This month, dive into the theme of creativity and brain health by learning about the premiere of a new play, UnRavelled about a real life story of how the process of brain change due to dementia resulted in emergent creativity and expression through visual art. Tune into a conversation with Dr. Farina, on how collaborating with lived experience experts is challenging her own creativity and as a result, leading into innovative research in underserved areas of neuroscience, including young adult brain health.

Finally, check out virtual and in person classes this Fall/Winter and join us in boosting your own creativity through dance!

Our guest on the Dancing into Brain Health Podcast is Dr. Edward Vessel, a neuroscientist who uses behavior, brain imaging and computation to study the psychological and neural basis of aesthetic experiences, creative insight and curiosity.

We discuss how neuroaesthetics research is helping us understand the way the brain responds to art, beauty and creativity and how these findings can inform future practice to improve brain health and wellbeing across our life.

In this month’s issue we invite you to celebrate the role of the arts in brain health with us: dive into the UNGA Healing Arts Week celebrations, check out highlights from our culminating event with the RSS Adult Day Program for Memory Loss and listen to Mark Timmons, artist, advocate and person living with dementia reflect on the role the arts play in supporting dignity and purpose for people navigating a diagnosis of dementia.

Young adulthood and the potential brain health risk factors they face are largely neglected in dementia research and policy making despite this demographic being highly exposed to several known modifiable risk factors. Globally, the potential risk and protective factors that have the biggest effect on dementia outcomes in young adulthood remain unclear.

On our latest episode, neuroscientist and Senior Atlantic Fellow for Equity in Brain Health Dr. Francesca Farina highlights the importance of partnership with young adults to spearhead initiatives that inform and support brain health across the life span.

Our guest on this episode of the Dancing into Brain Health Podcast is artist and dementia advocate Mark Timmons. He has channeled his own lived experience, as someone diagnosed with early-onset dementia in his late 40s, to influence his ongoing advocacy work with people newly diagnosed with dementia.

Together we discuss the ways we can support nurturing a new sense of purpose, agency and meaning and how engaging in creative expression supports brain health and a new identity when navigating the experience of dementia.

Check out highlights from our culminating celebration with the New York Memory Center and join us in preparing for the United Nations General Assembly Healing Arts Week

In this episode, we are joined by neuropsychologist and researcher, Dr. Kaitlin Casaletto. Together we discuss the latest research on how engaging in physical activity can protect our brains as we age and explore new avenues of research and practice on the horizon.

Celebrate World Brain Day, join us for upcoming dance and brain health events and learn about our new “Community of Practice”!

In this month’s issue, read about NYC older adults coming together “Raising their Voices”, join us in celebrating Pride with LGBTQIA+ elders who paved the way and learn ways researchers and community organizations are coming together to ensure this community receives the services they deserve as they age.

Our guest this episode is cognitive scientist Dr. Helena Blumen. Dr.Blumen is one of the leading researchers investigating the trajectories of modifiable risk factors of the brain in aging and Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias

In our conversation, Dr. Blumen highlights the strong interconnections between our motor, social and cognitive abilities and how addressing any of these benefits our brain health as we age.

In this month’s issue, we visit Lima, Peru where I joined global leaders this May, to share best practices in brain health and dementia research and identify next steps for our respective and collaborative initiatives.

In this episode, we are joined by dancer/researcher Dr. Aline Haas whose passion for dance and health has spearheaded initiatives that are addressing the many ways dance can enhance brain health as we age. Together, we inquire how can access to and research on dance and health be more equitable?

Dr. Glenna Batson, is one of the leaders who helped place the conversation of embodiment, neuroscience and dance on the map. In this latest episode of the “Dancing into Brain Health” Podcast, we  investigate the roots of these fields of study and explore how their interconnections have inspired some of the work in dance and neuroscience we see today.

This Earth Day, join us in embracing awe and wonder for our planet, our communities, our brains!

Celebrate Brain Awareness Month with us!

Dr. Garcia, a neurolinguist guides listeners on a journey into the world of embodied cognition, illuminating the instigators of language in the brain and what his team is learning by investigating the connections of motor-actions and action-based language in the brain.

Centering love as an action.

In this inaugural episode of Dancing into Brain Health, we uncover the ways dance might indeed help us speak. Our guest is neuroscientist and dancer Dr. Constantina Theofanopoulou whose research is uncovering the neural mechanisms behind how engaging in dance may actually support or even rehabilitate speech.

Nurturing “mutuality of being” through dance as we move into this new year.

Wishing you abundance of connection, joy, love and dance in the New Year!