Even the Art Is All About the Brain at New Institute

Editors’ Note: This feature appears as it was published in the spring 2018 edition of UT Dallas Magazine. Titles or faculty members listed may have changed since that time.
The new Brain Performance Institute building includes “Introspection.”
David Gappa’s “Introspection” has been described as a visible interpretation of the communication between nerves.
Commissioned for the new Brain Performance Institute, the glass neuron installation is an artistic statement in the interior of the 62,000-square-foot building that was officially opened in October. The 5,300-pound illuminated glass installation depicts the electric impulses that pass between nerve cells. The piece includes 175 LED-illuminated glass spires and 1,050 hand-blown glass spheres.
Former first lady Laura Bush and UT Dallas President Richard Benson helped dedicate the facility, which is adjacent to the Center for BrainHealth.
The architecture and interior design of the building were inspired by the anatomy of the brain. “Introspection” was installed in the ellipse-shaped multipurpose room that represents the frontal lobe of the brain, especially appropriate since that lobe is responsible for social, dynamic and active functions.
The Brain Performance Institute offers science-based programs for increasing brain performance and health in people of all ages that are affected by various conditions.
“This isn’t just about preventing dementia, although it’s important to so many. It’s about improving brain performance and health in everyone right now,” said Leanne Young PhD’16, executive director of the institute. “The institute will help young people focus in school, retrain the minds of those affected by military experiences or sports injuries, strengthen mental acuity among corporate leaders and empower each and every one of us to take charge of our own brains so that we can have healthier, stronger, more energetic brains today and in the future.”