Brain Talks

What does it take to win the Brain Innovation Days 2025 Pitch Competition? In this episode of Brain Talks, Antoni Homs (OWL Lifesciences) shares the story behind his startup, the challenges startups face in the brain space, and why Brain Innovation Days is a key opportunity for emerging companies in the field. 🎧 Listen now: “Jury Prize Winner of BIDs 2025: AI-Driven Neurovascular Models for Preci...

In this special episode recorded live at Brain Innovation Days 2025, we take you inside one of the event’s highlights: the startup pitch competition.  Four finalists step onto the stage to present bold solutions tackling some of the biggest challenges in brain health, from accelerating drug discovery and improving neurological diagnostics to advancing epilepsy treatment and addressing chronic stre...

Myasthenia Gravis is a rare, chronic autoimmune disease that disrupts lives, yet it remains largely invisible in healthcare systems and policy discussions across Europe.  In this episode of Brain Talks, host Sam Pauly speaks with patient advocate Lutgarde Allard (European Myasthenia Gravis Association), and neurologist Lorenzo Maggi (Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta di Milano) abo...

Recorded live at Brain Innovation Days 2025, this episode explores how environmental exposures shape brain health across our lifespan. Host Sam Pauly speaks with Geert Dom (European Psychiatric Association), Bart Depreitere (University Hospitals Leuven), and Silke Matura (Goethe University Hospital) about the profound impact of childhood adversity, nutrition, urban living, and lifestyle choices on...

Listen to the newest Brain Talks episode "Brain Health Matters: Unlocking Insights for Europe's Future" featuring insights from Isabel Klinnert, Director of Healthcare Global Government and Public Affairs at Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany. This episode tackles a critical question: How can Europe transform brain health from a policy aspiration into concrete action by 2030? In this episode, host Fred...

Recorded live at Brain Innovation Days 2025, this vox pop brings together diverse voices from across the brain health landscape. Interviewees discuss current challenges, emerging innovations, policy needs, and what Europe must do to lead globally in brain ecosystem. Thoughtful, candid, and forward-looking, these conversations highlight the momentum behind a fast-growing movement for better brain h...

We're excited to share a special edition of our BrainTalk podcast – this time as a vidcast from within the European Parliament! Moderated by Frédéric Destrebecq, EBC Executive Director, MEP Tomáš Zdechovský (EPP, Czech Republic) and Suzanne Dickson, President of the European Brain Council, sit together to discuss the future of brain health research, innovation, and the urgent need for systemic cha...

Listen to the newest Brain Talks episode on rethinking the way we look at disease burden, featuring perspectives from patients, researchers, and policy experts on what it truly means to live with generalised Myasthenia Gravis (gMG). This episode tackles a critical question: Are we truly capturing what rare brain diseases cost patients, families and society? In this episode, host Sam Pauly explores...

October is Rett Syndrome Awareness Month, and we are proud to share a special episode of Brain Talks dedicated to raising visibility of this rare neurodevelopmental disorder. In this episode, Tom Pulles from Acadia Pharmaceuticals discusses research and advocacy, Professor Maria Mazurkiewicz-Bełdzińska explains the challenges of diagnosis and new treatment advances, and Pedro Rocha, Treasurer of R...

Welcome to the first episode of Season 5 of Brain Talks! We’re kicking off this new season just a month before the 5th edition of the Brain Innovation Days with a special episode with Frédéric Destrebecq, Executive Director of the European Brain Council (EBC). Get a sneak peek into the programme, the central theme, and exciting new features awaiting you at the 5th edition of the Brain Innovation D...

This episode focuses on the core themes of the HEREDITARY project: cutting-edge AI and advanced analytics, multimodal health data, and the vital issues of data privacy and security. It explores how AI and machine learning are reshaping scientific research—unlocking new possibilities while raising important questions around privacy and citizen engagement. Using HEREDITARY’s bold vision and methodol...

In this episode, we look into the pressing challenges and exciting opportunities facing basic research and innovation in the European Union—at a time when scientific progress in neuroscience is more critical than ever. We’ll explore the urgent need to strengthen support for researchers, the pivotal role of the upcoming EU Framework Programme for Research & Innovation (FP10), and the future of...

