Dr. John Medina is a leading developmental molecular biologist with a passion for understanding the intricacies of human brain development and the genetics of psychiatric disorders. With decades of experience as a private research consultant for the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, legal and architecture industries, Dr. Medina has established himself as an expert in mental health research and is driven by a desire to better understand the brain and how any number of factors can affect its development.

Dr. Medina currently serves as Affiliate Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington School of Medicine. He was also the founding director of the Talaris Research Institute, where he led groundbreaking research on how infants encode and process information at the cognitive, cellular and molecular levels.

Throughout his illustrious research and consulting career, Dr. Medina has collected a plethora of information about the complexities of the brain throughout every stage of life. Eager to share his learnings with the world, Dr. Medina published “Brain Rules,” a series of books teaching readers more about how the brain works and outside factors that affect cognitive health.

Tuesday, July 11 | 3 PM

What you eat affects how you think, and this lecture, detailing research on the Mediterranean diet, describes the powerful effect of diet on brain function.

The notion that food could permanently alter the way we think is a sentence no scientist could have written 20 years ago. But researchers can do so today. Investigations of the so-called “Mediterranean Diets” reveal the extraordinary ability these foods have to boost cognitive function at any age – and in as little as ten days. This talk describes the relationship between diet and the brain, including newly described biological mechanisms behind the findings.

Tuesday, August 15 | 3 PM

Physical exercise affects cognitive ability in every population tested, including patients with dementia; this lecture explains the nuts and bolts behind these extraordinary findings.

It’s been years since researchers discovered that exercise not only improves heart function, but also brain function. It is remarkable how even modest movement influences cognitive ability, including lowering the risk of dementia, which has been a real surprise to researchers. This talk explains the mechanisms behind the unexpected discovery, describing both well-established findings and newer data about memory and cognitive control.

Tuesday, September 12 | 3 PM

Researchers have known for years that social interactions, from book clubs to dancing to paying attention to vision and hearing, improves cognitive performance; this lecture explains why social relationships act like brain-boosting vitamins.

Your friends will keep you young! Scientists have long understood that socializing with friends improves memory abilities, processing speeds, and even creativity. Recent findings reveal that short bursts of social interaction positively impact brain function - an effect that can last for hours. This lecture describes these extraordinary findings, outlining reasons why they work. The bottom line? Social interactions require large amounts of energy to maintain, faithfully giving your brain a life-enhancing workout.