How do I encapsulate an entire year of incredible work and inspiring impact? Or two years of remarkable growth? As 2025 ends, I wanted to take the time to reflect on Mission:BRAIN’s odyssey, not just this year but the last two years. In 2023, we had 67 chapters and two global programs (MB Hackathon and MB Suturing Mission). By the end of 2024, we had initiated 4 more global programs (MB Research Peer mentorship Program, MB Global Neurosurgery Research Group, MB NeuroCamp, and Women in Neuroscience Global Symposium) and increased our chapters to 89 worldwide, a twofold increase in programs and a close to 22% increase in chapters. We also increased the number of our scholarships from 4 to 9 and increased the number of publications supported and produced by our organization.
This year, we’ve fully established those six flagship programs and initiated a 7th (MB NeuroClinics), and are seeing excellent results. We’ve increased our chapters to 114 in 28 countries, almost double the number we had in 2023. Our collective impact from these global flagship programs and the exceptional work of our chapters worldwide has increased from 23,079 people (patients, healthcare providers, and students) in 2024 to an estimated 42,964 lives impacted by year’s end.
While it is tempting to focus on the numbers, it is essential to consider what it means to every individual and the ripple effects to the whole, the interconnectedness and intersectionality of all that we do. No human lives in a vacuum, and no challenge exists in isolation; the solutions and the people behind that work are very much part of an entire ecosystem. Take, for example, in Sierra Leone, where we helped treat a young man who supported his family of nine, his elderly widowed mother, sisters, elderly uncle and aunt, and young daughters, by harvesting palm nuts. He would wake up at the crack of dawn and climb 2 miles up the mountain, on which, this fateful day, his makeshift harness broke, and he fell on his back and passed out. When he came to, he was able to call his uncle with his cell phone. His uncle then made the arduous trek up the mountain and carried him down on his back. He was then driven six hours over bumpy roads to reach the hospital in Freetown. Without surgical intervention, it was very likely that he would have lost his ability to walk, the repercussions of which would have been catastrophic to an entire family dependent on him. Our collaboration with the Ministry of Health (with Dr. Mustapha Kabba and Dr. Dennis Marke), the University of Sierra Leone Teaching HospitalComplex (with Dr. Sonia Spencer and Dr. Kehinde Oluwadiya), and the WFSN’s Global Neurosurgery Committee (with Dr. Tariq Khan and Dr. Karen March) has resulted in Dr. Alieu Kamara and the nurses and staff’s ability to take care of 476 adults and 81 children at Connaught Hospital this year, from January to November. Consider that, from those individuals are families and communities, and the immensity of the ripple effect is incredible.
Those stories and results are the product of hundreds of volunteers, chapter members, and partners from many sectors worldwide. I am profoundly grateful to each individual in our Mission:BRAIN community and immensely honored to share leadership with our leadership teams at Global Outreach, led by Juan Pablo Navarro. Alexa Precilla and Ali Azan; Global Education, led by Adrian Safa and Harshvardan Iyer; Global Empowerment, led by Diana Ochoa, Sruthi Ranganathan, and Igdaliah Otitoola; and Global Communications, led by Emiliano Sanchez, Isabel Martin del Campo, and Estefania Frey. The work of our Chapter Regional Chairs, Timothy West (North America), Itzel Bravo (Latam), Ali Azan (Asia), Jacopo Antonio(Europe), and Richard Agaba (Africa) have been exemplary as well as our program chairs, Rishi Devulapalli and Ali Azan for NeuroCamp, Hector Cure, Nikki Perez and Diana Ochoa for RPMP, Garrett Thrash and Ali Azan for GNRG, Anna Dashiell for Suturing Mission, Arren Bernabe for the AI group, Alan Ho for the Global Research Symposium, Tim West for the Hackathon and our phenomenal WINGS team all of whom have been invaluable in each of their roles. The exceptional work of Phillip Whiteman and Teague Dolezel has also been indispensable in all that we’ve been able to do. I am also very grateful and continue to be inspired by our board members, especially Dr. George Jallo, Dr. Seunggu Han, Keely Ryan, Steve Jacobs, Dr. Ernest Barthelemy, Dr. Elliane Dos Santos, Dr. Kee Park, Dr. Franco Servadei, Dr. Rodrigo Ramos, Dr. Victor Garcia Navarro, Dr. Santiago Nuñez-Velasco, Dr. Michael Ivan, Dr. Isaac Yang, Dr. Rose Du, Dr. Ron Baticulon and our Global Neuro Research Advisor, Dr. Megan Still and Global Neuro Associate, Dr. Fatu Conteh. Finally, none of this would be possible without the staunch support of Celia Daniel and Santi Chumaceiro, Richard and Lauralee Uihlein, Richard and Julie Broderson, and many other supporters.
As we pause this holiday season and reflect on the year fading behind us, it is tremendously humbling and gratifying to consider that our Mission:BRAIN odyssey has been that of meaning, impact, compassion, and hope. Everyone in our community and all our partners have put a piece of themselves into every step of that journey. Our strength lies in compassion, humility, collaboration, respect, and authenticity. We can look forward to the future knowing that, together, we have challenged what’s possible and created change rooted in sustained commitment and a willingness to learn and grow.
From my home to yours and on behalf of our executive team, I wish you all a meaningful and joyful holiday season.
Malipayong Pasko ug bulahang bag-ong tuig.
Warm wishes,
April
