Barrow Global

Support education and training for future neuroscience specialists worldwide.

Donate to Neuroscience Education and Training Programs

Neurological and neurosurgical care remains scarce in developing nations worldwide. Through a transformational endowment from Bill and Carolyn Franke, Barrow established the Franke Global Neuroscience Education Center to improve access to advanced neuroscience care in the developing world by training medical professionals at their site of origin.

The Franke family’s generosity has inspired others to support Barrow Global, the largest and most expansive U.S.-based international neuroscience training program.

Driving Progress in East Africa

While other institutions have invested in global education, Barrow is forging a new frontier by implementing a Train Forward model in which our specialists provide sustainable resources for continued training long after the team has departed. This donor-driven approach multiplies expertise, expands access, and creates lasting impact—improving patient outcomes and strengthening healthcare systems.

Before partnering with Barrow Global, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC) in Tanzania, East Africa, performed only 20 neurosurgical procedures per year. This past year, KCMC performed nearly 500 neurosurgical procedures.

Moreover, Barrow Global assisted KCMC in obtaining accreditation to establish a neurosurgery residency program, and the hospital is now training its own staff and recently welcomed its first two local neurosurgery residents.

Advancing Global Neurology Through Exchange

Through donor support Barrow Global Neurology is breaking barriers with a bidirectional exchange of expertise.

In partnership with the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa, Barrow residents gain firsthand experience in resource-limited settings, while Wits fellows train at Barrow to bring advanced techniques back to their communities. To maximize impact, the program will first concentrate on the most urgent neurological needs in South Africa:

Epilepsy
Stroke
Neuro-critical care

Expanding Access to Excellence

The International Visiting Scholar and Clinical Observership Program provides global fellows, residents, medical students, and visiting scholars with immersive training at Barrow.

In the past fiscal year alone, donor support enabled Barrow to host:

79 neurosurgical observers representing 27 countries
8 research fellows
22 medical students
49 visiting scholars

"The global model we have developed will not only improve neurological care in South Africa, but also allows Barrow residents an opportunity to bring back what they've learned abroad and implement that experience into how they care for patients here in the United States and engage in global neuroscience research.

Brad A. Racette, MD, FAAN

Kemper and Ethel Marley Chair for Neurology

Your Support, Their Futures.

Every gift to Barrow fuels sustainable change:

Training physicians where they live and work
Expanding access to neurosurgical and neurological care
Building a worldwide network of neuroscience leaders

Discover More Programs

At Barrow Neurological Foundation, your donation is crucial in supporting three key areas: advanced patient care, curative research, and education for the next generation of neuroscientists. Learn more about how your donation impacts each of the areas we treat.