Dick Swaab

At a glance

• Dick Swaab is a Dutch physician and neurobiologist. He is professor emeritus of neurobiology at the University of Amsterdam and was director of the Netherlands Institute for Brain Research (KNAW) until 2005, where he still leads a research group.
• He founded the Netherlands Brain Bank, which collects brain tissue from deceased donors for research.
• His research covers the hypothalamus, differences between brains, and brain diseases such as Alzheimer’s and depression.
• As early as 1991 he formulated the principle ‘use it or lose it’: brain cells that are actively stimulated appear more resistant to ageing.
• His book We Are Our Brains (Dutch original 2010) became an international bestseller translated into many languages. He is also a professor at Zhejiang University in China.
• For longevity, his work shows that the brain keeps responding to stimulation and activity into old age.
• Takeaway: keep your brain active with new challenges, exercise and social contact; for the brain, standing still means decline.