Research Programs
Our research programs are revolutionizing the world's understanding of brain trauma. Learn how.
Australian Sports Brain Bank
The Australian Sports Brain Bank (ASBB) was established in 2018 as the first international partner of the CLF Global Brain Bank initiative. The ASBB uses expert diagnostic neuropathology, coupled with research, to understand chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and other brain pathology that is associated with repetitive head injury in sport and elsewhere.
The Australian Sports Brain Bank empower families and loved ones by providing accurate diagnoses, and we use donor tissue to facilitate research into CTE and other brain disorders. Since 2018 it has identified and reported the first cases of CTE in ex-players of professional rugby league and Australian rules football. In 2022 the ASBB reported the first case series of CTE in Australian sports in the Medical Journal of Australia.
ASBB Research Team
Associate Professor Michael Buckland Founding and Executive Director
Associate Professor Catherine Suter Chief Scientist
Andrew Affleck ASBB Manager
Associate Professor Alan Pearce Research Manager ASBB - Victoria
Renee Tuck ASBB Families Ambassador
CLF Research Registry
Research participation is key to advancing our understanding of brain injuries so that we can prevent and treat the effects of brain trauma. Both brain bank and clinical research play critical roles in this process, which is why we have created the CLF Research Registry. The CLF Research Registry enables you to indicate your interest in research participation so that we can keep you informed of actively recruiting research studies as they arise.
The CLF Research Registry includes the Clinical Research Registry (CRR) and the Brain Donation Registry (BDR). You may sign up for one or both. All adults, with or without a history of sports participation or military service, are eligible to join the CLF Research Registry.
For imminent brain donation matters, email SPORTS Brain Bank or call the 24-hour line 1800 551 898