This episode explores the mission and work of the Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, an organization dedicated to funding innovative scientific research to improve understanding, treatment, and prevention of mental illness. The discussion highlights the impact of early-career grantmaking, the breadth of conditions addressed, and the importance of scientific rigor, innovation, and communication in serving individuals and families affected by mental health disorders.
Guests
Dr. Jeffrey Borenstein, President & CEO; Host, Healthy Minds (PBS)
Dr. Judith Ford, President of BBRF’s Scientific Council.
Interview by: Mark Oppenheim
Key Points
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The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation funds scientific research across a wide range of mental health conditions, including depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, chemical dependency, PTSD, anxiety, ADHD, autism, epilepsy, and more.
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Many individuals live with more than one condition, and mental illnesses affect people across the lifespan from childhood through older adulthood.
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The Foundation was created by families seeking better care for loved ones and recognizing the need for deeper research.
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Its Scientific Council includes 194 top scientists from around the world who review and select grant recipients.
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The organization approved 165 Young Investigator Grants this year from 900 applications, reflecting highly competitive scientific review.
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The Foundation prioritizes innovation, feasibility, and investigator potential rather than commercial return on investment.
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Early-stage research funded by the Foundation has led to major breakthroughs, including the development of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for depression.
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The Foundation supports both basic research and clinical research, depending on scientific merit.
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Trauma’s impact on brain function and mental illness is an increasingly funded research area.
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Public education efforts—such as webinars and the Healthy Minds television series—help communicate scientific advances to the broader community.
Other Points
The Foundation invests in both scientific ideas and the people behind them. Early investigators face systemic barriers entering brain research, and the organization acts as a “venture capital fund for science,” helping researchers generate the pilot data necessary to secure federal grants later in their careers.
A mix of basic, translational, and clinical research is funded, with emphasis on innovative proposals that may be too early-stage for agencies like the NIH. Flexibility is built into grants, allowing investigators to pivot to new approaches if initial methods do not succeed, acknowledging the inherent risk of pioneering science.
Communication with the public is a central part of the Foundation’s mission. Monthly webinars and the Healthy Minds PBS series help people understand available treatments, new discoveries, and the importance of seeking care. Guests emphasize that many individuals still suffer in silence despite effective existing treatments.
The Scientific Council and donors are closely engaged in the process, motivated by personal experience and a desire to reduce suffering. Funded research is shared through published scientific literature, ensuring findings become part of the global knowledge base and contribute to better treatment, prevention, and understanding of mental illness.