BD2 Discoveries

On average, it takes seven years from symptom onset to properly diagnose #bipolardisorder. Precision medicine is an approach revolutionizing the diagnosis and treatment of other diseases, such as cancer, and could fundamentally change and improve outcomes for those living with bipolar disorder. BD2 is working towards a future where precision medicine can lead to early diagnoses and specialized care for those living with bipolar disorder. Our article, published in Biological Psychiatry, outlines this vision and discusses the role of philanthropy in filling research gaps. The paper will be open access online through April 27. Read it here: https://lnkd.in/erhEFg8y?

?? A milestone in #bipolardisorder research and clinical care >>$9.2M in grants to expand the BD2 Integrated Network with four new sites. Caitlin Millett with The Feinstein Institutes, Jorge Almeida with Dell Medical School at the University of Texas at Austin, Lisa Eyler with UC San Diego School of Medicine, Caleb Adler with University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and Lindner Center of HOPE are leading teams that will work alongside our six existing network sites to close knowledge gaps, accelerate discovery, and improve care for people living with bipolar disorder. The BD2 Integrated Network now includes 10 U.S. sites, with an international site announcement coming soon. Read more about this expansion and what it means for the future of bipolar disorder research and treatment: https://lnkd.in/eehmP-3E

ICYMI: Last month, we spotlighted the inspiring journeys of women in neuroscience and mental health research. As Women’s History Month begins, their stories remain a powerful reminder of how curiosity, perseverance, and mentorship shape the future of science. Tracy Young-Pearse, PhD, Aysegul Ozerdem, MD, PhD, Jennifer Kruse, MD, and Hongying (Hoy) Shen, PhD each followed unique paths into neuroscience—some drawn in by early passions for biology, others inspired by mentors who challenged them to think differently. Their experiences highlight the critical role of support systems, resilience, and self-belief in navigating a career in STEM. From reimagining how we understand mental health to uncovering the mysteries of the brain, these researchers are paving the way for future generations. Their advice? Seek out mentors, embrace challenges, and never underestimate the impact of your voice in science. ?? Read their insights: https://bit.ly/4aVVJXu #WomensHistoryMonth #WomenInSTEM

Achieving health equity, in which everyone has a fair and just opportunity to achieve the best possible health, requires ongoing, broad-scale efforts to counteract prevailing disparities.? ?? Philanthropic organizations can support those societal efforts by acting on any of the opportunities identified in "Health Equity in Science: A Giving Smarter Guide", a comprehensive landscape analysis that specifies areas where philanthropic funding is well suited to drive change. The guide is the product of a partnership between Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy's Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.? ?? Read more:?https://lnkd.in/dZZSgpRj? Samantha K.?? Ishita Das, PhD, PMP? Aggie McMahon Stephens? Erin Ross, PMP Cara Altimus #healthequity #representation #access #equity

In this insightful conversation, Major General Gregg F. Martin shares his incredible life experiences and the impact of living with #bipolardisorder along his journey. His story offers valuable perspective and hope to those navigating bipolar disorder. We appreciate his service to both our country and the bipolar community. Watch the interview here: https://lnkd.in/eADjKPc8

BD2 and Milken Institute’s SPARC Managing Director Cara Altimus participated in the Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative Brain House at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting. She joined panels with experts from around the globe to talk about new insights and shared goals. During this session, Cara took part in discussions alongside Claudio Lino Bassetti (European Brain Council and SFCNS Swiss Brain Health Plan), Lucy Perez (McKinsey & Company), Andy Moose (World Economic Forum), Christa Studzinski (Ontario Brain Institute), and George Vradenburg. Cara reflected on the importance of collaboration across funders and programs in brain health to carry us forward in 2025 and beyond ?? #WEF25 #BrainHealth

On the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Women and Girls in Science we're celebrating the contributions of women in neuroscience and mental health research. Their groundbreaking work is shaping the future of patient care and advancing our understanding of the brain. ???? We spoke with four accomplished researchers in the BD2 network who shared their inspirations and advice for young women in science. ?? Jennifer Kruse, MD, whose curiosity led her from a love of writing to a career in neuroscience and psychiatry, supported by mentors who encouraged her passion for research. ?? Aysegul Ozerdem, MD, PhD, inspired by her mentor to conceptualize bipolar disorder in new ways and develop innovative care models. ?? Hongying (Hoy) Shen, PhD, who credits her deep curiosity and the encouragement of mentors for shaping her journey as a scientist. ?? Tracy Young-Pearse, PhD, whose undergraduate experience sparked her lifelong passion for exploring the mysteries of biology. Their stories highlight the power of mentorship, resilience, and curiosity in driving progress. Check out their insights below ?? #IDWGS #WomenInScience #February11

