The Brain Health Council Foundation in Bulgaria has presented an innovative online calculator designed to assess an individual’s five-year risk of ischemic stroke. Developed by a team at University Hospital “N. I. Pirogov” in Sofia, the tool uses 12 indicators, including age, blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, cholesterol levels, physical activity and family history of stroke, to help identify individuals at increased risk.

The calculator aims to support the early identification of stroke risk and encourage timely consultation with a neurologist. Intended for primary prevention, it does not replace medical advice or provide a diagnosis. The tool was presented on 12 October 2026 during a roundtable on artificial intelligence and stroke, organised by the Brain Health Council Foundation ahead of World Stroke Day.

PRESS RELEASE | KILDARE, 26 October 2026 — Earlier support, better-connected care and a stronger voice for people living with brain conditions were at the heart of the event Breaking Down Silos: A Value-Driven Future for Brain Health & Care, held on October 26 at the Irish National Stud & Gardens in Kildare.

An Associated Presidency Event of the Irish Presidency of the Council of the European Union, the gathering brought together people with lived experience, carers, clinicians, researchers and policymakers to explore how Ireland and Europe can turn scientific progress and political ambition into better everyday care. The event was organised by the European Brain Council (EBC), in partnership with the Neurological Alliance of Ireland, FutureNeuro, and Dementia Ireland.

The Kildare gathering builds on September’s Brain Days and science-diplomacy discussions in New York during the high-level week of UNGA81, where international partners called for sustained collaboration to advance brain health as a global priority. Against growing momentum across international, EU and national policy agendas, the event connected that ambition with practical proposals for better prevention, research and care in Ireland and across Europe.

Member of the European Parliament (MEP)’s Nina Carberry and Ciaran Mullooly joined Deputy Colm Burke, Chair of the Oireachtas Cross Party Group on Neurological Health, for a programme connecting personal experience, community needs and political leadership. Carberry took part in a conversation with dementia advocate Helen Rochford-Brennan, while Mullooly addressed the links between European policy, timely care and participation in community life.

Rather than a traditional conference, the event used an interactive “World Café” format. Participants worked in roundtables to develop proposals, which were then put to expert and policy panels for discussion about feasibility, responsibility and implementation.

The programme focused on four connected priorities:

• Putting lived experience at the centre of decisions, so people and carers help shape policies, services and the outcomes used to assess them.
• Strengthening prevention and early intervention throughout life, including action beyond the health service.
• Connecting research with everyday care, so advances in neuroscience, digital health and innovation translate into accessible support.
• Recognising value through quality of life, including independence, participation, dignity, rehabilitation and support for carers.

Nina Carberry, Member of the European Parliament, said:
“Europe has a real opportunity to lead, through better coordination, stronger investment in research and innovation, and by ensuring that advances in science translate into meaningful improvements in people’s health.”

Ciaran Mullooly, Member of the European Parliament, said:
“Policies and directives cannot be drafted at desks far away from the realities of lived experiences.”

Eamon McPartlin, Chair of the Neurological Alliance of Ireland, said:
“We can have all the best policies in the world, but they’re only as good as their execution. And this is where lived experience can be so valuable. It can provide feedback on what’s working well and what’s not working well.”

Finnian Hanrahan, at Health Research Board, said:
“There is still such an importance in research that is fundamental, that is blue skies research, that is highly exploratory. There’s no one size fits all.”

Frédéric Destrebecq, Executive Director of the European Brain Council, said:
“People do not experience their health in separate policy categories. They need services that connect, research that responds to their priorities, and support that helps them live well.”
“Ireland’s Presidency offers an important opportunity to bring these pieces together. The task is not to start again, but to build on the expertise, initiatives and partnerships already in place – and give them the political backing needed to deliver lasting change.”

The event took place against growing calls for a comprehensive EU Neurological Health Strategy. A declaration issued by Irish and European organisations on World Brain Day called on Ireland’s Presidency to advance coordinated action with Member States, the European Parliament and the European Commission.

Existing initiatives – including Healthier Together, the European Partnership for Brain Health and WHO’s Global Action Plans – provide foundations on which to build. The priority is to connect research, public health, care and social support, rather than allow them to develop in isolation.

Participants called for earlier involvement of people with lived experience in designing research and services, clearer care pathways supported by navigators, and reduced administrative barriers to translating research into patient benefit. As a next step, a follow-up event will take place in the European Parliament, bringing the Kildare recommendations and participatory approach to a wider European policy audience. Further engagement in Lithuania was also outlined to sustain momentum towards coordinated neurological and mental health action and adequate support in the next EU budget.

