NeuroCentury

How we age can differ considerably, but more of it is in our hands than we often realise. To start with, we need to get to know ourselves better, learn how to rely on the gist of information that is available as memory loss progresses, and develop an ability to turn off the situations that distract us. Scientifically, there is an emerging body of knowledge about modifiable risk factors for brain d...

To measure the strength of a wellbeing economy, governments should adopt the notion of mental wealth, which goes beyond the monetised value of goods and services. Jo-An Occhipinti is the global champion of this concept. She is an epidemiologist and systems scientist, focused on improving the health and wellbeing of populations through systems modelling research. Jo-An is co-director of the Mental...

“Surpassing yourself, so that people can surpass the disease” – this is the motto of Hassan Fadli , Founder of “5 Ironman’s Beat Alzheimer’s” non-profit, aiming to promote awareness, prevention and research in the field of dementia ( https://www.5ironmansbeatalzheimer.com/en ). Hassan is an engineer by training and profession. A couple of years ago, he decided to honour his father, who has recentl...

Brain health cannot be easily measured by a single, straightforward test. Evaluations often involve multiple methods. One company which is on a mission to open brain health assessment to the wider public is Myndspan. Its approach integrates cognitive tests with MEG, or magnetoencephalography, analysis. MEG is an advanced brain scanning technique, which can provide a reading of brain activity at hi...

The challenge of mental health continues to intensify across various demographics and regions. A recent report by Orygen, Australia's Centre of Excellence in Youth Mental Health, highlights a "global crisis" in youth mental health, describing it as unprecedented and urgent. Delivery of care is where large part of the problem lies. United for Global Mental Health assesses the annual mental health f...

“The climate crisis is a health crisis, but for too long, health has been a footnote in climate discussions” – these words of the WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus hold true for brain health as well. However, we are only beginning to understand how the changing climate is negatively impacting the human brain. Emerging evidence suggests that excessive heat can be severely damaging...

The brain does not function in isolation and there is a growing body of knowledge about the impact of environmental and social challenges on brain health. Air and water pollution, and exposure to plastics, heavy metals, and other toxic substances have a bearing on the brain. Similarly, the impact of inequality and disparity in income, education, and access to healthcare is significant. There is me...

Understanding how we make decisions and what this means for our social interactions is invaluable in fractured societies. Neuroscience has recently offered fresh insights on what drives joy and engagement and where chemistry between people comes from. This allows us to conceptualise “brain skills”, which are focused on our cognitive, emotional and social capabilities.  In this episode of NeuroCent...

It is the time of big promise in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). There are dozens of genetic risks discovered in recent years. There are also emerging blood tests whose performance in diverse groups of patients is currently being confirmed. New disease-modifying drugs help to remove beta-amyloid plaques from the brain. While AD is a complex disease and its onset is connect...

Ascent of AI in healthcare opens the way to precision and personalized medicine becoming a standard of care in neurology. One important aspect is extracting more meaningful data from brain imaging and scans, given how crucial they are for the diagnosis and monitoring in neurology. Facing rising demand for brain MRI procedures, radiologists can increasingly have their AI companions, helping them to...

What are the trends on the market for medical technologies and medical devices in the neuro space? How much of the impressive innovation coming out of the labs carries the promise of making impact on the lives of patients? In this episode of NeuroCentury, Paweł Świeboda talks to Enric Claverol-Tinturé, Programme Manager for Medical Technologies and Medical Devices at the European Innovation Counci...

What is neuroethics and how it has evolved to make brain research and neurotechnology ethical in both medical and non-medical applications. In the latest episode of NeuroCentury, Paweł Świeboda explores these questions with Dr Arleen Salles, Founding Board Member of the Institute of Neuroethics in Atlanta, Georgia and Director of Neuroética in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Arleen co-led the work on Res...

A new generation of robots is emerging, directly inspired by the intelligence and bodies of living organisms. What will result is a symbiosis of the human and the robot, says Prof. Dario Floreano , Director of the Laboratory of Intelligent Systems at the EPFL in Lausanne , in this episode of NeuroCentury, recorded at the Dubai Future Forum 2023 .   Dario Floreano led the National Competence Centre...

