November
Hopes for our Health: How New Medical Devices and Techniques Work
Steve Feller, B.D. Silliman Professor of Physics
November 2, 9, 16
Scientists and engineers from many fields have developed numerous medical techniques and devices that have revolutionized treatment for all manner of conditions and diseases. These exciting possibilities provide the medical world with new means to help people and improve the quality of their lives. Change in this area is occurring at a breathtaking pace. This three-week forum presented by B.D. Silliman Professor of Physics Steve Feller will introduce audiences to some of the most important innovations in medical technology in recent decades. The first session will explain therapeutics like antibiotics and radiation treatments and the consequent emergence of nuclear medicine and vaccines. It will also discuss imaging technology and devices like X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and computerized tomography (CT) scans. Week two will continue with the most recent advances in imaging as well as the emergence of research on and the applications for genetic markers and modifications in our genes. The final session will discuss the development of techniques like organ transplantation and stem cell donation as well as the use of innovative glasses to enhance wound healing, bone growth, and cancer treatments.
The Health of Our Relationships
Ellen Lee, Assistant Professor of Psychology
November 30
The health of our relationships affects both our psychological and physical well-being. Satisfying relationships are related to increased happiness and fulfillment. Meaningful connections with loved ones make us feel safe and understood and even help us recover faster from illness. This special one-week forum presented by Assistant Professor of Psychology Ellen Lee explains the personal and relational behaviors that facilitate connection as well as the theory, research, and practice behind building healthy relationships. The session will begin with the theory of personality, specifically “the Big Five” (openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness, and emotional stability), and how certain traits are more desirable and adaptive in relationships. We will also introduce concepts like personality misalignment, the role of disclosure and vulnerability in building connection, the ways novel activities foster self-expansion and connection, the broaden-and-build theory, and the theory of mindfulness as enabling greater communication with loved ones. The presentation will incorporate some interactive elements, such as brief assessments of one’s own personality traits and activities that model connection and validation, to explore and apply the broader theories.