Dr. Ann McKee

Since 2015, the “McKee criteria” has been the definitive diagnostic for chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease usually found in patients with a history of repeated brain trauma, like football players. Her recent breakthrough study suggests that blows to the head themselves—not full concussions—may be the underlying cause of CTE. McKee was also named one of the 2018 TIME 100. —Robin Marty