IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Monday, December 12 @ 8PM, Secret Science Club & the Dana Foundation present Neuroscientist Xiaosi Gu on “The Social Brain,” FREE!

Secret Science Club & the Dana Foundation present the “Dana Foundation Neuroscience & Society Lecture” with Neuroscientist Xiaosi Gu

IN-PERSON @ THE BELL HOUSE on Monday, December 12, 8PM (Doors open at 7:30PM), Free!

Should I ask him out? Is my boss mad at me? Can my frenemies be trusted? Managing social interactions is hard work for our brains—and it’s probably our social natures that make the human brain so complex. It’s also what makes a lack of positive social interactions potentially damaging to our mental health.

At the next Secret Science Club, neuroscientist Xiaosi Gu explores the mysteries of the social brain. She asks:

-- How do our social lives and social interactions impact our moods and well-being—in both good ways and bad?

-- How do our brains adapt to shifting social situations, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, natural disasters, or changes in social norms? How can that be studied?

-- How do social norms, pressures, and expectations affect decision-making?

-- How can computational methods be used in psychiatry to improve mental health treatment?

Dr. Xiaosi Gu is a professor of psychiatry and neuroscience and the director of the Center for Computational Psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Her research examines the neural and computational mechanisms underlying human beliefs, emotions, decision making, and social interactions—in both health and disease—through a synthesis of neuroscience, cognitive science, and behavioral economics. She uses a variety of technologies, including brain imaging and machine learning, to study the brain’s processes, with the goal of improving general knowledge about the brain as well as psychiatric treatments. She is the co-developer of the Social Brain app, which uses games and participatory narratives to measure the relationship between social behaviors and mental health.

Before & After
--Imbibe our specially made cocktail of the night, the Social Hour
--Shimmy to synapse-soothing grooves
--Stick around for the scintillating Q&A

This mind-blowing edition of Secret Science Club - the “Dana Foundation Neuroscience & Society Lecture” featuring Xiaosi Gu - is supported by the Dana Foundation as part of its Dana Education program, which includes the coordination of Brain Awareness Week in mid-March. The Dana Foundation is dedicated to advancing neuroscience and society by supporting cross-disciplinary intersections such as neuroscience and ethics, law, policy, humanities, and arts.

Secret Science Club meets in-person on Monday, December 12, 8PM @ the Bell House, 149 7th St. (between 2nd and 3rd avenues) in Gowanus, Brooklyn. Subway: F or G to 4th Ave, R to 9th St.

Doors to the performance space open at 7:30PM. Please bring ID: 21+.

No cover. Just bring your smart self.

*This event will be mixed seated/standing. Arrive early for best seat selection.*

This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council.