Making Brain Health Sexy: How Dr. Sandi Chapman Rewired the Way We Think About Our Brain

Is it accurate to call someone a trailblazer in her field when she essentially forged the field from scratch? I’ve been racking my brain on where to begin with Dr. Sandi Chapman, but I’ve concluded no introduction will ever do her justice. 

A bold leader unafraid to think against the grain, Dr. Chapman founded the first-ever trademarked Center dedicated to optimizing brain health and performance. 

Her fascination with the brain emerged early on. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Speech Pathology and a Master’s in Communication Disorders both at the University of North Texas. Along the way, there were several moments that led her to question the way we diagnose and treat cognitive disabilities. The most formative came through a powerful interaction with one of her very own students, Bryan Crosby.

Dr. Chapman had started a class for autistic children, and Bryan was among her most cognitively impaired students. During a one-on-one session, she reached for her tape recorder to capture their conversation. The machine had always been finicky – so much so that she’d already taken it to several repairmen, with no luck. She mentioned this to Bryan, and without hesitation, he picked up the recorder. He “Sat on the floor and began disassembling it. Piece by piece, he put it back together; for the first time, it started working.”  

This interaction solidified what Sandi had long suspected: the way we understand and treat cognitive impairment is long overdue for a refresh.

It was through interactions like the one shared with Bryan, so clearly misunderstood and overlooked for his intelligence, that the wheels started turning in Dr. Chapman’s brain. She set out to “create a whole new category of health,” one that didn’t seek to diagnose, but rather to leverage “the upward potential of the human mind.”

The Center for BrainHealth is guided by a “science-first” mentality, offering practical skills to strengthen the brain’s capacity to learn and thrive, all backed by neuroscience. Its landmark longitudinal study, the BrainHealth Project, tracks up to 100,000 healthy adults over ten years, factoring in lifestyle and biology. Participants receive personalized training and online tools to boost brain fitness, with Dallas-based participants given the unique opportunity to complete a series of brain MRIs at the Center. These scans help researchers better understand the mechanisms driving individual differences in brain changes over time. 

It’s hard to capture just how monumental this study is, but one powerful case – Morgan’s – might help you grasp its impact the way it did for me. I first heard it while interning at the Center for BrainHealth three years ago and it’s stuck with me ever since.

During training, Navy SEAL Morgan Luttrell survived a helicopter crash that left him with severe spinal cord damage and significant traumatic brain injuries. He went to several hospitals, but none seemed equipped to address the extent of his impairments. On the road to recovery, he was put in touch with Dr. Chapman and encouraged to check out the Center for BrainHealth. Desperate to try anything, he agreed.

I love how Dr. Chapman describes their first interaction. The moment Morgan entered the center, it was clear he questioned both the Center’s non-diagnostic approach and Dr. Chapman’s ability to address the severity of his TBI. Her response was simple: “I don’t know what you’ve been through, but I know the brain. I’m equipped to help you.”

Dr. Chapman learned about his time in active duty – how he had “suffered so many concussions he eventually lost count” and “struggled to think clear thoughts.” She put him on the SMART training program, which teaches executive function strategies designed to strengthen synapses in the brain. Morgan incorporated these strategies into his daily routine, and sure enough, his brain began to repair itself. He regained clearer thinking, better communication, and ultimately, his life back. 

When he was discharged, he brought the strategies back to his fellow troops, and the results were striking: the SMART training “reduced depression among participants by 60% and stress by 40%.” What’s more, they started “showing up better in military training, and in their personal lives.” Inspired by his involvement with the Center for BrainHealth, Morgan went on to get his MS in Applied Cognition Neuroscience at The University of Texas at Dallas. Today, he continues to advocate for brain health as a US Congressman. 

What I never told Dr. Chapman during our interview is just how deeply Morgan’s story and the SMART training have impacted me personally. I’ve never been more convinced of the power of these strategies until I experienced a TBI myself from a car accident just over eight months ago.

In the first few days in the hospital, I felt completely discouraged by the state of my brain and frustrated imagining all the ways the injury might set me back. Just when I needed it most, I received an email from Dr. Chapman. She encouraged me to revisit the BrainHealth Index I had completed during my time at the Center for BrainHealth. And so I did. 

