Brain Capital Alliance

By creating spaces that promote brain health and cater to all life stages, we are investing in our greatest asset - our brains. This embodies the essence of a longevity city, one that not only meets the needs of an aging population but also integrates brain health as a cornerstone of urban development. Thrilled to see this new Milken Institute report out today! https://lnkd.in/gngjnjYH Thanks to Rajiv Ahuja, JD for leadership and Upali Nanda HKS, Inc. for collaboration. This report makes a few key points: - City-level investments in cognitive health are key for economic prosperity. - Brain science is key to building thriving urban communities. - Infusing more neuroscience into city-level policy making will generate sustainable futures. - Radical silo smashing and collaboration across brain science, health, longevity, sustainability, urban planning, innovation is key. This report presents the case for Longevity Cities to tackle the challenges of global population aging. The Milken Institute Future of Aging introduces a five-pillar framework, which urges action to optimize environmental exposures, promote brain health, enhance urban livability, leverage emerging technologies, and prioritize equity. The authors stress the intricate link among climate change, health, and longevity, emphasizing the need for innovative cross-sector solutions. The framework underscores the economic impact of brain health, the role of technology in personalized health care, and the significance of community engagement. The call for Longevity Cities extends beyond policy to include cultural richness, community involvement, and innovative financing models. This report provides a concise blueprint for a future where cities prioritize health and longevity on a global scale. We will continue to unpack this topic at our upcoming Science Summit UNGA79 Brain Days. United Nations General Assembly with Paweł Świeboda Rym Ayadi Prof. Alfred K. NJAMNSHI Julie Hiromoto, FAIA Debbie Beck Frédéric Destrebecq Steve Carnevale Toby Ewing Shiva Dustdar Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy Baker Institute Center for Health and Biosciences Rice University Global Brain Health Institute (GBHI) University of California, San Francisco BrainLat UAI McKinsey Health Institute Amy Dittmar Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute Pourya Salehi Massamba Thioye Juan José Castellón Cara Altimus Cristina Banks

I'm excited to share our new paper, "Shaping Environments to Shape Us: The Case for Longevity Cities." Our living environment is key to #longevity. As cities expand globally, we must integrate healthy aging into urban planning. Over the past year, the Milken Institute Future of Aging explored how to build cities that support longer, healthier lives. Our team highlights the link between health, environment, and social factors, emphasizing #brain health for economic and social progress. Two main points: ---- Cities that nudge us toward healthy behaviors and intergenerational connections are vital. ---- External factors like air pollution and green spaces impact aging. Longevity Cities aim to reduce these exposures for better later-life outcomes. I'm proud to co-author this paper with Upali Nanda and Harris Eyre MD PhD, which offers a 5-pillar framework to optimize environments, promote brain health, enhance livability, leverage tech, and prioritize equity. Let's reshape cities for healthier, longer lives!  🏙️ Milken Institute HKS, Inc. James Bethell Tina Woods Jim Mellon Dan Buettner Dan Buettner Kelly O'Brien Sergey Young Marc Freedman Adam Gries Blue Zones Ben Leedle Sarah Lenz Lock, JD NEOM Hon Pak Ricky Y. Choi, MD, MPH Hevolution Foundation Mehmood Khan Brian Kennedy Mark Miller Daniel Liu Saravanan Sugumaran Hugh Forrest Diane Ty Paul Irving #LongevityCities #UrbanPlanning #HealthyAging #SustainableCities #BrainHealth #CommunityEngagement #sxsw #planetaryhealth #vitalism #enrichedenvironments #biophilic

