The Brain House at the World Economic Forum’s (WEF) upcoming annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, is a marquee platform designed to spotlight the critical importance of brain health and how innovation in “brain capital” can address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Sponsored by Rice University for the second consecutive year, The Brain House hosted by the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative Jan. 20-24 will showcase a series of events featuring leading experts in health and innovation who are advancing global brain health.
Paul Cherukuri, Rice’s vice president of innovation and chief innovation officer, will join leaders from government, health care, academia, business and advocacy in a session focused on charting a yearlong strategy to drive a global brain health movement.
“Brain health encompasses mental health, substance use and neurological conditions and ranges from preventing disease to promoting positive brain function, enabling individuals to thrive,” said Cherukuri, who leads Rice’s technology and commercialization infrastructure to translate breakthrough discoveries into inventions for societal benefit.
“Visitors to The Brain House will depart with a firm commitment and a clear strategy to promote brain health, making it a central priority in global discussions and policy initiatives year-round. Rice is dedicated to leading the conversation and advancing research in this critical field,” he said.
Brain capital combines brain health and brain skills such as analytical thinking, creativity, adaptability and empathy. Countries around the world are increasingly relying on brain capital to stay competitive economically and technologically, yet the growing prevalence of brain disorders is taking a steep financial toll. Mental health disorders alone are estimated to cost the global economy $5 trillion per year, and this is projected to rise to $16 trillion by 2030. Similarly, every year dementia costs the global economy more than $1.3 trillion, a number that experts say will increase to $2.8 trillion by 2030.
The Brain House aims to spread awareness of the connection between brain power and economic security beyond the halls of academia and medicine and center it in the world of capital markets needed to create a healthier, more resilient and more productive future.
Building on the success of his work with Brain Days at the United Nations, Harris Eyre, who leads the Neuro-Policy Program at Rice’s Baker Institute for Public Policy, is a co-organizer of the Brain House. He’s spearheading several panel discussions on innovations in dementia prevention, systemwide investment to advance brain health, the role of academia and accelerating translational innovation in the field.
“The brain economy prioritizes brain capital as its core asset, driven by a neuroscience renaissance and where most jobs demand cognitive, emotional and social brain skills,” said Eyre, who is also planning similar brain events this year for the G7 summit in Canada, G20 summit in South Africa and U.N. General Assembly in New York. “Given the rise of advanced generative AI models that strain our brains as well as the accelerating societal and environmental challenges that stress our brains, transitioning to a brain economy is of utmost importance. Advancements in brain sciences can also unlock new innovations.”
With a strategic emphasis on leading innovations in health, health care and medicine under the leadership of President Reginald DesRoches, Rice is at the forefront of the brain-positive economy transition.
“The state of our brains matters — now more than ever,” DesRoches said. “The escalating burden of neurodegenerative and mental health disorders — including depression, anxiety, strokes, brain injury, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease — has taken a staggering toll on both individual well-being and the overall global economy.”
Rice aims to stop and reverse the loss of brain capital through pioneering efforts including the Rice Neuroengineering Initiative, Center for Neural Systems Restoration (in partnership with Houston Methodist) and Eyre’s Neuro-Policy Program. In addition, Rice’s strong psychological sciences department uniquely blends the science of the human brain with the science of human behavior and performance. As a result, U.S. News & World Report currently ranks Rice’s industrial-organizational psychology graduate program No. 1 in the country. Moreover, Rice’s Jones Graduate School of Business has been ranked No. 1 for graduate entrepreneurship programs by The Princeton Review and Entrepreneur magazine for six years in a row.
Rice has recently hosted strategic meetings with U.S. Rep. Morgan Luttrell of Texas’ 8th District, who is co-chair of the Congressional Neuroscience Caucus and a champion for radical neuroscience innovations.
“Our breadth of research priorities creates a unique learning and research environment,” DesRoches said. “And as our state legislative leadership prioritizes a new, major research initiative targeting brain diseases that affect cognitive abilities, memory, thinking and behavior, Rice and our partners will help Texas become the world leader in the field as we have with cancer care and research.”
Joining Rice as sponsors of The Brain House are the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston, AC Immune, Crisis Text Line, Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative, The Kennedy Forum, Milken Institute, Ontario Brain Institute, Roche, Tower Health and West Health.