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A Brain Capital Grand Strategy: Toward Economic Reimagination

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Molecular Psychiatry

Erin Smith, Diab Ali, Bill Wilkerson, Walter D. Dawson, Kunmi Sobowale, Charles Reynolds III, Michael Berk, Helen Lavretsky, Dilip Jeste, Chee H. Ng, Jair C. Soares, Gowri Aragam, Zoe Wainer, Husseini K. Manji, Julio Licinio, Andrew W. Lo, Eric Storch, Ernestine Fu, Marion Leboyer, Ioannis Tarnanas, Agustin Ibanez, Facundo Manes, Sarah Caddick, Howard Fillit, Ryan Abbott, Ian H. Robertson, Sandra B. Chapman, Rhoda Au, Cara M. Altimus, William Hynes, Patrick Brannelly, Jeffrey Cummings and Harris A. Eyre

Read full research articleThe time is now to catalyze a Grand Strategy. Brain Capital can be a key component in shaping economic resilience—linked to our digitalized, globalized, complex, and interconnected yet fragile global economy. Brain Capital resonates with existing efforts and helps build long-term global economic recovery that promotes brain health and brain skills helping address urgent challenges caused and exacerbated by COVID. Current policies, concepts, and economic measures neither account for the neuroscientific drivers of productivity nor the increasing brain skills-focused workforce demands of the twenty-first century. Furthermore, current approaches are insufficient to combat the rising complexity of challenges brought about by COVID. The preservation and development of Brain Capital positively impacts educational, social, health, institutional, and economic dimensions at the individual and collective level. Hence, it should be considered a strategic resource for a country, corporations, and public policies in a brain-based world. A system that fosters collaboration among all Brain Capital stakeholders and practitioners, including economists, philanthropists, financiers, governments, public health experts, consumers, entrepreneurs, and neuroscientists, is needed. It is the intersection and fusion of these disciplines where unexpected advances will arise. Brain Capital harnesses transdisciplinary development and innovation and entrepreneurship. Our current reality demands innovation and action across all levels, sectors, and systems of society and the collective world; brain health will act as the underlying nutrient and catalysis for progress. We recommend an action task force be established to further articulate and implement Brain Capital.The BrainHealth® Project – the largest scientific study to redefine brain health and provide strategies for improving and maintaining the brain’s performance – is central to the Brain Capital Grand Strategy. The BrainHealth Project defines brain health as a holistic health measure that includes components like a person’s psychological well-being, social adeptness, and capacity for innovation. This measure, known as the BrainHealth Index, could serve as a predictor of when a community, corporation, or country has the wherewithal to be resilient.
This figure provides the definition of Brain Capital, as well as an explanation of sub-components of Brain Capital i.e. Brain Health, Brain Economy and Brain Skills. Under our novel formulation, the concept of Brain Capital would encompass the knowledge, creative skills, and optimized brain health that people accumulate and can strengthen throughout their lives that enables them to realize their potential as productive members of society. Brain Capital should be supported at all levels of policymaking to ensure impact on human functionality and productivity

Under our novel formulation, the concept of Brain Capital would encompass the knowledge, creative skills, and optimized brain health that people accumulate and can strengthen throughout their lives that enables them to realize their potential as productive members of society. Brain Capital should be supported at all levels of policymaking to ensure impact on human functionality and productivity.

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The BrainHealth Index will be a central component of the Brain Capital strategy. This measurement of brain health will allow for us to track, benchmark and implement the Brain Capital Grand Strategy in policy. This Index can also be used by executives, human resource managers and board members. – Harris Eyre, MD PhD, the senior author of the paper

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Ian Robertson, PhD

T. Boone Pickens Distinguished Chair Co-Leader, The BrainHealth Project

Sandra Bond Chapman, PhD

Chief Director Dee Wyly Distinguished Professor, School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences Co-Leader, The BrainHealth Project

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Brain capital is a key component in shaping economic resilience, linked to our digitalized, globalized, complex, and interconnected yet fragile global economy. The time is now to catalyze a Grand Strategy for Brain Capital.