The new edition of “Preserving the Brain,” part of Fondazione Prada’s “Human Brains” project dedicated to neurosciences since 2018, will focus on the prevention of neurodegenerative diseases. Organized in partnership with fifteen renowned neuroscience institutes from world-class universities and five Italian patient organizations and associations, “Preserving the Brain: A Call to Action” consists in a scientific conference (16 – 17 October 2024) and an exhibition which will be accompanied by a series of meetings (16 October 2024 – 7 April 2025) to be held at Fondazione Prada in Milan.
“Human Brains” is the result of an in-depth research process undertaken by Fondazione Prada and driven by a deep interest in understanding the human brain, the complexity of its functions and its centrality in human history. Developed by a scientific committee chaired by neurologist Giancarlo Comi, since 2020 the program resulted in a series of exhibitions, scientific conferences, public talks, and online and editorial activities.
Following the first two stages of the “Preserving the Brain” forum on neurodegenerative diseases, held in Milan and Shanghai in 2022 and 2023, this new edition aims to focus on the importance of prevention and early treatment of widespread and still incurable diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Huntington’s, Parkinson’s, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and Multiple Sclerosis.
As Miuccia Prada, President and Director of Fondazione Prada, states, “This new edition of ‘Preserving the Brain’ shows how necessary it is to create an even stronger dialogue between the scientific world and the public of a cultural institution like Fondazione Prada. The themes of prevention and the active role of culture in this field concern everyone and specifically younger generations. It is, therefore, crucial to accompany scientific research and dissemination with awareness-raising activities and a program of concrete actions capable of influencing our behaviors, involving those who deal with neurodegenerative diseases on a daily basis, not only from a strictly medical perspective. We are pleased that this international forum has become, as we had hoped during the first edition, a recurring appointment that helps to connect research centers with each other and with a wider and more heterogeneous community.”
Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by a series of modifiable risk factors, the correction of which would have major consequences on an individual and collective level. To protect ourselves from the increasing prevalence of these diseases, it is crucial to act on modifiable risk factors, take care of the environment, promote healthy lifestyles, implement educational activities, and engage all actors of society and political institutions. The impressive recent development of genetic and biological markers for all these diseases also allows to identify individuals who are at risk for a specific disease, and the activation of secondary prevention strategies that could include the implementation of specific therapies.
For this reason, “Preserving the Brain: A Call to Action” will see the participation of leading research centers, academics, patient associations, and organizations that operate in the field of brain health, as well as representatives of institutions. The main goal is a productive exchange among different stakeholders to promote specific actions related to modifiable factors on neurodegenerative diseases, leading up to a “call to action” addressed to a wide population, especially younger generations.
As Giancarlo Comi, Honorary Professor of Neurology at the Università Vita-Salute San Raffaele in Milan and President of the scientific committee of “Preserving the Brain”, underlines, “The brain, and therefore neural functions, represent the defining and distinguishing element of human beings. Neurodegenerative diseases, with the sensory, motor, and cognitive impairment they may provoke, pose a serious threat to full participation in various aspects of life. These diseases are rooted in a far distant time which we have only recently begun to uncover. Almost always, it is a combination of various roots, nourished by genetic and environmental factors, that generates the pathology. Prevention, which means identifying these roots, can help block their consequences. Some of these roots we plant ourselves, therefore individuals must play a direct role in the prevention process. This implies an active role of the individual not only at the time of the disease but also in preventing it. The scientific exhibition, organized in a way that makes its content accessible to the public, and the meetings, organized in collaboration with patient organizations and associations, aim at involving the entire community and all its facets in the fight against neurodegenerative diseases.”
