New York College of Health Professions Participates in Yale’s International Symposium on Embodied Cognition
New York College of Health Professions (NYCHP) was represented at the 2026 International Symposium on Embodied Cognition (ISEC), held on April 18, 2026, at Marsh Auditorium, Kline Biology Tower, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut. Hosted by the Yale Center for Brain and Mind Health, ISEC is one of the leading interdisciplinary forums exploring how the body, brain, and behavior work together to shape human health and cognition.
Building on the success of its 2024 inaugural symposium, which drew over 250 participants from neuroscience, psychology, education, and the arts, ISEC 2026 featured keynote addresses, breakout sessions, and poster presentations on movement, perception, emotion, neurorehabilitation, artificial intelligence, and the performing arts.
Dr. A Li Song, MD, President of NYCHP, Co-Founder of the Leslin Healthcare Leadership Foundation, and Chief Growth Officer, served as a featured speaker in the breakout session Movement & Aging II: Community, Culture, and Longevity. Dr. Song shared NYCHP’s work and ongoing efforts to improve population health, drawing on the college’s decades of experience at the intersection of Eastern and Western medicine.
She highlighted how NYCHP’s programs in massage therapy, acupuncture, and Chinese herbal medicine serve as community-rooted tools for healthy aging, reducing chronic disease burden, and building resilient populations, themes that resonated deeply with ISEC’s interdisciplinary audience. She participated in the session Movement & Aging II, chaired by Freddy Ramirez of the Brain Peace Science Foundation. Dr. Song added to an international conversation with representatives from Puerto Rico and China. The session included an artist, singer, and writer who connected the work across disciplines and countries.
Leslin Healthcare Leadership Foundation
Dr. Song also introduced attendees to the work of the Leslin Healthcare Leadership Foundation. A video showcasing Leslin’s mission and community impact was shared with the symposium audience.
Collaboration & Research Underway
The symposium sparked new connections. A collaboration between Yale University, NYCHP, Leslin, and fellow ISEC participants is now underway, with joint research initiatives at the intersection of embodied movement, community health, aging, and leadership development.
