Dr. Liisa Galea visits the Middlebury College Biology Dept as this year's Saul Speaker. She will present a public talk Thurs Nov 7 at 4:30 pm titled, "Why Sex and Gender Matter for Understanding Brain Health and Disease." The talk is in McCardell Bicentennial Hall, Room 200 (Middlebury College, 276 Bicentennial Way, Middlebury, VT)

Although sex differences exist in many brain diseases, research targeting sex as a factor in brain health has been scarce. Dr. Galea's research is vital in filling this knowledge gap, specifically in understanding how sex and hormones influence neuroplasticity in females as too often women's health is ignored in research. This preclinical work is essential for developing tailored treatments for brain disease in both women and men. Her research examines the effects of hormones, stress and reproductive experience on neuroplasticity, including adult neurogenesis (the birth of new brain cells in the adult), and subsequent behaviour.

Liisa Galea is the Treliving Chair in Women's Mental Health at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health and a Professor of Psychiatry and Pharmacology and Toxicology at University of Toronto. She comes to Toronto, after 25 years as a Professor at University of British Columbia. She leads the Women's Health Research Cluster (>500 members worldwide) and is a passionate advocate for research on women's brain health. Dr. Galea is a world-renowned expert in sex hormone influences on brain and behaviour in both health and disease states, with a focus on dementia and stress-related psychiatric disorders. Dr. Galea has won numerous awards including the NSERC Discovery Accelerator. She has given >60 international talks, including the Mortyn Jones Lecture (International Congress of Neuroendocrinology).

Snacks and Drinks provided

Event Info

Nov 7, 2024, 5:30 to 7:30 PM

Nov 7, 2024, 6 to 9 PM

Nov 9, 2024, 10 AM to 2 PM