Why does your heart race before you have even figured out what frightened you? And why can a fear return long after you thought you had overcome it? Fear is not a flaw in the brain it is an ancient survival system designed to protect us. Evolution favored false alarms over fatal mistakes, so the brain can launch a fear response before its more deliberate regions have had time to decide whether a threat is real. This system can keep us alive, but it can also leave us reacting to dangers that no longer exist.

In this talk, neurobiologist and educator Radhika Reddy will guide us through the brain circuitry of fear. She will explain how the amygdala learns to associate ordinary sights and sounds with danger, why learned fears can be so persistent, and how the prefrontal cortex helps us regain control. She will also explore why overcoming fear involves creating a new memory of safety rather than erasing the original fear, and what this may reveal about post-traumatic stress disorder and emerging approaches to weakening traumatic memories. 

Science Pub Kennedy School is a monthly event that is open to anyone and everyone. No RSVP or scientific background required. Just bring your curiosity, sense of humor, and appetite for food, drinks and knowledge! For more information or to sign up for our mailing list, email: sciencepub@omsi.edu.

Dinner and drinks will be available throughout the presentation. Please visit the McMenamins Kennedy School website for a dinner menu and venue information.

Suggested donation of $8 all goes to OMSI.

Calendar:

http://www.omsi.edu/sciencepubportland

Website:

http://www.omsi.edu