The Amazing Brain Science Talks: Brain Health Made Accessible

On Saturday, October 14, Healthy Brains, Healthy Lives (HBHL) presented the Amazing Brain Science Talks, organized in collaboration with Brain Canada Foundation. The event, held at McGill's Tanna Schulich Hall, aimed to make brain science accessible to everyone, bringing together researchers and speakers with lived experience in front of the general public for an afternoon of discussions about small actions to take that keep your brain healthy and about the incredible powers of the human brain. 

The event began with an introductory talk from Vladimir Hachinski, Clinical Neuroscientist and Researcher based at the Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry at Western University, followed by Tina Montreuil, Associate Professor in the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology at McGill University, who spoke about stress management and offered practical tips for lifelong mental well-being. Cindy Barha, Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Kinesiology at the University of Calgary, shared insights about how exercise benefits the brain, emphasizing the importance of personalized fitness. Emma Duerden, Assistant Professor in Applied Psychology in the Faculty of Education at Western University, shed light on childhood anxiety, providing valuable strategies for understanding and addressing this common concern. Attendees also heard firsthand from a traumatic brain injury survivor and medical doctor Matthew Galati, Founder of Brain Changes Initiatives, who shared his journey of recovery from a severe brain injury, highlighting the brain's incredible resilience. 

Over the course of the event's second half, Adrien Peyrache, Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University, discussed the hidden powers of sleep and its influence on the brain, while Blake Richards, Associate Professor in the School of Computer Science and the Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University, explored the connection between imagination, artificial intelligence and our brains. Kate Zarbatany, a student from MacDonald High School, then shared her experience being diagnosed with autism and advocated for embracing neurodiversity, urging everyone to celebrate differences in brain function.

Watch our YouTube channel for the release of the talk recordings.

Image credit: Owen Egan.