Zebras and Ulcers

stress expert Dr. Robert M. Sapolsky to speak

Nicole Humphrey |

Stressed out? Neurobiologist and stress expert Dr. Robert M. Sapolsky is here to help. He has been hailed as “one of the finest natural history writers around” by the New York Times and has received the MacArthur Foundation “genius grant.” His beard is impressive, too. For more than 25 years, Dr. Sapolsky has spent time doing field work (and has lived) with baboons and neurological research in the laboratory. On March 25, he will take center stage to share his findings and discuss his most popular book, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers. The book aims to explain how humans and animals react differently to stress. Why is this significant? When humans get strung out, we have the same physiological response that an animal does, but we don’t resolve conflicts the way animals do – through flight or flight. It turns out that the prolonged activation of this stress response has serious consequences for our physical and mental health. Don’t worry, though; his cutting-edge research isn’t bound to get you down. The good doctor’s specialty is helping relieve people’s stress about stress with a healthy dose of humor and great advice for managing our stress responses through prevention. Come to learn and laugh with this gifted scientist.

    UWEC Forum: Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: Stress, Disease and Coping • March 25 • Zorn Arena, UW-Eau Claire • 7:30pm • $4 adults, $2 students • 836-3727