Brain Disorders

Cara Altimus leads SPARC at the Milken Institute. She is also the Managing Director of Breakthrough Discoveries for thriving with Bipolar Disorder (BD²), a philanthropic initiative launched out of SPARC. Previously, Altimus led the Neural Interfaces Laboratory at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She serves as the chair for the Trainee Advisory Committee for the Society for Neuroscience and as an advisor to the Ontario Brain Institute. Altimus holds a PhD in biology from Johns Hopkins University and a bachelor’s degree in genetics from the University of Georgia.

Sylvie Raver manages SPARC’s Brain Disorders and Mental Health focus areas. She has published work on biomedical strategy with a focus on mental health, neurotechnology, and rare neurodegenerative diseases. Previously, Raver led the Society for Neuroscience’s global programming and policy efforts in neuroscience training for individual scientists and other members. Raver conducted postdoctoral research at the National Institute on Aging, received a PhD from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and holds a bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College.

Quinton Banks focuses on philanthropy in immune and rare diseases, including sarcoidosis and ALS. Banks has training in biological sciences and psychology, which gives him a unique perspective on the human impact of high-net-worth giving. His extensive scientific background includes research in chronic pain, taste perception, and muscle physiology. Banks holds a PhD from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and a bachelor’s degree from Grinnell College.

Emily Baxi is the Director of the Integrated Network within ​​BD^2​. Prior to joining SPARC, Baxi was an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University, serving as the executive director of the Packard Center for ALS Research and program director for Answer ALS. Previously, she completed postdoctoral training in neuroimmunology at Johns Hopkins University. She holds ​a PhD in neuroscience from George Washington University and a bachelor’s degree in pharmacology from University College Dublin, Ireland.

Lillian Parr supports SPARC’s Brain Disorders and Mental Health focus areas. Previously, Parr was a research fellow at the Council on Strategic Risks, where she conducted research on biosecurity and pandemic-prevention policy. Her work focused on a range of issues, including zoonotic spillover prevention, regulation of dual-use life sciences research, and technology for pathogen early warning. Parr holds a bachelor’s degree in biology from the College of William & Mary. As an undergraduate, Parr was an iGEM researcher and completed a research fellowship at Caltech.

Nadia Sarfraz supports programs in neurodegenerative diseases within SPARC’s Brain Disorders focus area. Previously, Sarfraz worked in venture creation at the biotechnology company Flagship Pioneering. She holds a PhD in biochemistry from Georgetown University, where she developed multiplexed RNA live-cell imaging systems that have been widely adopted and contributed to high-impact scientific advancements. She earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Whitworth University.

Samantha Schumm applies her expertise in neuroscience to SPARC’s Mental Health focus area. Previously, Schumm was a program officer with the Board on Health Sciences Policy at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine; she directed studies on race and ethnicity in biomedical and genomics research and led working groups on workforce development and manufacturing technologies in regenerative medicine. Schumm holds a PhD in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania and a bachelor’s degree in biomedical engineering from Yale University.

Aggie Stephens manages SPARC’s frontotemporal dementia work in the Brain Disorders focus area. She is also a board member for the Institute of Neuroethics. Prior to SPARC, at the Kavli Foundation, she built collaborations for large-scale neuroscience projects with the International Brain Initiative. Previously, she was the program manager for ENIGMA, an international consortium in neuroimaging and genomics. She holds a master’s degree in clinical science from the University of Colorado and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill.