned that support into tangible results.<\/p>\n A recent discovery<\/a> at NEIDL, for instance, led to a new type of self-amplifying RNA vaccine for COVID-19 that produced results comparable to existing messenger RNA vaccines at lower doses in mice. And, at the Community Service Center, BU students can participate in Alternative Service Breaks<\/a> around the country; Days of Service<\/a> locally; or the Student Food Rescue<\/a> project, which transports unbought food to transitional homes, shelters, and children\u2019s programs.<\/p>\n At the CTE Center, gifts of any size help researchers get one step closer to preventing and treating CTE, which has been linked to memory loss, aggression, and anxiety, among other symptoms. In 2023, after examining the brains of 376 deceased former NFL players, the CTE Center published a study<\/a> showing that 92 percent of the studied players had the disease.<\/p>\n Right now, CTE can only be diagnosed after death. But with funding from the National Institutes of Health, industry groups, foundations, and donors like you, the center is exploring scalable and accessible methods for detecting CTE, including through blood tests, as part of clinical trials. Other trials are studying how repetitive head impacts affect a person\u2019s risk of developing later-life neurologic disorders and brain health issues, and the impact of neurological trauma on stunt performers.<\/p>\n When you give to BU, your contribution accelerates world-class research that benefits countless people around the world. On Giving Tuesday<\/a>, Tuesday, December 3, your gift can make an even bigger impact because it may be matched by other donors or sponsors. Make a gift today to support one of these great causes or others.<\/p>\n![\"Two](\"\/alumni\/files\/2024\/11\/BU-NEIDL-2018-Virology-001-636x398.jpg\")