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.
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.
As a retired judge experiences Alzheimer’s, her granddaughter struggles as a caregiver.
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.
As a retired judge experiences the stages of Alzheimer’s, her granddaughter struggles to balance the demands of college with her role as caregiver. Drs. Kim and Leuthardt discuss the science behind the disease, the emerging optimism about a future cure, and the ways in which loved ones can still build meaningful connections despite difficult circumstances.
Inspired by a number of patient stories from Barnes-Jewish Hospital, this fascinating play focuses on a mid-career professional whose personality undergoes profound changes caused by meningioma, a treatable, benign brain tumor. As the story unfolds, Dr. Kim reveals how brain tumors form and develop, and discusses surgical advances that make removing them safer for patients today.
This coming-of-age story examines how undiagnosed epilepsy affects the life of high school student, Riley. As the young woman struggles to cope with constantly feeling lost or being defined as “spacey,” Dr. Leuthardt reveals that not all epileptic seizures are obvious and offers a minimally invasive procedure that gives Riley a newfound clarity and confidence.
The Double Windsor knot is elegant, dignified, and difficult to tie under the best of circumstances – and seemingly impossible if you’ve suffered a stroke and lost the use of your left hand. Inspired by one of Dr. Leuthardt’s patients, this story demonstrates how new therapies and emerging technologies, such as the brain-computer interface, are making second chances possible for people who have experienced stroke and other traumatic brain injuries.
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.