Brain Talks

What does it take to win the Brain Innovation Days 2025 Pitch Competition?In this episode of Brain Talks, Antoni Homs (OWL Lifesciences) shares the story behind his startup, the challenges startups face in the brain space, and why Brain Innovation Days is a key opportunity for emerging companies in the field.🎧 Listen now: “Jury Prize Winner of BIDs 2025: AI-Driven Neurovascular Models for Precision Drug Discovery”

In this special episode recorded live at Brain Innovation Days 2025, we take you inside one of the event’s highlights: the startup pitch competition. Four finalists step onto the stage to present bold solutions tackling some of the biggest challenges in brain health, from accelerating drug discovery and improving neurological diagnostics to advancing epilepsy treatment and addressing chronic stress. Each startup brings a distinct approach, reflecting both the complexity of the brain and the urgency of innovation in this field. You’ll hear how OWL Life Sciences is working to transform preclinical drug development through AI-driven neurovascular models, while neuroClues is bringing eye-tracking biomarkers into the clinic to enable faster and more objective diagnoses. Avrio MedTech focuses on improving surgical outcomes for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy through advanced EEG analysis, and BrainPatch explores non-invasive neurostimulation to relieve stress and support mental wellbeing. Each pitch addresses a critical unmet need, but only one will take the prize. 🎧 Listen now and decide for yourself: who should win? 💬 Share your pick - we’ll reveal the winner in the upcoming episode. Note: This episode features edited versions of the pitches.

Myasthenia Gravis is a rare, chronic autoimmune disease that disrupts lives, yet it remains largely invisible in healthcare systems and policy discussions across Europe.  In this episode of Brain Talks, host Sam Pauly speaks with patient advocate Lutgarde Allard (European Myasthenia Gravis Association), and neurologist Lorenzo Maggi (Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta di Milano) about the real burden of MG, the gaps in diagnosis and care, and what a more holistic, patient-centred future could look like. From lived experience to clinical expertise, this conversation makes the case for change, and explores how evidence-informed policy can transform care for people living with rare neuromuscular diseases in Europe.

Recorded live at Brain Innovation Days 2025, this episode explores how environmental exposures shape brain health across our lifespan. Host Sam Pauly speaks with Geert Dom (European Psychiatric Association), Bart Depreitere (University Hospitals Leuven), and Silke Matura (Goethe University Hospital) about the profound impact of childhood adversity, nutrition, urban living, and lifestyle choices on brain development and disease risk. From ultra-processed foods accelerating cognitive decline to how thoughtful city design can protect mental health, this conversation reveals why we need systemic change in our environments to safeguard brain health for current and future generations.

Listen to the newest Brain Talks episode "Brain Health Matters: Unlocking Insights for Europe's Future" featuring insights from Isabel Klinnert, Director of Healthcare Global Government and Public Affairs at Merck KGaA Darmstadt, Germany.This episode tackles a critical question: How can Europe transform brain health from a policy aspiration into concrete action by 2030?In this episode, host Frederic Destrebecq, EBC Executive Director, explores:🔹 The economic imperative: Why untreated brain conditions threaten Europe's productivity, social systems, and economic growth – and why getting brain health policies right is essential for European competitiveness.🔹 The innovation challenge: How patient experience data and non-clinical outcomes can drive better innovation for brain health, and why rare neurological diseases like myasthenia gravis serve as critical test cases for healthcare system improvements.🔹 The AI and digital opportunity: How artificial intelligence and the European Health Data Space can accelerate early detection, enable smarter clinical trials, and unlock cross-border data sharing – if implemented with the right safeguards and clarity.🔹 The 2030 vision: Why Europe needs a comprehensive brain health plan (not just disease-specific strategies) and how upcoming frameworks like the Biotech Act and European Brain Partnership can support innovation and patient outcomes.With key legislative milestones achieved in 2025 and transformative opportunities ahead, now is the moment to prioritise brain health alongside cancer and cardiovascular plans – ensuring that advocacy, innovation and collaboration drive meaningful change.