Knowledge ultimately is the great equaliser; it sets you free through the opportunities it allows you to create.
Dr. Lila Landowski is a multi-award winning neuroscientist and senior lecturer at the University of Tasmania, and a Director of Science and Technology Australia. She is a regular guest expert science communicator for the ABC, a keynote speaker at Saxton Speakers, and is a Fides health ambassador for the World Health Organisation. Her research spans various areas including stroke, nanotechnology, and nerve regeneration, and she has taught in diverse fields such as medicine, nursing, biotechnology and science over the last 15 years.
Lila has a strong personal focus on community health and wellbeing, making the wonderful world of science more accessible to the community through radio, TV, public talks and in print and digital media. The TEDx speakers’ achievements include receiving the Premier’s Young Achiever of the Year and an AIPS Young Tall Poppy award, as well as being a finalist for an Australian Museum Eureka Award and Young Australian of the Year. She was featured in the documentary "Catching Opportunity," and has appeared in two episodes of ABC’s new docuseries Secret Science (Brain training and The Senses). Lila was named one of ABC Science Show’s Top 100 Scientists, and was named as one of Australia’s top 20 Scientists by the Herald Sun.
A leading voice in STEM and advocacy, Lila holds honorary titles such as “Superstar of STEM,” and has been an ambassador for public school education, a Patron of Science, and was named a “Science superhero” by Australia’s Chief Scientist.
As a neuroscientist, Lila’s research expertise is in axon guidance, neural repair mechanisms and therapeutic development for nerve damage. In 2014, after completing her PhD at the Menzies Research Institute Tasmania, Lila trained at the Peripheral Nerve lab at the Mayo Clinic to cement her status as an emerging leader in the field of peripheral nerve injury. She was recruited to teach and coordinate neuroscience units at the Wicking Dementia Centre at the same time. In recent years, her research focus has shifted from peripheral neuropathy to stroke and fatigue. She is currently a postdoctoral fellow in the lab of Professor David Howells. For several months (from August 2016 - April 2017), Lila spent time as a visiting scholar at the Florey Institute’s Melbourne Brain Centre (Austin Hospital, Melbourne), developing surgical skills and a novel model of stroke to bring back to UTAS. With the support of a $450,000 investment from the Royal Hobart Hospital Research Foundation, her foremost research goal is to transform the success of pre-clinical stroke research.
Lila has taught into courses at the University of Tasmania for 15 years, working across various subjects for Medicine, Medical Research, Biotechnology, Pharmacy, Science, Nursing, Dementia Care and Paramedicine She has been awarded two of the university’s highest honours; a Vice Chancellors citation for early career teaching, and a Vice Chancellors citation for community engagement.
Lila has a strong personal focus on the importance of science communication, public outreach, and community health and well-being.
Talking Points
The Neuroplasticity Toolkit: Maximise your brain’s potential with neuroscience
Your brain isn’t a finished product. It’s a living system, a blueprint that cleverly adapts to the world around us. For years, many of us were told a depressing story: your brain peaks early, then slides downhill from about your thirties onward, and the best you can do is “manage the decline.” Modern science has thoroughly demolished that myth – and neuroscientist Dr Lila wants to let you in on the secrets. You’ll learn how to increase your resilience to stress, better regulate emotions, learn and adapt faster, and sleep better. Turns out, it’s easy when you know how!The Neuroplasticity Toolkit: Maximise your brain’s potential with neuroscience
Key takeaways:
• Understanding how the world around us shapes behaviour, emotions and decision making
• Tools to learn faster and more effectively
• Practical habits that support better sleep
• Evidence based habits to support your best ever brain health
Popcorn Brain in a Doomsday World: Attention, Anxiety and Agency in the Age of Social Media & AI
We’re living through the most aggressive attention experiment in human history. Social media platforms, constant notifications, and AI-driven feeds are designed to keep us scanning, scrolling, reacting, while the world around us delivers a steady drip of “doomsday stress”: climate anxiety, environmental uncertainty, economic volatility, and global instability. The result is a nervous system stuck on high alert, and a brain that struggles to do deep focus, long-term planning, emotional regulation, and can have difficulty finding hope.Popcorn Brain in a Doomsday World: Attention, Anxiety and Agency in the Age of Social Media & AI
In this talk, neuroscientist Dr Lila translates the science of attention, stress, and behaviour into a practical toolkit for classrooms, staff rooms, and boardrooms. You’ll learn what the attention economy does to the developing brain (and the adult brain), how AI changes the way we think and learn, and why chronic “threat exposure” (news, climate narratives, online conflict) reshapes our mood and decision-making. Most importantly, Lila gives audiences a clear set of evidence-based strategies to rebuild attention, strengthen emotional regulation, and create healthier digital cultures - without pretending we can opt out of modern life!
