Fear: Your Brain Is Trying to Save You
with Radhika Reddy, PhD, Teaching Associate Professor, Department of Biology at Portland State University
About the Lecture
Why does your heart race before you have even figured out what frightened you? And why can a fear return long after you thought you had overcome it? Fear is not a flaw in the brain it is an ancient survival system designed to protect us. Evolution favored false alarms over fatal mistakes, so the brain can launch a fear response before its more deliberate regions have had time to decide whether a threat is real. This system can keep us alive, but it can also leave us reacting to dangers that no longer exist.
In this talk, neurobiologist and educator Radhika Reddy will guide us through the brain circuitry of fear. She will explain how the amygdala learns to associate ordinary sights and sounds with danger, why learned fears can be so persistent, and how the prefrontal cortex helps us regain control. She will also explore why overcoming fear involves creating a new memory of safety rather than erasing the original fear, and what this may reveal about post-traumatic stress disorder and emerging approaches to weakening traumatic memories.
Science Pubs are a casual lecture series located in fun venues across the region, recommended for ages 10 and over.
Tickets
$8 suggested donation | Advance tickets recommended
Zoom Option
If you are unable to join us in person, you can watch on Zoom. You must register in advance. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
About the Speaker
Radhika Reddy is a Teaching Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at Portland State University, where she teaches the Principles of Biology sequence, Neurophysiology, and Sensory Physiology. Her research career focused on the molecular and cellular mechanisms through which experience changes the brain. Her graduate research examined synaptic plasticity in the hippocampus, followed by postdoctoral work on the molecular mechanisms of fear-based learning and neuroendocrine regulation of neural-circuit formation. As an educator, she is especially interested in making the workings of the brain accessible, relevant, and engaging for learners both inside and outside the classroom.
Questions? Email sciencepub@omsi.edu
Ticketing questions call 503.797.4000 x0
Frequently Asked Questions
If you are unable to join us in person, you can watch on zoom. You must register in advance via the ticketing page or the link above. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
To guarantee a seat at this event, we recommend you purchase your ticket in advance. Please show your ticket at the check-in table in front of the theater upon arrival.
We will usually have tickets available at the door. They are first-come, first-served, and admission will remain a suggested donation.
Kennedy School Theater has everything from pizza to burgers to popcorn and candy. Food and drink are welcome in the theater. No outside food or drink is allowed.
It is free to park in McMenamins Kennedy School parking lot and there is plenty of free street parking in the neighborhood.
Venue Information
Sponsored by
Accessibility
- Wheelchair Accessible Entrance