Rice University's Global Brain Economy Initiative Invests in Brain Capital

New research. Deeper science. Same method. Over the years, we’ve always said that emotional trauma isn’t a thinking problem — it’s a memory encoding problem. New neuroscience research published (Dewa, et al, 2026) adds an important layer to this understanding. It doesn’t change what we do in The Manse Method®, but it deepens the science behind why it works. What the research is now showing more clearly: • Traumatic memories are stabilised at the synapse (via mechanisms such as PKMζ and KIBRA) • When memories are recalled under threat, they tend to re-lock rather than change • c-Fos acts as a marker of emotionally salient recall • Astrocytes play a coordinating role, either protecting stability or allowing plasticity • State during recall determines outcome When recall happens in safety, not threat, the brain permits synaptic updating. The memory remains, the emotional charge does not. This aligns precisely with what we see clinically: people can think about decades-old experiences without emotion, often in minutes. The method hasn’t changed. The neuroscience has caught up. Just finished training new practitioners at the weekend. Next week is in-person training in the Midlands UK. Two Slots remain for 5th & 6th Febuary. Other dates available throughout the year on our webite www.themansemethod.com #ptsd #mentalhealth #emotionaltrauma #childhoodtrauma #healing #veterans #themansemethod #themanseretreat Kim D.

Infant Brain Development Reflects Families’ Ability to Meet Everyday Financial Needs Decades of scientific research have shown that a child’s earliest experiences shape how their brain develops, often in ways that last a lifetime. Stress during infancy, especially when it is ongoing and unavoidable, has been linked to changes in brain structure and function that can influence learning, behavior, and health well into adulthood. A new study now adds an important layer to this understanding by showing that one specific factor stands out among many overlapping stressors: a family’s ability to meet basic everyday needs. Read More: https://lnkd.in/dbXjMJDv

How do you tell a family about Wiedemann-Steiner Syndrome?   Meet Dr. Camilla Elphick, Senior Lecturer in Psychology at The Open University and Co-Director of the Harm and Evidence Collaborative; one of the participants in the Science Communication Award: Rare Disease Advances.   In this essay, she explores how psychology is transforming rare disease communication, based on original research published in Orphanet Journal of Rare Diseases in 2025 supported by a University of Sussex Junior Research Associate summer bursary to JM.   This essay is written for everyone. No jargon. No technical barriers. Just clear, accessible science, because advances in rare diseases should be understood beyond academia.   How Psychology is Transforming Widemann-Steiner Syndrome Communication by Dr. Camilla Elphick 🔗 Read the full essay here: https://lnkd.in/evTJuVwy   💬 What stood out to you most while reading it?   This award is proudly supported by Lipotype and Karger Publishers.   #SciCommAward #SciComm #RareDiseaseResearch #ScienceCommunication #AccessibleScience #ResearchStories #scientifyRESEARCH

Fantastic essay by Camilla Elphick on Widemann-Steiner Syndrome a very rare and poorly understood condition. Open Psychology Research Centre The Open University

Science has the power to transform lives and redefine what’s possible. This International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we asked our female researchers at University Health Network's Krembil Brain Institute, Donald K. Johnson Eye Institute and Schroeder Arthritis Institute what inspires their commitment to scientific discovery. #WomenInScience #IDWGS Research at UHN UHN Office of Research Trainees UHN Postdoc Association (UHNPA)

Early Career Research Spotlight | Dr. Ashley Russell 🔬 Repetitive mild brain injuries—common in sports and military settings—can have lasting effects that go far beyond the initial impact. Dr. Ashley Russell and her team at the University of Pittsburgh’s Safar Center are studying how these injuries disrupt the cerebellum, a part of the brain critical for thinking, emotion, and coordination. By examining inflammation caused by repeated injuries and exploring whether low-dose naltrexone may help reduce damage and support healing, this research aims to better understand long-term consequences and identify potential paths toward recovery. Supporting early career researchers like Dr. Russell helps move brain injury science forward where it’s needed most. 🙌

GRA’s NeuroCollaborative Initiative is spotlighted in the latest Saporta Report. Georgia has an opportune moment to orchestrate deep expertise and research capacity — across several universities — to address brain health, an area of critical need in our state. 👉 SaportaReport article: https://lnkd.in/dd4_w-n7

Two new studies remind us that longevity isn’t just biology — it’s behavior. From cancer outcomes to cognitive aging, the evidence is converging on a simple truth: movement and lifelong learning are powerful forms of medicine. A study of more than 17,000 cancer survivors found that regular exercise — including strength training — significantly lowers the risk of dying from cancer. Physical activity reduces inflammation, rebuilds muscle lost during treatment, and supports healthier body composition, which can influence recurrence. As one clinician put it, “It’s never too late. The body is a remarkable thing.” Another long‑term study tracking nearly 2,000 adults shows that a lifetime of learning delays Alzheimer’s by up to five years and slows overall brain aging. Reading, writing, studying languages, visiting museums, and staying intellectually curious were all linked to a substantial reduction in cognitive decline. The takeaway is powerful: • Move your body. • Challenge your mind. • Do both consistently, at every stage of life. At Sovra, we see these findings as more than health news — they’re a blueprint for resilience. Our work across communities and coalitions is built on the belief that stronger bodies and sharper minds create stronger, longer‑lasting networks. When people thrive, coalitions thrive. When knowledge compounds, so does capacity. Exercise builds resilience. Learning builds longevity. Together, they build the kind of human capital every community — and every nation — depends on. This is the discipline we encourage. This is the resilience we invest in. This is Sovra. • #Longevity • #HealthyLiving • #BrainHealth • #CognitiveResilience • #CancerSurvivorship • #ActiveLifestyle • #LifelongLearning • #Sovra • #SovraCoalition • #SovraResilience • #HumanCapitalStrength • #CoalitionBuilding • #DiasporaStrength • #ResilienceByDesign • #Leadership • #CommunityImpact • #HumanPerformance • #WellbeingAtWork • #StrategicHealth • #MindBodyConnection • #StrongerTogether • #AgingWell • #PublicHealth

The Centre for Ageing Resilience in a Changing Environment (CARICE) at King's College London brings together researchers and clinicians from across disciplines to tackle the major colliding global challenges of climate change and population ageing. Its latest conference, organised in collaboration with Ageing Research at King's College London (ARK-AI), focused on ‘Ageing resilience: from biology to public health.’ Presentations and discussions spanned the biological pathways of ageing resilience, how new innovations, electronic health record use and healthy lifestyles can support ageing resilience, and the role of local and global public health. Here’s a glimpse into some of the conversations that unfolded, each tackling important questions from a range of perspectives. Researchers from diverse disciplines challenged one another’s ideas and explored key issues central to the future of ageing research. Listen to the conversations in full here: https://lnkd.in/eJP246bR Tim Spector Dag Aarsland Leonie Taams Jugdeep Dhesi Ghada Alsaleh Oliver Witard Marina Cecelja Kevin O'Gallagher Christoph Mueller Sandrine Thuret Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience

How can we support ageing resilience in a changing world?  At the latest CARICE conference, held with Ageing Research at King’s (ARK-AI), researchers and clinicians came together to explore ageing resilience from biology through to public health. Conversations covered everything from biological pathways to the role of innovation, electronic health records and healthy lifestyles in supporting healthier ageing. Bringing together different disciplines led to thought-provoking discussions and fresh perspectives on some of the biggest challenges facing ageing societies. Listen to the conversations in full here: https://lnkd.in/eJP246bR