The brain and stress
Itai Anghel and Yael Goren-Wegman, Executive Director of the Israeli Friends Association of the Weizmann Institute.
The Israeli Friends Association of the Weizmann Institute held an event in Tel Aviv on July 17, where invited guests heard from Israeli journalist and documentarian Itai Anghel, and Prof. Alon Chen, head of the Weizmann Institute's Department of Neurobiology. Both featured speakers discussed the effects of stress on health and illness.
Anghel shared memories from his long and exciting career as a war reporter, which has taken him to some of the most dangerous conflict zones in the world. He noted how the stress of his profession is heightened by the fact that he is Israeli and broadcasting in Hebrew from the field. Anghel also explained what attracted him to this kind of danger—his duty as a journalist—and how he was able to overcome his fears by smiling and feigning confidence, his survival tactics.
Prof. Chen explained to the audience the survival mechanism in the brain for responding to stress, the long-term effects of stress, the differences between men and women in terms of how the brain processes stress, the role of heredity, and more.
The event was sponsored by Credit Suisse Bank.
