Daniel Daneshvar

Dr. Daneshvar received a Bachelor of Sciences from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Brain and Cognitive Sciences in 2005. He joined the CTE Center in January 2009 en route to completing his M.D. and Ph.D. dual degrees at Boston University School of Medicine in 2016. He completed his residency training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Stanford University in 2020 before joining the faculty at Harvard Medical School.

Dr. Daneshvar works at the CTE Center, whose mission is to conduct research on the long-term effects of repetitive head impacts in athletes, including Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE). His research focuses on characterizing and identifying the relationship between exposure to repetitive head impacts, and its effect on the development of CTE. In addition, he studies the incidence and prevalence of CTE in high risk populations. He also coordinates the donation of tissue to the CLF-BU-VA CTE Brain Bank.

As a former high school and collegiate athlete, Dr. Daneshvar also works at the Concussion Legacy Foundation (CLF) as the founder and of the Team Up Against Concussions program. The mission of Team Up is to educate high schoolers about the risks of concussions, as well as how to identify and manage concussions in students and their friends and teammates. These presentations are offered as a free service to the community. They are specifically tailored to the audience, and are relevant to individual sports teams, groups of teams, and non-athletes. To date, there are nine chapters of Team Up internationally, and Team Up programs have educated over 20,000 students.

Dr. Daneshvar previously worked at the CTE Center on the Longitudinal Examination to Gather Evidence of Neurodegenerative Disease (LEGEND) and Brain Donation Registry Studies. The LEGEND study follows current and retired athletes annually to track the relationship between athletic history and cognitive, behavioral, and mood symptoms. The Brain Donation Registry study allows individuals to indicate that they wish to donate their brains upon death to the CLF-BU-VA CTE Brain Bank for neuropathological analysis. Dr. Daneshvar previously worked at the Alzheimer’s Disease Center (ADC) examining the effects of thyroid disorders and smoking on dementia. He also worked on the Driving and Dementia Caregiver Intervention Study, where he interviewed caregivers to assess whether a series of educational/support group meetings could increase caregivers’ knowledge of how dementia affects driving and increase communication about the driving issue between the caregiver and care recipient.

Research Interests

Dr. Daneshvar is interested in studying potential risk factors for CTE, as well as better determining the clinical and neuropathological progression of the disease.

Publications

• Mez J, Daneshvar DH, Abdolmohammadi B, Chua AS, Alosco ML, Kiernan PT, Evers L, Marshall L, Martin BM, Palmisano JN, Nowinski CJ, Mahar I, Cherry JD, Alvarez VE, Dwyer B, Huber BR, Stein TD, Goldstein LE, Katz DI, Cantu RC, Au R, Kowall NW, Stern RA, McClean MD, Weuve J, Tripodis Y, McKee AC. Duration of American football play and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Ann Neurol. 2019 Oct 7. doi: 10.1002/ana.25611.

• Adams JW, Alvarez VE, Mez J, Huber BR, Tripodis Y, Xia W, Meng G, Kubilus CA, Cormier K, Kiernan PT, Daneshvar DH, Chua AS, Svirsky S, Nicks R, Abdolmohammadi B, Evers L, Solomon TM, Cherry JD, Aytan N, Mahar I, Devine S, Auerbach S, Alosco ML, Nowinski CJ, Kowall NW, Goldstein LE, Dwyer B, Katz DI, Cantu RC, Stern RA, Au R, McKee AC, Stein TD. Lewy Body Pathology and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy Associated With Contact Sports. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2018 Jul 25. PMID: 30053297.

• Alosco ML, Mez J, Tripodis Y, Kiernan PT, Abdolmohammadi B, Murphy L, Kowall NW, Stein TD, Huber BR, Goldstein LE, Cantu RC, Katz DI, Chaisson CE, Martin B, Solomon TM, McClean MD, Daneshvar DH, Nowinski CJ, Stern RA, McKee AC. Age of First Exposure to Tackle Football and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Ann Neurol. 2018 Apr 30. PMID: 29710395.

• Kenney K, Iacono D, Edlow BL, Katz DI, Diaz-Arrastia R, Dams-O’Connor K, Daneshvar DH, Stevens A, Moreau AL, Tirrell LS, Varjabedian A, Yendiki A, van der Kouwe A, Mareyam A, McNab JA, Gordon WA, Fischl B, McKee AC, Perl DP. Dementia After Moderate-Severe Traumatic Brain Injury: Coexistence of Multiple Proteinopathies. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2017 Nov 16. PMID: 29155947.

