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Brain Talks is a podcast produced by Brain Innovation Days, the online community of key opinion leaders and stakeholders from the ever-growing brain innovation ecosystem.
Find more on braininnovationdays.eu
Find more on braininnovationdays.eu
Episodi & Post
Episodi
Post
15 GEN 2026 · 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 brain development and disease risk. From ultra-processed foods accelerating cognitive decline to how thoughtful city design can protect mental health, this conversation reveals why we need systemic change in our environments to safeguard brain health for current and future generations.
18 DIC 2025 · 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 Frederic Destrebecq, EBC Executive Director, explores:
🔹 The economic imperative: Why untreated brain conditions threaten Europe's productivity, social systems, and economic growth – and why getting brain health policies right is essential for European competitiveness.
🔹 The innovation challenge: How patient experience data and non-clinical outcomes can drive better innovation for brain health, and why rare neurological diseases like myasthenia gravis serve as critical test cases for healthcare system improvements.
🔹 The AI and digital opportunity: How artificial intelligence and the European Health Data Space can accelerate early detection, enable smarter clinical trials, and unlock cross-border data sharing – if implemented with the right safeguards and clarity.
🔹 The 2030 vision: Why Europe needs a comprehensive brain health plan (not just disease-specific strategies) and how upcoming frameworks like the Biotech Act and European Brain Partnership can support innovation and patient outcomes.
With key legislative milestones achieved in 2025 and transformative opportunities ahead, now is the moment to prioritise brain health alongside cancer and cardiovascular plans – ensuring that advocacy, innovation and collaboration drive meaningful change.
4 DIC 2025 · 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 health.
17 NOV 2025 · 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 change.
Key themes discussed:
- Breaking down silos – The urgent need to connect fragmented brain research efforts across the EU's 27 countries and create strategic research hubs of excellence
- Beyond physical health – Why social rehabilitation and reintegration are crucial for people living with brain disorders, and how this connects to brain capital and economic productivity
- Current challenges – From threats to research to administrative burdens that limit scientific creativity, and the critical need for long-term strategic planning
- Bringing the community together – The importance of bringing together neurologists, mental health experts, neuroscientists and people with lived experience
As MEP Zdechovský powerfully shared: "It's not about how much money you have or how high your social status, but how you live your life, how your brain is functioning, and how you can participate in society." This conversation comes at a crucial time as our community works on a Coordination Plan for brain health.
30 OTT 2025 · 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:
🔹 The patient reality: Christina Ramirez shares her lived experience of gMG and its profound daily impacts on patients and families.
🔹 The research lens: Adrian Kielhorn presents findings from the gMG 360 study – revealing, for instance, that 2/3 of the disease's economic impact falls on patients and caregivers – a burden largely invisible to traditional healthcare assessments.
🔹 The policy perspective: Vinciane Quoidbach from the European Brain Council discusses the "Rethinking Myasthenia Gravis" project and how adaptive pathways, real-world evidence and patient-experienced data can transform care for rare brain diseases.
With innovative therapies emerging and policy frameworks evolving, now is the moment to redesign care pathways that reduce burden, accelerate access and ensure no gMG patient is left behind.
15 OTT 2025 · 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 Rett Syndrome Europe, shares a powerful perspective from the patient community. Together, their voices show why awareness, advocacy, and innovation are so vital for patients and families living with Rett syndrome.
3 SET 2025 · 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 Days. Tune in for exclusive insights and highlights on what to expect from Europe’s premier brain health innovation event!
27 GIU 2025 · 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 methodology as a foundation, it highlights how AI can become a powerful driver of EU leadership in science and innovation. Joining the discussion are Elisabetta Biasin, Researcher at the KU Leuven Centre for IT & Law (CiTiP) and HEREDITARY project partner, and Helena Ledmyr, Director of Development and Communications at the International Neuroinformatics Coordinating Facility (INCF). They share expert insights into how AI is transforming brain research, while navigating the complex legal, ethical, and regulatory frameworks that come with it. By the end of this episode, listeners will gain a clear view of how AI is powering new frontiers in neuroscience, better understand the legal landscape, and take away practical ideas for meeting data protection and ethical requirements in research.
21 MAG 2025 · 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 the European Research Area (ERA).Join us as we unpack the vital link between fundamental neuroscience and real-world health applications, and why a robust, well-supported research ecosystem is key to unlocking the future of brain health in Europe.
30 APR 2025 · 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 most complex mental health conditions to manage, with profound and lasting impacts on young people and their families. While treatment options have evolved, persistent barriers—such as delayed diagnosis, discontinuity in care, and limited long-term support—continue to hinder recovery and quality of life for many. This episode explores the key findings from the second phase of the Rethinking Schizophrenia project, spearheaded by the European Brain Council in collaboration with the European Psychiatric Association. Drawing on insights from over 200 health practitioners across nine European countries—Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the UK—the project delivers a comprehensive analysis of care pathways and offers recommendations to improve early intervention, shared decision-making, and recovery-oriented approaches. With reflections from experts and powerful contributions from patient and caregiver advocates, we examine how to overcome stigma, close systemic gaps, and create a more inclusive and effective mental health system for all. Tune in now to hear how collaborative action and policy change can reshape schizophrenia care—and help support long-term recovery across Europe.
Brain Talks is a podcast produced by Brain Innovation Days, the online community of key opinion leaders and stakeholders from the ever-growing brain innovation ecosystem.
Find more on braininnovationdays.eu
Find more on braininnovationdays.eu
Informazioni
| Autore | Brain Innovation Days |
| Organizzazione | Brain Innovation Days |
| Categorie | Medicina |
| Sito | - |
| advocacy@braincouncil.eu |
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