An upcoming event report will consolidate the recommendations developed in Kildare and be circulated to Irish and EU policymakers. It will translate the discussions into practical policy proposals to advance brain health – neurological and mental alike – while connecting existing initiatives and highlighting opportunities for joint action. By carrying participants’ priorities into national and European policy debates, the report will provide a shared basis for continued dialogue, advocacy and implementation.

This event was made possible thanks to the support of Catalight, and the following supporting organisations:
Headway Ireland, Neuroscience Ireland, FENS, and Migraine Ireland.

On Monday 12 October, Suzanne L. Dickson, President of the European Brain Council (EBC), chaired the plenary lecture on “Rethinking Women’s Brain Health Across the Lifespan: The Power to Change”, delivered by Professor Julia Sacher, who explored the importance of understanding women’s brain health across the lifespan.

The lecture highlighted the need for more inclusive research approaches integrating mechanistic neuroscience and individual hormonal trajectories to advance personalized prevention and treatment and improve women’s brain health across the lifespan. More details here.

EBC was also present with a booth in the Exhibition space throughout the congress, serving as a visible representation of the Council and its ongoing initiatives. It provided attendees with an opportunity to learn more about EBC’s work, including its projects, partnerships, and advocacy efforts in neuroscience and brain health.

The European Brain Council (EBC) was proud to lead the 2026 Brain Days at the Science Summit of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81) in New York, marking another major milestone in the efforts to advance brain health, research and capital on the global policy agenda.

In collaboration with Perkins&Will, Victoria Walsh, Devin Kleiner and Katlyn Blong of Perkins&Will, Christopher Moses (Alliance Theatre), Mike Schleifer (Lincoln Center Theater) and Moushumi Sharmin (Western Washington University), moderated by Hala El Khorazaty (Perkins&Will), examined how inclusive and evidence-informed design can support learning, emotional wellbeing and brain health from childhood through higher education.

The afternoon opened with Carmencita Bua (Skylark Transition Program) in conversation with Hala El Khorazaty on Skylark at Meleto and the need to better support young people in the transition to independent adulthood.

In collaboration with HKS and The Pedersen Foundation, Kara Hourihan (The Pedersen Foundation) and Upali Nanda (HKS) presented Neurospatial Design: Evidence in Practice, showing how the design of physical environments can be informed by evidence on cognitive, emotional and psychological wellbeing.

In collaboration with the Center for BrainHealth, Sandra Chapman and Ian Robertson (Center for BrainHealth, The BrainHealth Project), George Vradenburg (Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative) and Krystal Sexton (Cognitive Capital Group), moderated by Richard Hatzfeld (Finn Partners), explored how to turn brain science into scalable impact, including the launch of the BrainHealth Pulse assessment.

In collaboration with the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease, Lisa Mosconi (Weill Cornell Medicine), Susan Peters (Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health) and Lynn Posluns (Women’s Brain Health Initiative) joined moderator Dan Pawson (Business Collaborative for Brain Health) to address the urgent need for sex- and gender-responsive research, menopause-aware workplace policies and greater support for women’s cognitive health throughout the life course.

Suzanne Dickson closed the programme by reflecting on the collective energy, knowledge and partnerships represented across the two days, and on the opportunity to carry this momentum forward.

The 2026 Brain Days were made possible through the commitment and collaboration of an exceptional group of partners: the European Partnership for Brain Health, Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, Coordination & Support Action BrainHealth, Centre for Aging + Brain Health Innovation, Northwell Health, European Academy of Neurology, Brain Health Mission, The Carter Center, Siemens Healthineers, Catalight Foundation, Perkins&Will, HKS, The Pedersen Foundation, Center for BrainHealth and the Davos Alzheimer’s Collaborative Global CEO Initiative on Alzheimer’s Disease.

These partnerships make it possible to convene leaders and contributors from across Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Americas – and, crucially, to connect the perspectives of science, policy, clinical practice, patient advocacy, education, business, finance, philanthropy, design and communities.

From a 25-person roundtable five years ago, the Brain Days have grown into a two-day convening space for leaders in research, care, prevention, education, policy, finance, technology, design, advocacy and lived experience. As the fifth edition draws to a close, the message is clear: brain health is a social, economic and human priority, and the momentum now is to turn a shared vision into sustained collaboration, political commitment and meaningful action. The next phase is to build on it – through stronger global collaboration, science diplomacy, national leadership and continued work towards a UN Resolution for the Brain.

For the fifth year in a row, the European Brain Council (EBC) joined partners and stakeholders from across the global brain health community in New York during the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81), bringing brain health, research, innovation and the broader societal and economic value of brain health into discussions taking place throughout the UN High-Level Week.

Across a week of high-level meetings, scientific exchanges and multi-stakeholder dialogue, EBC helped connect European and international perspectives around a common objective: strengthening global action on brain health and ensuring that brain health is recognised as a strategic priority for societies, economies and sustainable development.