Brain Trust event designed to inspire critical health solutions slated for Boston

This year’s Brain Trust event will be held in Boston.

Brain Trust: Pathways to InnoVAtion will foster debate, as well as facilitate national, partnership-based solutions in the general area of traumatic brain injury (TBI) and head trauma. This annual event is designed to promote forward-thinking dialogue and innovative collaboration among private industry, national/professional sports organizations, the federal government, innovators, scientists, athletes, clinicians, care-givers and Veterans.

This year, the VA Center for Strategic Partnerships is excited to be hosting the event at Harvard Medical School in Boston, Massachusetts.

“Hosting Brain Trust in Boston is a natural fit,” said Matthew S. Collier, senior advisor to the secretary.  “The collaborative work taking place in this city really matches the spirit of the Pathways to InnoVAtion series.  When you see a strategic partnership like the VA-Boston University-Concussion Legacy Foundation Brain Bank, you recognize that we can achieve so much more when we work collaboratively together across institutions.”

Building off of last year’s success, Brain Trust 2017 will dive deeper into the areas of collaborative research as well as technological and sports innovations.  The event will boldly endeavor to identify critical brain health solutions in the areas of prevention, diagnosis, treatment, rehabilitation, and the reintegration of individuals stricken with, and affected by, the effects of TBI and other kinds of head trauma. Brain Trust is designed not only to serve Veterans and service members, but to ultimately serve Americans.

Day two of Brain Trust will include an innovation demo day where industry, non-profit, and academic innovators can “pitch” or demonstrate their current innovations in the areas of TBI and head trauma. The goal of demo day is to connect existing innovations with VA practitioners, Veterans and caregivers to identify which of these innovations show the most promise for serving Veterans. Demo day will ultimately culminate in top innovations receiving 1st, 2nd and 3rd place honors and the winners will have a potential opportunity to implement and deploy their innovations at the VA to serve Veterans and their families. To submit an application for demo day, please visit this link. Applications are due April 5.

To learn more about Brain Trust or to join as an event partner, please email braintrust@va.gov.