You are your brain

Prof Zul Merali, Founding Director, Brain and Mind Institute, Aga Khan University. [File, Standard]

As a neuroscientist, I am fascinated by the brain. Small as it is (about 1.2kgs), it happens to be the most complex and least understood organ in the universe. All your feelings, thoughts, memories, and actions are controlled by your brain.

In understanding how the brain works and how nerve cells communicate with each other, we begin to understand that the brain is responsible for a lot of the functions of the human body. The brain is a sensory organ - it gets sensory input from the environment and prepares you for appropriate actions. However, everyone is unique - in terms of previous experiences and memories, and hence your brain reacts to various stimuli differently. For example, the brain can help us understand why some people are more resilient to stress than others.