Foundation-Backed Project Wins Award for Addressing Gaps in Brain Injury Care

Giannina Rita receives the award in Lausanne

Falls are the leading cause of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) among older adults in the Geneva region, many triggered by fallen leaves in Autumn, ice in winter or other slippery hazards.

TBI symptoms—headaches, confusion, memory lapses, fatigue, sensitivity to light or noise—can be subtle at first, often mistaken for stress, tiredness or simply “a bad day.”

As a result, many mild and moderate TBIs are never properly identified or monitored.

A project, financially supported by the Threestones Foundation, has now been recognised with the BCV Sustainability Award for its work to improve how mild and moderate TBI cases are identified and managed.

These cases account for around 80% of all traumatic brain injuries worldwide, yet are frequently underestimated or not treated in time—leaving symptoms overlooked and recovery more uncertain.

Dr. Giannina Rita Iannotti led the project as part of her Executive MBA at HEC Lausanne, focusing on continuity of care after initial treatment.

“Substantially backed by Threestones Foundation, our work helped secure institutional recognition of the outpatient consultation and supported its integration into HUG’s NeuroCentre, while laying the foundations for a coordinated care pathway from Emergency Department to outpatient follow-up,” she says.

The focus is simple: earlier identification and more consistent monitoring.

Francesco Sparaco, Chairman of Threestones Foundation, adds: “This recognition highlights the importance of focusing not only on major, visible health conditions for the elderly, but also on those that are widespread yet often overlooked. Supporting initiatives like this is central to our mission—projects that strengthen care systems while improving the lived experience of patients.”

The project combines clinical data, strategic analysis and financial modelling to build a more coordinated system for patients and healthcare providers.

Supported through the Foundation’s partnership with the EANS Foundation, it also connects clinical care with research, prevention and community awareness.

In collaboration with EPFL, the University of Geneva and HUG NeuroCentre, researchers have analysed more than a decade of regional data to identify high-risk areas in Geneva through geospatial mapping—helping target prevention where it is most needed.

This work is now extending beyond the hospital setting.

One example is the “Trauma Sport” project, developed with the Association Genevoise des Sports, which assesses awareness of traumatic brain injury among sports practitioners across the canton—bringing prevention into everyday environments where risks are often underestimated.

The BCV Sustainability Award recognises work that combines innovation with practical, real-world impact.

In this case, it draws attention to a growing issue—one that often begins quietly, with symptoms easy to overlook, but which requires earlier recognition and coordinated follow-up to prevent lasting consequences.