MILWAUKEE, June 30, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) is leading a new multi-center clinical trial to evaluate an interdisciplinary rehabilitation model for military veterans and first responders with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) and co-occurring disorders like depression, anxiety, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Sponsored by Avalon Action Alliance, the Veteran’s Interdisciplinary Care for TBI and co-Occurring disorders Rehabilitation Trial (VICTORY-RCT) is one of the most rigorous rehabilitation studies of its kind to date. Researchers believe the findings could help shape future standards of care for veterans, first responders, and civilians living with the long-term effects of TBI.
Despite growing awareness around the lasting impact of concussion and brain trauma, access to coordinated, evidence-based interdisciplinary rehabilitation remains limited and inconsistent nationwide.
MCW will serve as the coordinating site, with internationally recognized TBI expert Michael McCrea, PhD, ABPP as the Principal Investigator. Dr. McCrea is a professor and vice chair of research in the Department of Neurosurgery at MCW and interim executive director of the Wisconsin Institute of NeuroScience.
Avalon Action Alliance awarded MCW a $7.5 million clinical trial agreement to conduct the study over the next four years, representing a major national investment in advancing evidence-based care for veterans and first responders living with the effects of TBI and co-occurring conditions.
The VICTORY-RCT study is designed to assess the efficacy and durability of a three-week, intensive outpatient rehabilitation program delivered across five Avalon TBI Center clinical sites.
MCW recently launched the trial with its BRAVE program, the Midwest’s only comprehensive treatment center focused on TBI, PTSD, and other invisible wounds affecting veterans and first responders.
Additional sites:
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – THRIVE Program
- University of Florida Health Jacksonville – Leon L. Haley Jr., MD, Brain Wellness Program
- University of Colorado Anschutz – Marcus Institute for Brain Health
- Jefferson Health – MossRehab Institute for Brain Health
“Avalon was created to ensure veterans and first responders can access the right care at the right time,” said Joel Brennan, CEO of Avalon Action Alliance. “The VICTORY-RCT study represents an important step toward strengthening the clinical evidence behind comprehensive TBI rehabilitation, improving access to care, and helping establish more effective standards of care for individuals navigating the lasting effects of traumatic brain injury.”
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SOURCE Medical College of Wisconsin
