Neuroplasticity: The Science of the Adaptable Brain
Date:
18 February 2027
Time:
6:00pm
How to keep your brain changing for the better at any age.
What if the moments your brain struggles are exactly when it’s getting stronger?
According to neuroscientist Tommy Wood, a brain that is challenged is a brain that adapts. Supporting it isn’t about an expensive pill or a rigid biohacking routine, itt comes down to how we challenge, rest and nourish our brains every day.
Your brain is built to adapt. When it meets something it can’t yet do, such as a new language, an unfamiliar dance step, or a route without the sat nav, it rewires itself to rise to the challenge. Connections strengthen, networks reorganise, and over time you build mental “headroom”: extra capacity that helps your brain keep adapting as you age. This is neuroplasticity in action, and it continues throughout life.
But adaptation needs more than effort. In his book The Stimulated Mind, Tommy sets out three foundations the brain needs to thrive: Stimulation, Supply (of nutrients), and Support (like sleep). Challenge sends the signal to adapt, while sleep and nutrition give the brain what it needs to respond.
In this webinar, Tommy, Head of Research at Food for the Brain, explores the science of the adaptable brain. He explains why a little struggle is good for you, and how one small change can set off positive changes across the rest of your life.
What You’ll Learn
- What neuroplasticity is, and how the brain physically adapts to challenge at any age
- Why the brain needs to struggle, and why the right kind of difficulty matters more than simply keeping busy
- Which activities appear to stretch the brain most, from learning a language or instrument to dance and other skill-based movement
- How Stimulus, Supply, and Support work together to support the brain’s ability to adapt
- How to build mental headroom through realistic changes, and why fixing just one thing can have a compounding effect
You will leave with a clearer understanding of how your brain stays adaptable, and the confidence that it is never too late to support it.
Who This Webinar Is For
This session is ideal for anyone who wants to:
- understand how the brain changes and adapts throughout life
- keep learning new skills and challenging their brain at any age
- reduce their lifetime dementia risk through realistic, evidence-based habits
- move beyond brain-training myths to what the research actually suggests
- support a family member by understanding the science of prevention
No scientific background is needed. Just curiosity and a desire to understand your health better.
Event Details
Date: THursday 18 February 2027
Time: 6:00 PM UK time | 1pm EST
Format: Live online webinar with Q&A
Recording: Available to all registrants
Cost: £25 or FREE for FRIENDS of Food for the Brain
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About our Speaker:
Associate Professor Tommy Wood BM BCh, PhD
Tommy is a neuroscientist and physician at the University of Washington whose research focuses on brain health across the lifespan. His work spans newborn brain injury, prevention of adult cognitive decline, high-performance cognition, and the biological pathways that shape how the brain ages. He is Head of Research at Food for the Brain, co-founder of the British Society of Lifestyle Medicine, co-host of The Better Brain Fitness podcast and author of The Stimulated Mind. Tommy brings deep scientific expertise with a practical, compassionate approach that helps people understand what really makes a difference.
Your Participation Supports Our Work
Every FRIEND membership and every webinar ticket purchased directly supports the research and charitable work of Food for the Brain.
Thank you for helping us advance our mission to improve brain health and support dementia prevention through nutrition, education and research.