BrainMind Science Collective 2025
On March 21–23, 2025, in the Bay Area, the BrainMind Science Collective series will unite 150 scientists, innovators, and thought leaders working at the forefront of brain and mind sciences, alongside cross-disciplinary thinkers from AI, physics, and beyond.
These gatherings will be "unconference", shaped not by a fixed agenda but by the collective energy and curiosity of the hand-picked participants. The format is open and unstructured, with ample space for spontaneity and creativity. Together, our diverse group of curious, accomplished attendees will set the course, guiding discussions, leading breakout groups, and delivering 5-minute lightning talks. It promises to be an intense, unpredictable, enlivening weekend--a living, breathing testament to curiosity and discovery.
While the unconference format encourages open topic proposals, this inaugural gathering will highlight key themes: AI and brain science, vibrant brain aging, consciousness, cutting-edge neurotechnologies, contemplative neuroscience, and human flourishing. This is a space to leave orthodoxy and boundaries at the door, as together we question, learn, and reimagine the mind’s potential. Join us as we chart new paths, spark lasting collaborations, and ignite enduring ideas.
Come ready to question, to learn, and to be moved. For here, we are not simply studying the mind; we are reimagining its possibilities.
See our code of conduct here.
BrainMind gatherings are invitation-only. All participants are members of the BrainMind ecosystem and are carefully selected for potential contribution, influence, and intent. Apply below if you are interested in attending gatherings like this.
Lightning Talk Topics
Featuring
Ed Boyden is Y. Eva Tan Professor in Neurotechnology at MIT, a McGovern Institute Investigator, and professor of brain and cognitive sciences, media arts and sciences, and biological engineering at MIT. He is also an Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. Boyden leads the Synthetic Neurobiology Group at MIT, which develops tools for analyzing and repairing complex biological systems, and applies them to repair the brain and to create biologically accurate computer simulations of the brain. He also co-directs the MIT Center for Neurobiological Engineering, which aims to develop new tools to accelerate neuroscience progress, and the K. Lisa Yang Center for Bionics, which pioneers transformational bionic interventions across a broad range of conditions affecting the body and mind. He is a faculty member of the MIT Center for Environmental Health Sciences, Computational & Systems Biology Initiative, and Koch Institute.
Boyden received his PhD in neurosciences from Stanford University in the labs of Jennifer Raymond and Richard Tsien. He started college at age 14, studying chemistry at the University of North Texas with Paul Braterman, and went on to earn three degrees from MIT in physics, electrical engineering and computer science, by age 19. Boyden joined the MIT faculty in 2007 and was named a McGovern Investigator in 2010.
Ed Boyden, MIT
Featured Speaker
Dr. Keltner is one of the world’s foremost emotion scientists.
He is a professor of psychology at UC Berkeley and the director of the Greater Good Science Center. He has over 200 scientific publications and six books, including Born to Be Good, The Compassionate Instinct, and The Power Paradox. He has written for many popular outlets, from The New York Times to Slate. He was also the scientific advisor behind Pixar’s Inside Out, is involved with the education of health care providers and judges, and has consulted extensively for Google, Apple, and Pinterest, on issues related to emotion and well-being.
Dacher Keltner, UC Berkeley
Featured Speaker
Combining a passion for music with scientific curiosity, Professor Viskontas works at the intersection of art and science. She has published more than 50 original papers and chapters related to the neural basis of memory and creativity. Her scientific work has been featured in Oliver Sacks’ book Musicophilia, Nautilus, Nature: Science Careers, and Discover Magazine. She has also written for MotherJones.com, American Scientist, Vitriol Magazine, and other publications. Her first book, How Music Can Make You Better, was published by Chronicle Books in April, 2019, and within a week was the best-selling music appreciation book on Amazon. She also serves as the Director of Communications for the Sound Health Network, an initiative promoting research and public awareness of the impact of music on health and well-being.
She often gives keynote talks, for organizations as diverse as Genentech, the Dallas Symphony, SXSW, TEDx and Ogilvy, along with frequent invited talks at conferences and academic institutions. Her 24-lecture course Essential Scientific Concepts was released by The Great Courses in 2014. Her second course, Brain Myths Exploded: Lessons from Neuroscience, based on a class she taught at USF, was released in early 2017 and hit #1 on the nonfiction bestseller list at Audible.com. Her third course, How Digital Technology Shapes Us was also based on a class she teaches at USF, and was released in 2020. Her forthcoming course, The Creative Brain, is slated to be released on the Wondrium platform in 2022. Dr. Viskontas's creative work includes stage directing opera. She is the Creative Director of Pasadena Opera, where she directed The Man Who Mistook his Wife for a Hat, a chamber opera based on the famous case study written by Oliver Sacks. Other directing credits include Katya Kabanova with West Edge Opera at Cal Shakes in Orinda in 2021.
