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Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC)

Mental Health

Featured 
Report

Thriving Beyond Service: Strategic Philanthropy for the Military-to-Civilian Transition

For many veterans and their families, the transition from military service to civilian life—the military-to-civilian transition...
Read Report
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Taylor Evans, PhD, Sylvie Raver, PhD, and Glorimar Aragon
Featured 
Report

Thriving Beyond Service: Strategic Philanthropy for the Military-to-Civilian Transition

For many veterans and their families, the transition from military service to civilian life—the military-to-civilian transition...
Read Report
Photo of 1 Photo of 1 GA
Taylor Evans, PhD, Sylvie Raver, PhD, and Glorimar Aragon

The mental health crisis in the US and globally continues to be driven by a multitude of factors. Increasingly, funders are pushed to fund short-term solutions as a response to immediate need. However, long-term, sustainable solutions are needed to ensure that more people can access meaningful care.

Mental health conditions include anxiety, depression, psychological trauma, substance abuse, and increased suicidality, as well as serious mental illnesses like bipolar disorder or schizophrenia. Targeted, holistic funding approaches for each—that are distinct from other forms of brain illness philanthropy—are needed to improve mental health for all.

Milken Institute Philanthropy’s SPARC has brought together a philanthropic community and led recommendations for investing in transformative research to better understand, treat, and cure mental health conditions; increase access to preventative resources and care; develop effective interventions; and build capacity and diversity within the mental health ecosystem. 

Breakthrough Discoveries for Thriving with Bipolar Disorder

Working alongside scientists, clinicians, and people with lived experience, philanthropic investors united with the Milken Institute to establish BD2. The program addresses knowledge gaps in the basic disease mechanisms of bipolar disorder as well as factors influencing clinical approaches and outcomes. This initial $100+ million effort provides an unprecedented opportunity to improve the lives of people with bipolar disorder and those yet to be diagnosed.

Visit Program Website
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Mental Health

Current Programs

Advancing the Science of Anxiety

For people who live with anxiety, the experience is often persistent, deeply distressing, and disruptive to everyday life. Despite...

Veterans Community Initiative

For many veterans and their families, transition into civilian life from military service—the military-to-civilian transition (MCT...

Mental Health
Highlights

Mental Health

Our Team

Portrait of Cara Altimus

Cara Altimus, PhD

Managing Director, Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy
A smiling light-skinned, brunette, female-presenting individual named Kelsey Barcomb wearing a blue blazer and a black shirt against a blurred outdoor background.

Kelsey Barcomb, PhD

Associate Director, Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy
Smiling light-skinned female-presenting person with light hair wearing a black shirt against a nature-ish background

Emily Baxi, PhD

Director, Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy
A smiling female-presenting person named Veronica Beck with shoulder-length brown hair and white skin against a blurred background, wearing a black shirt.

Veronica Beck, PhD

Associate Director, Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy
A smiling light-skinned, Asian-presenting man named Daniel Pham with short black hair, wearing a geometric black and white sweater, and smiling and standing with his arms crossed in a room with dark wood details.

Daniel Pham, PhD

Director, Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy
An image of a woman with white skin and shoulder-length blonde hair named Sylvie Raver. She has a white suit jacket and a black shirt and she is smiling at the camera.

Sylvie Raver, PhD

Senior Director, Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy
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Erin Ross

Director, Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy