Focus
Prioritizing early-stage medical research that promises a sweeping, positive impact for humanity
Pushing Humanity Forward
The Karen Toffler Charitable Trust prioritizes medical research, projects, and initiatives that have the potential to heal, protect, and advance humanity in profound, high-impact ways. We strive to advance bold ideas and help to make a big impact by supporting areas of research others may overlook. We do that by filling in funding gaps and connecting early-stage researchers with a powerful and relevant network.
We accomplish this objective by offering meaningful annual grants and marshaling other scientists, researchers, and donors in support of new ways of thinking and problem-solving.
Funding for Early-Stage Research
Where others see risk, we see the potential for profound impact. As so often happens in medical science, young researchers lack the support necessary to compete with established labs. For most traditional funding organizations, early-stage projects are considered too risky. As a result, some of the most promising ideas stall.
The Karen Toffler Charitable Trust has built a future-focused framework that allows us to be a bridge from early-stage ideas to a stage of research where funding traditionally is more obtainable. We back our commitment to groundbreaking science with meaningful financial support. The impact is seen in the incredible work being done by individuals and organizations that might otherwise be unable to move their work forward.
DISCOVERY IN THE SEAMS
Neurological disease does not arise from the brain in isolation. The brain functions within an intricate network of interacting biological systems, including the cardiovascular, immune, and lymphatic systems. Epidemiology reveals how environmental factors, exposures, and population-level risks further shape brain health. Alvin and Heidi Toffler believed the most potent insights emerge at the intersections where systems influence one another, not within isolated silos. In that spirit, the Karen Toffler Charitable Trust actively funds and promotes collaborative, cross-disciplinary research efforts to uncover hidden connections and advance neurological health.
Dementia Research
Dementia affects an estimated 50 million people worldwide. It refers to a group of neurological conditions that impair memory, thinking, behavior, and daily function. It is not a single disease but a clinical syndrome caused by diverse, often overlapping pathologies. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause, alongside Lewy body dementia, Parkinson’s disease dementia, vascular dementia, and mixed forms, each involving distinct yet interconnected biological mechanisms.
New data sources are reshaping how researchers understand these disorders. Advances in genetics, brain imaging, biomarkers, epidemiology, and population-level health data reveal how neurodegeneration intersects with cardiovascular health, immune function, metabolism, environment, and aging. Nearly 10 million new cases arise each year, and projections suggest more than 150 million people may live with dementia by 2050. With global costs already exceeding $1 trillion annually, the stakes are high. Through targeted funding, the Karen Toffler Charitable Trust supports research that integrates these insights and advances more connected approaches to understanding, preventing, and treating dementia.
¹ World Health Organization Fact Sheets, “Dementia,”
https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia
² Alzheimer’s Disease International, “World Alzheimer Report 2018, The state of the art of dementia research: New frontiers,” https://www.alz.co.uk/research/WorldAlzheimerReport2018.pdf
“The future patterns of global power can only be glimpsed if, instead of looking at each major shift of power as an isolated event, we identify the common forces running through them.”
― Alvin Toffler, Powershift
See a Bigger Picture
Passion and promise fuel our work, the work of those we fund and support, and the people in their lives.
Your involvement will change humanity for the better.