Alvaro Fernandez is the co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of www.SharpBrains.com, and co-author of The SharpBrains Guide to Brain Fitness (182 pages, $24.95).

A recognized thought-leader and member of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council on the Aging Society, Alvaro has been quoted by The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal,CNN, USA Today, and is a frequent speaker at health, neurotechnology and education events.

Alvaro started his career at McKinsey & Company and led the launch and turnaround of several publishing and education companies in the US and Europe, including Bertelsmann On Line, Docent, Inc, and Edusoft, a unit of Houghton Mifflin. He has an MBA and MA in Education from Stanford University. He enjoys teaching The Science of Brain Health and Brain Fitness at UC-Berkeley Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, and advising the management teams of social enterprises Ashoka, and Arcandina.

Detailed LinkedIn Profile: Alvaro Fernandez.

Blog Entries by Alvaro Fernandez

Debunking 10 Brain Health Myths

Posted June 23, 2009 | 12:41 PM (EST)


Think about this: How can anyone take care of his or her brain when every week brings a new barrage of articles and studies which seem to contradict each other?

Do supplements improve memory? Do you need both physical and mental exercise -- or is one of them enough? Which...

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Goldman Environmental Prize: Change the World, Change Your Brain

Posted April 22, 2009 | 10:38 AM (EST)


My wife and I just came back from an inspiring Goldman Prize Award ceremony, where seven grassroots environmental change-makers were recognized for their work and resiliency, and shared their passion and purpose with everyone attending the event. We did hear too from Al Gore, Tracy Chapman, Robert Redford, and the...

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Distracted? Meet Maggie Jackson

Posted March 16, 2009 | 04:32 PM (EST)


Today we discuss some of the brain implications of "always on" workplaces and lifestyles via a fascinating interview with Maggie Jackson, an award-winning author and journalist. Her latest book, Distracted: The Erosion of Attention and the Coming Dark Age, describes the implications of our busy work and life...

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Technology For Brain Health: an Upcoming Revolution

Posted February 24, 2009 | 12:54 PM (EST)


In April 2008, Baycrest, a leading research institute focused on aging and brain function, received $10-million from the Ontario Government to create a groundbreaking Centre for Brain Fitness. Its stated goal was to "develop and commercialize a range of products designed to improve the brain health of aging Ontarians...

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Brain Training: It Works...Kind Of

Posted February 16, 2009 | 12:52 PM (EST)


The IMPACT study which we reported on in December 2007, funded by Posit Science, conducted by the Mayo Clinic and USC Davis, has just announced publication at the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. (Reference: Smith et al. A Cognitive Training Program Designed Based on Principles of Brain Plasticity: Results...

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Top 11 Books for Brain Health

Posted January 12, 2009 | 04:48 PM (EST)


Below you have The 10 Most Popular Brain Fitness & Cognitive Health Books, based on book purchases by SharpBrains' readers during 2008.

But let me start by introducing what we expect will be a very influential book in years to come. Neuroscientist Torkel Klingberg has written a very stimulating...

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Top 15 Brain Fitness Articles of 2008

Posted January 2, 2009 | 03:25 PM (EST)


Thinking about best ways to maintain your brain in top shape in 2009?

Let me share a quick definition of "brain fitness", and a ranking of the most popular articles of 2008 on the topic. I hope this will help you understand and navigate the array of options to maintain...

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Meditation on the Brain: a Conversation with Andrew Newberg

Posted December 16, 2008 | 06:01 PM (EST)


I recently had the fortune to interview Dr. Andrew Newberg, one of the leading researchers focused on meditation and the brain. Dr. Andrew Newberg is an Associate Professor in the Department of Radiology and Psychiatry and Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Pennsylvania....

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Obama Interviews the Medical Blogosphere on Healthcare Reform

Posted December 12, 2008 | 10:53 AM (EST)


"If Dr. Rob can interview Santa, why can't I interview a select group of health & medical bloggers? They will have some good ideas to share."

So did President-elect Obama came to realize a few days ago. After his people kindly contacted our people, we felt compelled to...

