MatchPoints 2022: Discover more about the brain

The brain is what makes us human. It is the home of our consciousness, our thoughts and our language. It is the reason we can feel joy, sorry and fear – and be moved by art or music. But what actually happens in the brain when we listen to music? Or when we feel depressed? Do we all experience pain in the same way? And are emotions simply nuerochemistry?

These are just some of the questions that will feature when Aarhus University puts the brain on the agenda at the MatchPoints Conference on 5-7 May 2022 – an annual conference aimed at both academics and the wider public that focuses on a different topic each year.

This year, MatchPoints will include both an academic conference at Aarhus University and a public event at Moesgaard Museum. The conference is organised by a different person each year, and, this time, it is Professor Troels Staehelin Jensen from the Department of Clinical Medicine who is at the helm. He is pleased that researchers from all five of the university’s faculties will be represented at the conference, and that Aarhus University is taking the lead in focusing on the brain:

“The brain is fascinating, because it is us. Without the brain, there would be no past, present or future. The brain is a computer with endless possibilities, which is constantly changing and creating new connections. But the brain is also a sensitive organ that can be damaged. The better we understand the complex brain, the better we’ll get at treating and preventing brain diseases,” he says.

Academic conference in the Lakeside Lecture Theatres: Our Fascinating Brain

At the academic conference on 5-6 May, a number of leading Danish and international brain researchers will explore and discuss the diverse functions of the brain. In the company of politicians and representatives from patient organisations, these researchers will, among other things, zoom in on the question: “Are we doing enough to prevent and treat brain diseases?” This part of MatchPoints will take place in English and is intended for everybody interested in the brain. The topic of the brain will also come into play in new ways at two evening events – “Music for your brain” with the Peter Vuust Trio and Cæcilie Norby as well as a show with psychological manipulator Jan Hellesøe.

Read more about the academic conference and sign up

Free Saturday event at Moesgaard Museum: 100,000 Years of Brain Development

On Saturday 7 May, the MatchPoints Conference will hold a public event at Moesgaard Museum called 100,000 Years of Brain Development (“Hjernen gennem 100.000 år”). How did Homo Sapiens develop such a unique brain? And how much has the modern human brain changed in relation to “the primordial brain”? Brain researcher and TV presenter Peter Lund Madsen will guide the audience through the day’s events, which will include activities for both children and adults in the form of lectures, interviews, workshops, games, exhibitions, musical performances, and food and drink.

Read more about the event at Moesgaard Museum and sign up

The MatchPoints Conference
Aarhus University has been holding the MatchPoints Conference – an academic conference with an outward-facing profile – every year since 2007. The purpose of MatchPoints is to create communication between Aarhus University and the general public on issues of broad interest in the community. One feature of MatchPoints is that the speakers are some of the most eminent national and international names in the field.