About Us

The BILEN Institute is a five‑floor, 100,000 sq ft applied psychology and neuroscience campus built to advance human‑performance science and deepen our understanding of how people think, feel, and adapt. Conceived as a landmark research tower in Rochester Hills, the institute integrates physiology, cognitive systems, neuroscience, behavioral science, and data‑driven applied research into a single, unified scientific environment. Every floor, every lab, and every program is designed to support rigorous inquiry, real‑world application, and community‑centered scientific progress.

This institute exists because of Ms. Bilen — a woman whose curiosity, empathy, and way of understanding people fundamentally reshaped the founder’s life. Her influence guides the mission, the architecture, and the scientific direction of the institute. The building’s identity is rooted in her values: clarity, compassion, resilience, and the belief that human understanding is a form of advancement. The BILEN Institute carries her inspiration forward not as a memorial, but as a living engine of discovery — a place where her way of seeing people becomes a foundation for scientific innovation.

The institute is funded and directed through the Sharma Foundation, with capital allocation from a $200M consortium of philanthropic and strategic partners managed by Sharma Capital Holdings (SCH). SCH serves as the parent investment firm and developer of the facility, overseeing the construction, capital strategy, and long‑term institutional growth. The Sharma Foundation defines mission, scientific priorities, and community impact, ensuring that the institute remains focused on human‑centered science, ethical research, and accessible participation for individuals and families.

The BILEN Institute is being built to serve both the scientific community and the Detroit metropolitan region. Its location — the Livernois/Walton corridor in Rochester Hills — places the campus at a critical intersection of medical, educational, and community ecosystems. The institute is designed to be a visible, public‑facing scientific asset: a place where researchers, students, clinicians, and families can engage directly with psychology, neuroscience, and human‑performance science. Through its programs, partnerships, and community initiatives, the institute aims to expand mental‑health literacy, support youth education, and create research pathways that reflect the real lives and real resilience of the people who live here.

The BILEN Institute is more than a building — it is a commitment. A commitment to scientific clarity. A commitment to community. A commitment to the idea that human understanding can be built, measured, improved, and shared. As construction begins and programs take shape, the institute will grow into a permanent, community‑focused scientific institution for Michigan, dedicated to advancing knowledge and improving lives for generations to come.

Our Vision For Detroit

Detroit is more than the region we serve — it is the reason this institute exists. The BILEN Institute is being built to return scientific strength, educational access, and human‑centered innovation to a city that has shaped Michigan’s identity for generations. Our mission is to create a research campus that belongs to the community as much as it belongs to the scientists who work inside it.

We are committed to making Detroit a national center for applied psychology, neuroscience, and human‑performance science. That means opening our doors to local families, students, educators, and clinicians; building programs that elevate mental‑health literacy; and creating research pathways that reflect the real lives, real challenges, and real resilience of the people who live here.

The institute’s location — the Livernois/Walton corridor in Rochester Hills — places us at the intersection of Detroit’s medical, educational, and community ecosystems. From Henry Ford Medical to Rochester High School, we are designing a campus that is accessible, visible, and intentionally woven into the daily life of the region.

Our vision is simple: 

Science should serve the community that surrounds it. 

The BILEN Institute will be a place where Detroit’s next generation of thinkers, students, and families can see themselves in the future of psychology and neuroscience — not as observers, but as participants.