Inaugural lecture Prof. dr. Adrian J. Harwood

"How brains are built, and why this is important"

Our brains are by far the most complex organ we possess. Beyond monitoring and coordinating our body, they perform complex computational tasks that still outperform many artificial systems, and most importantly are the source of human intelligence, consciousness and creativity. Yet they build themselves by growth to more than 100 billion cells that form an estimated 100 trillion synaptic connections. Unfortunately, the processes that first form and then maintain healthy functional brain do not always go to plan, leading to neuropsychiatric disorders that need clinical intervention. In fact, poor mental health is amongst the global top 10 chronic health issues. To improve mental health, we need to understand brain development itself. 

In my lecture, I explain how our investigation of human nerve cell formation is building a picture of the molecular processes that control brain development, and how this is altered in patients. I also look forward to how a rapid emergence of new technologies is initiating an exciting new phase in human brain research. 

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