Introducing the Brain Tech Center at Willow Valley Communities

Opening summer 2026, the Brain Tech Center at the Marlin and Doris Thomas Memory Center will offer uniquely curated experiences for building a community that better understands and prioritizes brain health. Guests of the Brain Tech Center will engage in self-guided exploratory interactions, including the path of dementia, the empathy theater, the brain spa, the story of memory, and brain games.

Developed in partnership with TAIT, who is a global leader in creating moments that move people, the Brain Tech Center will aim to empathically communicate the journey of dementia, reducing stigma and enabling preventive efforts through focused education and activity.

The Brain Tech Center will be an important component of the community accessible amenities featured at the Marlin and Doris Thomas Memory Center. Balancing empathy with action, the experience will bring heightened awareness to dementia and the modifiable risk factors associated with the disease.

Guests will be invited to engage with interactive elements, learning about neurons, the process for forming memories, how pathways in the brain change as a result of dementia, and how these changes become apparent through common symptoms. Those wanting to deepen their understanding can create a profile to capture their experiences in the brain spa, brain gym, and brain game stations so they can track their progress across visits to the Brain Tech Center.

Construction for the Marlin and Doris Thomas Memory Center is well underway, with Phase 1 scheduled to open summer 2026. The grand reveal will be celebrated with a special ribbon cutting ceremony, honoring the incredible donors who have made this project possible.

To see the LIVE construction webcam, visit foundation.willowvalleycommunities.org.

Interactive Elements

The Marlin and Doris Thomas Memory Center is reshaping the model for care and prioritizing community education to transform how dementia is viewed and experienced. Within the Brain Tech Center, guests can find interactive elements to learn more about the brain and dementia.

• Path of Dementia: Begin your path to understanding with a reading experience about the lobes of the brain, the role of neurons, and the importance of neuroplasticity.
• Brain Spa: Be coached through mindful breathwork and meditative experiences to improve and monitor your alpha wave brain activity with each visit.
• The Story of Memory: Learn how memories are encoded, stored, and recalled while diving into the effects of Alzheimer’s Disease, the most common form of dementia, and Parkinson’s Disease, the most rapidly diagnosed neurodegenerative condition.
• Donor Wall: Honoring the many hearts and hands who have made this project possible, the wall will share the hopes of donors. The journey of dementia is personal, but we’re in this together.
• Empathy Theater: Enter the gazebo-like theater where an AI character will greet guests and gently guide them through the journey of her recent diagnosis.
• Brain Gym: Engage in a virtual bike ride and amplify the impact by adding a cognitive training component to your workout.
• Brain Games: Take action to increase neuroplasticity by activating your profile in Brain HQ, a training tool developed by Posit Science. You can practice at home and return to the Brain Tech Center to keep your profile active.

Five Healthy Brain Habits for Today

Memories change over time and devoting time to lifelong learning can strengthen neuroplasticity and help to maintain cognitive function over time. Here are a few healthy habits that can be practiced now to address the modifiable risk factors of dementia:

1. Adopt the MIND Diet: Eat plenty of leafy greens, whole grains, beans, nuts, berries, vegetables, and olive oil
2. Socialize: Spend time with others and build connections
3. Get Active: Aim for 150 minutes of moderately vigorous exercise each week
4. Prioritize Sleep: Try to get eight hours each night and natural sunlight during the day
5. Treat Vision and Hearing Loss: It’s important that all lobes of the brain remain engaged

Get to Know Willow Valley Communities Charitable Foundation

The Foundation exists to nurture a culture of philanthropy at Willow Valley Communities and maximize the impact of the many donors who are bringing the Marlin and Doris Thomas Memory Center into focus. You can support their vision to enable community education and supportive amenities like the Brain Tech Center by visiting foundation.willowvalleycommunities.org.

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