WHAT IS BRAINWAYS HEALTH COLLABORATIVE?

We Are the Bridge Between Brain Science and the People It Was Always Meant to Serve.

BrainWays Health Collaborative was built on a simple but urgent truth: the gap between what science knows about brain health and what patients and communities actually have access to is costing people their lives, their independence, and their futures.

We exist to close that gap.

Our Mission

BrainWays Health Collaborative advances brain health across the lifespan through research, education, and community engagement. We bridge scientific discovery with lived experiences to improve understanding, prevention, and outcomes across the full spectrum of brain disorders — from Multiple Sclerosis and Alzheimer’s to Parkinson’s, epilepsy, and beyond.

We are committed to expanding access to knowledge, supporting research that reflects real communities, and fostering partnerships that empower individuals and families to make informed decisions and shape healthier brain futures.

What We Do

Research

We support and facilitate research that reflects the full diversity of people living with brain disorders. Through BICOMS — the world’s first global MS registry for Black communities — and our broader research partnerships, we are actively building the data infrastructure that the next generation of brain health breakthroughs will be built on.

Clinical Trial Access

One of the most powerful things any patient can do is participate in research. BrainWays connects community members with clinical trial opportunities — making it easier to find studies, understand eligibility, and take an active role in advancing the science.

Education

We translate complex neuroscience into knowledge that patients, caregivers, and communities can actually use. From free downloadable guides to live expert webinars and roundtable discussions, BrainWays makes the science accessible — without a medical degree required.

Community Engagement

We believe brain health advances fastest when the people most affected are at the table. BrainWays builds and sustains community — connecting patients, caregivers, providers, researchers, and advocates in a shared space where lived experience and clinical expertise carry equal weight.

Who We Serve

Patients and CarePartners

If you or someone you love is navigating a brain disorder diagnosis, BrainWays is where you come to find clarity, community, and a path forward.

Healthcare Providers

We partner with neurologists, primary care physicians, and specialists who are committed to delivering care informed by the most complete and representative data available.

Researchers & Institutions

We work with research teams and academic institutions to design studies that reflect the communities they are meant to serve — and to ensure findings reach the people who need them most.

Advocates & Allies

Whether you have a personal connection to brain health or simply believe that better science leads to a better world, there is a place for you in this movement.

Why BrainWays — Why Now

Brain disorders are the defining health challenge of our time.

And yet millions of patients are still being diagnosed years after symptoms begin. Still navigating complex health decisions without adequate guidance. Still participating in a system where the research was built on populations that don’t reflect them.

BrainWays was founded because that is no longer acceptable.

55M

People worldwide are living with Alzheimer’s or another dementia — a number projected to triple by 2050

3M+

People globally have Multiple Sclerosis, with diagnoses rising every year

10M

People worldwide affected by Parkinson’s disease and remains without a cure

#1

Brain disorders account for more years lived with disability than any other disease category

Founded by Neurologists.

Fueled by Community.

BrainWays was co-founded by three highly respected MS neurologists—Dr. Annette M. Howard, Dr. Annette Okai, and Dr. Mitzi Joi Williams-Brown—each bringing decades of clinical experience, research leadership, and a shared commitment to improving care for the communities they serve.

Together, they helped build BICOMS. Together, they launched BrainWays. And together—with partners, patients, and communities—they are helping shape the future of brain health.

This Is Bigger Than Any One Diagnosis.

BrainWays is not a single disease organization. It is a movement — one that believes every person deserves access to the best available science, a community that understands their experience, and a seat at the table where decisions about their health are being made.

That is what we are building. That is why we need you.