The Stanford Center for Brain Injury, Recovery, Rehabilitation, and Restoration is committed to advancing both the science and human experience of healing after brain injury.

Recovery, in the context of brain injury, serves as the overarching concept and one that encompasses the multi-layered process of biological repair and healing (neurogenesis, glial cell response, neuroplasticity, and other neurobiological mechanisms).

Rehabilitation is the structured interdisciplinary clinical process with the aim of helping individuals regain lost function following a brain injury. The primary focus is on helping individuals regain physical, cognitive, and behavioral function to enhance their quality of life.

Restoration is a more holistic concept and is focused on returning to the original state, pre-brain injury. It goes beyond neurobiological repair and healing, beyond rehabilitation in the sense that one is not simply teaching techniques to regain function (physical or cognitive) but one is aspiring to regain their identity, their sense of self, and wholeness. It is about regaining a sense of purpose and meaning in life post injury and maybe aspiring to pre-injury identity.

In summary, the brain recovery process is a continuum of neurobiological healing, functional recovery (improved independence), cognitive and emotional recovery, and reintegration into life roles. Recovery is the biological foundation, rehabilitation the clinical pathway, and restoration is the return to meaningful living. These layered elements of brain injury care are intentional and respectful of the scientific journey as well as the human impact.

Through innovative research, compassionate care, and transformative rehabilitation, we strive to restore function, renew identity, and empower individuals throughout their journey.

Our clinical and research efforts uniquely serve the civilian, Active Duty, and Veteran population spanning the entire continuum of recovery, from the earliest stages of injury requiring acute medical intervention, acute inpatient rehabilitation, outpatient therapies, and reintegration into life and community.

Our aim is to restore what matters most to individuals- independence, identity, connections through relationships, and purpose. Guided by the pursuit of excellence and interdisciplinary collaboration, we integrate cutting-edge neuroscience with holistic, person-centered care to redefine what is possible after brain injury because recovery is more than repair, it is reclaiming life.