Dr. Robert Sapolsky

2006 - 2007 Common Ground Speaker

WHY ZEBRAS DON’T GET ULCERS . . . AND HUMANS DO

Life in the Bay Area can be hectic, at times resembling a modern day jungle. Although few of us are likely to be hunted by lions or infected by cholera, we face a constant barrage of challenges at home, work and school. Dealing with these challenges can cause a host of stress-related ailments in both adults and children. At its worse, prolonged stress can lower our immunity and leave us vulnerable to serious diseases. Dr. Robert Sapolsky spells out the latest research on prolonged stress and how it affects human health, happiness and productivity. Learn how our bodies react physically to stress and what we can do to help our children and ourselves manage it more effectively. Robert M. Sapolsky is a MacArthur “Genius” Fellow, a Professor of Biology and Neuroscience at Stanford University, and a research associate with the Institute of Primate Research at the National Museum in Kenya, where he spends part of each year studying stress in baboons. Dr. Sapolsky has written about stress-related illnesses for popular magazines and is an award-winning author of numerous books, including A Primate’s Memoir, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers and The Trouble with Testosterone.