Postdoctoral researchers: Dr Sana Suri and Dr Enikő Zsoldos, along with DPhil students: Naiara Demnitz and Melis Anatürk of the Neurobiology of Ageing group participated in the third Lifebrain consortium meeting, organised by the University of Oslo in the beautiful surroundings of Holmenkollen, in Oslo, Norway. They joined a team of 36 neuroscientists, physicians, psychologists, physicists, statisticians, and economists from 11 European population studies on this four-day-long meeting in June 2018. The meeting included a longitudinal modelling workshop on statistical methods, and continued discussion on data harmonisation to help Lifebrain researchers analyse the large brain imaging, cognitive and mental health datasets from over 6000 individuals. The aim of the Lifebrain consortium is to identify and understand environmental, social, occupational and lifestyle factors that influence brain health across the human life-span.
Along with statistical tool development and scientific output, the consortium places a strong emphasis on public and stakeholder engagement to promote brain health. Norway is the first country in Europe to have a national strategy for brain health, and the public shares this strong interest. The Lifebrain project leader’s, Professor Kristine Walhovd’s talk on a lifespan perspective of healthy brain ageing (in Norwegian), and the Department of Psychiatry’s postdoc, Dr Sana Suri’s talk on the benefits of physical activity for brain health (in English), were greeted by the Norwegian public with enthusiasm, as demonstrated by a full house audience at Litteraturhuset in the city centre of Oslo.
Watch the public lectures on the Lifebrain website.
Read about the Neurobiology of Aging group.