• Alosco ML, Mez J, Kowall NW, Stein TD, Goldstein LE, Cantu RC, Katz DI, Solomon TM, Kiernan PT, Murphy L, Abdolmohammadi B, Daneshvar D, Montenigro PH, Nowinski CJ, Stern RA, McKee AC. Cognitive Reserve as a Modifier of Clinical Expression in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy: A Preliminary Examination. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 2017 Winter;29(1):6-12. PMID: 28950005.

• Cherry JD, Stein TD, Tripodis Y, Alvarez VE, Huber BR, Au R, Kiernan PT, Daneshvar DH, Mez J, Solomon TM, Alosco ML, McKee AC. CCL11 is increased in the CNS in chronic traumatic encephalopathy but not in Alzheimer’s disease. PLoS One. 2017 Sep 26;12(9). PMID: 28926003.

• Alosco ML, Kasimis AB, Stamm JM, Chua AS, Baugh CM, Daneshvar DH, Robbins CA, Mariani M, Hayden J, Conneely S, Au R, Torres A, McClean MD, McKee AC, Cantu RC, Mez J, Nowinski CJ, Martin BM, Chaisson CE, Tripodis Y, Stern RA. Age of first exposure to American football and long-term neuropsychiatric and cognitive outcomes. Transl Psychiatry. 2017 Sep 19;7(9). PMID: 28742910.

• Mez J*, Daneshvar DH*, Kiernan PT*, Abdolmohammadi B, Alvarez VE, Huber BR, Alosco ML, Solomon TM, Nowinski CJ, McHale L, Cormier KA, Kubilus CA, Martin BM, Murphy L, Baugh CM, Montenigro PH, Chaisson CE, Tripodis Y, Kowall NW, Weuve J, McClean MD, Cantu RC, Goldstein LE, Katz DI, Stern RA, Stein TD, McKee AC. Clinicopathological Evaluation of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in Players of American Football. JAMA. 2017 Jul 25;318(4):360-370. PMID: 28742910. *Co lead authors

• Montenigro PH, Alosco ML, Martin BM, Daneshvar DH, Mez J, Chaisson CE, Nowinski CJ, Au R, McKee AC, Cantu RC, McClean MD, Stern RA, Tripodis Y. Cumulative Head Impact Exposure Predicts Later-Life Depression, Apathy, Executive Dysfunction, and Cognitive Impairment in Former High School and College Football Players. J Neurotrauma. 2017 Jan 15;34(2):328-340.

• Cherry JD, Tripodis Y, Alvarez VE, Huber B, Kiernan PT, Daneshvar DH, Mez J, Montenigro PH, Solomon TM, Alosco ML, Stern RA, McKee AC, Stein TD. Microglial neuroinflammation contributes to tau accumulation in chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Acta Neuropathol Commun. 2016 Oct 28;4(1):112.

• Baugh CM, Kroshus E, Stamm JM, Daneshvar DH, Pepin MJ, Meehan WP. Clinical Practices in Collegiate Concussion Management. 3rd. Am J Sports Med. 2016 Jun;44(6):1391-9.

• Mez J, Solomon TM, Daneshvar DH, Stein TD, McKee AC. Pathologically Confirmed Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy in a 25-Year-Old Former College Football Player. JAMA Neurol. 2016 Mar;73(3):353-5.

• Kroshus E, Baugh CM, Daneshvar DH. Content, Delivery, and Effectiveness of Concussion Education for US College Coaches. Clin J Sport Med. 2016 Sep;26(5):391-7.

• Mez J*, Solomon RM*, Daneshvar DH*, Murphy L, Kiernan PT, Montenigro PH, Kriegel J, Abdolmohammadi B, Fry B, Babcock KJ, Adams JW, Bourlas AP, Papadopoulos ZM, McHale L, Ardaugh BM, Martin BS, Dixon D, Nowinski CJ, Chaisson C, Alvarez VE, Tripodis Y, Stein TD, Goldstein LE, Katz DI, Kowall NW, Cantu RC, Stern RA, McKee AC. Assessing clinicopathological correlation in chronic traumatic encephalopathy: rationale & methods for the UNITE study. Alz Res & Therapy. 2015 Oct 12;7(1):62. *Co lead authors

• Kroshus E, Baugh CM, Daneshvar DH, Stamm JM, Laursen RM, Austin SB. Pressure on Sports Medicine Clinicians to Prematurely Return Collegiate Athletes to Play After Concussion. 2015 Sep;50(9):944-51.

