- Mounting research links repeated head trauma in professional sports to lasting brain injury, with few effective treatment options for retired athletes
- An initial cohort of three NHL and two NFL alumni independently participated in a treatment program at a clinic in Baja California in September 2026
- Partnership could lay the groundwork for future clinical research on ibogaine in professional athletes with TBI, neurodegenerative disease, and substance use disorders
VANCOUVER, B.C., Oct. 15, 2026 – Ambio Life Sciences, the global leader in integrative ibogaine treatment, and Athletes for Care (A4C), a nonprofit focused on the mental health of current and former athletes, today announced a partnership to provide professional athletes with medically supervised, lawful access to ibogaine programming and support. Ambio will reserve dedicated space in its clinical programming for interested athletes on a quarterly basis (subject to Ambio’s independent eligibility and clinical criteria), with room to increase frequency as needs grow.
“We don’t yet understand the physical toll that years of cumulative head injuries take on athletes. But as our understanding of traumatic brain injury (TBI) grows, it’s becoming clear how few effective treatment options exist,” said Jonathan Dickinson, Ambio Life Sciences CEO and co-founder. “Early research on ibogaine for TBI is promising, and that’s why athletes are finding their way to Ambio.”
Quarterly Cohorts and Integration Support
Athletes for Care’s first pro athlete cohort, made up of three NHL alumni and two NFL alumni, took part in a program at an Ambio clinic in Baja California, Mexico, in September 2026. Participating athletes take part in Ambio’s five-day Foundational Program, offered at clinics in Mexico and Malta. The program includes one ibogaine “flood dose,” full medical screening and continuous care, and supportive holistic treatments.
Treatment is self-funded by participating athletes, with a subsidy provided by Ambio. Each athlete decides whether to pursue treatment, working with their own doctors. Consistent with its charitable and educational mission, A4C independently provides peer counseling, athlete-only community calls, wellness sessions, and spousal support groups. The Casey Skudin 343 Fund, a 501(c)(3) charity focused on the mental health of first responders, provides the cohorts’ preparation and integration coaching.
“Ibogaine changed my life. I spent years trying everything that was available to me, but nothing worked, and I suffered in silence. Since I started Athletes for Care, I’ve heard from so many people going through the same thing,” said Robert Gallery, A4C co-founder and CEO and former NFL offensive lineman. “I hope this partnership with Ambio means we can help more athletes access information and care, the right way, with the necessary medical screening and support.”
The Toll of Repeated Head Trauma and Life After Sports Retirement
For many professional athletes, the toll of a career in sports shows up in the brain and lasts long after the final game.
A 2026 study examined every former NFL player who died between 2016 and 2021 (878 total) and found CTE in 215 of the 235 brains donated and examined, at least 24.5%, or roughly 1 in 4, of all those players. Research also suggests NFL players also die of neurodegenerative disease at roughly four times the rate of the general population.
The risk extends beyond football: in the largest study of its kind, researchers found that the odds of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) in male ice hockey players increased 34% for every additional year played; 18 of 19 former NHL players studied had CTE, compared with about 10% of those who played only at the youth or high school level.
The toll of pro sports is not only physical. A 2024 review of 37 studies, covering nearly 25,000 former elite athletes, found their rates of anxiety and depression may be more than double those of the general population.
Though the foregoing research did not include any A4C participants as research subjects and is not evidence that ibogaine is a safe or effective treatment for repeated head trauma in athlete populations, the personal experiences and outcomes reported by athletes who have undergone ibogaine administration continue to show its promise.
“The head trauma, PTSD, and pressure to perform in a culture of ‘don’t let them see you sweat’ only compounded in the years following my football career. I had exhausted every single modality for mental health, yet I continued to decline. The months leading up to my second treatment at Ambio, I suffered the worst concussion of my life and was having a minimum of 15 drinks a day. I was completely out of control and felt incapable of stopping,” said former NFL player, Clint Gresham, who participated in ibogaine treatment at Ambio in May 2025 and April 2026.
