This event was presented by UBC Connects at Robson Square in partnership with the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health, the UBC Faculty of Medicine, and UBC Community Engagement. Rewiring the Mind was the first of a three-part series co-hosted by UBC Connects at Robson Square and the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health.
What if your brain is more capable of change than you ever could have imagined?
Advances in brain science are revealing an extraordinary truth: the brain is forever changing — shaped by learning, exercise, diet, and even community connection. On November 3, 2025, curiosity filled the air at UBC Robson Square as 240 guests took their seats in a packed theatre, ready to explore how these advances are shedding light on one of life’s most fascinating frontiers — the human brain.
The brain’s incredible capacity for change
The evening opened with Dr. Lara Boyd, UBC Distinguished University Scholar and former Canada Research Chair in Neurobiology of Motor Learning and Rehabilitation, whose talk illustrated the brain’s almost magical ability to rewire itself through learning and experience. With vivid metaphors — neurons as “billions of beautiful trees” communicating by chemical sparks — Dr. Boyd described how “your brain changes chemically, structurally, and functionally every time you learn something new,” and how practice, sleep, and repetition help transform fleeting moments of memory into lasting knowledge.
She also shared how the UBC Brain Behaviour Lab is translating science into stroke recovery research, using brain stimulation, high-intensity exercise, and even video games to help patients retrain movement and cognition.
Dr. Boyd emphasized that a one-size-fits-all approach to brain wellness and recovery cannot work: every brain is unique, and every person’s path to learning and healing is, too. “Each of us has an incredibly unique brain that’s absolutely shaped by our past experience, our behaviour, our motivation,” she noted, “and that brain is going to respond uniquely.”
“I hope I’ve convinced you that your brain is amazing. When you leave this room tonight, your brain will not be the same as when you entered.”
— Dr. Lara Boyd
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Eat, play, love — and connect
Next, Dr. Silke Appel-Cresswell, neurologist and co-founder of the BC Brain Wellness Program, invited the audience to imagine wellness as something both scientific and soulful. She spoke clearly and playfully about just how important it is to eat, play, love — and sleep.
Drawing from her research on Parkinson’s disease and healthy aging, Dr. Appel-Cresswell explained how Mediterranean-style diets, regular movement, creative activity, and strong social ties protect brain health and even extend life expectancy. She also spoke about the hidden epidemic of loneliness, urging the audience to see connection as essential — and evidence-based — nourishment for their minds.
“We asked participants to give us six words that they associate with brain wellness, and the word that came out the biggest was community. Regardless of what people did, this is really what we’re creating. And that really speaks to the meaning of community.”
— Dr. Silke Appel-Cresswell
The story of the BC Brain Wellness Program, which Dr. Appel-Cresswell helped launch in 2019, has reached thousands through classes in exercise, nutrition, mindfulness, and the arts. It is an inspiring example of how comprehensive programming can engage all aspects of brain health. “It’s important to really do these things together,” she noted, “because it’s the combination of these things that are so much more powerful than just one of them on their own.”
Moving toward resilience
Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose’s presentation tied a bow on the evening’s conversation. The Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Healthy Aging and UBC lead of the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging took the audience on a journey through the brain–body connection, showing how movement is not just good for us — it transforms the brain itself. Her message was simple yet profound: movement is medicine.
Sharing stories from her research and her own family, Dr. Liu-Ambrose illustrated how even short daily walks can preserve memory, strengthen resilience, and “reverse brain age” by up to two years. She reminded everyone that resilience is “shaped by how we live and the environment we immerse ourselves in every day.”
The warmth of her personal stories and humour — paired with practical, doable advice — drew smiles from across the packed room. As she closed, the audience was reminded that building brain health doesn’t require perfection or marathon workouts, just small, consistent acts of movement and care.
“Your brain literally will change as you exercise, and the next bout is going to be easier and easier. You just have to start… When you exercise, you release dopamine, which allows you to feel more motivated. It’s a cyclic pattern of behaviour.”
— Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose
From Curiosity to Connection: A Community in Conversation
Following the presentations, the speakers joined together for a Q&A – and hands quickly filled the air. Guests reflected on the needs of those experiencing stroke or Parkinson’s disease, asked for additional advice and insight on diet and exercise, and inquired about potential gender differences in research on brain health. There was also interest in the impacts of new technology, the potential of mindfulness for supporting brain health, and how social connection shapes the mind in today’s world.
Speakers
Dr. Lara Boyd is a Professor and Distinguished University Scholar at UBC. She is both a neuroscientist and physical therapist. Dr. Boyd directs the Brain Behaviour Lab, which performs research that tests ideas surrounding how behaviour and brain health affect learning. Since joining UBC in 2006, Dr. Boyd has published more than 200 papers and been awarded over $25 million in research funding. She has also won numerous awards for her research and mentorship. Additionally, Dr. Boyd’s TEDx talk “After watching this your brain will not be the same” has been viewed by over 40 million people.
Dr. Boyd’s talk, ‘How do we learn, unlearn and relearn?‘ shared how brain change supports learning. She will provide examples of how learning takes place in young, old and damaged brains as well as talk about why it is sometimes hard to acquire new knowledge.
Click the link to watch Dr. Boyd’s previous groundbreaking TedX session,
Dr. Teresa Liu-Ambrose is a physical therapist and a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Healthy Aging at UBC. She directs the Aging, Mobility and Cognitive Health Laboratory, the Vancouver General Hospital’s Falls Prevention Clinic and the Centre for Aging SMART. She also leads the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) Data Collection Site at UBC. Dr. Liu-Ambrose’s research focuses on understanding the role of exercise and other lifestyle interventions, in promoting cognitive and mobility outcomes in older adults. Her research findings have been implemented into clinical practice, community programs and international practice guidelines or recommendations to promote healthy aging.
Dr. Liu-Ambrose’s presentation, ‘The Brain–Body Connection: Exercise as a Catalyst for Cognitive and Physical Resilience‘ reflected on how exercise plays a critical role in ensuring we maintain both our physical and cognitive functions as we age.
Dr. Silke Appel-Cresswell is a movement disorder neurologist and Associate Professor at UBC. She holds the Marg Meikle Professorship for Research in Parkinson’s disease and directs the Pacific Parkinson’s Research Centre. Her research focuses on a holistic, interdisciplinary approach to the treatment and prevention of brain disorders. She is the co-founder of the BC Brain Wellness Program, which promotes active engagement in exercise, art, mindfulness, nutrition and community building. In addition, her research studies the role of the microbiome in Parkinson’s disease and other brain disorders, and the use of ultrasound guidance for botulinum toxin injections in movement disorders.
In her talk, ‘Eat, play, love – Nutrition and other healthy habits for our brains,’ Dr. Appel-Cresswell reviewed the role of nutrition in brain health using the example of Parkinson’s disease. She told the story of the BC Brain Wellness Program as a way to overcome barriers on the path to brain wellness.
Moderator
Dr. Lynn Raymond is a Professor in UBC’s Department of Psychiatry, Co-Director of the Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health and Clinic Director of the Centre for Huntington Disease. As a clinician-scientist, she brings a unique perspective to her work on neurodegenerative diseases, bridging the gap between research and patient care. Her lab investigates the mechanisms that lead to Huntington Disease, focusing on changes in brain circuits and glutamate receptor function.
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