Emily Baxi, PhD, is a director on the Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team at the Milken Institute. A neuroscientist and educator, Baxi works with the pillar's SPARC team to advise foundations and philanthropists on the state of research so they are empowered to make impactful giving decisions. Aligning the needs of the research field with the passion and commitment of the philanthropist, she identifies opportunities to meaningfully advance biomedical research. Prior to joining the Institute, Baxi was an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University where she served as the executive director of the Packard Center for ALS Research and program director for Answer ALS, a multi-institutional ALS research program. She holds a bachelor’s degree in pharmacology from University College Dublin, Ireland, and a doctorate degree in neuroscience from George Washington University. She completed her postdoctoral training in neuroimmunology at Johns Hopkins University.