This week Caroline Stiernstedt Sahlborn, Ebba Salén, and I dove head-first into Almedalsveckan. I had the opportunity to participate in a panel hosted by Hjärnfonden alongside Ann-Therése Enarsson, Martin Schalling, and Anna Hemlin moderated by Göran Hägglund. We explored the potential of brain capital to future-proof Sweden against the challenges posed by our ongoing poly-crisis. Earlier this year in Davos, I met with Harris Eyre, the executive director of the Brain Capital Alliance and a leading advocate for the brain economy. This meeting sparked my interest and led The Inner Foundation to delve deeper into the concept of brain capital. 🧠 For those of you who aren’t (yet) in the loop, brain capital embodies the sum of intellectual resources, cognitive abilities, and emotional and social skills that individuals or societies possess and use to promote knowledge, innovation, economic growth, and well-being. At The Inner Foundation, we are deeply committed to strengthening support systems for the mental well-being of emerging adults. Brain capital directly ties into our mission because it highlights the critical role that brain health plays in empowering young people to thrive, innovate, and contribute meaningfully to society. By investing in brain capital, we can build a robust foundation that supports their journey from adolescence into fulfilling and productive adulthood. I left the session with a renewed sense of curiosity and excitement. Thanks to Hjärnfonden and Anna Ökvist for inviting me to speak. I look forward to continuing these important conversations! #Almedalen #BrainEconomy #BrainCapital #EmergingAdults #MentalWellbeing

The President and Founder of the Euro-Mediterranean Economists Association - EMEA, Prof. Rym Ayadi, co-founder of the Brain Capital Alliance, and Paweł Świeboda – Founder, NeuroCentury and EMEA Advisor, were among the high level experts that participated at the meeting “Towards a new “Global Brain Health Funding Initiative" which took place in London on 25 June 2024. Dr. Harris Eyre MD PhD, EMEA Advisor, supported with preparations, however was not able to be there in person.  The meeting was organized by the European Investment Bank (EIB) Institute, and it was chaired by Shiva Dustdar, Director, Head and Dean of the EIB Institute. At the meeting Prof. Ayadi underlined the need for a strategic method to ensure that investments are geared towards improving neurological and mental health, which is increasingly recognized as critical for sustainable development: "Effective investment in a brain positive economy via ESG requires a holistic approach. Investments should prioritize initiatives that foster mental health awareness and support, integrate cognitive wellness into employee programs, and fund research on neurological health. It's crucial for both private and public sectors to collaborate in creating robust ESG criteria that specifically include mental health metrics. This ensures that investments are not only economically sound but also socially responsible and sustainable, ultimately contributing to a healthier and flourishing society." Pawel Swieboda highlighted that "The concept of the Brain Economy brings together different strands of policy, to advance human flourishing in the face of technological change. Advancing it requires innovative funding models and a new type of orchestration between complimentary initiatives. As such, it has an enormous transformative potential, especially in the fields of health and education." The meeting participants discussed the need for a full range of initiatives, from transformative innovations to delivery of care. The focus was on the entire life span, and a narrative that goes beyond brain disorders and has to do with human thriving. Much of the discussion focused on the outcomes, which the government is not very well placed to measure. Meeting participants Steve Carnevale - Chairman at Sawgrass Technologies, Commissioner California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission Toby Ewing - Executive Director, California Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission Mara Madrigal-Weiss - Executive Director at San Diego County Office of Education Bill Brown - Sheriff, Santa Barbara County, California Mika Pyykkö  - Executive Director at Finnish Brain Association Jules Chappell OBE - CEO, Kokoro Natasha Müller - Founder, Kokoro Change Kris Vulgan - Managing GP Ferocity Capital Darian Stibbe – Executive Director, The Partnering Initiative Adam Swesky – CEO Social Finance UK  Carsten Morgenstern  - Head of EIB Representation UK

