Building the Field of Neuroscience Research in India: The Centre for Brain Research

Primary Philanthropist:

Kris Gopalakrishnan

Grant Amount:

INR 255 crores (USD 38.5 million) over 10 years

Primary Focus:

Health—clinical research

Archetype:

Key Partners:

• Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
• Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras)
• National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences (NIMHANS)
• Sri Devaraj Urs Medical College

Why Bold?

CBR fills a white space in the field of brain research by conducting long‑term studies to better understand the factors that cause and protect against dementia in the Indian population. CBR emphasizes a collaborative approach through a public-private partnership within India and by partnering with local and global research institutions. It aspires to build the first India-specific reference genome, which will help scientists across disciplines, not just in brain research.

Key Learnings:

• Use philanthropic funding as risk capital to seed less-funded initiatives
• Fill knowledge gaps that catalyze efforts across the field 
• Collaborate with partners to accelerate progress