From Molecules to Mind: Stress, Individual Differences, and the Social Environment
Bruce McEwen, Ph.D.
Wednesday, March 31, 2004
Stress is both a condition of human existence and a significant factor in the expression of disease. Dr. McEwen discussed the important role that the endocrine and nervous systems play in the communication between the brain and the rest of the body and how common, low levels of stress over time, such as stress caused by the events of everyday life, can affect health. Dr. McEwen also discussed the impact of stress on the immune system and regions of the brain involved in fear and cognitive function.
Herbal Medicine: Ancient Practice Meets Modern Science
Norman R. Farnsworth, Ph.D.
Wednesday, October 22, 2003
Dr. Farnsworth is Director of the Program for Collaborative Research in the Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), where he is also a Research Professor of Pharmacognosy and Distinguished University Professor. His research in the field of biologically active plants dates back to the early 1950's. He is a world renowned scholar and leader in the effort to standardize dosage forms of plant extracts so that clinical and basic research can be conducted to evaluate their effectiveness as drugs and dietary supplements. His research group at the UIC/NIH Center for Botanical Dietary Supplements Research is currently designing standardized plant extracts for use in clinical trials to obtain definitive answers regarding their safety and effectiveness to alleviate symptoms associated with menopause. He discussed the challenges in this research, including plant collection and identification, isolation of active ingredients, understanding how botanicals work, and whether they are safe and effective.
Hypnosis and Group Support in Medical Care: Altering Perception and Reality
David Spiegel, M.D.
May 6, 2003
Dr. Spiegel is a world-renowned authority on mind/body interactions in medicine. His groundbreaking research, supported by rigorous clinical trials, provides a link between psychotherapeutic interventions and changes in brain function, emotional adjustment, and disease outcome that could alter the standard of care for those with medical illness such as chronic pain and cancer.
The Global Transformation of Health Care: Cultural and Ethical Challenges to Medicine
Arthur Kleinman, M.D.
November 7, 2002
Arthur Kleinman, M.D., Esther and Sydney Rabb Professor of Anthropology, Department of Anthropology, Harvard University, presented "The Global Transformation of Health Care: Cultural and Ethical Challenges to Medicine."
Alternative to What? Complementary to Whom? On Some Aspects of Medicine's Scientific Identity
Charles Rosenberg, Ph.D.
July 18, 2002
At this inaugural lecture, Charles Rosenberg, Ph.D., Professor of the History of Science and Ernest E. Monrad Professor in the Social Sciences at Harvard University, delivered "Alternative to What? Complementary to Whom? On Some Aspects of Medicine's Scientific Identity." His lecture placed CAM in the context of medicine as an ever-evolving discipline.
Overview of CAM and Series Announcement
Stephen E. Straus, M.D.
March 11, 2002
Stephen E. Straus, M.D., the first director of NCCAM, delivered an NIH Director's Lecture on "Exploring the Scientific Basis of Complementary and Alternative Medicine." He provided an overview of CAM as a basis for understanding the field in the United States. Dr. Straus also announced the July 25, 2002, launch of the Distinguished Lectures in the Science of Complementary and Alternative Medicine.
This was a special Monday event in the NIH Director's Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series. You may view a video of the lecture on the Web.
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