For more information or to support project funding, visit www.brainhealthiniative.org.

Neal Communities, Southwest Florida’s premier, private homebuilder, has contributed $50,000 to help fund the Brain Health Initiative (BHI). The contribution is the second of three installments, for a total pledge of $150,000.

“The benefit this initiative can bring to improve brain health and reduce the risk of brain illness among those in our own region and state is inspiring. It’s a mission that Neal Communities is happy to support for the long-term health of those in our community,” said Pat Neal, Founder and Chairman, Neal Communities.

The Brain Health Initiative is a cutting-edge, new approach to protecting brain health and fighting brain illness across the lifespan. Working collaboratively with Massachusetts General Hospital, a Harvard Medical School Teaching Hospital, and the Academy for Brain Health and Performance BHI is dedicated to building brain healthy communities through education, research, innovation and action.

Since its launch, BHI researchers have been working tirelessly to establish the research institute and promote brain health in the community. Recent actions include the spring launch of the Brain Health Longitudinal Pilot study, investigating brain health risk and protective factors in adults.

The pilot study involves randomly selected residents of Lakewood Ranch and examines the ways they function mentally, socially, cognitively, and overall, as well as the factors in their lives that present risk or promote resilience in brain health and performance. Community participation in the confidential, online questionnaire is a critical component of the study and the BHI encourages those residents who receive a recruitment letter to participate in the study and help inform the science that is essential to promoting and protecting brain health and fighting brain illness. 

Dr. Stephanie Peabody, Founder and Executive Director of the BHI shares that “The overall research program will follow residents, young and older, from throughout the Suncoast region, for decades to identify brain health protective and risk factors, as well as clinical trials, that focus on prevention, early detection, evidence-based intervention and performance optimization across the lifespan. The Brain Health Innovation Lab seeks to attract global brain health innovators with state-of-the-art solutions to validate and test the feasibility of solutions, like neurotechnology and lifestyle interventions to enhance brain health. The Brain Health Innovation Lab will be launching its first clinical trial, My Healthy Brain, in late 2020.”

For more information or to support project funding, visit www.brainhealthiniative.org.