Sian Harding, a world leader in cardiac research, joins Hedi to reveal the heart as you’ve never seen it before, as they discuss her book The Exquisite Machine: The New Science of the Heart. From how social rank, air pollution, noise, and even your mother’s pregnancy diet can shape heart health, to the heart’s mini-brain or growing hearts in the lab from skin cells, they uncover the remarkable ways this muscular organ does far more than “just” pump blood.

Following Episode 1 - Part 1, this second part of Hedi’s conversation with science writer Moheb Costandi unpacks how our sense of agency – the feeling of being in control of our actions and responsible for their outcomes – can be disrupted in conditions like Alien Hand Syndrome and Schizophrenia, manipulated on the operating table, or even altered in the lab.

Chosen from over 200 applicants across Europe and associated countries, Veiga-Fernandes was one of just 32 scientists ultimately appointed as ERC Ambassadors. The final selection aimed to balance gender, seniority, and the representation of both current ERC grant holders and different countries. The 32 ambassadors represent 21 EU Member States and four Associated Countries – Israel, Norway, Turkey, and the United Kingdom – plus Switzerland.

Every two weeks, the new podcast series Leafing Through Science brings together host Hedi Young, Champalimaud Foundation neuroscientist and science communicator, with the authors behind some of the most fascinating non-fiction books in the life sciences. From new releases to timeless classics, we explore everything from the mysteries of consciousness and free will, to broken hearts, alien hands, and minds under siege. Expect page-turning ideas, head-spinning science, and stories that might just change how you see the world – and yourself.

From groundbreaking scientific research to compassionate, patient-centered clinical care, the Foundation is committed to developing innovative solutions for complex challenges, all with the goal of improving lives and inspiring hope.

Founded in the beginning of the 21st century, it carries forward the visionary legacy of António Champalimaud, advancing science and healthcare for the greater good of humanity.

Join us in discovering how, together, we are shaping a brighter future.

Science You Can Believe In

On 14 November, CEO Team Coordinator Catarina Ramos joined a group of experts at ISCTE – Instituto Universitário de Lisboa for a roundtable discussion about trust in science. This marked the culmination of the European Commission-funded POIESIS project, an international research consortium spanning seven countries.

This year, we thought of doing something a bit different that would:

- bring our community together 
- unleash our creativity (we may not be artists but scientists and health professionals can be super creative!)
- result in beautiful and unique artistic images that could be shared with you!

“I’m exactly as I was 10 years ago”, says Kina García, a Spanish woman from the Granada region, as she addresses by Zoom, from her home, the audience of the International Conference on Neurodegenerative Diseases, gathered on a Saturday morning at the Champalimaud Foundation’s auditorium, in Lisbon. The date is appropriate: it is September 21 – World Alzheimer's Day. 

Joining institutions such as the Max Planck Society, Germany (#1), the Allen Institute, USA (#6), and the Pasteur Institute, France (#13), the CF's ranking places it among the world’s top contributors to neuroscience, and as the only Portuguese institution to make the list. The ranking is based on its contribution to published research, which is measured by both the number of articles (“Count”) and the portion of authorship (“Share”).