Joint USA-UK Rosenthal symposium on behaviour change

”The single most important intervention for changing behaviour is to understand that there is no single most important intervention.”

The US National Academy of Medicine and UK Academy of Medical Sciences partnered earlier this year to explore how behaviour change can improve population health for all.

The 2019 Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Symposium, held for the first time outside the United States of America, focused on how cutting-edge neurobiology and behaviour change interventions can lead to healthier choices around food choice and use of alcohol, tobacoo and other drugs, and better policies to improve health and health equity. 

The symposium was covered by The Naked Scientists in two "Best behaviour" podcasts:

• Best behaviour: neuroscience and health - This month we’re lifting the lid on health-related behaviour at the Rosenthal Symposium on health behaviours. We're asking what neuroscience can tell us about why we tend to overdo it on the cake, despite knowing we shouldn’t, and looking at how understanding behaviour can help us change it for the healthier
• Best behaviour: rolling out change - This month, Naked Neuroscience is back at the Rosenthal Symposuim on changing behaviour for the healthier, organised by the UK Academy of Medical Sciences and the US National Academy of Medicine. How can healthy behaviour changes be implemented in individuals and across a whole population?

Explore blogs from the day below and download key messages from the side of this page:

• The neurobiology of behaviour: what drives individual choices? with reflections from Professor Huda Akil
• Changing behaviour to improve health fairly, with reflections from Dr Robb Rutledge
• The future of behaviour change interventions, with reflections from Professor Harry Rutter

View pictures from the day here and watch talks from the symposium below:

Dr Alan Leshner and Professor Dame Theresa Marteau DBE FMedSci, co-Chairs of the event, said:

“Many nations still struggle with increased rates of obesity and poor health that stem from health-related behaviours, such as smoking. Many of these behaviours, and their associated consequences, remain socially patterned.

“Through the day’s presentations and discussions, we heard from a diverse range of scientists about cutting-edge research on the neurobiology of behaviour and decision-making. We are delighted that participants acknowledged the immense potential of basic research to inform the development and implementation of effective interventions to improve health and health equity.”

The 2019 Richard & Hinda Rosenthal Symposium, ‘Behaviour change to improve health for all.’ was held on 17 January 2019, co-hosted by the US National Academy of Medicine and the UK Academy of Medical Sciences. The Rosenthal discussion series is supported by the generosity of the Richard & Hinda Rosenthal Foundation to bring greater attention to critical health policy issues.