Environmental Neuroethics: the Crossroads of Environment, Brain and Mental Health


Thursday, June 17, 2021
9:00 AM PDT
To register, please visit: https://www.bigmarker.com/neuroethics-society/environmental-neuroethics

21st century environmental challenges coupled to novel scientific understandings of their impacts on neurological and mental health raise a distinct set of considerations at the interface between environmental ethics, brain health, and public policy. How do environmental factors like pollution, toxicity, and radiation affect the brain and present long-term epidemiological concerns? What about the relationship between environmental stressors and mental health among diverse demographic populations? How may public health and environmental strategies work in tandem to design interventions for the built and natural environments? And how can we facilitate discussion of all these questions to promote a future population-level resilience to the challenges brought on by environmental change?

To encapsulate these emerging concerns at the convergence between brain and environmental health whilst aligning it with ethical considerations, the Emerging Issues Task Force of the International Neuroethics Society is organizing a virtual panel discussion. The panel will focus on four areas of analysis. Specific attention will be given to how these four tiers come together to provide directions for future ethically-minded and behaviorally-driven environmental health research.

• Neurology and the environment – How pollution and other environmental factors contribute to observable brain pathology;
• Mental health and the environment – The interplay between cognitive stressors, environmental change, and susceptibility to mental health issues;
• Cross-cultural factors and the environment – How traditional ecological knowledge interacts with neuroscience and contextualizes the impact of climate change on First Nations/settler communities;
• Social policy and the environment – The role of policymakers, designers, and public health officials in addressing challenges in the built and natural environments through brain and population-centric approaches.

Our panel of experts and rising scholars will explore various ethical issues raised by the connection between brain and environment and address questions submitted by participants.

Speakers are:
• Caleb E. Finch, University of Southern California
• Laura Y. Cabrera, Penn State University
• Louise Harding, University of British Columbia
• Thomas Albright, Salk Institute for Biological Studies
• Judy Illes, University of British Columbia (moderator)

This online event is free and open to the public. You must register in advance to participate.

This event will be recorded. Review the policies and code of conduct expectations that pertain to this event.
• https://www.neuroethicssociety.org/privacy
• https://www.neuroethicssociety.org/conduct