Brains reach their cognitive “peak” at age 24. If you‘re interested in boosting brain performance and your early twenties feel like a lifetime ago, this lecture is for you. We cover well-known basics: diet, exercise and social interactions. However, this lecture also describes newer, less famous findings that are equally as powerful, such as the impact the arts have on keeping brains alert and vital. Surprisingly, regular exposure to certain types of nostalgic experiences figures prominently in these data.

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.