Renowned neuroscientist to give lecture

Dr. Robert Sapolsky, a renowned neuroscientist, will be coming to IU to discuss the familiar topic of stress and the ongoing neurological research being conducted to investigate how it affects humans. \nSapolsky has been praised for his scientific work in the field of neuroscience as well as his literary works, which bring neurological issues to a wide audience through creative writing. His lecture, as well as one of his previous books, is titled “Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers.”\nProfessor Greg Demas of the Department of Biology described Sapolsky as “the leading researcher in neuroendocrine control of stress and how our bodies respond to stress.” Demas had high praise for Sapolsky’s groundbreaking work and accessibility as a scientific lecturer, and said Sapolsky’s body of work was “on the forefront of one of the most important fields, which is how we deal with stress.”\nSapolsky has done extensive research in various places from his current post at Stanford University out to Africa, and has studied animals such as the zebra to observe how our modern society has made humans prone to stress and stress-related diseases.\nSapolsky received the MacArthur Fellow Award, given every year to individuals who show exceptional promise in their field. \nSapolsky comes to IU as a guest of the College Arts & Humanities Institute. \nInstitute Director Andrea Cicarelli said Sapolsky is an interesting lecturer and added that his lectures are easy to relate to even if listeners have no background in neurological science.\n“He lectures in a way that everybody can get something out of it,” Demas said. \nCicarelli noted the stature of importance Sapolsky has in his field and emphasized that students and faculty should not miss the opportunity to see such an interesting talk. Cicarelli said one mission of the College Arts & Humanities Institute is “to bring to Bloomington prestigious guest speakers to expose the student and faculty population to people they wouldn’t otherwise have access to.”\nSapolsky’s lecture will take place at 5 p.m. Monday in Chemistry 122.