Science Summit at United Nations General Assembly (UNGA78)

PROGRAMME (complete programme in pdf at the end of the page)

8:00-9:00 Registration and Light Breakfast
9:00-9:20 Welcome and Introduction by the Organisers

• Prof. Claudio Bassetti, Vice President, European Brain Council; Professor, Chair of Neurology and Dean of the Medical Faculty, University Hospital Bern, Switzerland
• Dr. Rola El-Serag, L.E. and Virginia Simmons Senior Fellow in Health Policy and Director of the Center for Health & Biosciences, Rice University’s Baker Institute for Public Policy
• Dr. Ramamoorthy Ramesh, Executive Vice President for Research, Rice University, United States - Video Message

 
9:20-9:45 The Need for Action: The Global Burden of Brain Disorders
Brain disorders are a significant driver of illness, spending, and death globally. The associated burden is expected to grow in the years to come, creating new challenges for health systems, employers, patients, and families. The time for action is now - but how? Better evidence drives policy action and having the latest, striking data at hand can help spur political action towards improving health outcomes for populations around the world. Experts present ongoing action at the global level and address the increasing burden of brain disorders.
 

• Presentation of the Intersectoral Global Action Plan on Epilepsy and Other Neurological Disorders 2022–2031

Dévora Kestel, Director, Department of Mental Health and Substance Use, World Health Organization (WHO), Switzerland 

• The Global Burden of Brain Disorders

Dr. Gregory Roth, Director, Program in Cardiovascular Health Metrics Associate Professor of Medicine Division of Cardiology, Department of Medicine, University of Washington, United States 

• The Brain Health Collaborative

Simona Skerjanec, Senior Vice President and Global Neuroscience Head, Roche 
 
9:45-10:30 Community Perspectives and Addressing the Challenges... Together?
The 'brain community' is made up of a number of key players in the fields of neuroscience, neurology, psychiatry - researchers, clinicians, patients - and their associated experts in this panel will examine how different countries and regions have mobilised thus far in addressing the presented burden and what areas for collaboration exist in order to tackle brain health collaboratively at a global scale.

Chaired by Frédéric Destrebecq, Executive Director, European Brain Council

• Dr. Mahmoud Bukar Maina, Independent Research Fellow, Sussex Neuroscience (UK); Team Leader, Biomedical Science Research and Training Centre, Yobe State University (Nigeria); Outreach Coordinator, TReND in Africa Outreach Programme 
• Prof. Paul Boon, President, European Academy of Neurology 
• Prof. Kevin Rostasy, President, European Paediatric Neurology Society 
• Prof. Yifeng Xu, Director, WHO/Shanghai Collaborating Center for Research and Training on Mental Health; Honorary Dean, Institute of Psychology and Behavioral Science, Shanghai Jiao Tong University; Dean, Institute of Mental Health, Fudan University 
• Julie Lefelar, Executive Director & Co-Founder, The MOG Project; Ambassador to the OneNeurology Partnership
• Dr. Mitchell Elkind, Chief Clinical Science Officer, American Heart Association, 

 
10:30-11:00 Discussion with the Audience
11:00-11:30 Coffee Break

11:30-12:10 A Policy Response: How Are Countries Doing in the Quest for Global Brain Health?
Country- and regional-level representatives respond to how they are tackling the challenges at home - investing in brain research, tackling the societal burden of brain conditions and exploring ways in which collaboration can help boost efforts of achieving better brain health for all. Furthermore, to compliment the discussion, we touch on the importance of capacity building specifically for brain research in order to consider the ethical and societal implications and to integrate community perspectives and values into all stages of the research process. 

Chaired by Dr. Caroline Montojo, President, Dana Foundation 

• Dr. Walter Koroshetz, Director, NIH-National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, USA 
• Dr. Facundo Manes, Member, Chamber of Deputies of Argentina; Founder, Instituto de Neurología Cognitiva (INECO); President, INECO Foundation, Argentina 
• Prof. Jafri Malin Bin Abdullah, Chairman of The Brain Behaviour Cluster and Professor in Neurosciences, Department of Neurosciences at the School of Medical Sciences/Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia and official government representative of The Academy of Science, Malaysia 

 
 12:10-12:30 Discussion with the Audience

12:30-13:00 The importance of basic brain research for understanding and treating brain disorders
The brain is our most complex organ. Understanding how the brain works is the first step towards addressing the wide array of brain conditions, in finding treatments and, potentially, cures. This panel will discuss the importance of supporting basic brain research in the quest to improve global brain health and speak on success stories of funding programmes and collaboration efforts in North America, Africa and beyond in this international endeavour towards understanding the human brain. 

