The Conn Job
This podcast, The Conn Job, is born from my experience as a physician and mother. It's born from the ashes of loss and fueled by a burning desire to change the landscape of health care, mental health, and neurological care. The first tranche of episodes explores the intersection of neurology and psychiatry.
The Conn Job
Episode 2: Brain Donation-The Most Powerful Gift You'll Never See
A Conversation with Dr. Sabina Berretta
In this extraordinary episode of The Conn Job, Dr. Ann Conn sits down with Dr. Sabina Berretta, MD, PhD—Director of the Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center (HBTRC) at McLean Hospital, part of the NIH Neurobiobank.
Dr. Berretta is a globally recognized leader in human brain research whose work has transformed our understanding of psychiatric and neurological illness.
This conversation explores one of the most profound contributions any person can make to science: brain donation. It is the cornerstone of progress in Alzheimer’s, schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, addiction, PTSD, Parkinson’s disease, and more—yet it remains widely misunderstood.
This episode is deeply personal for Dr. Conn, who has pledged to donate her own brain to the HBTRC in honor of her sons, Austin and Colin, whose deaths during psychotic episodes propel her mission forward. Through this act, she hopes their suffering will become part of the knowledge that saves others.
Episode Overview
Dr. Berretta’s path from Italy to Harvard
Why brain donation is essential
Why we cannot understand—or treat—mental illness without donated brains
Breakthrough research made possible by brain tissue
Psychiatric illness is a brain illness
What actually happens during brain donation
How to register as a brain donor
Why we urgently need more brain donors
Resources Mentioned
Harvard Brain Tissue Resource Center (HBTRC) – McLean Hospital
NIH Neurobiobank
Registration resources for brain donation
Information on brain tissue research for psychiatric illness
Connect further with Dr Ann Conn:
Website: https://www.annconnmd.com
Register for my free webinar: Reversing Chronic Migraine: Your Path to Real Recovery Starts Here: https://annconnmd.mykajabi.com/PreventingandReversingChronicMigraine
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