The event on Saturday 28 March will feature Marina Boccardi, Professor of Psychology of Ageing at the SUPSI Centre of Expertise for Older People. The topics discussed during the morning, organised in two parts, are summarised in the title “Journey to the centre of the head. From the brain in 3D to the science of sleep: neuro-explorations for living better and longer”.

The changing brain: a 3D journey through experience, ageing and disease

How does the brain change with the experiences we have? How does it age? And above all: what protects it? In the first part of the morning, Marina Boccardi will guide the audience inside a real brain, navigating it in three dimensions with professional neuroimaging software. The screen will show the structures that are shaped by our experiences, that change over the years, and that can be protected or exposed to risk.

Sleep to live: sleep, movement and good practices for longevity

What happens when we fall asleep? Why is sleep the most powerful tool for regeneration that the brain possesses? And what links the way we sleep to our longevity? In the second stage of the journey, Fabrizio Barazzoni (Director of the European Sleep Foundation, USI professor) will take us into the other life of the brain, the nocturnal one. In Switzerland, one in five people suffer from insomnia: we sleep little, we sleep poorly, and our brains pay the price. The talk will explore the link between sleep, physical activity and ageing, and will conclude with a series of practical tips to take home.

During the afternoon, the theme of time will be addressed, not only as a chronological measure, but as a biological, psychological and cultural process that involves the body, the mind and the way we perceive ourselves.

More information about the speakers and the content of the day is available in the documents on the side.

Free event, subject to availability. Registration required via eventbrite.