Report

Frontotemporal Dementia Giving Smarter Guide

Smiling darker-skinned, male-presenting person wearing a floral button up

Quinton Banks

Associate Director, SPARC, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy
Quinton Banks is an associate director on the Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team at Milken Institute Philanthropy. His extensive scientific background includes research into chronic pain, taste perception, and muscle physiology. Banks has training in both biological sciences and psychology, providing him with a unique perspective on the human impact of high net-worth giving.
Smiling light-skinned, female-presenting individual with short hair wearing a dark shirt on a brown backdrop.

Sylvie Raver

Director, SPARC, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy
Sylvie Raver is a director on the Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team at Milken Institute Philanthropy. Raver applies her expertise in neuroscience, neurodegenerative disease, mental health, and biomedical research to identify opportunities for philanthropic investments that can have a transformative impact on medical research and health.
A smiling light-skinned female with shoulder length dark brown hair wearing a dark shirt against a dark gray background

Cara Altimus

Managing Director, SPARC, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy
Cara Altimus, PhD is a managing director on the Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team at the Milken Institute, leading the science and health innovation portfolio. A PhD neuroscientist, Altimus advises individual philanthropists and foundations on the state of research for various areas including neurodegenerative disease and mental health, identifying opportunities where their capital can make the biggest impact.
MM

Megan Miller

Formerly Milken Institute
Topics
Health
Medical Treatments and Therapies
Rare Disease Research
Neurological Health
Brain Health
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Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) refers to a family of neurodegenerative conditions that cause changes in behavior, mood, executive function, language, memory, and motor function. FTD is widely believed to be underdiagnosed and undercounted, and little is known about diagnosis rates across distinct racial and ethnic groups.

Navigating an FTD diagnosis presents a significant challenge for patients and their families. The average life expectancy for someone with FTD is only about 7.5 years after symptoms begin. The patient’s condition worsens over time as the brain’s frontal and temporal lobes deteriorate, and people living with FTD eventually need full-time care. Although drugs and other approaches can help manage FTD symptoms, no FTD-specific treatments are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration.

The Kissick Family Foundation partnered with the Milken Institute Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) in 2022 to analyze the funding landscape and summarize the current state of FTD research. The resulting Giving Smarter Guide reflects these findings and outlines opportunities for other strategic investments in this space.

Learn more about the Kissick Family Foundation Frontotemporal Dementia Grant Program.

 

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