Annual Bindra lecture is held in honor of Dalbir Bindra's (1922-1980) scientific and academic contributions.
Lecture from 3:30 - 5:00 pm, followed by a reception. Admission is free.
October 16th, 2026 - McIntyre Medical Building, 5th Floor
Dr. Nicole Rust
University of Pennsylvania
Title: From Subjective Feelings to Brain Mechanisms: Advancing the Science of Mood
Abstract: In this talk, I will draw on the notion of “epistemic iteration,” proposed by the philosopher Hasok Chang, to describe how scientists tackled the conceptually analogous problem of understanding temperature in the 17th century. Building on this idea, we have developed a new approach to bridge the gap between behavioral and neural measures of mood. I will describe how we have used this strategy to identify a strong neural correlate of mood, reflected in the heterogeneous, persistent responses of individual neurons in monkey anterior insular cortex — a brain area implicated in human mood via lesions, fMRI, and microstimulation. Finally, I will describe how these insights are leading us to detailed accounts of how the brain converts experiences into mood and the mechanisms that keep mood within a healthy range, rather than spiraling out of control.