Report

Frontotemporal Dementia Giving Smarter Guide

A smiling dark-skinned man named Quinton Banks with short dark braided hair, wearing glasses and a navy blue patterned dress shirt, and standing in a room with dark wood details.

Quinton Banks

Associate Director, Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy
Quinton Banks is an associate director on the Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team at Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy. His extensive scientific background includes research into chronic pain, taste perception, and muscle physiology.
An image of a woman with white skin and shoulder-length blonde hair named Sylvie Raver. She has a white suit jacket and a black shirt and she is smiling at the camera.

Sylvie Raver

Senior Director, Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy
Sylvie Raver is a senior director on the Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team at Milken Institute Strategic 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 named Cara Altimus with shoulder length dark brown hair wearing a vibrant blue shirt and red necklace, standing with her arms crossed against an ambiguous outdoor background.

Cara Altimus, PhD

Managing Director, Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team, Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy
Cara Altimus, PhD is a managing director on the Science Philanthropy Accelerator for Research and Collaboration (SPARC) team at Milken Institute Strategic Philanthropy, 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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