As part of the UN Science Summit at the 79th United Nations General Assembly and Summit for the Future, Rice University’s Baker Institute Center for Health and Bioscience, the California Mental Health Services Oversight Accountability Commission, the Brain Capital Alliance, the Euro-Mediterranean Economists’ Association, HKS and NeuroCentury are convening a plenary conference focused on the new concept of the Brain Economy which posits a transformative societal approach to build brain capital, an asset that optimizes brain health and brain skills, in the face of technological change.
The event’s particular focus will be on how the brain economy can support the goals of the One Health framework, aiming to balance and optimize the health of people and ecosystems.
The event will take place at the Steelcase Worklife Center, 4 Columbus Circle, New York, USA, on 18 September 2024.
Draft Agenda
8.15 – 9.00 Breakfast and coffee
9.00 – 9.05 Welcome and Introduction
- Amy Dittmar, Provost, Rice University
- Harris Eyre, Executive Director, Brain Capital Alliance
- Rym Ayadi, Co-Founder, Brain Capital Alliance
- Paweł Świeboda, Co-Founder, Brain Capital Alliance
9.05 – 9.35 Keynote Speech of Nadia Calviño, President, European Investment Bank (tbc)
Keynote Speech of Kathy Hochul, Governor of New York
9.35 – 10.30 Brain Economy: Paradigm Shift for Democratic Renewal
The Opening Session will address the question of how the democratic systems can prosper in the age of technological acceleration. It will argue that the concept of the Brain Economy, with its focus on cognitive and emotional well-being as well as brain skills, is the essential part of much needed response to rapid technological change.
Setting the Stage:
Presentation of the Democracy and Brain Health Project:
Agustin Ibanez, Director, BrainLat Institute
Pedro Conceição, Director, Human Development Report, UNDP
Claudia Chwalisz, CEO, DemocracyNext
Upali Nanda, Global Sector Director, Innovation and Executive Vice President, HKS
10.30 – 10.45 Coffee Break
10.45 – 12.15 Investing in Brain Health Breakthroughs
Current period has seen phenomenal innovation in brain health, from the emergence of new biomarkers to renewed dynamic in drug development. This session will focus on the investment which is needed for transformational impact in prevention, early diagnosis, and lifecycle approach to brain health, as well as integration of physical and brain health in primary care.
Opening Keynote:
Shiva Dustdar, Head of the European Investment Bank Institute
Eric Bennett, Chief Investment Officer, Tolleson Wealth Management
Jonathan Behr, Dementia Discovery Fund; Partner, SV Health Investors
Ronel Golden, Senior Advisor, Robert S Kaplan
Tarek Samad, Senior Vice-President and Global Head of Research, Lundbeck
Kwame Barnieh Sarpong, Senior Partner, KPMG Africa
12.15 – 13.15 Lunch
13.15 – 13.30 Keynote: Towards Wellbeing Economies
Jo-An Occhipinti, Professor, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney; Co-Director Mental Wealth Initiative
13.30 – 14.15 Brain Economy: Carbon-Neutrality as a Renewed Societal Aspiration
The Brain Economy is one that enables carbon-neutrality while redefining societal aspirations. Prioritizing brain health is vital for sustainable development, as it significantly influences our ability to learn, work, and innovate as individuals and as a society. It also strengthens our resilience and adaptive capacity as individuals and societies facing climate change.
Massamba Thioye, Project Executive UNFCCC Global Innovation Hub at the UN Climate Change Secretariat
Burcin Ikiz, Founder and Director, EcoNeuro
Lawrence Jones, SVP International, Edison Electric Institute
Peggy Shepard, Co-Founder and Executive Director, WE ACT for Environmental Justice and member, White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council (WHEJAC)
14.15 – 15.00 Living in Brain-Friendly Places
The design and quality of our physical surroundings – from regional land use and planning to urban publicspaces and buildings’ interior environments – play a pivotal role in shaping our mental processes, well-being, and social interactions. This session will explore the global integration of nature, building science, nature-based solutions, and physical infrastructure for social cohesion and collaboration.
Julie Hiromoto, Director of Integration and Partner, HKS
Christian Benimana, Co-Executive Director and Senior Principal, MASS Design Group
Mae Ling Lokko, Assistant Professor, Yale University School of Architecture
LAM Khee Poh, Provost’s Chair Professor of Architecture and the Built Environment, National University of Singapore
15.00 – 15.30 Coffee Break
15.30 – 16.00 Neuroshield: Protecting Citizens in the Age of Disinformation
Amandeep Gill, United Nations Technology Envoy (tbc)
16.00 – 17.00 Brain Skills and the Re-Training Revolution to Prepare for AI-Enhanced Future
Brain Economy is one which places strong emphasis on deploying humans’ cognitive and emotional skills in close collaboration with the machines. This session will examine investments in brain skills and large-scale retraining programs needed in the context of advancements in AI. Brain Economy is one which prioritizes transformation of the workplace for human-friendly companionship with AI tools.
Rym Ayadi, Founder and President, Euro-Mediterranean Economists’ Association
Fred Binka, International Expert in Finance and Investment
Michael Platt, Director, Wharton Neuroscience Initiative and James S. Riepe Professor, University of Pennsylvania
Ekkehard Ernst, Chief Economist, International Labour Organisation
Cinzia Alcidi, Head of Economic Policy, Centre for European Policy Studies
Funsho Allu, Partner, TIA Capital Management
17.00 – 18.00 Conclusions: Brain Economy for One Health
Given the mounting pressures on public health, climate, and the environment alike, innovative, and outcome-based approaches are needed. In this context, the concept of the Brain Economy stands out as an enabler of the deep, scalable, and impactful systems’ transformation, in line with the One Health framework’s emphasis on the interconnected health of humans, animals, and the environment.
Deborah W. Brooks, CEO and Co-Founder, The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research
Frédéric Destrebecq, Executive Director, European Brain Council
Rajinder K. Dhamija, Director, Institute of Human Behavior and Allied Sciences; Chair, National Task Force on Brain Health, India
Tarun Dua, Head of Brain Health, World Health Organization
Quazi Haque, Chief Medical Officer, Elysium Healthcare & Global Mental Health & Brain
Facundo Manes, President of the Committee on Science, Innovation and Technology of the Argentine Parliament
Alfred K. Njamnshi, CEO and Founder, Brain Research Africa Initiative (BRAIN)
Harris Eyre, Executive Director, Brain Capital Alliance
18.00 – 19.30 Reception