UCLA Brain Health Summit Program
UCLA Brain Health Summit
Friday March 20, 2026 – DAY 1
7:15 to 8:00 am
Breakfast
8:00 to 8:10 am
Welcoming Remarks Day 1:
Conference organizers welcome
Helen Lavretsky (Chair, UCLA) welcomes attendees and opens the event
8:10 to 8:20 am
Sahib Khalsa (Co-Chair, UCLA) and Indu Subramanian (Co-Chair, UCLA)
What is Brain Health? Integrating Perspectives from Neurology and Psychiatry
8:20 to 8:35 am
UCLA Leadership remarks:
Dean, UCLA School of Medicine: Associate Dean for Research, Stephen Smale (5 min)
Department chairs, UCLA Psychiatry and Neurology: Helena Hansen (5 min) and
Tom Carmichael (5 min)
8:35 to 9:35 am
Global Brain Health and Policy Keynote Panel:
8:35 to 8:45 am
Steve Carnevale (California Commission on Behavioral Health)
8:45 to 9:05 am
Building the Global Brain Economy
Harris Eyre (Global Brain Economy Initiative, Rice University)
9:05 to 9:25 am
The World Federation of Neurology and Brain Health
Steven Lewis (President, World Federation of Neurology)
9:25 to 9:35 am
Panel Q&A
9:35 to 10:00 am
Keynote Lecture 1 (20 minutes with 5 min Q&A):
Brain Health Across the Lifespan: From Neurodevelopment to Neurodegeneration
Dan Geschwind (Senior Dean, Vice Chancellor for Precision Medicine, UCLA)
10:00 to 10:15 am
Coffee Break
10:15 to 11:30 am
Brain Health Science Panel 1
Measuring Brain Health: Envisioning A Brain Health Index
Helen Lavretsky (UCLA), Olusola Ajilore (Univ Illinois-Chicago), Elaine Hsiao (UCLA), Bijan Najafi (UCLA), Xavier Cagigas (UCLA), Christina Ramirez (UCLA). Moderator: Alice Luo Clayton (McKnight Brain Research Foundation)
11:30 am to 12:45 pm
Lunch/Networking
Funding Innovation in Science and Healthcare
12:45 to 1:05 pm
Keynote Lecture 2 (15 minutes with 5 min Q&A)
Value-Based Brain Healthcare
Susan Armiger, President & CEO, Catalight; Moderator: Christopher Giza (UCLA)
1:05 to 1:25 pm
Keynote Lecture 3 (15 minutes with 5 min Q&A)
The role of philanthropy in expanding the vision of brain health and critical infrastructure: BD2 as a case study
Cara Altimus (Milken Institute)
1:25 to 2:25 pm Panel Discussion
The role of philanthropy in funding new Brain Science
Alice Luo Clayton (McKnight Brain Research Foundation), Nancy Keach (BrightFocus Foundation), Kelly O’Brien (West Health Institute), Moderator: Kana Enomoto (McKinsey Health Institute)
2:25 to 3:40 pm
Brain Health Science Panel 2
Modifiable Lifestyle Factors across the lifespan
Jack Feldman (UCLA), Gina Poe (UCLA), Zhaoping Li (UCLA), Joshua Goldman (UCLA), Fadel Zeidan (UCSD). Moderators: Jack Feldman and Zaldy Tan (Cedars Sinai)
3:40 to 3:55 pm
Coffee Break
3:55 to 5:25 pm
Art, Creativity, and Brain Health Mini Panels
3:55 to 4:25 pm
Mini Panel 1: Music and Brain Health
Assal Habibi (USC), Ken Wells (UCLA). Moderator: Alex Leow (U. of Illinois- Chicago)
4:25 to 4:55 pm
Mini Panel 2: Visual arts and Dance: Marjani Forté-Saunders and Karla Diaz. Moderator: Eraka Bath (UCLA)
4:55 to 5:25 pm
Mini Panel 3: Jake Broder (Global Brain Health Institute). Moderator: Gina Poe (UCLA)
5:25 to 5:30 pm
Closing Remarks
