Talks to Explore 'Behavior and the Brain'

The UT Dallas School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences presents the 2008-2009 Colloquium Series, “Exploring Behavior and the Brain.”

The series will include presentations about topics such as school bullying, music and human nature, and childhood obesity prevention.

“Speakers chosen to present in the colloquium series are mindful of the diverse interests of students and faculty in the school and tailor their talks to a more general academic audience,” said Dr. Shayla Holub, a professor in the UT Dallas School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences who helped organize the 2008-2009 series along with fellow BBS professor Dr. Bart Rypma.

“We are really excited about the speakers who are visiting UT Dallas this year,” Holub said.

The Colloquium Series has been held since 1996. Speakers typically present numerous studies that have emerged from their research programs, and they are noted in their fields.

The presenters, their topics and the schedule for the 2008-2009 series are as follows:

• “The Unity and Diversity of Executive Functions: Individual Differences and Behavioral Genetic Analyses” — Dr. Akira Miyake, associate professor from the Department of Psychology at the University of Colorado at Boulder; Friday, Sept. 26.
• “School Bullying: Psychopathology, Human Nature or Part of Growing Up?” — Dr. Shelley Hymel, professor of Educational and Counseling Psychology and Special Education at the University of British Columbia; Friday, Nov. 14.
• “The World in Six Songs: How the Musical Brain Created Human Nature” — Dr. Daniel Levitin, associate professor from the Department of Psychology at McGill University; Friday, Nov. 21.
• “Preventing Childhood Obesity” — Dr. Leann Birch, Distinguished Professor of Human Development from Pennsylvania State University;Friday, March 27.
• “Language in Autism: Developmental, Psycholinguistic and Neuroimaging Perspectives” — Dr. Helen Tager-Flusberg, professor in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology from Boston University; Friday, April 24.

All presentations will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. in GR 4.428, with refreshments to follow.

The events are free and open to anyone with an interest in learning more about these research areas, although they are targeted toward the faculty and students in all areas of the School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences.

“The colloquium series allows BBS faculty and students to engage with scholars at other institutions and allows these scholars to learn more about BBS and UT Dallas,” Holub said.

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