Our speaker, Dr. Huda Akil, and her colleagues have provided the first psychological evidence of endorphins, and showed that endorphins are activated by stress and inhibit pain. In investigations of the mechanism underlying stress activity in anxiety and depression, she demonstrated that social defeat in rodents activates unique neural pathways resembling those alerted in human depression. Her team has also focused on the role of specific genes in the pathology of mood disorders.

Dr. Huda Akil is a graduate of the University of California, University of Iowa and the American University of Beirut. She is the Gardner Quarton Distinguished University Professor of Neurosciences at The Molecular & Behavioral Neuroscience Institute at the University of Michigan. She has made unique contributions to the understanding of the brain biology of emotions, including pain, anxiety, depression and substance abuse. She is the author of over 500 original scientific papers and has been elected to the American Academy of Arts and Science.

This is the fifth of ten lectures to be presented once each month from September 2020 through June,2021. The next lecture will be held February 9, 2021. Learn from well-known experts about an array of interesting subjects, with an interactive Q&A period following each lecture.

Preregistration is required via the OLLI website or phone. A link to access the lecture will be e-mailed to you approximately one week prior to the event.