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BRAINWORKS: THE THEATRE OF NEUROSCIENCE

This program explores the wonders of the human brain by dramatizing real-life neurological cases to reveal the science behind brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s, epilepsy, brain tumors, and stroke.

About the Production

What’s happening in St. Louis is an exciting constellation of leading-edge neuroscience and compelling personal narratives in an intimate theater setting.

BrainWorks is a theatrical performance and a television series originally created by nationally renowned neurosurgeon-scientists, Dr. Eric C. Leuthardt and Dr. Albert H. Kim, both Washington University School of Medicine specialists treating patients at Barnes-Jewish Hospital.

This multi-platform program explores the wonders of the human brain by dramatizing real-life neurological cases to reveal the science behind brain diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease, epilepsy, brain tumors, and stroke. Drs. Kim and Leuthardt serve as our guides, making complex concepts approachable to the general public.

Drs. Kim and Leuthardt, Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and Nine PBS are collaborating to include regional and national audiences in the conversation. This production is being recorded for a national public television audience and will become an exciting catalyst for discussion. BrainWorks will deepen the public’s understanding of vital health issues, including the connection between the brain and overall health.

BrainWorks: The Theatre of NeuroscienceRinse & Repeat
27:01
Published:

As a retired judge experiences Alzheimer’s, her granddaughter struggles as a caregiver.

Watch BrainWorks
1 / 4 Videos
Rinse & Repeat
BrainWorks: The Theatre of Neuroscience
Rinse & Repeat
X Marks the Spot
BrainWorks: The Theatre of Neuroscience
X Marks the Spot
Brain Interrupted
BrainWorks: The Theatre of Neuroscience
Brain Interrupted
Double Windsor
BrainWorks: The Theatre of Neuroscience
Double Windsor

Episode Guide

The centerpiece of BrainWorks is the extraordinary, personal stories that use the best elements of theater—professional actors, storytelling techniques, even humor—to communicate what medical science and technology understand about the brain, and the current therapies available to treat brain disease. These four stories were inspired by research, real people and treatment; co-written by professional playwrights who are alumni of New Dramatists, the premier playwriting center. Most have a personal connection to the material.

Meet the Creators and Co-Writers

Eric C. Leuthardt, MD (left) and Albert H. Kim, MD, PhD (right)

Eric C. Leuthardt, MD

Dr. Leuthardt is changing the fields of neurosurgery and rehabilitative medicine, particularly for patients with motor disabilities, through his research in brain-computer interface technology. His integrated approach has garnered international recognition and honors, including the Top Young Innovators Award in MIT’s Technology Review.

Dr. Leuthardt is a neurosurgeon-scientist and professor in the departments of Neurological Surgery, Neurology, Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering at Washington University School of Medicine. He is the director of the Center for Innovation in Neuroscience and Technology, which fosters translation between neuroscience and clinical treatment, and the director of the Brain Laser Center, which uses MRI-guided laser therapy to treat brain tumors and other neurological conditions. Dr. Leuthardt is co-creator and co-writer of BrainWorks.

Albert H. Kim, MD, PhD

Dr. Kim has made fundamental discoveries in the fields of brain development and brain tumors, including glioblastomas, meningiomas, and pituitary tumors, which have impacted the way we view and treat brain tumors.

Dr. Kim is a neurosurgeon and associate professor with the departments of Neurological Surgery, Neurology and Developmental Biology at Washington University School of Medicine. He is director of the brain tumor program and surgical director of the Pituitary Center. He also leads the Laboratory for Molecular Neuro-Oncology, a leading-edge laboratory focused on basic science and translational approaches to cure brain tumors. Dr. Kim is co-creator and co-writer ofBrainWorks.

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