UCLA Embodied Minds Summit

Organized by Sahib Kalsa, MD, PhD the UCLA Embodied Minds Summit and Salon convened an interdisciplinary group of scientists, clinicians, innovators, philanthropists and artists to explore how interoception, the brain’s sensing of the body’s internal state, shapes consciousness, mental health, physical health and the future of artificial intelligence. Anchored by keynote speaker Antonia Damasio, the meeting fostered cross-disciplinary dialogue on embodied cognition through scientific workshops, immersive experiences and collaborative discussion designed to help define the next phase of the field. The summit was designed not only as a scientific meeting, but as a catalyst for advancing the field of interoception through cross-disciplinary collaboration, translational thinking and dialogue spanning neuroscience, medicine, consciousness science and artificial intelligence. Outcomes from the meeting are expected to inform future collaborative initiatives, scientific publications and emerging frameworks for understanding embodied cognition and brain-body interaction.