critical challenge for our ageing society and dedicates a lot of time to communicating healthy brain ideas to the public. In 2011, he released a popular-science book in this area, `Maintain Your Brain` (ABC Books), and was part of the Alzheimer's Australia team that developed BrainyApp, the world's first iPhone app designed to help users maximise their long term brain health. of complex mental activity and is a challenging concept to measure. Our group has developed and validated the Lifetime of Experience Questionnaire (LEQ) as a way of quantifying individual differences in cognitive lifestyle amongst older cognitively intact persons. In collaboration with several population-based cohorts internationally, we are beginning to build a picture of what is a `normal' cognitive lifestyle amongst older Australians, British, French and Americans. In addition, we have shown that a more active cognitive lifestyle is not only associated with a reduced risk for long term incident dementia, but also with increased chances of cognitive recovery from mild cognitive impairment to normal cognition. Further evidence supports the idea that cognitive lifestyle leads to a compression of cognitive morbidity, with important potential socioeconomic implications. Our group is also pioneering studies of the mechanistic basis of these findings, combining in vivo neuroimaging and post mortem histological analyses. From a preventative perspective, we hope to learn how to better exploit the brain's neuroplastic processes by developing effective cognitive lifestyle interventions results from two recently completed randomized control trials presented. chef and food critic turned Tasmanian smallholder. He fattens pigs, milks a cow, tends a garden and writes about food from his office on Puggle Farm, in the gorgeous Huon Valley. food, including the authoritative Real Food Companion and his autobiography Never Order Chicken on a Monday. He writes regularly for Feast and other magazines, and a regular blog for SBS online. He is the presenter of the SBS series, Gourmet Farmer. a venture with Nick Haddow, specialising in regional produce events. Nick and Matthew also own a shop of the same name that showcases artisan produce from around our island state. known and the producer valued. Matthew believes in home cooking, using the seasons and your geography as the guide. It is his hope that more and more people will try to grow their own food (just start with parsley and go from there), or know exactly where their produce is coming from. A simple recipe really...in order to look after body and brain. |