OUR VISION

We see the current state of idea formation as a meadow, where growth happens semi-randomly and opportunistically. BrainMind envisions the future of brain science innovation as a garden, wherein ideas are seeded and nourished according to a plan, with specific results in mind. This is why we are establishing a multidisciplinary coalition supporting both impactful innovation and ethical stewardship for future research 

THE CHALLENGE:

Over $38 billion dollars are donated annually to healthcare causes from philanthropic sources, much of which goes to basic research at universities. Government grants amount to over $100 billion annually for basic scientific and medical research. At the other end of the spectrum, venture capital invests around $20 billion in healthcare companies. While basic research and commercial companies with high expected returns are funded readily, a "valley of death" of investment separates promising research from mass-scale innovations, especially for ideas that promise significant health impact but modest financial gain. BrainMind seeks to coordinate capital across philanthropy and venture capital to deliver stewardship of fundamental neuroscience to impact-focused stakeholders. 

THE PROMISE:

Today, a global network of scientists, engineers, and clinicians are doing brilliant work to uncover the underlying mechanisms of cognition, motivation, learning, memory, sleep, attachment, resilience, neurological disorders, and the process by which consciousness arises. The neurological underpinnings of the human mind are being explored in the nation’s most prestigious institutions, with the creation of multiple centers of excellence for these academic pursuits at Harvard, MIT, Stanford, Oxford, and many more.

Just as the scientific community has made significant strides in neurobiological research with the advent of fMRI, the medical community is converging on transformative discoveries of the physical and psychological impact of the human mind. The human mind is also being studied in the context of real-life interventions, including medical, personal, and social approaches. These practices are being studied for applications in stress and anxiety management, cognitive behavioral therapy, stroke recovery, chronic pain management, cancer treatment, child self-regulation, and more.

By exploring the intersection of brain and mind, we gain insight not only into the mechanisms by which the mind affects the brain and the body, but into consciousness itself. By convening the world’s top thinkers, researchers, and innovators on the convergence of neuroscience and the study of human consciousness, we open the door to collaborations and discoveries that will quicken the pace of innovation. The BrainMind team is uniquely equipped to execute on this strategy, with experience in medicine, social entrepreneurship, venture capital, and donor development.