Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation

What Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation does

Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation (BCDF) is a Toronto-based non-profit research foundation founded in 2015 by Dr. Roger McIntyre, focused on mood disorders, depression, bipolar disorder, and cognitive dysfunction. The foundation operates three functional lines: (i) clinical research, including neuroimaging-led pharmaceutical trials (e.g., the KOASTAL-2 navacaprant program with Novo Nordisk/NMRA and a first-in-Canada dextromethorphan-bupropion study), (ii) digital health tools, notably the validated THINC-it cognitive assessment and the Wiki-Guidelines mobile clinical decision-support app available on iOS and Android, and (iii) accredited medical education delivered through CME courses and the Mood Disorders Master Class.

BCDF serves practicing psychiatrists, clinical researchers, and patient-advocacy communities (including the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance). Its underlying technology is modest in scale — proprietary but lightweight clinical assessment and reference apps — and its core intellectual capital sits in Dr. McIntyre's publication record (800+ peer-reviewed papers) and his academic appointments across Canadian, U.S., Korean, and Chinese institutions (University of Toronto, UHN, SUNY Upstate, UC Riverside, Korea University, Guangzhou Medical University). The business model is grant- and industry-sponsored: revenues flow from research grants and pharmaceutical-industry partnership contracts rather than from commercial product sales, with CME delivery acting as a secondary channel.

Name

Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation

Legal name

Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation

Website

https://bcdfoundation.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Toronto-based non-profit research foundation, founded in 2015 by Dr. Roger McIntyre, conducting clinical trials in mood disorders and distributing digital tools (THINC-it, Wiki-Guidelines) and CME education to practicing psychiatrists and patient-advocacy communities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mental Health Clinical Research

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Offices of Mental Health Practitioners (except Physicians) (621330)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLACANAI

Behavioral Health & Neurocognitive Therapeutics (Digital)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Digital Health & Health IT/Digital Therapeutics (DTx) & Software as a Medical Device (SaMD)

SECONDARYHLALAEAB

Psychiatry & Medication Management Platforms

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Telehealth Platforms/Behavioral & Mental Health Teletherapy Platforms

SECONDARYHLALAFAF

Medication Adherence, Digital Therapeutics & Remote Coaching (condition-specific programs)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Telehealth Platforms/Chronic Care & Remote Patient Monitoring (RPM) Platforms

Keywords

• Clinical trials psychiatry
• Medical education CME
• Mood disorders research
• Cognitive assessment tools
• Clinical guidelines app

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Clinical Research Funding: As a registered non-profit organization, BCDF operates primarily through research grants and clinical trial collaborations. The organization conducts clinical studies (e.g., KOASTAL-2, Vortioxetine post-COVID-19 trial, Dextromethorphan-bupropion neuroimaging study) which are funded through research grants and pharmaceutical industry partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BCDF conducts clinical research studies on novel rapid-acting antidepressants (e.g., dextromethorphan-bupropion, vortioxetine, navacaprant) for adults with major depressive disorder and related mood disorders, and delivers medical education programs (CME courses, conferences) to mental health professionals. The foundation also develops and freely distributes validated clinical tools including the THINC-it cognitive screening instrument and the Wiki-Guidelines mobile clinical guideline applications for iOS and Android.

Product overview

The Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation (BCDF) operates as a non-profit research organization focused on mood disorders, offering a portfolio of clinical trials, digital health tools, and medical education programs. Its core offerings include clinical neuroimaging studies on novel antidepressants (such as dextromethorphan-bupropion and vortioxetine), validated cognitive assessment tools (THINC-IT), mobile clinical guideline applications (Wiki-Guidelines for iOS/Android), and CME-accredited educational courses on mood disorders, bipolar disorder, and cognition. The organization does not operate a unified software platform but rather provides research studies, assessment instruments, and educational content as distinct products and services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dextromethorphan-Bupropion Clinical Neuroimaging Study An open-label clinical neuroimaging study in Toronto evaluating dextromethorphan-bupropion, a novel rapid-acting FDA-approved antidepressant not yet approved by Health Canada, for adults aged 18-65 with Major Depressive Disorder residing in the Greater Toronto Area. All eligible participants receive the active medication during a 2-week treatment period with screening and follow-up visits.
• KOASTAL-2 Clinical Study A clinical study testing whether navacaprant (NMRA-335140), a novel selective k-opioid receptor antagonist developed by Novo Nordisk (NMRA), is beneficial in treating adults with MDD and anhedonia.
• Vortioxetine Post-COVID-19 Condition Study A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluating vortioxetine's effects on cognitive deficits and mood symptoms in persons with post-COVID-19 condition, with 200 participants enrolled and 149 randomized to vortioxetine or placebo.
• THINC-it Tool A validated, freely available screening instrument for identifying and measuring cognitive dysfunction in adults with Major Depressive Disorder, validated in a cross-sectional study comparing 100 MDD individuals to 100 healthy controls across 10 centers in Canada and designed to be brief, easy to use, and conceptually valid.
• Wiki-Guidelines Mobile Application A clinical guideline mobile application for clinicians and patients available on iOS and Android, providing real-time updated clinical guidelines with or without internet access, and including an innovative visual pill tracker for medication compliance.
• Master Certificate Course on Mood Disorders An 8-session educational certificate program developed in cooperation with the Philippine Psychiatric Association, providing psychiatrists and trainees with up-to-date information on the neuroscience, social and cultural determinants, and treatment approaches for mood disorders.
• Clinical Considerations and Patient Centricity in Bipolar Disorder A three-part video educational series reviewing diagnostic challenges in bipolar disorder, its neurobiology, and treatment approaches for managing metabolic and inflammatory disturbances in affected patients.
• Thinking About Cognition in Major Depressive Disorder A CME course providing mental health professionals in primary and specialty care with understanding of the causes, neurobiology, assessment, and treatments of cognitive dysfunction in mood disorders.
• Managing Depressive Episodes Across the Bipolar Spectrum An educational program synthesizing controversies in mood disorder diagnosis along the bipolar spectrum, reviewing relevant biomarkers, and providing evidence-based treatment approaches for individuals with bipolar disorders.

