What’s Left? Personhood and Dementia (Conference, UC Berkeley, April 30 -May 1 2015)

What is it to be a “person”? What is “dementia”? Can you lose your personhood because of dementia? The neurosciences, behavioral sciences, and humanities have different ways to approach, if not definitively answer, these questions.

Thursday April 30th: FilmViewing: “Alive Inside”

This stirring documentary follows social worker Dan Cohen, founder of the nonprofit organization Music & Memory, as he fights against a broken healthcare system to demonstrate music’s ability to combat memory loss and restore a deep sense of self to those suffering from it. Rossato-Bennett visits family members who have witnessed the miraculous effects of personalized music on their loved ones, and others illuminating interviews with experts including renowned neurologist and best-selling author Oliver Sacks and musician Bobby McFerrin.

Discussion led by Julene Johnson, Cognitive Neuroscientist and Professor at the UCSF Institute for Health & Aging

Friday May 1st

Religion & Philosophy
John Perry, Professor of Philosophy, Stanford & Robert Sharf, Professor of Buddhist Studies, UC Berkeley Respondent: LaVera Crawley, Palliative Care Chaplain and Physician

Biomedical & Sociological Perspectives
Andrew Kayser, Assistant Professor of Neurology, UCSF &Patrick Fox, Professor of Sociology, UCSF
Respondents: Micheal Pope & Guy Micco

Portraiture & Personhood
Marilyn McEntyre, Adjunct Professor of Medical Humanities & Johanna Shapiro, Director, Program in Medical Humanities and Arts in Family Medicine, UC Irvine

Music and Memory
Short concert and discussion with members of the Le Coast Chamber Ensemble
Respondents: Julene Johnson & Tomas Lacquer, Professor of History, UCB

Student Summary Statements
With: Andreas Lazaris & Kathleen Powers

Join us for the discussion! For more information and to register for the event (free to attend) click here.
Download the poster.

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