Our Mission
Our mission
At Synapse Foundation, we believe that everyone should have access to life-changing neurosurgical care. We exist to expand neurosurgical expertise by cultivating lasting partnerships with hospitals and physicians around the world.
We pursue this mission through three interconnected areas of focus: clinical education, AI development and emerging technologies. We partner with local physicians to deliver hands-on training and mentorship, lead innovative initiatives such as the WAIN Trial to evaluate AI-powered clinical tools in neurosurgical care, and create a collaborative platform where clinicians and innovators can develop and deploy the next generation of AI and robotic technologies.
Our mission is not simply to share knowledge, it is to build it together. We believe the greatest advances happen when expertise flows in every direction, with each partnership shaped by mutual respect, local leadership, and a shared commitment to improving lives.
Over the next decade, we envision our partner institutions growing into regional neurosurgical centers of excellence, advancing education, research, and innovation while helping shape the future of the field. By investing in people, strengthening institutions, and embracing collaboration, we strive to create lasting impact that extends far beyond any single program or mission.
Our story
Originally created to support global health initiatives alongside the Massachusetts General Brigham Global Health Program, Synapse quickly took on a life of its own. As Dr. Saksham Gupta and four fellow directors began working together, it became clear they shared a vision that extended far beyond individual projects. They saw the opportunity to build something lasting: an organization rooted in partnership, innovation, and a shared commitment to advancing neurosurgical care.
That vision came into focus during the foundation's first partnership in The Gambia. Working side by side with local surgeons, trainees, and healthcare leaders, it became clear that the most meaningful progress wasn't defined by what one group could bring to another. It was created together through shared expertise, mutual respect, and a collective commitment to advancing neurosurgical care.
At the same time, medicine was entering a period of extraordinary transformation. Advances in artificial intelligence, robotics, and neuro-technology were creating opportunities to rethink how knowledge is shared, how surgeons are trained, and how innovation can reach patients around the world.
Synapse was created to turn that vision into action by bringing together clinicians, educators, innovators, industry partners, philanthropists, and healthcare institutions around a shared purpose. Every partnership we build, every innovation we embrace, and every institution we support is guided by the belief that lasting progress comes through collaboration and shared learning.
Our future
Every partnership has reaffirmed what we believed from the beginning: the greatest impact is created together. As we continue building the future of global neurosurgery, we welcome new ideas, new collaborators, and new partners who share that vision.