Key takeaways:
What the attention economy is doing to brains: how dopamine-driven novelty, notifications, and algorithmic feeds fragment focus and increase emotional volatility
Climate and “doomsday” stress explained: how chronic threat narratives shift the brain toward hypervigilance, pessimism, and reactive thinking.
AI and learning: where AI can support cognition, and where it can weaken it.
Practical “attention training” toolkit - simple protocols to rebuild your ability to focus
Nervous system tools that actually work: quick regulation strategies to reduce stress load, improve sleep, and prevent burnout
The Neuroscience of Leadership: How Great Leaders Shape Brains and Behaviour
Modern leadership is deeply connected to how the human brain responds to communication, pressure and interpersonal dynamics. Dr Lila Landowski gives leaders practical tools for understanding how to navigate workplace stress, helping shaping team engagement, trust and clarity through evidence based brain science. This session helps leaders create cultures where people think better, collaborate more effectively and perform at a higher level.The Neuroscience of Leadership: How Great Leaders Shape Brains and Behaviour
Key takeaways:
• Understanding how stress shapes behaviour and decision making
• Practical communication habits that increase trust and psychological safety
• Tools to strengthen clarity, focus and decision making across a team
The Resilient Brain: Practical Strategies for Thriving Through Change In The Chaos of a Modern World
Resilience is one of the most frequently requested themes across corporate, government and education briefs. Dr Lila explains how the brain responds to stress and uncertainty, and offers simple, neuroscience-supported habits that help individuals stay calm, focused and adaptable. Ideal for teams navigating change, transformation or high workload periods.The Resilient Brain: Practical Strategies for Thriving Through Change In The Chaos of a Modern World
Key takeaways:
• Understanding how stress affects decision making, mood and behaviour
• Evidence based techniques to improve emotional regulation and adaptability
• Habits that sustain wellbeing and prevent burnout in demanding environments
The Neuroscience of High Performance: Attention, Mindset and Consistent Results
High performance requires understanding how the brain works under pressure. This keynote translates cutting edge neuroscience into practical habits that enhance focus, cognitive ability and performance. Dr Lila equips audiences with simple tools to take your skills to the next level, without sacrificing wellbeing.The Neuroscience of High Performance: Attention, Mindset and Consistent Results
Key takeaways:
• How to structure work to match the brain’s natural performance rhythms
• Techniques that improve focus, reduce distraction
• Science based habits that strengthen motivation and foster peak performance
The Science of Connection: Building Trust, Collaboration and High Performing Teams
Connection and collaboration are essential to performance, particularly as many organisations work to rebuild momentum and cohesion. Dr Lila explains the neuroscience of trust, communication and belonging, giving teams actionable steps to create more unified and effective ways of working – with the side effect of building resilience and better brain health while you’re at it!The Science of Connection: Building Trust, Collaboration and High Performing Teams
Key takeaways:
• Discover why face-to-face human connection is so important for building trust, and how it drives performance
• Techniques that improve collaboration and reduce friction in teams
• Steps to cultivate a culture of psychological safety, shared purpose and better brain health
Human Brains in an AI World: Staying Sharp, Adaptive and Human
With AI and automation now top of mind for many clients, this keynote helps audiences understand what uniquely human capabilities matter most – and where AI and social media can shape them the wrong way. Dr Lila shows how the brain processes information differently when we use AI, and provides clear strategies to strengthen cognitive skills such as focus, creativity and judgement.Human Brains in an AI World: Staying Sharp, Adaptive and Human
Key takeaways:
• The cognitive skills humans need to thrive alongside AI
• How to reduce overwhelm and make better decisions in data rich environments
• Practical ways to strengthen creativity, focus and critical thinking
Video
Brain Hack: 6 secrets to learning faster, backed by neuroscience | Lila Landowski | TEDxHobart
Sharing the secrets to productive learning, backed by neuroscience. Dr Lila Landowski explains the methods which can be used to allow us to learn faster. Dr Lila Landowski is a multi-award winning neuroscientist and lecturer that expertly arms people with an understanding of how their brain works, to help them make better choices in their lives. She is also a Director of the Australian Society for Medical Research, a Director of Epilepsy Tasmania, as well as a regular guest expert science communicator for the ABC.Audio
Our guests LOVED Lila's Keynote and I've had nothing but praise and positive feedback. Her presentation was jam-packed full of simple tips and key takeaways for our leaders. She was also a p ... keep reading Lee Hecht Harrison
Lila was articulate and blended science with reality. She gave personal anecdotes, which helped cement the theory. She has a wonderful style and is very humble.
