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One Brave Idea
Calum MacRae leads the AHA-Verily-backed One Brave Idea research initiative aimed at detecting coronary heart disease years early through deep phenotyping.
One Brave Idea
One Brave Idea was established in 2016, co-founded by the American Heart Association and Verily (formerly Google Life Sciences), with significant support from AstraZeneca and pillar support from Quest Diagnostics. The initiative awarded Dr. Calum MacRae, a cardiologist and geneticist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, a $75 million grant over five years to lead a research project focused on uncovering early signs of coronary heart disease (per the firm). The initiative emphasizes deep phenotyping — combining genomics, clinical phenotypes, and broad patient population engagement — to identify the transition from wellness to early disease. Its team includes investigators from MIT and Stanford across cardiology, data science, and engineering. The research is conducted at the One Brave Idea Science Innovation Center in Boston, where the team has access to BWH's Next Generation Phenotyping Center and MIT engineering expertise. The core team comprises a multi-disciplinary group, with Dr. MacRae serving as the principal investigator. Additional offices include the network of scientists across institutions like the Broad Institute, where MacRae is an associated member. The initiative's funding structure provides grant support for the five-year research period, with no disclosed AUM or deployment beyond the original award. One Brave Idea is structurally distinct: it operates as a single award-driven research consortium rather than a traditional family office or venture fund. The initiative's model brings together a non-profit (AHA), a technology company (Verily), a pharmaceutical firm (AstraZeneca), and a diagnostics company (Quest) under one umbrella to accelerate the earliest detection of heart disease — a governance structure that blends philanthropy, science, and corporate R&D.
General information
Firm type
other
Year founded
2016
AUM
Undisclosed
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
Boston
Corporate office
Boston, MA, United States
Principals
Calum MacRae
One Brave Idea Leader, Vice Chair for Scientific Innovation at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Who runs investment decisions at One Brave Idea?
Dr. Calum MacRae, MD, PhD, is the One Brave Idea Leader and principal investigator. He oversees the research direction and team selection, as the initiative is a single concentrated research grant rather than an investment vehicle. MacRae serves as Vice Chair for Scientific Innovation at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.
How does One Brave Idea source its research projects?
The initiative's core focus was selected through an open competition — Dr. MacRae's proposal was chosen from hundreds of applicants world-wide (per the firm). Once awarded, the research agenda is executed by a team of investigators from institutions including MIT, Stanford, and the Broad Institute, with access to clinical data from BWH.
Is One Brave Idea structured as a single family office or a venture fund?
Neither. One Brave Idea is a time-limited research initiative funded by a consortium of corporate and nonprofit partners: the American Heart Association, Verily, AstraZeneca, and Quest Diagnostics. It operates as a grant-making and research execution vehicle with a five-year horizon, not as an asset manager or family office.
Does One Brave Idea participate in fund commitments or only direct deals?
It never makes fund commitments or direct investments. The sole commitment is the $75 million award to Dr. MacRae's team. The initiative's capital is entirely deployed on research operations, personnel, and clinical infrastructure at the Boston Science Innovation Center.
What investment stages does One Brave Idea typically target?
Not applicable — One Brave Idea is not an investor. It funds early-stage scientific research into the causes and detection of coronary heart disease, with emphasis on pre-diagnosis signals (deep phenotyping) rather than clinical-stage therapeutics or devices.
Which sectors does One Brave Idea explicitly avoid?
The initiative explicitly avoids funding beyond coronary heart disease research. It does not invest in any commercial sectors, later-stage biotech, or non-cardiology indications. Its mandate is strictly the detection and understanding of the earliest stages of CHD.
How is One Brave Idea related to the American Heart Association and Verily?
One Brave Idea was co-founded by the American Heart Association and Verily (part of Alphabet). AstraZeneca and Quest Diagnostics are significant supporters. These organizations provided the $75 million funding pool and continue to provide strategic guidance, but the day-to-day research is led independently by Dr. MacRae's team at BWH and Harvard.
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