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Exercise Body and Brain for Lifelong Cognitive Health

Posted November 20, 2008 | 12:44 AM (EST)


The American Medical News, a weekly newspaper for physicians published by the American Medical Association, just published an excellent article to bring recent brain fitness research into doctor's attention:

Steps to a nimble mind: Physical and mental exercise help keep the brain fit
-- Neuroscience is uncovering...

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Earth 2.0: Yes We Can

Posted November 11, 2008 | 02:17 PM (EST)


Imagine seeing a top sheik from Dubai, wrapped in traditional Arab clothing, exclaim "Yes We Can" in front of the 800 experts gathered during the Summit of the Global Agenda that just took place in Dubai, co-organized by the World Economic Forum and the Government of Dubai. This same sheik...

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Can Games, Meditation and Parenting Help Improve Attention?

Posted October 10, 2008 | 10:44 AM (EST)


I am honored to interview today Michael I. Posner, a prominent scientist in the field of cognitive neuroscience. He is currently an emeritus professor of neuroscience at the University of Oregon (Department of Psychology, Institute of Cognitive and Decision Sciences). In August 2008, the International Union of Psychological...

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Allstate: Can Brain Training Help Improve Driver Safety?

Posted October 7, 2008 | 06:28 PM (EST)


Insurance company Allstate and brain fitness software developer Posit Science announced today, October 1st, a very intelligent initiative:

Video exercises aid driving skills (Chicago Tribune)

-"Allstate, which called the Posit program "potentially the next big breakthrough in automobile safety," said it expects its software exercises to...

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7 Brain Teasers to Ace Job Interviews

Posted September 22, 2008 | 11:02 AM (EST)


A recent CNN article explains well why a growing number of companies use brainteasers and logic puzzles of a type called "guesstimations" during job interviews:

"Seemingly random questions like these have become commonplace in Silicon Valley and other tech outposts, where companies aren't as interested in the correct answer...

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ABC Reporter Bob Woodruff's Incredible Recovery From Traumatic Brain Injury

Posted September 15, 2008 | 01:40 PM (EST)


You have may have seen a few weeks ago the interview between former US presidential contender John Edwards and reporter Bob Woodruff. All the resulting media coverage centered on Edwards' declarations. However, there is something much more remarkable that surfaced at that interview: Bob Woodruff's spectacular recovery.

This is the...

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Obesity Crisis or Cognitive Crisis?

Posted August 24, 2008 | 08:02 PM (EST)


Last week, a scientific study published in the British Medical Journal added a novel perspective on how to think of, and consequently address, the so-called obesity epidemic that many developed countries, including the US, are experiencing.

The article Clumsy kids more likely to become obese adults: study ...

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Top 25 Brainy Haikus. Yours?

Posted August 11, 2008 | 11:28 AM (EST)


Readers of our brain-focused website (SharpBrains) have contributed a good number of haikus on brain and mind related topics. Below you have my Favorite 10, plus many other fun ones for a total of 25...

Can you write a haiku describing anything crossing your mind now? Remember the simple rules:...

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Top 10 Brain Training Predictions

Posted July 25, 2008 | 09:10 AM (EST)


No, we are not just talking about Nintendo Brain Age and other "games"...but about the science-based training of cognitive abilities such as attention, memory, emotional management...

Given significant market growth and recent research findings, we can observe a number of trends that executives, consumers, public policy makers, and the media...

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Ready to Measure Your Brain Fitness?

Posted July 14, 2008 | 03:36 PM (EST)


You know your weight. And your physical fitness. And a variety of health-related metrics.

What about your brain fitness?

In years to come, we can expect a growing number of assessments to help each of us address that precise question, using tools that today are only available to researchers...

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A Multi-Pronged Approach to Brain Health

Posted June 27, 2008 | 07:59 PM (EST)


Try eating food with one chop stick.

It is possible, for certain types of food. But probably not the best approach.

Let's now talk brain health.

Dr. Larry McCleary is a former acting Chief of Pediatric Neurosurgery at Denver Children's Hospital, and author of the The Brain...

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