Neurodegenerative disorders are complex and debilitating. And the burden is immense. Collectively, they affect more than 50 million people worldwide, costing the global economy an estimated $5 trillion in combined costs for medical expenses, lost productivity and uncompensated caregiver hours. Neurodegenerative diseases are responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths each year and in 2021 alone, led to over 36 million years of healthy life lost. As life expectancy continues to rise, the number of individuals impacted is expected to skyrocket, intensifying the urgency of addressing this public health crisis.

Despite billions of dollars invested in research, there are still no cures for neurodegenerative diseases. Existing treatments are limited, and often come with significant side effects. In most cases, these treatments only address the symptoms rather than slowing or stopping disease progression. Neurodegenerative disease research remains largely siloed, with a narrow focus on individual diseases. This leads to many missed opportunities to apply discoveries across the broader neurodegenerative disease landscape. To keep pace with the escalating crisis, transformative approaches are urgently needed to drive disruptive innovation in the field.

Over the past two decades, scientific discovery has advanced at an unprecedented pace. In neurodegenerative research, disruptive technologies—including  advanced neuroimaging, high resolution microscopy, next generation “-omics” assays, and wearable sensors—have generated vast, multifaceted datasets across diverse populations. These datasets have the potential to revolutionize the field, driving new breakthroughs, enhancing precision, and enabling previously impossible studies. However, fully leveraging these rich data resources requires a new approach—one that integrates AI-based tools with a highly trained, tech-savvy scientific workforce. By changing the way research is done, we can de-risk drug discovery, fulfill the promise of personalized medicine, and unlock enormous global economic opportunities. Revolutionizing how brain research is done will have far-reaching impacts for society. The McKinsey Health Institute estimates that improved brain health will unlock $26 trillion in global economic opportunity.

The 10,000 Brains Project was founded under the guiding principle that innovation can only be accelerated through a critical evaluation of the status quo and a proactive strategy to overcome the barriers that have hindered progress in the field. Through our combined expertise in data science and the integration of multiple neurodegenerative disorders, The 10,000 Brains Project is uniquely positioned to steward the field toward new breakthroughs.

Our approach is informed by an extensive review of the neurodegeneration research field. We commissioned the Milken Institute’s Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) to conduct this review in 2024. Supplemental funding was generously provided by the Rainwater Charitable Foundation and the Robertson Foundation. The final report identifies several areas of opportunity for focused investment by the philanthropic sector.



Over the next 10 years, The 10,000 Brains Project will bring together the greatest minds, the most extensive datasets, and the largest pool of philanthropic investment to date to address four key priorities for realizing technology-driven precision medicine.

Improving access to diverse datasets

Expanding expertise in data science and AI

Mitigating the ethical concerns of AI data analysis

Providing targeted funding for the development of new tools