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As we wrap-up another year of elevating big ideas at Aspen Ideas: Health, we're excited to share the 15 most-watched sessions from the event. These conversations with inspiring leaders, innovators, and advocates sparked our community's curiosity on topics ranging from longevity and mental health to AI and gene editing. Explore and share to continue the celebration of bold...
In America, millions of people struggle with mental health including depression, anxiety, and more — all further exacerbated by living through a pandemic. The National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that one in five adults experience mental illness each year, but despite how common it is, mental health is still surrounded by stigma and shame. Our experts are candid abo...
Our attitudes, habits, pleasures, and responsibilities shift across the generations, influencing the health challenges we face and how we respond to them. Expectations about how we receive primary care, the way we understand gender, the technology available to monitor fitness and wellbeing, our response to ageist biases, and our thoughts about the inevitability of death ev...
The United States spends $4.3 trillion—almost one fifth of the nation’s GDP—on health care. As the scale of the medical enterprise expands, venture capitalists are pursuing the next big thing, pharmaceutical companies are developing pathbreaking therapeutics, and hospital systems are consolidating at unprecedented speed. Meanwhile, new care delivery models and the digital...
Today's kids are coming of age against a backdrop of political, social, technological and economic upheaval. While these circumstances are shaping a precocious generation that is changing society and redefining cultural norms, kids are also struggling with mental health challenges, the pressures of social media and the ongoing terror of gun violence in schools. At the same...
Advocates, healthcare providers, legislators, researchers, and venture capitalists are bringing the unique health needs of women to light – from vigorous policy debates on issues affecting women’s bodies to groundbreaking research on fertility and menopause to an explosion of women-centered technology. But much more needs to be done. Gender differences in heart disease, de...
From the debate over reproductive rights to the epidemic of gun violence to the youth mental health crisis, this year's Aspen Ideas: Health sessions tackled many of today's most pressing health issues. Explore the timely conversations with top government officials, medical researchers, business leaders, public health experts, legal scholars, and journalists to hear the ide...
The recognition that all things are connected is at once a scientific principle and a philosophical touchstone. Humans, animals, and the environment are intertwined in complex cause-and-effect relationships, which require interdisciplinary learning and efforts to support our collective health and well-being. From preserving biodiversity and promoting regenerative agricultu...
Our need for human connection is profound and deep. Yet, today, one in two adults are living with measurable levels of loneliness – and the numbers are even higher among young people. At Aspen Ideas: Health 2024, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy challenged each of us to commit to simple daily actions that can help strengthen the relationships that are critical to our indi...
Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing health care by improving patient navigation, telehealth and the speed of drug development. From enhancing patient and provider experiences to driving efficiencies across the health care spectrum, AI can lead us to a smarter, more accessible and more patient-centered future of health.
Brain-computer interfaces show potential to restore function to people impacted by incurable neurological conditions such as stroke, spinal cord injury, traumatic brain injury and neurodegenerative disease. Experts from neurosurgery, neuroscience and technology explore the current state of BCIs, their applications and the possibilities of this transformative technology.
Neurodivergent people make up 15% to 20% of the global population, and visionaries are busy trying to foster welcoming environments in areas like adaptive sports, fashion design and the arts. How do we create a world for — and with — people on the spectrum?
Across the globe, humans are living and working longer than ever — and today’s systems, governments and businesses aren’t prepared. Examine how we can reimagine work, wealth and retirement to live our lives both longer and better.
Given what we learned from the global turbulence from COVID-19, are we any more prepared for the next pandemic? Author and journalist Michael Lewis and Adar Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, the world’s largest vaccine maker, discuss strategies to protect the world against future outbreaks and explore how global collaboration can ensure equitable access to life-...
Few people are more deeply steeped in science than Francis Collins, former director of the National Institutes of Health and the groundbreaking Human Genome Project, and former acting science advisor to President Biden. The physician and geneticist is also an evangelical Christian and he sees no contradiction there. Indeed, Collins argues that harmonizing science and faith...
Climate change is a threat multiplier with a disproportionate impact on vulnerable populations. Girls and women, who are denied equitable access to education and economic opportunity in many parts of the world, are most likely to experience the far-reaching effects of a warming planet. Advocates are trying to level the playing field with projects designed to empower the fe...
Featuring inspiring conversations, the closing session is not to be missed. First, U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy and Jennifer Ashton of ABC News explore the loneliness epidemic and the importance of rebuilding social connection. Next, hear a special performance by cellist Joshua Roman and a conversation between Elizabeth Cohen and Joshua Roman about his Immunity Projec...
The experience of loss alters the map of the world imprinted on our brain, disrupting patterns and expectations as it struggles to form new ones. Grief is a kind of longing, not only for what has been lost but for the innocent assumption that our familiar world will remain with us always. We speak of resilience and healing, but in Grief is for People, author Sloane Crosley...
The hormonal changes and hot flashes that accompany menopause are familiar to most women, but the accompanying brain changes have not received as much attention. We now know that the inflammatory responses associated with declining levels of estrogen have neurological consequences, which could explain why women are more likely than men to develop Alzheimer’s disease. The a...
The idea of gathering DNA samples into a vast database in order to identify disease risks and breakthrough therapies was once a distant dream. Not long ago, immunotherapy seemed like pure fantasy. Today, these genetic-based approaches offer patients insights into their risks for developing cancer, potentially leading to new therapeutic approaches, earlier screenings, and p...