Chaired by Dr. Alyssa Picchini Schaffer, Vice President & Senior Scientist, Neuroscience Collaborations, Simons Foundation 

• Dr. Mie Rizig, Lead Coordinator, International Parkinson Disease Genomics Consortium (iPDGC) 
• Dr. Antonella Santuccione Chadha, CEO, The Women's Brain Project 
• Dr. John Ngai, Director, NIH-Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN)

 
13:00-14:00 Networking Lunch
14:00-15:00 Breaking Silos and Bridging Borders: Uniting Regions, Sectors, and Care Delivery Models
Cross-sector collaboration is critical to transforming mental and brain health internationally and is critical to our economies. This session will highlight the importance of uniting diverse perspectives, sectors, and innovative approaches from around the world to create meaningful and scalable solutions for today’s mental health challenges. 

• A vision for international collaboration to advance innovation in mental health

Dr. Andy Keller, President, Chief Executive Officer, and Linda Perryman Evans Presidential Chair, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute 

• Panel Discussion

Kacie Kelly, Chief Innovation Officer, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute 
Dr. Cara Altimus, Senior Director, Center for Strategic Philanthropy, Milken Institute 
Danish Munir, Founding Partner, GreyMatter 
Kana Enomoto, Director of Brain Health, McKinsey Health Institute 
 
15:00-15:30 Building an innovation ecosystem for brain diseases
Innovation in the brain space is crucial. Despite major advances in the last decades, neurosciencetimelines are usually significantly longer than other fields and continuously hindered by the complexity ofthe conditions. Enhanced multi-stakeholder engagement in the brain ecosystem is needed to fosterdialogue, exchange knowledge,accelerate investment in research and innovation and facilitate treatmentand cure development.

Chaired by Frédéric Destrebecq, Executive Director, European Brain Council

• Dr. Tracey Dawson, Global Therapeutic Area Head - Neuroscience,Novartis
• Josh Cohen and Justin Klee, Co-CEOs & Co-Founders, Amylyx
• Dr. Angela Genge, Director, ALS Centre of Excellence for Research and Patient Care

15:30-16:00 Break

16:00-17:00 Prospective Approaches in Policy Making
At the global level, many efforts are underway to raise brain health to the level of political prioritisation andenhance cooperation in the space. Invited speakers will highlight the work underway in their regions tohook governmental attention towards brain health using the case of socioeconomic impact.

• Science Diplomacy and fostering North-South Collaboration

Prof. María Castelló, Associate Professor of Research, Instituto de Investigaciones Biológicas Clemente Estable, Montevideo, Uruguay; Alternate Member, Strategic Planning Steering Committee, LATBrain; Founder and Deputy Secretary, Fibras.org

• Mental Wealth: Shaping Economic and Social Environments to Foster Brain Capital

Prof. Jo-An Occhipinti, Co-Director, Mental Wealth Initiative, and Head, Systems Modelling, Simulation & Data Science, Brain and Mind Centre, The University of Sydney, Australia

• Brain Deals to Harness AI and Drive SDG Implementation by 2030

Dr. Harris Eyre, Brain Capital Alliance, OECD Neuroscience-inspired Policy Institute, The Baker Institute for Public Policy and the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute

• A European Charter for the Responsible Development of Neurotechnologies: An Initiative by the Researchand Innovation Strategy Department of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research of France

Prof. Hervé Chneiweiss, Chair, Inserm Ethics Committee; Former Chair, International Bioethics Committee UNESCO

• Towards a Global Partnership Strategy

Frédéric Destrebecq, Executive Director, European Brain Council

17:00-17:45 Next Steps Towards Key Milestones
Looking towards the key milestones ahead for brain health and research and the post-SDG era, there isplenty of momentum for the brain community to demonstrate the importance...