Contours are gradually emerging of the new initiative on Systemic Investing in the Brain Economy. Following the launch meeting last month in Geneva, we had an inspiring discussion in London this week, hosted by Shiva Dustdar at the European Investment Bank (EIB) office. What is different and novel about the concept of the #brain economy is that it brings together different strands of policy to advance human thriving in the face of technological change and growing health challenges. In the spirit of systemic investing, we linked up in London with a number impressive endeavors in the area of #mental health: the ambitious programme of the California Mental Health Services Oversight & Accountability Commission, the game-changing interventions of Wellcome Trust and the inspiring new Coalition for Mental Health Investment set up by Kokoro , McKinsey Health Institute and others. In the #health area alone, the rationale for the new Initiative comes with enormous unmet medical needs, the growing impact of #demography, and the need to finance the rollout of breakthrough diagnostic and therapeutic methods. Only a fraction of these projects is funded today. In the emerging countries, this is coupled with the more fundamental question of access to #neurology care, often more than scarce. And then, given that this is about the #brain economy, there is the prerogative of #reskilling, bringing out what is most valuable in the cognitive and emotional mix that makes who we are. When ready to go, the design of the initiative will cover a range of activities, from transformative innovations to delivery of care. The focus will be on the entire #lifespan, in a way that goes beyond the constraints of medical classifications. Innovative funding models will be critical, with optimal public sector interventions aimed at de-risking and leveraging private investment, drawing on the EIB model. These contours will now be crafted further, in time for the Brain Economy Plenary of the Science Summit UNGA79 on 18 September. Inputs are more than welcome! Mika Pyykkö Steve Carnevale Toby Ewing Professor Miranda Wolpert Natasha Müller Jules Chappell OBE Harris Eyre MD PhD Rym Ayadi Darian Stibbe Sheriff Bill Brown Kristina Durcakova Kris Vulgan Mara Madrigal-Weiss Adam Swersky

Imagine what value could be realised if we had a national north star for healthy and strong brains? My spotlight on the game changers, innovators, and backers doing the heavy lifting to support our mental health and well-being. https://lnkd.in/ggpq6dFU

Investment in the mental health of our youth is investment in our future as a society. Take a look at this great piece by Harris Eyre MD PhD discussing the ways California is tackling this issue. https://lnkd.in/gxaPnRkg #youthmentalhealth #digitalmentalhealth #digitalinnovation

“The Neuro-Policy Program aims to leverage the university’s proximity to the Texas Medical Center and the institute’s strong connections to state and federal policymakers. This is an important yet underrepresented area of research that Houston is poised to lead,” says David Satterfield, the director of Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy. H/t Harris Eyre MD PhD and team! Alice Levitt reports: #brain #brains #brainhealth #brainscience #Houston #Texas

** Mind Matters: Brain Health News, Breakthroughs, and Events ** Exciting advancements in #brainhealth are shaping our future, making it a societal priority. Recent breakthroughs and events shed light on key areas: 1. Climate change's impact on neurological diseases and mental health: https://lnkd.in/evzqGwp6 2. Susan Magsamen's exploration of #neuroarts and its transformative effects: https://lnkd.in/eNuVZ6pN 3. #Lifestyle changes reducing Alzheimer's risk: diet, exercise, stress reduction, and optimal sleep: https://lnkd.in/eM44czM6 4. Designing brain-healthy cities for longevity discussed by Harris Eyre, Upali Nanda and Rajiv Ahuja,. https://lnkd.in/eeMe8cmv 5. The economic implications of mental health inequities in the US highlighted by Jay Bhatt and his Deloitte's Center for Health Solutions & Health Equity Institute team: https://lnkd.in/exje3CaQ 6. Roadmap for a cognitive resilience-based economy discussed by Harris Eyre MD PhD and George Vradenburg: https://lnkd.in/e6K9ngrD 7. Brain³ Summit addresses proactive brain health management by Kana Enomoto and Julie Fratantoni,: https://lnkd.in/ezH89MZ6

Rice University's Baker Institute for Public Policy's new Neuro-Policy Program aims to tackle the escalating burden of neurodegenerative and mental health disorders in part by leveraging Rice University's many partnerships with hospitals across the Texas Medical Center. “The Neuro-Policy Program is at the forefront of pioneering data analysis, empirical research and policy application,” said Harris Eyre MD PhD, senior fellow in brain health at the Baker Institute. “Investing in evidence-based strategies for prevention, diagnosis and treatment can reduce brain and mental health disparities, optimize cognitive development and performance and foster innovation to build more resilient communities.”