Stress & Resilience in the Brain

Stress is pervasive in our lives, and while it’s typically considered negative, some degree of stress is beneficial. In this course we will broadly explore the neurobiology of stress, spanning anatomy and physiology, behavioral and cognitive neuroscience, and human disease and interventions. We will investigate how neural systems perceive and regulate stress, the effect stress has on brains and behavior, and how stress produces resilience or vulnerability to subsequent disease. Students will become skilled at critically reading peer-reviewed articles and evaluating current research methods. Further, this course will incorporate applied exercises in stress reduction, with the goal of building resilience. (This course will count for elective credit for the PSYC major and minor)