The Brain Health Initiative (BHI) is a cutting-edge, new approach to studying brain health that’s set to revolutionize neuroscience research and position brain healthy communities as global leaders in scientific innovation. Through a groundbreaking collective impact framework that seeks to engage community members in the full research and innovation process – from study design to evaluation – the BHI will draw on some of the brightest minds of our time to address what experts say may be the biggest medical priority of the 21st century: brain health.
The BHI will focus on the science, application, and innovation of brain health promotion, prevention, early identification, evidence-based intervention, and performance optimization across the lifespan.
This pioneering goal will be accomplished through three distinct components:
Collective impact approach: “Collective impact” is defined as the commitment of a group of cross-sector stakeholders to a common agenda to solve a complex social problem at scale. Instead of simply learning about the community, the BHI aspires to learn with it.
Brain Health Pilot Study: The Pilot is a comprehensive study of ways Lakewood Ranch residents function mentally, socially, cognitively, and overall, as well as the factors in people’s lives that present risk or promote resilience in brain health and performance. A random sample of Lakewood Ranch adult residents will be identified from an independent organization. Participants must be 18 years of age or older and be a permanent resident of Lakewood Ranch (resident 6 months and 1 day per year) and want to be part of the science that could improve brain health at the individual and community level in the near term and for future generations. The preliminary analysis of the pilot study will inform the longitudinal study. Read FAQs about the Pilot Study
Longitudinal research: A multi-generational, epidemiological study that will follow community residents, visitors, and workforce for decades to identify risk and protective factors associated with brain health, illness, and performance at every stage of life.
Innovation Accelerator: A “living laboratory” set to attract global scholars, clinicians, innovators, entrepreneurs, and investors to conduct clinical trials and test the scalability of innovative brain health solutions.
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