Upcoming Speakers

October 2009

Dr. Robert Sapolsky
Neuroscientist, Biologist, Science Writer, and Stress Expert

7:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 21, 2009

Lair Auditorium (Building 6)
Spokane Community College, Spokane, Washington

As a boy, Dr. Robert Sapolsky dreamed of going to Africa. His career ultimately took him there to study in-depth the social and stress conditions of baboons. From his field research and work as a neuroscientist, Sapolsky has developed an unbelievable and unique perspective on the human condition and specifically stress and stress-related disorders. His gift for storytelling led The New York Times to suggest, "If you crossed Jane Goodall with a borscht-belt comedian, she might have written a book like A Primate's Memoir, Sapolsky's account of his early years as a field biologist." In his recent book, Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, Dr. Sapolsky explains that "the problem for people is that our bodies' stress response evolved to help us get out of short-term physical emergencies - if a lion is chasing you, you run" and that such "reactions compromise long-term physical health in favor of immediate self-preservation. Unfortunately, when confronted with purely psychological stressors, such as troubleshooting the fax machine, modern humans turn on the same stress response. If you turn it on for too long, you get sick."

Sapolsky is a MacArthur "Genius" Fellow, a professor of biology and neurology at Stanford University, and a research associate with the Institute of Primate Research at the National Museum of Kenya. In 2008, National Geographic and PBS aired an hour-long special featuring Dr. Sapolsky and his research. He has written two other books - The Trouble with Testosterone and Monkeyluv and Other Essays on Our Lives as Animals - and his articles have appeared in Discover and The New Yorker. The New York Times has dubbed Dr. Robert Sapolsky "one of the finest natural history writers around." Sapolsky's artistic ability to bring humor and humanity to the sobering subject of stress and disease makes him a fascinating speaker. Join us for an entertaining and insightful journey into the human condition and stress-related illnesses with Dr. Robert Sapolsky.

This presentation will take place Wednesday, October 21, 2009, at 7:00 p.m. in the Lair Auditorium (Building 6) on the Spokane Community College campus. It is free and open to the public. Dr. Sapolsky's talk will include a 30-minute question and answer period. A reception and book signing will follow in the Lair Lobby at 8:30 p.m.

Dr. Sapolsky will also be available for a separate question and answer session with students in the Hagan Foundation Center for the Humanities.