Get and Stay Informed About Our Research & Work
Resources for All Levels of Interest and Experience
Regardless of your professional status or reason for visiting this page of our site – you may be a medical student or researcher, a healthcare provider, a media professional, or someone altogether different – you likely have a strong interest in expanding your knowledge of brain aneurysms and the important work Brain Aneurysm Foundation does related to them.
Read on to learn basic facts about brain aneurysms and their causes, and how:
- We support patients, caregivers, and healthcare providers
- We fund groundbreaking research
- You can apply for a research grant
What Is a Brain Aneurysm and Its Common Causes?
Brain Aneurysm Basics
A brain aneurysm is basically a weak, bulging area in a brain arteryA thick-walled blood vessel carrying blood flow from the heart to any organ of the body, including the brain.. Because the walls of the artery, a blood vessel that carries blood from the heart to other organ bodies, have become stretched and thin, the artery can rupture. This, in turn, causes blood to pool between the skull and the brain which can lead to a serious strokeA disability caused by injury to the brain. Most strokes are caused by loss of blood flow to a portion of the brain (called an ischemic stroke or cerebral infarction) or by injury related to bleeding within the brain tissue (an intracerebral hemorrhage) or into the space around the brain (subarachnoid hemorrhage). or even death.
Get educated on other brain aneurysm basics
Common Causes & Risk Factors
Most, but not all brain aneurysms are due to one of the following two primary causes or risk factors:
- Unhealthy lifestyle/behaviors, such as smoking or excessive drug or alcohol use
- Family history (genetics) of weak blood vessels
Get more information about familial and lifestyle risks for brain aneurysm.
Who We Are and How We Help
Our Mission & History
Since 1994, Brain Aneurysm Foundation has served as a much-needed and much-utilized resource for individuals diagnosed with brain aneurysms, as well as for their loved ones and caregivers. In addition, healthcare providers and medical researchers regularly visit our website or contact us regarding opportunities to both learn and share knowledge, or to apply for grants to fund groundbreaking research. In fact, close to 1,000,000 people visit our website annually searching for answers, hope, and support.
Learn more about our mission, Director and Medical Advisory Boards, staff, and more.
How We Make a Difference Daily
Each and every day, we give great thought and energy to how we can best serve the many unique groups of individuals who rely on us for help and support. Key components of our strategy to serve the diverse needs of our many audiences include:
- Support for patients & caregivers through local, in-person and online support groups, plus the sharing of personal stories.
- Education of patients, caregivers and medical professionals through e-newsletters, webinars and other in-person or virtual events and more!
- Funding and sharing results of groundbreaking research. Continue on to the section below to learn more about our research efforts!
Offering Hope and Improving Lives through Funded Research
Since 2007, we’ve been awarding annual research grants focusing on early detection, improved treatments, and technological advances – with the main objective of improving brain aneurysm patient outcomes! As of 2020, we’ve awarded $3.5 million in such grants, making us the largest private funder of brain aneurysm research.
Some families in our community who have lost a member to a brain aneurysm, or have a member struggling with the effects of a brain aneurysm, have found funding a Chair of Research as a way to fight this disease and honor their loved one. This program allows them to fund research in their honor or memory. Our grant program is unique because we connect the funder and the researchers to personalize the process for everyone.
Interested in knowing more about our research grants?
Learn more about our grant program and how to apply
Reap the Many Benefits of Staying Connected
Because the needs of the many audiences we serve are so different, we work hard to offer a variety of ways for those we support to get and stay connected with both our organization and others whose situations mirror theirs. Regardless of your reason for wanting to stay well-informed, we offer a number of ways to stay up-to-speed on brain aneurysm diagnostics, treatment and more – plus, connect with medical professionals and researchers.
Connect With Us
We’re here to serve as a trusted and knowledgeable resource related to brain aneurysm research and thought leadership.
Stay Informed to Inform Patient Care or Your Research
Regardless of your role related to brain aneurysm treatment, research, or information-gathering, the best way to make sure you’re aware of the latest treatments, completed research or studies that are underway is by reading publications written by, or attending virtual or in-person events whose speakers are brain aneurysm subject matter experts. These experts include healthcare providers, medical researchers, and more.
In addition, attending in-person or virtual events allows attendees like you to hear first-hand from patients and caregivers about their concerns and challenges and how you might help. Such information might be critical and beneficial to how you interact with and provide treatment to patients and caregivers as well as inform future research.
And, since Brain Aneurysm Foundation is considered to be the only comprehensive resource for brain aneurysm information, as well as a leader in supporting better brain aneurysm diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes, you’ll want to regularly visit our news page – a constantly updated, centralized collection of articles addressing important break-thrus in brain aneurysm diagnosis and treatment protocols, as well as inspirational articles addressing other brain aneurysm innovations or success stories.