• Stein TD, Montenigro PH, Alvarez VE, Xia W, Crary JF, Tripodis Y, Daneshvar DH, Mez J, Solomon T, Meng G, Kubilus CA, Cormier KA, Meng S, Babcock K, Kiernan P, Murphy L, Nowinski CJ, Martin B, Dixon D, Stern RA, Cantu RC, Kowall NW, McKee AC. Beta-amyloid deposition in chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Acta Neuropathol. 2015 Jul; 130(1):21-34.

• McKee AC, Daneshvar DH. The neuropathology of traumatic brain injury. Handb Clin Neurol. 2015;127:45-66.

• Kroshus E, Baugh CM, Hawrilenko MJ, Daneshvar DH. Determinants of Coach Communication About Concussion Safety in US Collegiate Sport. Ann Behav Med. 2015 Aug;49(4):532-41.

• Daneshvar DH, Goldstein LE, Kiernan PT, Stein TD, McKee AC. Post-traumatic neurodegeneration and chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Mol Cell Neurosci. 2015 May;66(Pt B):81-90.

• Kroshus E, Baugh CM, Hawrilenko MJ, Daneshvar DH. Determinants of Coach Communication About Concussion Safety in US Collegiate Sport. Ann Behav Med. 2015 Feb 25. [Epub ahead of print]

• Mckee AC, Daneshvar DH. The neuropathology of traumatic brain injury. Handb Clin Neurol. 2015;127:45-66.

• Baugh CM, Kiernan PT, Kroshus E, Daneshvar DH, Montenigro PH, McKee AC, Stern RA. Frequency of head impact related outcomes by position in NCAA Division I collegiate football players. J Neurotrauma. 2015 Mar 1;32(5):314-326.

• Daneshvar DH, McKee AC. Traumatic brain injury. Neurobio of Brain Disord. 2015; 16:219-235.

• Stamm JM, Bourlas AP, Baugh CM, Fritts NG, Daneshvar DH, Martin BM, McClean MD, Tripodis Y, Stern RA. Age of first exposure to football and later-life cognitive impairment in former NFL players. Neurology. 2015 Jan 28.

• Montenigro PH, Baugh CM, Daneshvar DH, Mez J, Budson AE, Au R, Katz DI, Cantu RC, Stern RA. Clinical subtypes of chronic traumatic encephalopathy: literature review and proposed research diagnostic criteria for traumatic encephalopathy syndrome. Alzheimers Res Ther. 2014; 6(5):68.

• Baugh CM, Kroshus E, Daneshvar DH, Stern RA. Perceived coach support and concussion symptom-reporting: differences between freshmen and non-freshmen college football players. J Law Med Ethics. 2014 Fall;42(3):314-22

• Baugh CM, Kroshus E, Daneshvar DH, Filali NA, Hiscox MJ, Glantz LH. Concussion management in United States college sports: compliance with national collegiate athletic association concussion policy and areas for improvement. Am J Sports Med. 2015 Jan; 43(1):47-56.

• Kroshus E, Baugh CM, Hawrilenko M, Daneshvar DH. Pilot Randomized Evaluation of Publically Available Concussion Education Materials: Evidence of a Possible Negative Effect. Health Educ Behav. 2014 Aug 15.

• Kroshus E, Baugh CM, Daneshvar DH, Nowinski CJ, Cantu RC. Concussion Reporting Intention: A Valuable Metric for Predicting Reporting Behavior and Evaluating Concussion Education. Clin J Sport Med. 2014 Jul 21.

• Robbins CA, Daneshvar DH, Picano JD, Gavett BE, Baugh CM, Riley DO, Nowinski CJ, McKee AC, Cantu RC, Stern RA. Self-reported concussion history: impact of providing a definition of concussion. Open Access J Sports Med. 2014 May 7;5:99-103.

