Sylvie Raver, PhD

Sylvie Raver, PhD, is the managing director of the Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team at Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy. 

Raver leads SPARC’s efforts to advance biomedical research through improved philanthropic funding practices. The SPARC team guides philanthropic capital, designs and launches funding programs, and builds communities of funders and experts—all in support of advancing progress in science and health. 

Raver brings expertise in neuroscience, neurodegenerative disease, mental health, and biomedical research to her work. She has authored publications on biomedical strategy with a focus on mental health, neurotechnology, and rare neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. She was also instrumental in developing a consensus definition of misophonia, a disorder characterized by decreased tolerance to specific sounds.

Prior to joining the Milken Institute, Raver worked for the Society for Neuroscience, where she led the society's global programming and policy efforts in neuroscience training for individual scientists and members engaged in biomedical workforce education and training. She received her bachelor’s degree from Lafayette College, a doctorate from the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and completed postdoctoral training at the National Institute on Aging.