McGill on the Move with Karim Nader
McGill on the Move with Karim Nader, Associate Professor and
William Dawson Chair, Department of Psychology, McGill
University.
"Taming Trauma": How Memories are Acquired, Stored and
Recalled”
Nine years ago, at the tender age of 33, Karim Nader proved that
when a memory is retrieved, the brain puts it into a vulnerable
state in which it can be changed, strengthened or lost
altogether.
He devised a method to dampen or "tune down" even the most painful
and violent memories in a process with enormous implications for
rape victims, war veterans and other post-traumatic stress
sufferers. What’s more, there’s hope that his groundbreaking
research could one day help treat conditions such as epilepsy, drug
addiction and obsessive-compulsive disorder. Join Professor Nader
as he explains how new discoveries are bringing to light some of
the mind’s darkest recesses.
Karim Nader joined McGill in 2001, and now holds the positions
of Associate Professor and William Dawson Chair in the Department
of Psychology. Before coming to the University, he did his
post-doctoral studies in a lab at New York University. His
supervisor there recalled that "Karim came into the field of memory
like a ball of fire. He had brilliant ideas and a great knack for
turning them into experiments - and making the experiments
work."
His research has earned him numerous honors and awards, among them
the prestigious Sloan Research Fellowship, given to early-career
scientists and scholars who are having a major impact on their
field. He has also been recognized by the BBC and 60 Minutes, was
selected as one of "Canada’s Top 40 Under 40," and even helped
inspire the Hollywood movie "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless
Mind," starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet. In 2007, Forbes
magazine named him as one of its "10 People Who Could Change the
World."
Note: You must pay in advance to reserve your place.
Parking is available in One International Place, where the event is being held, with a voucher that will be redeemed.
Cost: $20 US (includes light refreshments, beverages and parking)
Online registration is available on Alumnilife.