Free Public Lecture: Using Brain Science to Help

Combat the Effects of Discrimination

Dr. Valerie Purdie-Vaughns, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Columbia University and an expert on racial and gender disparities.

Wednesday, December 3, 6:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

The Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
515 Malcolm X Blvd at 135th Street

ADMISSION: This event is free and open to the public. Please register at: http://tinyurl.com/SNFlecture-December2014

NEW YORK—On Wednesday, December 3, at 6:30 p.m., psychologist Valerie Purdie-Vaughns from Columbia University will discuss the nexus between brain science and narrowing racial and gender disparities in professional, health, and academic settings.

Purdie-Vaughns will examine how stereotypes affect how we live, work, and play. Drawing upon recent neuroimaging studies, she will explore the benefits of offering people concrete, psychological strategies to challenge the stress of discrimination—and how this can lead to improved grades and test scores. Brain imaging tests suggest this holds great promise in reducing health disparities as well.

Purdie-Vaughns is an expert on racial and gender achievement gaps and the use of interventions to improve outcomes. She has presented her research findings at the White House Conference on Education and at Harvard, Stanford, and Princeton Universities, among others.

This talk is part of the Stavros Niarchos Foundation Brain Insight Lecture series, offered to the public for free to enhance understanding of the biology of the mind and the complexity of human behavior. The lectures are hosted by The Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute at Columbia University and supported by the Stavros Niarchos Foundation.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation is one of the world’s leading international philanthropic organizations, making grants in the areas of arts and culture, education, health and sports, and social welfare.

Columbia University’s Mortimer B. Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute is an interdisciplinary hub for scientists and scholars across the university, created on a scope and scale to explore the human brain and behavior at levels of inquiry from cells to society.