Nearing forty, Dr. Wendy Suzuki was at the pinnacle of her career. She had tenure, her own successful research lab, prestigious awards and international renown. That’s when, to celebrate her birthday, she booked an adventure trip that forced her to wake up to a startling reality: despite her professional success, she was overweight, lonely and tired. She knew that her life had to change. Wendy started simply—by going to an exercise class. Eventually, she noticed an improvement in her memory, her energy levels and her ability to work quickly and move from task to task easily. Not only did Wendy begin to get fit, but she also became sharper, had more energy and her memory improved. Being a neuroscientist, she wanted to know why. What she learned transformed her body and her life.

In this lecture, Dr. Suzuki blends personal experience, science narrative and practical advice to bring the human brain into focus as never before, revealing the powerful connection between exercise, energy, memory and learning.

This lecture is made possible by the Roger B. Loucks Endowed Lectureship in the Department of Psychology. The endowment sponsors annual lectures and visits by outstanding scholars who have achieved recognition in the field of neuroscience.