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Home > BD² Updates > Innovating for Equity: BD² at the 2024 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit

Innovating for Equity: BD² at the 2024 Milken Institute Future of Health Summit

The annual Milken Institute Future of Health Summit convenes global thought leaders to address critical health challenges and opportunities, from technological innovation to health equity. This year’s summit explored transformative advancements in areas like mental health, precision medicine, and chronic disease prevention.

During the panel on “The Next Frontier in Mental Health Research,” Cara Altimus, PhD, managing director of BD² and the Milken Institute’s SPARC initiative, emphasized the urgent need to bridge scientific discovery and clinical application. Highlighting BD²’s efforts to redefine bipolar disorder research and care, she stated, “We have to think about how to rapidly move innovations into a framework that impacts people’s lives today, and impacts them equitably.”

The discussion underscored the role of data integration, learning health networks, and diverse clinical trials in accelerating breakthroughs that transform mental health care. This vision represents a bold step toward a future where personalized, equitable treatment is a reality for all.

Watch the session in full here.

The panel “Decoding Disease: Can Genetics Unlock New Interventions?” brought together experts to explore the transformative potential of genetic research in medicine. Ben Neale, PhD, BD² Genetics Platform team lead and Co-Director, Stanley Center for Psychiatric Research, highlighted significant progress, including efforts to sequence the genomes of a quarter-million individuals with bipolar disorder to uncover genetic variations and inform targeted therapies. He emphasized the importance of expanding genetic studies to include diverse populations, which is critical for equitable advancements and understanding variations in treatment response.

Watch the session in full here.

Another highlight came from Emily Baxi, who participated in the invite-only panel “SPARC PLC: The Trust Variable in Science Philanthropy.” A  BD² program director and a director with the Milken Institute’s SPARC initiative, Emily led a discussion that emphasized the importance of fostering trust and collaboration in philanthropy to drive scientific breakthroughs that address some of the most complex health challenges of our time.

Explore the entire 2024 Future of Health Summit here.