Quantifiable outcome

• Dr. McIntyre has been named to Clarivate's list of World's Most Influential Scientific Minds for 8 consecutive years (2014-2021)
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Philippine Psychiatric Association (PPA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017BCDF cooperated with the Philippine Psychiatric Association to develop and deliver the 8-session Master Certificate Course on Mood Disorders. The course aimed to create knowledge-transfer to psychiatrists in-training and in-practice about Mood Disorders, covering neuroscience advances, social/cultural determinants, and treatment approaches.
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Roger McIntyre serves as Director and Co-Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) from Chicago, Illinois, USA. DBSA is a major patient advocacy organization for mood disorders.
• University of TorontocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Roger McIntyre is a Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology at the University of Toronto. The BCDF is associated with the University of Toronto's academic psychiatry department. Dr. McIntyre has received teaching awards from the University of Toronto Department of Psychiatry.
• University Health Network (UHN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Roger McIntyre heads the Mood Disorders Psychopharmacology Unit (MDPU) at the University Health Network, Toronto, Canada. BCDF's clinical trials are conducted in partnership with UHN facilities. The Canadian Rapid Treatment Centre of Excellence (CRTCE), founded by Dr. McIntyre, is also affiliated with UHN.
• Guangzhou Medical UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Roger McIntyre holds a Professorship and Nanshan Scholar position at Guangzhou Medical University in China, indicating international academic collaboration.
• SUNY Upstate Medical UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Roger McIntyre serves as Clinical Professor at SUNY Upstate Medical University, Syracuse, New York, USA.
• University of California School of Medicine, RiversideminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Roger McIntyre serves as Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Neurosciences at UC School of Medicine, Riverside, California, USA.
• Korea University College of MedicineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDr. Roger McIntyre holds an Adjunct Professorship at Korea University College of Medicine.
• Braxia Scientific Corp.coreOthersDr. Roger McIntyre is the CEO of Braxia Scientific Corp., a related company in the mental health treatment space. Braxia Scientific is referenced as a related resource on BCDF's website.
• Novo Nordisk / NMRA (Navacaprant)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBCDF conducted the KOASTAL-2 clinical study evaluating Navacaprant (NMRA-335140), a novel selective k-opioid receptor antagonist developed by Nova Nordisk (NMRA), for the treatment of adults with MDD and anhedonia. This represents a clinical trial partnership with the pharmaceutical developer.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Black Dog Institute: Australian non-profit dedicated to translational research, clinical trials, and clinician education in mood disorders — closely comparable to BCDF in combining research, digital tools, and medical education under one foundation.
• MQ Mental Health Research: U.K.-based mental health research charity funding scientific studies globally — directly comparable to BCDF in being a non-profit research funder advancing understanding and treatment of mood disorders.
• Brain Canada Foundation: Canadian non-profit funding brain research across universities and hospitals — directly comparable to BCDF as a Canadian research foundation operating at the intersection of neuroscience and clinical mental-health research.
• Stanley Medical Research Institute: U.S.-based non-profit that funds and conducts clinical trials primarily in mood disorders, schizophrenia, and bipolar disorder — directly comparable to BCDF's grant-funded clinical-trial mission in mood disorders.
• Douglas Mental Health University Institute: McGill-affiliated psychiatric research institute running clinical trials and educational programs in mood and anxiety disorders — directly comparable to BCDF as a Canadian academic foundation conducting CNS clinical research and clinician training.
• Brain & Behavior Research Foundation: U.S.-based non-profit that funds cutting-edge psychiatric research and provides free educational resources on mental health — directly comparable to BCDF in being a grant-funded, mission-driven foundation advancing mood-disorder and neuroscience research.
• Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA): U.S.-based patient-advocacy and education organization for mood disorders — directly comparable to BCDF's patient-education and CME mission; also a current partner of BCDF through Dr. McIntyre's role as Co-Chair of its Scientific Advisory Board.

Broad incumbents

• Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH): Canada's largest mental health teaching hospital and research centre — a broader incumbent in the same Canadian mood-disorder clinical-trial and CME space that BCDF operates within via its UHN affiliation.
• Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA): Canada's most established community mental-health non-profit delivering education, advocacy, and services nationwide — a broader incumbent in the Canadian mental-health education and outreach space.

Emerging players

• Big Health: Digital therapeutics company delivering FDA-cleared cognitive behavioral therapy apps for insomnia and anxiety — comparable to BCDF's THINC-it and Wiki-Guidelines as a digital behavioral-health tool provider, but commercially oriented rather than non-profit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BCDFoundation
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCbEoJR2hJmsEtsd0HcChlDg
• Facebookfacebook.com/BrainandCognitionDiscoveryFoundation/?notif_id=1631672528230688&notif_t=page_fan&ref=notif
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brain-and-cognition-discovery-foundation-bcdf

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Brain and Cognition Discovery Foundation