• Kroshus E, Baugh CM, Daneshvar DH, Viswanath K. Understanding concussion reporting using a model based on the theory of planned behavior. J Adolesc Health. 2014 Mar;54(3):269-274.

• McKee AC, Daneshvar DH, Alvarez VE, Stein TD. The neuropathology of sport. Acta Neuropathol. 2014 Jan;127(1):29-51.

• Kroshus E, Daneshvar DH, Baugh CM, Nowinski CJ, Cantu RC. NCAA concussion education in ice hockey: an ineffective mandate. Br J Sports Med. 2014 Jan;48(2):135-40.

• Stern RA, Daneshvar DH, Baugh CM, Seichepine DR, Montenigro PH, Riley DO, Fritts NG, Stamm JM, Robbins CA, McHale L, Simkin I, Stein TD, Alvarez VE, Goldstein LE, Budson AE, Kowall NW, Nowinski CJ, Cantu RC, McKee AC. Clinical Presentation of Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy. Neurology.

• Seichepine DR, Stamm JM, Daneshvar DH, Riley DO, Baugh CM, Gavett BE, Tripodis Y, Martin B, Chaisson C, McKee AC, Cantu RC, Nowinski CJ, Stern R. Profile of self-reported problems with executive functioning in college and professional football players. J Neurotrauma. 2013 Feb 19.

• McKee AC, Stein TD, Nowinski CJ, Stern RA, Daneshvar DH, Alvarez VE, Lee H-S, Hall GF, Wojtowicz SM, Baugh CM, Riley DO, Kubilus CA, Cormier KA, Jacobs MA, Martin BR, Abraham CR, Ikezu T, Reichard RR, Wolozin BL, Budson AE, Goldstein LE, Kowall NW, Cantu RC. The Spectrum of Disease in Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, Brain, 2012 Jan; 136: 43-64.

• Bagley AB, Daneshvar DH, Schanker B, Zurakowski D, D’Hemecourt C, Nowinski CJ, Cantu RC, Goulet K. Evaluation of SLICE Program: Medical Student-led Concussion Education of Student-Athletes. Clin J Sports Med. Clin J Sport Med. 2012 Sep; 22(5): 385-9.

• Gavett BE, Lou KR, Daneshvar DH, Green RC, Jefferson AL, Stern RA. Diagnostic Accuracy Statistics for Seven Neuropsychological Assessment Battery (NAB) Test Variables in the Diagnosis of Alzheimer’s Disease. Applied Neuropsychology Adult. 2012; 19(2): 108-115.

• Daneshvar DH, Riley DO, Nowinski CJ, McKee AC, Stern RA, Cantu RC. Long Term Consequences: Effects on Normal Development Profile after Concussion. Phys Med Rehabil Clin N Am. 2011 Nov; 22(4): 683-700.

• Stern RA, Riley DO, Daneshvar DH, Nowinski CJ, Cantu RC, McKee AC. Long-term consequences of repetitive brain trauma: chronic traumatic encephalopathy. PM R. 2011 Oct; 3(10S2): S460-7.

• Daneshvar, DH, Baugh, C.M., Nowinski, C.J., McKee, A.C., Stern, R.A., & Cantu, R.C. (2011). Helmets and mouth guards: The role of personal equipment in preventing sport-related concussions. Clinics in Sports Medicine, 30, 145-163. [PDF]

• Daneshvar DH, Nowinski CJ, McKee AC, Cantu RC. The epidemiology of sports-related concussion. Clin Sports Med. 2011 Jan;30(1):1-17, vii. Review.

• McKee, A.C., Gavett, B.E., Stern, R.A., Nowinski, C.J., Cantu, R.C., Kowall, N.W., Perl, D., Hedley-Whyte, E.T., Price, B., Sullivan, C., Morin, P., Lee, H.S., Kubilus, C.A.,Daneshvar, D., Wulff, M., & Budson, A.E. TDP-43 proteinopathy and motor neuron disease in chronic traumatic encephalopathy. Journal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology. 2010;69, 918-929. [PDF]

• Stern RA, D’Ambrosio LA, Mohyde M, Carruth A, Tracton-Bishop B, Hunter JC, Daneshvar DH, Coughlin JF. Gerontol Geriatr Educ. At the crossroads: development and evaluation of a dementia caregiver group intervention to assist in driving cessation.Gerontol Geriatr Educ. 2008;29(4):363-82.