Brainstorm Health: Fortune Conference Ends, Kevin Durant on Social Media, GSK Budget Demands

My profound thanks also go to Kevin Durant for making the journey—despite your fractured rib—and even more for your inspirational words and insight. And thanks as well to Rich Kleiman for joining KD on stage and for your thoughtfulness and candor. Your closing keynote conversation with Arianna was truly memorable—a perfect chaser to our mind-blowing opening day keynote with Tony Robbins. (More on that one soon.)

Thanks to the amazing team of journalists and behind-the-scenes conference masters who shepherded the program expertly through its paces without a hitch. Thanks to our supportive partners: IBM Watson Health—which has been with us from the very beginning—Abbott, Herman Miller, City of Hope, and Parexel. Thanks to the crew who live-streamed much of this great event and for the crack team of FORTUNE and TIME reporters who captured so many highlights in their near-real-time coverage.

A Beyond-Thank-You to program director Sara Leeder, who sewed and re-sewed the entire two-day conference without letting a single seam show—and who stitched so much magic and surprise into every inch. And thank you to my unbelievably generous and brilliant co-chairs, Arianna Huffington and Dave Agus, who—along with Sara—came up with virtually every great programming and speaker idea…and then creatively and tirelessly brought those ideas to life.

It was a great privilege spending these past two days with all of you—and months of planning with many of you. And as I write this in the airport heading home, I find myself already thinking about next year. I hope to see you all there.

DIGITAL HEALTH

Kevin Durant on taking a break from social media. Have you heard that we just wrapped up a pretty awesome health care conference—and that, among a multitude of fascinating discussions, NBA star Kevin Durant was interviewed by our co-chair Arianna Huffington for a fascinating closing session? Durant (and business partner Rich Kleiman) delved into issues ranging from the financial to the physical to the mental. But some of the most intriguing parts of the conversation centered on the negative effects of technology and social media. Here's what Durant had to say about that: "I took a couple of weeks off [social media], not even looking at posts or comments, and I just felt so free. I felt like this was the real world." But don't worry, Golden State fans—Durant's social media hiatus was short-lived. (Fortune)

INDICATIONS

Glaxo pharmaceuticals head makes tough budget demands. Reuters is out with a big piece on the big changes planned at U.K. pharma giant GlaxoSmithKline under new CEO Emma Walmsley—including substantial budget demands. Fresh pharmaceutical unit head Luke Miels is calling for 20% in budget savings from managers, part of an expansive effort to cut costs in the unit and reinvest money into specific (and, likely, fewer) R&D efforts that may bring in more cash and higher returns. (Reuters)

THE BIG PICTURE

6 ways to keep your brain healthy. My Fortune colleague Erika Fry (also my partner-in-crime for our April cover story on big data, biology, and digital health, which I really hope you'll take some time to read) reports on some ways to look out for your brain. During a discussion alongside Ann Romney, Rudy Tanzi, Vice Chair of Neurology and Director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital (and an expert on Alzheimer's). Tanzi's tips included some of those oh-so-common-sense and yet difficult-to-achieve goals like getting enough sleep, exercising, and maintaining a healthy diet, among others. (Fortune)

REQUIRED READING

WhatsApp Co-Founder Says It's Time to Delete Facebook, by David Meyer

Google Pledges $300 Million for Journalism Initiative, by Eli Meixler

Uber Founder Travis Kalanick Is a CEO Again, by Bloomberg

The Night $1 Million in Crypto Started Raining from the Sky, by Jen Wieczner