In this episode, we are joined by Member of the European Parliament Tomas Zdechovský, Matthieu de Vilmorin, Past President of Schizo Oui, and Professor Merete Nordentoft, a leading expert in psychiatry at the University of Copenhagen. Together, they shed light on the pressing challenges and opportunities in the care and treatment of schizophrenia across Europe. Schizophrenia remains one of the mos...

In the latest episode of the Brain Talks podcast, Sam Pauly is joined by a panel to discuss the importance of the pitch competition at the Brain Innovation Days and to present the Jury Prize-winning startup, BrainTale. Julie Rachline, the CEO of BrainTale and winner of the Jury Prize at the Pitch Competition, highlights the company’s groundbreaking work in the field of neurological health. Along w...

In the latest episode of the Brain Talks podcast, Sam Pauly is joined by three expert guests: Karen Carr from AbbVie, Dr. Reto Agosti of the Zurich Headache Center, and Frédéric Destrebecq, Executive Director of the European Brain Council to discuss the challenges and opportunities in migraine care, exploring both clinical and policy perspectives. Together, they shed light on the barriers to effec...

As the EU Health Technology Assessment (HTA) landscape transforms with the upcoming Joint Clinical Assessment (JCA), what does this mean for timely access to innovative therapies and reducing duplication of efforts across Member States?  In this episode, Frédéric Destrebecq, Executive Director of the European Brain Council, sat down with Dr. Dimitrios Georgiopoulos, Senior Vice President and Globa...

Neurodegenerative disorders have a huge societal burden and heavily impact the lives of those affected. Artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare is a booming field: the development of computer programs and systems able to emulate tasks normally requiring human intelligence such as recognizing patterns, taking decisions, evaluating and predicting is set to revolutionize the prevention and care of...

Welcome to Season 4 of Brain Talks! In this first episode, join our host Sam Pauly with special guests: Lisa Burke, Master of Ceremony for the 4th edition of the Brain Innovation Days, and Frédéric Destrebecq, Executive Director of the European Brain Council. Discover exclusive insights on the event’s brand new theme, “Navigating the Brain Across a Lifetime,” learn more about the programme, but al...

The increasing number of people living with two or more chronic disorders (multimorbidities) poses an urgent need to better understand underlying mechanisms for better prevention and care throughout the life course. Somatic disorders e.g., type 2 diabetes and brain disorders e.g., Alzheimer’s disorder often co-occur. If a single molecule was the key to some of the greatest health challenges of our...

The Covid-19 pandemic shed a crude light on how instrumental research and innovation are in the European Union. This crisis revealed significant disparities and fractures between Member States. More importantly, patients living with neurological or mental disorders were heavily impacted by the pandemic, and faced tremendous challenges to maintain their access to care and to meet their medical need...

This Brain Talks episode on Urban Environment and Brain Health features two projects on brain health, funded by the European Union under the same main programme (H2020-EU.3.1. - SOCIETAL CHALLENGES - Health, demographic change and well-being): BRAINTEASER and eMOTIONAL Cities . Evidence shows that environmental factors may influence both the aetiology and the progression of a number of brain condi...

Despite the burden, migraine is not consistently recognized in health policy. However, countries are making progress and establishing a way forward for patients. In the latest Brain Talks episode, Sam Pauly sat down with Dawn Carlson, AbbVie's Vice-President of Neuroscience Clinical Development, and Alessandra Sorrentino, migraine patient and representative of Alleanza Cefalalgici, to discuss prom...

In this third episode of Brain Talks | Season 3, Alice Medialia (Columbia University), Péter Kéri (GAMIAN-Europe), and John Saunders (EUFAMI) sat down with Sam Pauly to share some thoughts and advices on how to ensure the meaningful engagement of patients with lived experiences of mental health conditions. In partnership with Boehringer Ingelheim, this episode was recorded live from the third edit...

Join us for the second episode of this new season of Brain Talks, where Dimitrios Georgiopoulos, Global Business Franchise Head for Neurology and Immunology at Merck Healthcare, delves into the world of Multiple Sclerosis (MS) care. Discover Merck's patient-centered approach and explore the challenges and opportunities for young people living with MS in the EU. With 2.9 million people affected, th...

Brain Talks are back for a third season! Join us in unveiling the highly anticipated 2023 edition of the Brain Innovation Days with Prof. Suzanne Dickson, President of the European Brain Council, and Frédéric Destrebecq, Executive Director of EBC.