Indre Viskontas, University of San Francisco
Music Curator
Agenda
BrainMind Science Collective 2025
Menlo Park + X, the moonshot factory
Thursday, March 20th, 2025 | Menlo Park
BrainMind Startup Salon and Five Fire Pit Gathering (please note that registration is now closed for this pre-event)
2:00 PM Arrivals
3:00 PM NeuroAI Panel hosted by Protocol Labs and the Foresight Institute
Patrick Mineault, Amaranth Foundation
Ann Kennedy, Scripps
Dave Markowitz, IARPA
Chris Rozell, Georgia Tech, Neuromatch
5:00 PM Rapidfire Pitches
Casey Halpern, SynchNeuro
Divya Chander, Lucidify
Omer Burak Ericek, Medicana Health Group
Deblina Sarkar, Nano-Cybernetic Biotrek Lab, MIT
Steve Gullans, Thynk Inc
Zach Lomis, Vantage
Gabriel Kreiman, Kreiman Lab, Harvard
Ramses Alcaide, Neurable
Ryota Kanai, Japan Moonshot R&D Program
6:00 PM Dinner
7:00 PM Fire Pit Discussions
Neuro Funding Landscape: John Ngai (moderator), Jacques Carolan, Amy Kruse, Justin Sanchez
Foundation Models of the Brain, Digital Twins, and NeuroAI: Andreas Tolias, Gabriel Kreiman, Talmo Pereira
Wandering Minds to AI Creativity: Arnaud Delorme, Jonathan Schooler
Epigenetics, Parenting, and AI: Bianca Jones Marlin, Jennifer Gentile
Psychedelics and Neuropsychiatry: Khaliya X, Michael Brotherton, Graham Boyd
9:00 PM Soft close
Friday, March 21st, 2025 | Menlo Park
BrainMind Science Collective Pre-Events (optional)
Menlo Park
10:00 AM Group Mind Training Session and Bonus Breakout
Metacognition Workshop: Dustin Diperna
Frontiers of BCI and Neuromodulation: Jay Sanguinetti
12:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM Special Topic Breakouts
Is Physicalism Adequate to Explain Consciousness?: Heather Berlin and Christoph Koch
Music, Brain and Health: The Science of Emotional Experiences in Three Acts: Daniel Levitin and Indre Viskontas
3:00 PM Special Topic Breakouts
Perspectives on Contemplative Science: Promise, Perils, and Shared Commitments: Jud Brewer and Clifford Saron
Neuroscience from the Lens of Evolution: Paul Cisek
Brain Health Deep Dive: The Future of Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Disease Prevention: Richard Isaacson and Psyche Loui
BrainMind Science Collective Opening Reception (must attend!)
Menlo Park
5:00 PM Welcome
5:30 PM Musical Immersion, Keynotes from Dacher Keltner and Ed Boyden
6:30 PM Round Robin Kick-off
7:15 PM BrainMind Science Collective Schedule Creation
9:00-9:55 PM Shuttles to Hotel
Saturday, March 22nd, 2025 | X, the moonshot factory
BrainMind Science Collective
8:00 AM Breakfast
8:45 AM Musical Immersion, Brainstorms
9:00 AM Welcome + AM Lightning Talks
10:25 AM Break
11:00 AM Session 1
12:00 AM Session 2
1:00 AM Lunch
2:30 PM Session 3
3:30 PM Session 4
4:30 PM Break
5:00 PM Musical Immersion, Indre Viskontas and Brainstorms
5:15 PM PM Lightning Talks
6:00 PM Reception, Dinner, and Revelry
8:00 PM Music, Fireside Chat, Vibes, Arsha Kaviani, Astro Teller
Sunday, March 23rd, 2025 | X, the moonshot factory
BrainMind Science Collective @ X, the moonshot factory
8:00 AM Breakfast
8:45 AM Musical Immersion, Brainstorms
9:00 AM Recap + AM Lightning Talks
10:25 AM Break
11:00 AM Session 1
12:00 AM Session 2
1:00 AM Lunch
2:30 PM Session 3
3:30 PM Session 4
4:30 PM Musical Immersion, Stephen Spies and Brainstorms, BrainMind Moments
5:00 PM Closing Reception
Friday Fire Pit Discussions
Is Physicalism Adequate to Explain Consciousness?
Heather Berlin, PhD, Professor, Icahn School of medicine at Mount Sinai
Christof Koch, PhD, Chief Scientist, Tiny Blue Dot Foundation / Allen Institute / Intrinsic Powers
Perspectives on Contemplative Science: Promise, Perils, and Shared Commitments
Jud Brewer, PhD, Professor, Co-founder, Brown University, MindshiftRecovery
Clifford Saron, PhD, Research Scientist, Center for Mind and Brain, University of California at Davis
Music, Brain and Health: The Science of Emotional Experiences in Three Acts:
Indre Viskontas, PhD, MM, Associate Professor, CSO, USF, Reverberations
Daniel Levitin, PhD, James McGill Professor, McGill University
Neuroscience from the Lens of Evolution: Paul Cisek
Paul Cisek, PhD, University of Montreal, Professor
Anthony Zador, Professor of Neuroscience, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
Max Bennet, Chief Product Officer & Cofounder, alby AI
Brain Health Deep Dive: The Future of Alzheimer’s and Neurodegenerative Disease Prevention
Richard Isaacson, MD, Preventive Neurologist, Institute for Neurodegenerative, Diseases, Florida, Director of Brain Health, The Atria Institute
Psyche Loui, PhD, Associate Professor of Creativity and Creative Practice, Northeastern University
Featured Artists
Ian Scarfe, Pianist
Edwin Huizinga, Violinist
Richard Warp, Composer
Movement and Somatics
Yana Nakhimova, PhD, Founder, CEO, Body Mind Method
William Spear, Founder, Second Response, Fortunate Blessings Foundation
Nichol Chase, Founder, Wisdom Building Method School
Previous Gatherings