I began incorporating the strategies back into my life, and soon noticed real changes in my memory, focus, and recall. I picked up new hobbies, painted every day, and spent as much time outdoors as possible. I planned my days using the Center’s elephant and rabbit notepad (if you know, you know) and developed my own “brain fitness” plan.

While doctors had anticipated a six-month recovery to regain full executive functioning, I managed to cut that time nearly in half. I am fully convinced that this progress is thanks to the strategies I learned from Dr. Chapman and the brilliant minds at the Center for BrainHealth.

What the Center has instilled in me, perhaps more than anything – and which my personal experience has only reinforced – is this: the brain is malleable! What an incredible aspect of our biology! Through intentional practice and habit building, we can literally thicken our prefrontal cortex, improving everything from decision-making to the way we express our personality. We can also increase white matter, enhancing communication between different regions of the brain. And we can do this in so many ways – through creative projects, cooking, exercise, learning a new language, picking up a musical instrument, you name it!

One thing Dr. Chapman aims to do every day (and is absolutely crushing it at, might I add) is “make brain health sexy” - to encourage anyone and everyone to incorporate new habits and ways of thinking into their lives that not only strengthen their brain, but influence the way they show up in their day to day. And if you think you’re too young or too old to pay attention to your brain health, pick up Dr. Chapman's book and this myth will quickly be debunked. 

I’d like to close with some practical tips and words of wisdom from Dr. Chapman that I often find myself referring to. Most of these can be found in her book Make Your Brain Smarter: Increase Your Brain's Creativity, Energy, and Focus which I strongly recommend you pick up! 

1. Don’t think of your brain as a fixed organ. It’s plastic - If continually challenged in the right ways, you’ll build brain function, not lose it.

2. Focus beats multitasking anyday. Doing too much at once drains mental energy and lowers effectiveness. Prioritizing single, strategic tasks leads to deeper thinking and better outcomes. 

3. Social connectedness comprises an astounding ⅓ of our brain health. Carving out time for friends and loved ones is a win-win! You get to spend time with your favorite people all while building white matter in areas of your brain associated with emotional regulation, decision-making, and countless other amazing things. Hooray!

4. The frontal lobe is Queen. This is the part of your brain responsible for planning, judgment, problem-solving, and executive function. As the “command center” of intelligence, you want to tend to it thoughtfully. Engage in creative tasks, and use strategic thought instead of rote memory when confronted with a challenge.

5. Brain breaks! This practice was drilled into me and became part of my day-to-day while working at the Center for BrainHealth – and it’s as simple as it sounds. Take small breaks throughout the day to rest your brain and let it recuperate. When you’re in a pinch, even looking up from your computer and out the window for a minute can help. A short, 10-minute walk is my go-to. Lots to be said for a change of scenery and a boost in blood flow to the brain.

6. Elephant and rabbit tasks! Plan your day by identifying your elephant tasks – the ones that take up the most brain space and energy – and your rabbit tasks, like doing the dishes or sorting mail, which don’t require full focus. Sprinkle in some rabbit tasks between elephant tasks to give your brain a break and avoid depleting its energy.

7. You’ve heard it a million times, but sleep is everything. When we sleep, the glymphatic system flushes out metabolic waste from the brain, including beta-amyloid proteins linked to Alzheimer’s and other progressive brain disorders (in other words, we have our very own “brain cleaning” system that turns on when we sleep and rids our brains of all the things we don’t want!). Another cool aspect of sleep: it makes us more creative! REM sleep, in particular, boosts our pattern recognition and enhances our creativity. 

8. One final bonus tip Dr. Chapman shared with me, which might just be my new favorite: challenge yourself to find new ways to tell the people you love that you care. Our brains easily slip into rote thinking – whether it’s taking the same route to work every day or telling the same story the same way every time. A mutually beneficial hack for boosting both your brain and your relationships is to get creative in how you show your loved ones what they mean to you. It might mean reading their favorite book, sending them a song that makes you think of them, or writing them a note (If you choose the third option, I might be able to help you out – wink wink!).

If my time at the Center for BrainHealth and with Dr. Chapman taught me anything, it’s that brain health is for everyone. From her groundbreaking Center for BrainHealth to the SMART strategies that have changed countless lives, Dr. Chapman’s work proves that with intention, curiosity, and consistent practice, anyone can actively rewire their brain for optimum success. Learn more about the Center for BrainHealth here and follow along for research updates and tips and tricks on how YOU can make brain health sexy.

Until next time,

Charlotte