Health
Advances
Take a sneak peek at some of the big thinkers and innovative doers who will take the stage at Aspen Ideas: Health from June 20-23, 2024!
Since 2014, Aspen Ideas: Health has welcomed over 700 inspiring women leaders to our stages to share their bold approaches to better health. In honor of Women's History Month, we're taking a look back at some of the many highlights. From medical researchers and clinicians to entrepreneurs and activists, meet 12 change makers who are breaking barriers to reimagine a healthi...
During Aspen Ideas: Health 2023, four innovators shared how they are using new technologies to reimagine the common health devices we use to treat patients and improve their quality of life. Watch the demos to learn how these new takes on the wheelchair, hearing aids, the stethoscope, and more, are challenging the status quo.
As Aspen Ideas: Health wraps-up its 10th anniversary year, we're excited to share the ten most-watched sessions from the event. These conversations with artists, advocates, innovators, and leaders sparked our community's curiosity on topics ranging from women's health to biomedical breakthroughs. Explore and share to continue the celebration of bold approaches to better he...
Whether expressed through systems that are easy to navigate, devices that are friendly to their users, and spaces that are pleasing to the eye, thoughtful design can break down barriers, build trust, and help heal the mind, body, and spirit. Explore the power of design with Aspen Ideas: Health 2023 speakers who are thinking outside the box to build healthier lives and comm...
Finding ways to ground ourselves on a planet too often in turmoil can foster the resilience we need to function at our best. By maintaining close personal ties, learning new skills, engaging in civic activities, spending time in nature, enjoying the arts, and seeking counseling, we can support our physical and mental health in profound ways. Aspen Ideas: Health experts sha...
You may have heard of Dry January and mocktails, but what is being "sober curious" really about? Sans Bar's Chris Marshall explains the growing movement and shares how he's building inclusive, alcohol-free communities.
Since 2014, Aspen Ideas: Health has gathered innovative thinkers and doers to elevate and accelerate bold approaches to better health for all. Director Ruth Katz reflects on the last decade of inspiring conversations and connections, which have influenced the work of many of our extraordinary speakers, fellows, and attendees. Check out the new booklet, "Celebrating 10 Year...
The quest for profits, commitments to social impact, and consumer preference are driving unprecedented change in healthcare as investors pour in money, start-ups and big tech upend traditional delivery models, and patients turn to apps to access care in new ways. We are thinking differently about what supports health, redirecting resources into social determinants like edu...
Setting audacious goals helps to redefine what is achievable in health, medicine, and science. As we deepen understanding of the human genome, unravel the mysteries of the brain, harness the power of AI, and target new vaccines and therapeutics, we push the boundaries of knowledge. Moonshots underway in cancer, nutrition, and health equity could be game changers, taking us...
Everyone has a story to tell – and sharing them reminds us of our common humanity. Few know this better than StoryCorps CEO Sandra Clark. Over the last 20 years, the organization has collected, archived, and shared the extraordinary stories of everyday people. Learn about the powerful ways storytelling and listening can help cultivate empathy and foster understanding.
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...
Forget quick fixes or gimmicks, Drs. Dean and Ayesha Sherzai teach evidence-based lifestyle modifications and cognitive strategies that have shown profound real-world impact. Drawing from their extensive experience in neurology, research, lifestyle medicine, and behavioral neuroscience, they share practical, science-backed tools and strategies for staving off cognitive d...
Vision, hearing, touch, taste, and smell are the five human senses most of us are fortunate enough to know intimately. We like to say that intuition is our sixth sense, but Emma Young, an award-winning journalist who writes extensively about science and health, delves into research that has uncovered many others. In Super Senses: The Science of Your 32 Senses and How to Us...
The belief that the paralyzed will walk and the deaf will hear is a staple of religion, literature, and myth. Now, technology is actually making that happen. Zeen has designed a battery-free mobility device to combine the best functions of a walker and wheelchair. Wristbands created by Neosensory feed sound vibrations directly from the skin to the brain, improving the abil...
Female athletes seem to get faster and stronger every year, thanks to more sophisticated sports science, improved training techniques, and the growth in competitive opportunities made possible by greater public and sponsor interest. Yet the bias towards studying male athletes endures, women earn less than their male counterparts, and the hurdles of sexism, racism, ageism,...
Human-centered architecture puts user needs at the center of the buildings in which people work, play, learn, and heal, recognizing that design decisions play a potent role in mental and physical wellbeing. In clinical settings, health-promoting spaces are easy for patients and visitors to navigate, let in natural light, minimize intrusive noise, and foster respect for hum...
Research that can generate transformative, high-impact biomedical and health breakthroughs, from the molecular to the societal, is gaining traction as the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) gets off the ground. Launched by federal legislation in March 2022, ARPA-H will make pivotal investments to stimulate dynamic health solutions that can reshape millio...
Will AI bring in robot doctors? Chat GPT: “Yes, these robots can assist in various healthcare tasks, such as diagnosing illnesses, performing surgeries, or providing personalized care to patients.” How will AI be regulated? Chat GPT: “Regulatory approaches may vary between countries, but the overarching goal is to strike a balance between fostering innovation and safeguard...
For many women reaching middle age, menopause is a liberating signal that the childbearing years have come to an end. But with its characteristic hot flashes and complex effects on memory, sleep, sexual functioning, bones, and mental health, this inevitable part of aging is also marked by physical and emotional challenges. Misinformation, research gaps, cultural myths, and...