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The Lancet Neurology 20th Anniversary Lecture

3 October 2022

The Institute hosted The Lancet Neurology 20th Anniversary Lecture on 29th September 2022, given by Professor Carol Brayne, University of Cambridge, which was joined online and in person by many UK and international attendees.

lancet neurology lecture 2022

Dr Richard Horton FRCP FMedSci ,editor-in-chief of The Lancet,introduced Professor Carol Brayne CBE, Professor of Public Health Medicine and Co-Director of Cambridge Public Health Interdisciplinary Centre at the University of Cambridge.

Professor Braynehas pioneered the study of dementia in population.Since the mid-80s Carol’s principal area of research has been longitudinal studies of the health of older people, with a focus on the brain, from a public health perspective. This included pioneering work bringing biology to populations including the creation of brain banks for medical research from population studies.

She also leadsThe Public Health of Ageing Research Unit, an involved team of specialised dementia researchers whose work includes specific risk reduction trials, studies of ageing and technology, age-friendly cities, plus the impact of ageing and dementia in the populations of low and middle-income countries.A fellow of theAcademy of Medical Sciences, Carol wasawarded aCBEfor services to public health medicine in the Queen’s 2017 Honours.

Professor Brayne's lecture "“The relevance of social and commercial determinants for neurological health: TheLancet Neurologylecture” gavea public health perspective on influences on manifestation of neurological disorders.

Professor Carol Brayne

lancet neurology lecture title slide

Carol began by thanking her co-authors Sebastian Walsh and Richard Merrick. She put theirwork in the context of celebrating 20 years of Lancet Neurology, directions of neurological science over that period, and the importance of epidemiology. She highlightedthe Global Burden of Neurological Diseases, including changing patterns in stroke, epilepsy and meningitis, and theWHO intersectional global action plan's goals for epilepsy and other neurological diseases.

Carol then discussed societal trends, e.g. increasing ageing and inequalities, as well as climate change, and their significance in shaping neurological disease. She gaveexample case studies, demonstrating theimpact of inequalities on risk and protective factors, supporting thekey messages of frameworks for social and commercial determinants of health andtiers of prevention, and the impact ofindividual behaviour vs policy change. She showed how these determinants cluster andinfluence our lifecourse and pathways to neurological disease, e.g.stroke, and provided a Framework for brain health optimisation.Carol highlighted thechallenges for neurological science in reflecting societal experiences, and meeting Sustainable Development Goals.

Carol concluded by lookingto the future, and actions we can take as leaders, mentors and influencers,in clinical practice, teaching and research, to advocateand raiseawareness.

The introduction and closing remarks were given byProfessor Gipi Schiavo, IoN Deputy Director,who celebratedCarol's lecture in the contextof recentdevelopments in neurological science and public health.

lancet neurology lecture 2022 group

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Image:Professor Gipi Schiavo, Professor Alan Thompson, Professor Carol Brayne,Dr Richard Horton, and Elena Becker-Barroso