Coming from Dubai, this episode of NeuroCentury, is devoted to advances in genetics and their impact on the treatment of brain disorders. Paweł Świeboda talks to Mohammed Uddin , a human geneticist with a focus on the genetics neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Mohammed is Professor at the University of Medicine and Health Sciences in Dubai, an important emerging hub for genomic medicine...

The word is often on our mouths, especially with the letter A in front of it although the latter might not be… intelligent. So, what is intelligence and how has it emerged? Dayeol Lee, Bloomsberg Distinguished Professor of Neuroscience, Psychological and Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins University studies decision-making and has written a wonderful book, “The Birth of Intelligence” where he traces...

Dementia touches on the most intimate aspects of what it means to be human. There is a mountain to be moved for the patient, and another one for the caregiver. In this episode of NeuroCentury, Paweł Świeboda talks to Mary Lou Falcone, author of the recent book “I Didn’t See It Coming: Scenes of Love, Loss and Lewy Body Dementia”.  Mary Lou is a classical music publicist. She has supported the care...

This episode of NeuroCentury comes from Padova, Italy, where Paweł Świeboda spoke last week (XI.2023) to Prof. Paolo Bonato about his innovative approach to precision rehabilitation interventions in neurological patients. Prof. Bonato is Director of the Motion Analysis Laboratory at Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital, Boston MA, and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Harvard Medical School....

In this episode of NeuroCentury, Paweł Świeboda talks to Prof. Paola Zaratin, Director of Scientific Research at the Italian Multiple Sclerosis Society and a global champion for greater patient engagement. The conversation took place on the margins of last week’s Brain Innovation Days organized by the European Brain Council in Brussels (26-27 October 2023). It is a unique time to be speaking about...

In this episode of NeuroCentury, Paweł Świeboda talks to Amir Bozorgzadeh, Co-Founder and CEO of Virtuleap , a company that works on addressing mental disorders, cognitive illnesses and learning challenges using Virtual Reality (VR). Paweł and Amir saw each other a few days ago at the Neuro Summit, organized by Broadreach Global and hosted by the Champalimaud Foundation, where Amir won the start-u...

In this episode, Paweł Świeboda talks to Dr. Harris Eyre, Lead of the Brain Capital Alliance , a public-private partnership arguing that transformational approaches are needed in today’s health systems and the economy. Given the ongoing technological acceleration, changing demographics and geoeconomics, it is brain capital that can make a difference in driving systemic preparedness, meeting modern...

In this episode, Paweł Świeboda talks to Dr. Andy Keller, President and CEO of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute , one of the leading US nonprofit organizations working on improving mental health care delivery. Based in Texas, the Institute works at the intersection of policy and programs to ensure all people in Texas, across the US and in the world can obtain the health care they need. ...

In this episode, Paweł Świeboda talks to  Dr Pieter Roelfsema , the scientist who is on a mission to offer blind people an opportunity to regain rudimentary vision. Peter is Director of the Netherlands Institute for Neuroscience and leader of its Vision and Cognition Group. He is also professor at the Free University of Amsterdam. Pieter was trained in medicine but found vocation in fundamental sc...

The second episode of the NeuroCentury podcast is devoted to how important food is for brain and mental health.  In this episode, Paweł Świeboda talks to Professor Felice Jacka, professor of nutritional psychiatry and Director of the Food and Mood Centre at Deakin University in Australia.  Felice is a founder and president of the International Society for Nutritional Psychiatry Research. She pione...

In the first of the NeuroCentury podcast episodes, Paweł Świeboda talks to Robert Joyce, MS patient advocate and embedded patient researcher. This is a very special conversation. Robert Joyce has been a Multiple Sclerosis patient since his early 20s. He had also been diagnosed with asthma at a young age. A car accident in 2014 left him with persistent post-traumatic headaches. Nevertheless, Robert...