The Brain Forum, first launched in 2013, brings together novel thinkers and pioneers in brain research, technology, healthcare and the economy. Researchers, engineers, healthcare professionals, entrepreneurs, industrialists, investors, funding agencies and policymakers will meet at this forum to advance our understanding of how the brain works and to accelerate the application and value of this knowledge in society and the economy. The event, to be held in Lausanne, Switzerland, on May 26-27, will be divided into 2 sections – with Day 1 focusing on entrepreneurship and innovation, and Day 2 on new advances in science and technology. During Day 1, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Day, entrepreneurs and investors will share their expertise in translating science into business, and discuss their ideas for the future. The keynote lecture ‘Practical lessons in machine learning', will be presented by Greg Corrado, a senior research scientist working at the intersection of artificial intelligence, computational neuroscience, and scalable machine learning at Google Research, and will explore aspects of machine learning — upon which much of Google's work on language, speech, translation, visual processing, ranking and prediction relies. Day 1 will also include ‘The Brain Forum Innovation Award', which offers opportunities for start-ups to connect with investors. More than 120 pre-screened companies will compete to be amongst the 8 finalists who will have five minutes to pitch their projects to the audience and a jury of thought leaders in innovation, including Tej Tadi (MindMaze) and Markus Goebel (Novartis Venture Fund). Dr. Jamil El-Imad, CEO of The Brain Forum, who believes this provides an excellent opportunity said, "Technology moves quickly and often at a pace where large matrix organizations can't keep up. The start-up competition aims to change that by providing a stage for these companies gain". The opening day will close with a theater performance, ‘Act like you mean it', a reworking of Romeo and Juliet celebrating neuroscience. During the Science Day, ‘International Brain Initiatives: Progress, challenges and opportunities' will give an overview of the world's major brain projects, providing updates about their scope, aims and progress. "The brain and mental health – Increasing awareness and reducing stigma" is devoted to recent advances in the understanding of the brain mechanisms underlying mental disorders, presented by Emily Holmes (University of Cambridge), Andreas Meyer-Lindenberg (Central Institute of Mental Health Mannheim) and Helen Mayberg (Emory University/USA). Prof. Patrick Aebischer, president of EPFL and member of The Brain Forum's International Advisory Board, believes that high-level meetings such as The Brain Forum are crucial, bringing together leaders in research and entrepreneurs. He commented, "In an aging society, neurological diseases are an ever-growing source of cost for health systems, all over the world. Understanding them will result in better, earlier diagnostics and more efficient and cost-effective treatments." Ecole polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne, in Switzerland, is one of the most international higher education institutions in Europe. It counts among its ranks roughly 10,000 students and 5,000 employees representing more than 120 nationalities. Education and research are organized into five schools and two colleges, with a strong emphasis on interdisciplinary work. In 2013, the European Commission selected the Human Brain Project, an international effort at understanding the human brain, led by EPFL, as a "FET Flagship initiative".
