BAKERSFIELD, Calif., Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The North American Brain Injury Society (NABIS) has named Brent E. Masel, M.D., executive vice president for medical affairs at Centre for Neuro Skills (CNS), as the 2026 recipient of its NABIS Legends Award — the organization’s highest honor for lifetime achievement in the field of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The award will be presented March 13 during the 18th Annual Conference on Brain Injury at the Hilton Arlington National Landing, 2399 Richmond Highway, Arlington, Va.
“NABIS is honored to recognize Dr. Masel, a leader who continues to elevate the field of brain injury research,” said Dr. Alan Weintraub, chairman of NABIS. “His contributions reflect the mission of NABIS to promote excellence in research, clinical care and innovation to improve the lives of individuals affected by brain injury.”
Brent E. Masel, M.D., executive vice president for medical affairs at Centre for Neuro Skills (CNS)
About Dr. Brent Masel
Dr. Masel is a clinical professor of neurology at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston and a graduate of Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine in Chicago, where he also completed his internship and neurology residency. He spent 17 years in private neurological practice in Galveston before transitioning fully to post-acute brain injury rehabilitation, serving as president and medical director of a dedicated TBI rehabilitation facility from 1994 to 2017. He joined Centre for Neuro Skills as executive vice president for medical affairs in 2017. Through his tenure at CNS, he has helped establish the organization as a national leader in post-acute brain injury rehabilitation.
Dr. Masel has authored more than 60 peer-reviewed publications across a range of foundational topics in TBI research and brain injury rehabilitation, including virtual reality-based cognitive rehabilitation, hyperbaric oxygen treatment, sleep abnormalities following brain injury, metabolic and hormonal dysfunction, neuroendocrine dysfunction after TBI and the chronic health consequences of brain injury. His research has directly shaped evidence-informed clinical care protocols and influenced multidisciplinary brain injury care standards nationwide.
A leading voice in brain injury advocacy, Dr. Masel serves as a board member of NABIS and previously chaired the board of the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA), where he continues to serve as national medical director. He is among a generation of clinician-researchers who helped establish TBI as a chronic condition requiring sustained, multidisciplinary medical attention — a framework increasingly recognized across neurology and rehabilitation medicine.
“This recognition means a great deal to me, but it truly belongs to the patients and families who trusted us with their care, and to the colleagues and researchers who have pushed this field forward together,” said Dr. Masel. “Traumatic brain injury is a chronic condition — it deserves the same long-term medical commitment we give to any serious health issue. I hope this honor helps shine a light on that mission and encourages more clinicians and researchers to dedicate themselves to brain injury recovery.”
Dr. Masel’s Work with Centre for Neuro Skills
Centre for Neuro Skills, a world leader in post-acute brain injury rehabilitation, was founded on the philosophy that patients with TBI, stroke and acquired brain injury never stop improving. Dr. Masel has been central to CNS’s research mission, leading and contributing to studies on neuroendocrine dysfunction, sleep disorders and other long-term TBI sequelae that are frequently underdiagnosed in clinical settings. His publications through CNS have set benchmarks in evidence-based TBI care and helped cement the organization’s standing as an innovator in the field.
CNS provides comprehensive brain injury treatment and cognitive rehabilitation services at eight facilities throughout California — Bakersfield, Los Angeles and San Francisco — and Texas in Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston and Plano. Programs include residential inpatient, day treatment, continued care and telerehabilitation services for individuals recovering from TBI and acquired brain injury. More than 60 percent of CNS patients admitted in a wheelchair are walking at discharge.
“Brent’s career is a model of what it looks like to put patients first, follow the evidence and never stop asking harder questions about brain injury recovery,” said David Harrington, president and chief executive officer of Centre for Neuro Skills. “The NABIS Legends Award is a well-deserved tribute to a physician whose research has made life measurably better for people living with traumatic brain injury and its lifelong consequences. We are extraordinarily proud of everything he has contributed to this field and to our organization.”
About the NABIS 18th Annual Conference on Brain Injury
The 18th Annual Conference on Brain Injury, presented by NABIS, will be held March 11–13, 2026, at the Hilton Arlington National Landing, 2399 Richmond Highway, Arlington, VA. Themed Advancing Evidence Informed Clinical Care, Rehabilitation Outcomes and Lifelong Living, it is the premier multidisciplinary brain injury conference in North America. It brings together clinicians, researchers, advocates and policymakers to advance knowledge and best practices in TBI prevention, treatment and rehabilitation.
The NABIS conference is part of the collaborative 2026 Brain Injury Summit, a landmark joint event uniting three of the nation’s leading brain injury organizations: NABIS, the Brain Injury Association of America (BIAA) and the National Association of State Head Injury Administrators (NASHIA). Together, the Summit represents a convergence of clinical, advocacy, policy and research expertise in brain injury care.
The NABIS program features keynote speakers, pre-conference workshops on mild TBI (mTBI) and disorders of consciousness, interactive breakouts, oral and poster abstract sessions and continuing medical education (CME). Accepted abstracts will be published in the Journal of Head Trauma Rehabilitation.
Registration and the full program are available at https://braininjurysummit2026.org/about/nabis/.
About Centre for Neuro Skills
Centre for Neuro Skills is an experienced and respected world leader in providing intensive rehabilitation and medical programs for those recovering from all types of brain injury. Recognized as one of America’s Greatest Midsize Workplaces 2025 by Newsweek, CNS covers a full spectrum of advanced care from residential and assisted living to outpatient/day treatment. Founded by Dr. Mark Ashley in 1980, CNS has eight locations in California and Texas. For more information about Centre for Neuro Skills, visit neuroskills.com, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube. For a video overview of CNS, visit our YouTube channel.
About the North American Brain Injury Society (NABIS)
The North American Brain Injury Society is dedicated to advancing research, education and best practices in brain injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation. NABIS moves brain injury science into practice for multidisciplinary medical professionals, clinicians, researchers and advocates to improve outcomes and quality of life for individuals with brain injury. NABIS is an affiliate of the International Brain Injury Association (IBIA). For more information, visit https://www.internationalbrain.org/membership/ibia-sections/north-american-brain-injury-society.
Media, please note: To request an interview with Dr. Masel or Dr. Weintraub, please contact Robin Carr at 415.766.0927 or [email protected].
Media Contact:
Landis Communications Inc.
Robin Carr
415.766.0927
[email protected]
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/94fa1e27-09d5-465a-908a-515becd5a8b8