“I never could have imagined a life without alcohol. Anytime I would attempt sobriety, I could never get past the longing for how alcohol made me feel about myself. Now, it baffles me every day to be free from alcohol and feel confidence, a sense of agency, courage, and hope.”
Stanford Findings in Veterans with TBI and the Case for Studying Athletes
In 2024, Stanford University researchers studied 30 U.S. Special Forces veterans with TBI who were treated with ibogaine at an Ambio clinic. Researchers reported significant reductions in PTSD symptoms (88%), depression (87%), and anxiety (81%). They also observed an over-80% drop in disability scores, with many participants moving from moderate disability to functional independence. Brain imaging also showed increased subcortical brain volume in regions linked to mood and cognition.
Though the Stanford study observed veterans rather than athletes, researchers have found similar CTE pathology in the brains of blast-exposed military veterans and athletes with histories of concussive injury, and that both groups can experience overlapping psychiatric and cognitive symptoms.
Athletes in A4C cohorts are treated using a protocol similar to the one used in Stanford studies. To date, Ambio has treated professional athletes from every major league, including the UFC, NHL, NFL, and NBA, including A4C participants.
While the available research findings on ibogaine do not describe or predict outcomes for athlete populations, the partnership aims to lay the groundwork for possible future early-stage studies with A4C research subjects into whether ibogaine could be a safe and effective treatment for a range of medical and psychiatric conditions.
“Medicine doesn’t yet understand TBI well, and the brain is extraordinarily complex. Our hope is that ibogaine can help athletes navigate that transition with grace, and it gives us a vehicle to understand and contextualize what TBI is for the people who live with it. This partnership lays the groundwork to study that rigorously,” Dickinson said.
About Ambio Life Sciences
Ambio Life Sciences is the global leader in integrative ibogaine treatment, setting a new benchmark for clinical quality, patient safety, and therapeutic innovation. With over 50 years of combined experience, Ambio’s founding team brings together unmatched expertise in medical protocols, research leadership, and ethical ibogaine care.
Operating world-class clinics in Mexico and Malta, Ambio delivers medically supervised programs for people with addiction, traumatic brain injury, psychological trauma, chronic pain, and neurodegenerative conditions. The company also works with high-performance individuals – including special operations veterans, elite athletes, and creative professionals – seeking sustainable personal optimization and recovery from medically complex conditions.
As the world’s only transcontinental and integrative ibogaine provider, Ambio helps individuals create lasting, adaptive change in their lives. Driven by science and grounded in deep clinical experience, Ambio is advancing a new paradigm in mental health and recovery, one that empowers individuals to reclaim agency and lead more adaptive, meaningful lives.
About Athletes for Care
Athletes for Care is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization co-founded by Robert Gallery dedicated to transforming mental health outcomes for current and former athletes. A4C advocates evidence-based solutions and expanded access to innovative treatments — including psychedelic-assisted therapies (PAT) — raising awareness around the impact of traumatic brain injuries (TBI) and post-career mental health struggles. Guided by an athlete-led approach, A4C partners with leading scientists, medical professionals, and policymakers to fund research, tell athletes’ stories, and build a future where mental health is prioritized, and no athlete struggles alone. Learn more at www.athletesforcare.org.
Disclaimer: This release is provided for general informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not recommend or endorse any treatment or provider, and does not claim that ibogaine or any program is safe or effective for any medical condition. Individuals should consult qualified healthcare professionals before making any treatment decisions. Any treatment that participating athletes may independently choose to pursue at Ambio sites is provided solely by Ambio in its clinical discretion; as an IRS-designated tax-exempt charity, A4C does not provide, direct or guarantee access to any medical or psychiatric treatment (including endorsing, or referring athletes to, any particular provider).
Media Inquiries Contact
Victoria Dekker
Chief Communications Officer, Ambio Life Sciences
Email: victoria.dekker@ambio.life
Website: https://ambio.life/
Jason Carr
Communications Advisor, Athletes for Care
Email: jason@jcarrcomms.com
Website: https://athletesforcare.org/
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