Helen Lavretsky and Sahib Khalsa and Indu Subramanian
5:30 to 7:00 pm
Day 1 Networking Reception (by invitation):
Luskin Ballroom
Saturday March 21, 2026 – DAY 2
7:15 to 8:15 am
Breakfast
8:15 to 8:30 am
Welcoming remarks
Helen Lavretsky (Chair) and Sahib Khalsa and Indu Subramanian (co-Chairs)
8:30 to 8:50 am
Keynote Lecture 4 (15 minutes with 5 min Q&A):
The Human Advantage: Stronger Brains in the Age of AI
Kana Enomoto (McKinsey Health Institute)
8:50 to 9:10 am
Keynote Lecture 5 (15 minutes with 5 min Q&A):
Improving Brain Health at Scale
Jürgen Unützer (University of Washington)
9:10 to 9:30 am
Keynote Lecture 6 (15 minutes with 5 min Q&A):
Bigger is Better: Texas Brain Economy Goes West
Jochen Reiser (University of Texas Medical Branch)
9:30 to 10:30 am
Brain Health Mini Panel
Elevating the Patient and Caregiver Voice
Mark and Pam Sennet, Sandy Gleysteen, James Keach: Discussant: Linda Ercoli
10:30 am to 10:45 am
Coffee Break
10:45 am to 12:00 pm
Brain Health Science Panel 3
Brain Health in Neurologic Disorders
Jason Hinman (UCLA), Indu Subramanian (UCLA), Andrew Charles (UCLA), Raj Mazumder (UCLA), Lee Goldstein (Boston University). Moderators: Jason Hinman and Indu Subramanian
12:00 to 1:15 pm
Lunch
1:15 to 2:30 pm
Brain Health Science Panel 4
Brain Health in Childhood: Exposures and Neurodevelopmental Considerations
Christopher Giza (UCLA), Shafali Jeste (UCLA), Shannon Thyne (UCLA/LA County Department of Health Services); Rujuta Wilson (UCLA), Moderator: Christopher Giza
2:30 to 2:50 pm
Keynote lecture 7 (15 minutes with 5 min Q&A):
Exposomics and Mental Health: Loneliness vs. Social
Connections and Wisdom
Dilip Jeste (International SDOH research network)
2:50 to 3:10 pm
Keynote lecture 8 (15 minutes with 5 min Q&A):
Restoring Hope: Addressing the Disaster Behavioral Health
Needs of Children and Families
Melissa Brymer (UCLA)
3:10 to 3:25 pm
Coffee Break
3:25 to 4:40 pm
Brain Health Science Panel 6
Technological Innovations in Brain Health
Terence Sanger (UC Irvine), Brennan Spiegel (Cedars-Sinai) Ruth O’Hara (Stanford), Amir Rahmani (UC Irvine); Moderators: Sahib Khalsa and Indu Subramanian
4:40 to 4:50 pm
Sahib Khalsa and Indu Subramanian
Brain Health Redefined: Reflections from Neurology and Psychiatry
4:50 to 5:00 pm
Helen Lavretsky
Closing remarks and future directions
This program is subject to change.
Organizing Committee- UCLA
Chair: Helen Lavretsky
Co-Chairs: Indira Subramanian
Sahib Khalsa
Administrator: Didiana Huezo
Eraka P. Bath
Stanley T. Carmichael
Anne K. Churchland
Linda Ercoli
Jack Feldman
Christopher Giza
Joshua Goldman
Jason Hinman
Elaine Hsiao
External Advisory Committee
Harris Eyre- Global Brain Economy alliance
Steve Carnevale- California Behavioral Health Commission
Toby Ewing- Stanford University
Rodrigo Mahs- Catalight Health
Cara Altimus - Milken Institute
Alice Luo Clayton-McKnight Brain Foundation
Kana Enomoto-McKinsey Health Institute
Kelly O’Brien - West Health Institute
George Vradenburg - Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative
High Lantern group
