Our Mission
To return migraine sufferers in underserved communities to functioning and productive lives.
Working with local communities, NGOs, religious organizations, and government branches that regulate healthcare policies around the world, we aim to address a fundamental inequality created by lack of access to basic education and medications.
- We educate local healthcare providers in low- and middle-income countries so that they can provide direct care.
- We work with industry, donors, and governments to make available generic medication at little or no cost.
We believe the most effective way to make an enduring difference in communities is to enable them to help themselves.
Our Vision
We envision a world in which those who suffer from debilitating migraines know the steps to take to get care, their providers know how to diagnose and treat them, and medication is available and affordable to each and every one.
We are committed to improving the financial, human, and cultural effects of migraine.
Our Story
A Chance Meeting and a Helping Hand
Even the excitement of his college reunion couldn’t keep Russ Richards’ headache at bay. Waiting for his classmates in the hotel lobby, he noticed a group of conference attendees and struck up a conversation. The conference topic was pain, and Russ quickly asked who could best to help him with his continuous hard-to-diagnose and harder-to-treat headache. The unanimous answer: Rami Burstein. But Rami, the keynote speaker at the conference, had just left for Boston. Hopeful that Rami could help him, Russ reached out.
Rami made time to see Russ, who happened to be coming to Boston for work. Intrigued to read that Rami was about to become President of the International Headache Society, Russ asked Rami about his work. Rami described his exciting ambitions with this esteemed group of doctors but lamented that there simply aren't enough neurologists to treat more than one or two percent of those suffering from the global epidemic of migraine. He was especially disturbed by what he described as a fundamental injustice being unwittingly perpetrated against a largely LMIC female-skewed population and felt that widescale partnerships had to be at the core of any solution. That’s when Russ began asking questions, the most important being, “How can I help?”
In that moment, Rami and Russ knew they had met for a greater purpose. Russ came seeking help for his headache and left with a mission to help millions of others with theirs. Rami carved time out of his day to help one person from outside of Boston and found someone willing to help him help people all over the world.
More on Dr. Rami Burstein:
Professor Rami Burstein is the John Hedley-Whyte Professor of Anaesthesia and Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School and Vice Chairman of Neuroscience in the Department of Anaesthesia, Critical Care and Pain Medicine at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC). He is also the Academic Director of the Comprehensive Headache Center at BIDMC.
Dr. Burstein’s intent listening to patients and out-of-the-box thinking in his laboratory research have enabled discoveries that have catapulted scientific understanding of migraine and created groundbreaking advances in the diagnosis and treatment of migraine. As the President of the International Headache Society and Co-Founder of Global Migraine Aid, he hopes to help people around the world benefit from the many advances made over the past 20 years in managing migraine.
More on Mr. Russ Richards:
Russ at his core enjoys meeting people and the pursuit of improving situations. His preference is to work on more difficult or turnaround-type projects. Russ’ work with Rami builds on over twenty years of combined consulting, finance, and operations experience. His involvement in over a half-dozen sectors between North America, Africa, and Europe has always been paired with time passionately serving non-profits.
Outside of work, Russ looks forward to date nights with his love, Sara, and enjoys chasing after and cheering on their children (Ella, Abby, Trox & Charlie) and dog (Rosie).