As the health research funding landscape continues to evolve, cross-sector partnerships are becoming increasingly important for advancing shared priorities and shaping the future of biomedical research. This interactive session will explore how foundations and nonprofit funders are collaborating with fellow funders, industry, advocacy organizations, and government partners to expand impact and address shared challenges. Through a brief case study, facilitated roundtable discussions for both in-person and virtual participants, and a group share-back, participants will exchange practical lessons, explore successful partnership models, and share key insights for collaborative leadership in a changing research ecosystem.
Roundtable discussion topics:
- Collaborative Grant Funding
- Public Private partnerships
- Partnership with advocacy groups
- Shared agenda funding, beyond co-funding
- Establishing Corporate/Industry relationships
Speaker:
Cara Altimus, PhD – Chief Executive Office, Breakthrough Discoveries, (BD²)
Cara Altimus leads BD², a philanthropic research initiative accelerating discovery and improving care for people living with bipolar disorder. She guided BD²’s strategy, operational build, and early growth, helping catalyze more than $250M in funding for the field. Her approach to science funding is grounded in rigor, patient insights, and a commitment to open science. She received her Ph.D. in cellular and molecular biology at Johns Hopkins and has focused her career on neuroscience. She currently serves on the board of the Ontario Brain Institute and previously led the Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) program at the Milken Institute. Earlier in her career, she led the Neural Interfaces Laboratory at the US FDA.
Moderator:
Cheryl Anne Boyce, PhD – Director, Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy
Cheryl Anne Boyce, PhD, is the director of the mental health focus area on the Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration team within the Strategic Philanthropy pillar at the Milken Institute.