About
Please join us for the 16th annual Symposium on Emotion, April 21 and 22, to discuss how the human brain changes in response to disease and treatment. This year’s theme, neuroplasticity of emotion: psychopathology and treatment, features a world class lineup of researchers who will present their latest work on the neuroplasticity of the brain as it relates to helping people make significant behavioral and emotional changes as well as in treating individuals with more severe mental illness.
We now know that changes in the structure and function of the brain are associated with learning, psychiatric illness and treatment, and positive intrapersonal growth. Topics of specific interest will be brain changes wrought by depression; brain mechanisms underlying the placebo response, how the brain is altered in individuals prone to bullying and aggression, and how meditation influences well being through its influences on brain plasticity. This meeting is absolutely unique in that it allows the speakers to an hour to present their work and an additional hour is dedicated to an open discussion of each presentation. The discussion is led by UW students that have participated in a course this semester that is focused on the work of the presenting scientists.
Another unique aspect of the meeting is the travel scholarship awards provided by the HealthEmotions Research Institute to support the expenses of up to 45 trainees from the US and around the world to come to Madison to participate in the meeting. This is a wonderful opportunity for students at all levels (undergraduate, graduate, medical students, residents in Psychiatry and post-doctoral PhD candidates) to interact with world class scientists and to meet UW-Madison faculty.
Every year we hear from participants that this meeting, where experienced scientists make a special effort to reach out to trainees, helps forge enduring collegial relationships. I urge you to join us for a extraordinary learning experience.
Ned H. Kalin, MD
Hedberg Professor
Chair, Department of Psychiatry
Director, HealthEmotions Research Institute
University of Wisconsin – Madison