The two-day Brain Forum held under the patronage of Interior Minister Prince Mohammed bin Naif was inaugurated in Jeddah on Tuesday.

The forum seeks to address issues related to brain problems and to present various health care solutions to combat neurological disorders.

W-Science organized the Brain Forum, in collaboration with King Abdul Aziz University (KAU), King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), the Saudi Society of Neurology, and NeuroPro AG Switzerland. Walid Juffali, founder of W-Science, explained that the forum came within the framework of initiatives undertaken by the Saudi government to address national health priorities, including neurodegenerative diseases and brain disorders.

“The main aim of the brain forum is to convey and transfer the latest technology in relation to brain disorders to the Kingdom as well as to raise awareness and educate the population regarding these diseases. This is not just a brain forum that will come and go, but rather it will offer an interconnectivity with the world’s top inspirational thinkers, pioneers in the field of brain research, personalized health care, scientists and patients,” he said.

He also explained that the main objective of the forum is to help Saudi neurologists, doctors, scientists and researchers connect with specialists around the world in the field of neuroscience.

Juffali pointed out that given the rise in the number of neurological disorders, it is important to open the door for local research in this domain and raise awareness regarding the technological breakthroughs.

“Experts will share the latest discoveries and hold open discussions on the future of brain research and related health care challenges,” he added.

Juffali thanked Prince Mohammed bin Naif for his support and help in organizing this forum.

Patrick Aebischer, professor of neuroscience and president of the Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland, said, “We need to develop further collaboration between patients and doctors. We want communities to come together and share their experiences, data, and technologies in order to better understand how the brain functions.”

The first day of the forum witnessed discussions on the mysteries of the human brain, the progress that has been achieved in brain research and an introduction into the brain machine interface.