The Global Brain Care Coalition: A Model to Put Brain Science into Action

As the global population ages, more people face conditions such as dementia, stroke, and depression later in life. Research has shown how modifiable risk factors, including diet, physical activity, blood pressure, and social connection, can meaningfully reduce the risk of such conditions. However, it currently takes an average of 17 years for scientific discoveries like these to make their way into clinical practice—a costly delay. 

Individuals and communities need the tools to put best practices into action, in a timely manner, to protect their brain health. The Global Brain Care Coalition (GBCC) was founded in 2024 within Mass General Brigham to translate rigorous brain science into tools for practical use without this substantial delay. The effort is grounded in the Brain Care Score, which assesses brain health based on modifiable factors and indicates areas where individuals and communities can improve how they care for their brains. 

Building such an initiative requires strategy, structure, and relationships, so the Milken Institute’s SPARC team partnered with the GBCC from 2024 through 2026, contributing SPARC’s expertise to support organizational growth and bring together scientists, clinicians, institutions, and philanthropic funders. SPARC’s strategic and operational guidance helped jumpstart the GBCC from a founding vision to an active coalition.  

This case study examines that partnership from SPARC’s perspective to consider what it takes to accelerate translating biomedical research into improved health—from how to leverage the infrastructure of an academic medical center, to how philanthropy, operational support, and community engagement play complementary roles. For funders and institutions weighing similar work, the GBCC’s experience offers a useful example and set of lessons. 

This report is a companion piece to A Global Imperative to Improve Brain Health, an analysis of the brain health ecosystem that calls for building a future in which brain health is prioritized for everyone, everywhere.