Traumatic Brain Injury and Concussion Center Partners with 22 Jumps to Advance Veteran-Focused Brain Injury Research
As Memorial Day approaches, we pause to honor those who have served and sacrificed. We also recognize the invisible wounds many service members carry home, including traumatic brain injury (TBI) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
At University of Utah Health, the Traumatic Brain Injury and Concussion Center (TBICC) is deepening its commitment to veterans and first responders through a new partnership with 22 Jumps, a nonprofit organization supporting veterans and improving outcomes associated with TBI and PTSD.
This collaboration represents more than shared goals. It reflects a shared philosophy: research should be informed by the people it aims to serve.
A Shared Mission: Supporting Veterans with TBI and PTSD
Founded by veteran and extreme athlete Tristan Wimmer, 22 Jumps uses action sports, including skydiving and BASE jumping, to help participants confront fear, build community, and rediscover resilience. The organization also directs most of its fundraising efforts toward TBI and mental health research.
"Tristan strives to make sure that money raised for research goes directly to research," said Carrie Esopenko, PhD, co-director of the TBICC and associate professor in the Department of Neurology. "Very little money donated to their organization goes to overhead."
22 Jumps' intentional approach to funding mirrors the intentional approach behind the partnership itself, one built not only on shared financial priorities but on shared responsibility to serve veterans well.
But what makes this partnership unique is not simply financial alignment, it is a collaborative model that brings veterans directly into the research process.
Community-Informed Brain Injury Research at the TBICC
The TBICC has a reputation for advancing translational, clinically meaningful research. Through Department of Defense (DOD)-funded initiatives and collaborative grants, TBICC researchers are studying novel treatments, imaging techniques, and long-term recovery patterns in TBI.
Yet Dr. Esopenko is quick to point out an essential truth: many TBICC team members are not veterans.
"Our team works with veterans, but I'm not a veteran," she explained. "I have not served in the military. I'm so far removed, right?"
While clinicians can measure symptoms and analyze data, lived experience offers something critical: context.
"Providing the space to actually sit there and talk to veterans and say, 'OK, are we getting at what we need to be getting at?' And they're saying, 'Not completely. You didn't think of this or this,'" she said, noting the value of their perspectives.
She emphasized that feedback from veterans and first responders shapes everything, from designing studies to communicating results.
"When we're writing things up to give it back to the audience… we bring it to them [veterans] first," Esopenko explained. "And they tell us, 'No, you can't say it like that. It would be better if you presented the information in a way that speaks to our experiences.'"
Through 22 Jumps, the TBICC works closely with veterans who serve as advisors and consultants. This ensures research questions reflect real-world needs and that recruitment materials resonate authentically.
Why Action Sports Matter for Brain Health
At first glance, tandem BASE jumping or slacklining across a canyon may seem disconnected from neuroscience research. But the philosophy behind 22 Jumps' retreats is deeply aligned with mental health recovery.
"It sounds like they're just making people do extreme things," Esopenko said. "But the actual idea behind it is pretty profound."
Many veterans return home with TBI and PTSD, often accompanied by fear, anxiety, and difficulty reconnecting with family life.
"Getting them to do this gets them to face a fear and then realize they can face their fears," she said. "How profound is that?"
Participants spend nearly a week together, building trust and community. They engage in breathwork, guided conversations, and challenging activities designed to restore confidence and agency.
"These guys are going through a week of building up to get through things that are extremely scary," Esopenko said. "But as they're doing it, they're also contemplating life and realizing, 'I really can get through this.'"
For researchers at the TBICC, this presents both inspiration and opportunity.
Building Research That Reflects Real Lives
The partnership between TBICC and 22 Jumps extends beyond events. Tristan Wimmer serves as a consultant on multiple research efforts and co-leads advisory boards connected to DOD-funded initiatives.
"That's the link Tristan provides for us," Esopenko explained, describing how he connects researchers with the service member, veteran, and first responder communities.
Through 22 Jumps' network, researchers gain insight into the challenges veterans face not only during deployment but also in training, on base, and after returning home.
"When you're just asking about deployment versus combat, what you're not considering is what they're going through when they come home," she said.
Veterans fill that context gap for researchers. Their lived experience sharpens the TBICC's scientific rigor. It ensures that recruitment strategies are respectful, language is meaningful, and outcomes are relevant.
The result is stronger research and stronger trust.
Memorial Day and the Work Ahead
With Memorial Day approaching, 22 Jumps is preparing for its annual jump event, bringing together veterans, first responders, and supporters. The event highlights both the courage of participants and the broader mission of healing and research.
For TBICC researchers, it is also a reminder of why this work matters. Partnerships like the one with 22 Jumps are not transactional, they are transformational.
As Dr. Esopenko explained, "[It's] a bidirectional relationship: they impact us and we impact them."
The TBICC is committed to listening first. To designing science that serves people. To ensuring that funding directed toward research makes a tangible difference.
Advancing the Future of Traumatic Brain Injury Research
The Traumatic Brain Injury and Concussion Center continues to expand its national footprint in TBI research. Through collaborations with federal agencies, interdisciplinary teams, and community partners like 22 Jumps, the center is building a future where brain injury care is more precise, compassionate, and effective.
By working directly with the communities most affected by TBI and PTSD, the TBICC is ensuring that innovation is not only cutting-edge but deeply human.
This Memorial Day, we honor service and recommit to the work of healing.
To learn more about the TBICC, visit the website.
