Effects of Exercise on Brain Health:  Emerging Findings from IGNITE

Kirk I. Erickson, Ph.D.

Director, Translational Neuroscience, AdventHealth, Orlando, FL

Mardian J. Blair Endowed Chair of Neuroscience, AdventHealth, Orlando, FL

Adjunct Professor, University of Pittsburgh

This presentation will explore how staying physically active supports brain health as we age, while also addressing why studies in this area have sometimes produced mixed results. A central goal is to make sense of these inconsistencies by highlighting key factors that shape outcomes—such as how much exercise people do, how consistently they stick with it, their baseline health and risk profiles, and how brain and cognitive changes are measured. By placing past findings within this broader context, the talk will offer a clearer framework for understanding what works, for whom, and under what conditions, ultimately helping to guide more personalized and effective exercise recommendations for brain health.

Minor stroke minor problem: What we are missing, and rethinking follow-up care.

Jenny Crow, HEE/NIHR Integrated Clinical Academic Programme, Clinical Doctoral Research Fellow, Imperial College London.

Minor stroke accounts for up to half of all strokes. Patients admitted to hyperacute stroke units (HASU) typically have short hospital stays, are often considered to have made a full recovery at discharge and usually receive no structured follow-up beyond routine medical review. In acute settings, many are assessed as “back to baseline,” with limited opportunity to identify residual or emerging needs.

This talk presents findings from a mixed-methods feasibility study of an early, personalised follow-up intervention informed and shaped by clinical practice, patient involvement, and theory-based principles. The intervention provides structured, holistic reviews at 2 and 6 weeks post-discharge. I will outline the intervention development process, feasibility trial outcomes, and qualitative insights into patient experiences across the stroke pathway. Findings highlight important unmet needs after minor stroke and demonstrate the feasibility and acceptability of a personalised follow-up model to inform a future definitive trial.

This four-day course correlates gross anatomy with neuroimaging and functional MRI to illustrate normal neurological function, the alterations that attend disease, and the bases for the clinical features seen in patients

The course structure includes:

• Lectures by leading Presenters from within and outside UK 
• Anatomy Workshops with live dissection 
• PACS Workshops 
• Informal welcome and farewell receptions.

*In person event*

The event will take place in person from 09:00-18:00 with no online attendance option.

Treating patients with Upper Limb Deficit: integrating research into practice

This two-day course provides an up-to-date overview of current research in treatment and rehabilitation options for neurological patients with upper limb deficit. The course looks at the practical, real-life translation of scientific evidence into clinical practice and discusses the ingredients that make an upper limb therapy effective.  Delegates will have the opportunity to trial novel devices and robotic technology.

Course lecturers are leading clinicians and researchers in the field of upper limb rehabilitation and include:

Professor Nick Ward, University College London

Fran Brander, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery

Kate Kelly, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery

Dr Ben Beare, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery

Other speakers to be announced!

Programme and speakers can be found under ‘more info’ tab. TBA

*In person event*

This event will take place in person on Thursday 25th & Friday 26th June 2026 with no online attendance option.