PODCAST: The Brain Architects: Connecting Health & Learning Part I: The Science

How do our biological systems work together to respond to chronic stress? What do these responses mean for early learning and lifelong health? And when we say that early experiences matter, what do we mean by early? This episode of The Brain Architects podcast addresses all these questions and more.

To kick off this episode, Center Director Dr. Jack Shonkoff describes the body’s stress response system, how our biological systems act as a team when responding to chronic stress, and the effects chronic stress can have on lifelong health.

This is followed by a discussion among a panel of scientists including Dr. Nicki Bush (University of California-San Francisco),  Dr. Damien Fair (University of Minnesota),  and Dr. Fernando Martinez (University of Arizona). The panelists discuss how our bodies respond to adversity, inflammation’s role in the stress response system, the effects of stress during the prenatal period and first few years after birth, and how we can use this science to prevent long-term impacts on our health.

SOURCE: Center on Developing Child (Harvard University)

ACCESSED: Dec 2020

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