"Don't stress over anything you can't change." – Mickey Mouse
That’s easy for a mouse to say. What if the emotion you are feeling is actually determined by a gene and not something that you can easily change or control? University Professor Jean C. Shih will discuss her current research that focuses on the neurobiology of emotional behaviors and the gene identified as related to aggression and anxiety. In her field of pharmacology, Professor Shih has branched out into psychotropic research as a crucial element not only of medical practice but also as a pathway towards an understanding of the relation between genes and behaviors. In this discussion, Professor Shih will explore with students the integrated interdisciplinary--aka polymathic--nature of pharmacology and how her work is, as she says, “dedicated to help us better understand mental diseases and the environmental impact on behavior. That’s how we’ll really be able to help reduce human suffering.”