The Resilient Brain: How the Mind Survives the Unthinkable

In a fireside chat conversation format, UR neuroscientist Kelly Lambert and Eduardo Valseco, who survived one of Mexico’s most notorious kidnapping cases, explore how the brain adapts when familiar landscapes vanish and the mind is forced to create its own internal strategies (mindscapes) for survival. Drawing on Eduardo’s extraordinary story, featured on Dateline NBC, and Lambert’s research on neuroplasticity and resilience, the discussion will examine how the brain endures isolation, sensory deprivation, terror, and uncertainty. The session will be moderated by Daniela Hernandez, neuroscientist, author, and former Wall Street Journal journalist, who will guide the dialogue and facilitate audience questions.

Sponsored by the Department of Psychology and the School of Arts & Sciences.