From its inception, BD2 set out to promote scientific collaboration to drive discovery and treatment improvements so all those with #bipolar disorder can thrive. To that end, our Collaboration Projects strengthen the connections between BD2 teams to promote data and resource sharing, as well as accelerate new findings. Our latest grants support innovative research tackling key biological mechanisms and potential treatments: ???Drug Discovery & Single-Cell Multi-Omics –?Jenny Tam, Panos Roussos, Donghoon Lee, John Fullard PhD, and Ninning Liu are using advanced brain organoid models to identify new drug candidates for personalized treatment. ???Mitochondrial Dysfunction & Sleep –?Julie Kauer and Elizabeth Jonas are investigating how mitochondrial abnormalities contribute to sleep disturbances, a common symptom of bipolar disorder. ???Proteomic Mapping for Genetic Risk –?Yevgenia (Genia) Kozorovitskiy, Lief Fenno, and Matthew MacDonald are leveraging molecular tools to study protein networks, identifying biomarkers for bipolar disorder. ???Decoding Bipolar Disorder Risk Genes –?Hongying (Hoy) Shen and Benjamin Neale are analyzing how diverse genetic risk factors converge onto shared pathways, guiding new therapeutic strategies. Read more about each project ??

As Tarun Galagali of?Forbes?recently?put it, Davos is?a barometer for global priorities. This year,?brain health moved into the spotlight?at the?World Economic Forum 2025 Annual Meeting (see: https://lnkd.in/euZVf3WV). Over the last several years, Milken Institute's SPARC team has been pushing hard to move Brain Health and Brain investment into the broader global discussion. Seeing this topic take center stage this year was hugely gratifying. A few key takeaways:? Brain discussions are bringing together a broad cross section of brilliant people ranging from clinicians, policy makers, economics experts, investors, university presidents, and on and on. These diverse perspectives are infusing brain research, investment, and best practices into the world in a good way. I?had the privilege of speaking on a panel with Peter Vanham (Fortune), Robert Steven Kaplan (Goldman Sachs, Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation), Daniel Kraft, MD (NextMed Health), and Jochen Reiser, M.D., Ph.D. (The University of Texas Medical Branch ) about the necessity of innovation and investment into brain health.?Thank you all for the inspiring conversation. And, I was thrilled to join a second panel to discuss building worldwide awareness of brain health with Claudio Lino Bassetti (European Brain Council and SFCNS Swiss Brain Health Plan), Lucy Perez (McKinsey & Company), Andy Moose (World Economic Forum), Christa Studzinski (Ontario Brain Institute), and George Vradenburg (Davos Alzheimer's Collaborative). Friday’s breakfast conversation, “Philanthropy in a Changing World: Embracing Opportunities Amid Global Shifts”, hosted by Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy’s Melissa Stevens and Co-Impact's Anna-Marie Harling, closed out the week and re-adjusted my focus toward philanthropic strategies more broadly.? ? Throughout the week, I was proud to champion the tireless work that BD2 Discoveries and?Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy's SPARC team have contributed to brain health alongside our partners, and I’m grateful to have forged new connections and strengthened existing ones with leaders in neuroscience and mental health, cross-sector collaboration, and impact investing.? I’m walking away from this event full of optimism and determination to continue the work of protecting brain health into 2025 and beyond.? ? Harris Eyre (Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy), Joshua Haynes (Masawa), Silaja Birks(Wellcome Trust), Patrick Brannelly (The 10,000 Brains Project) , Rosa Sangiorgio (Swiss Platform for Impact Investing, RSG Impact Investing), Guillaume Blivet (REGEnLIFE) ? #WEF25 #BrainHealth

A heartfelt thank you to all our Brain House partners for an outstanding week elevating brain health as a key priority at Davos. Your efforts have been instrumental, and we’re excited to build on this momentum to drive lasting impact! Check out our last Davos Dispatch on our website: https://lnkd.in/eB5Y-C8j