The Cortisol Chronicles: A Deep Dive into the Science of Stress

MBB 980FF Subject & Catalog Number

Description

Whether acute or chronic, minor or major, stress is a part of our everyday lives. Yet, stress is often fundamentally misunderstood by many and misrepresented in popular media. This course will provide students with an introduction and overview of core concepts of stress and a tutorial on how to read and interpret the scientific literature on stress. We will consider contemporary models of stress, links between stress and major biological systems, and the ways in which stress can impact both physical and mental health across the lifespan. We will then delve into the science of resilience to identify the factors that help us thrive in the face of stress across the lifespan. A major focus of this course will be to support students in becoming critical consumers of the scientific and popular literatures. This course is inherently multidisciplinary and includes topics relevant to psychology and adjacent fields including biology, neuroscience, cognitive science, and health science. In addition, students will actively participate in shaping course content as they will be invited to determine the topics for two open lecture/discussions throughout the semester.