Neurodegenerative diseases (NDs) affect more than 50 million people worldwide. NDs are complex disorders that cause progressive and debilitating cognitive and physical decline. They are difficult to diagnose, complicated to treat, and currently, there is no cure.
The World Health Organization estimates that by the year 2040, NDs will be second only to cardiovascular disease as a cause of death in developed countries, overtaking cancer-related deaths. By bringing the principles of precision medicine and the power of AI to the forefront of research and discovery across NDs, there is significant potential for this landscape to be rapidly transformed.
In partnership with the 10,000 Brains Project, the Milken Institute developed a comprehensive landscape of the state of science for AI and computational biology applied to NDs to develop a vision and long-term strategy for the new organization.
In 2024, SPARC assessed the ND research and clinical care ecosystems to identify areas where the application of AI has the potential to accelerate precision medicine. This Giving Smarter Guide identifies six high-priority opportunities spanning four broad areas where philanthropy can leverage AI to drive progress in NDs.
As the population ages, neurodegenerative diseases pose growing challenges—but advances in genetics, AI, and biomedical research offer new hope.
A new SPARC report, commissioned by The 10,000 Brains Project, highlights how AI and precision medicine can transform neurodegenerative disease research.
AI is transforming biomedical research, offering powerful tools to accelerate discovery. This session explores how to harness AI’s potential responsibly and equitably.