Neuroscience Insights to Navigate Stress and Trauma: A Harvard Neuroscience & Society Conversation with Leading Experts
Harvard Neuroscience & Society
Neuroscience Insights to Navigate Stress and Trauma
Trauma and stress shape our brains, but they also shape our systems. From clinics to courtrooms, the science of stress is transforming how we understand vulnerability, recovery, responsibility, and justice.
Join us at Harvard Law School for a cross-campus, interdisciplinary conversation bringing together leaders in neurobiology, psychiatry, neurosurgery, neuroethics, and neurolaw to explore how cutting-edge brain science is reshaping society.
The Science of Susceptibility: Dr. Nathaniel Harnett will share innovative research on why some are more vulnerable to stress-related disorders, including how systemic factors like inequity and racism leave unique neural signatures.
The Clinical & Legal Frontiers: The panel discussion will bridge the gap between lab and life, discussing how these findings transform psychiatric care, neurosurgery, and the legal system.
Featured Panelists
Nathaniel Harnett, PhD: Director of the Neurobiology of Affective and Traumatic Experience Lab at McLean Hospital, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School
David Silbersweig, MD: Stanley Cobb Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Chairman Emeritus for Department of Psychiatry at Brigham and Women’s Hospital
Theresa Williamson, MD: Neurosurgeon at Brown University and Co-Director of the Neurotech Justice Accelerator (NJAM)
Judge (Ret.) Nancy Gertner: Senior Lecturer on Law at Harvard Law School and renowned legal expert
Moderated by Francis Shen, JD, PhD: Chief Innovation Officer at MGH Center for Law, Brain & Behavior and Director of the NJAM Neurolaw Program
Agenda:
Date: Monday, March 30
Location: Harvard Law School, Wasserstein Hall, Room 1023
5:30 PM – Refreshments available
6:00-7:00 PM – Panel discussion
7:00-7:30 PM – Reception & networking
We invite everyone interested in the intersection of neuroscience and society across Harvard and its affiliated hospitals to attend. Neuroscience and society refers broadly to intersections such as neuroethics, neuroeducation, neurolaw, neuroeconomics, neurophilosophy, and more.
Our Harvard community is poised to be a national leader in these interrelated fields and this is an opportunity to meet your colleagues and shape our future programming!
About the Sponsors:
Harvard Brain Science Initiative (HBI)
A university-wide initiative launched by the Office of the Provost to advance interdisciplinary brain research across Harvard and its affiliated hospitals. HBI fosters collaboration, education, and public engagement to expand the power of neuroscience for human health and society.
Neurotech Justice Accelerator (NJAM)
Based in the Department of Neurosurgery at Mass General Brigham and funded by the Dana Foundation, NJAM connects neurotechnology leaders with communities to promote equitable access and responsible societal use of emerging neurotechnologies.
Center for Law, Brain & Behavior (CLBB)
CLBB works to put the most accurate and actionable neuroscience in the hands of judges, lawyers, policymakers, and journalists, strengthening the fairness and effectiveness of the legal system.
Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology, and Bioethics
A leading Harvard Law School research center dedicated to interdisciplinary scholarship on health law, biotechnology, and bioethics. The Center shapes global conversations at the intersection of law, medicine, and emerging technologies.
About the Speakers
Nathaniel Harnett, PhD
Director of the Neurobiology of Affective and Traumatic Experiences Lab at McLean Hospital and Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School. His research identifies neural signatures of trauma vulnerability and examines how structural inequities leave measurable imprints on the brain. His work has been funded by NIMH and featured in JAMA Psychiatry, PBS, CNN, and NPR.
David Silbersweig, MD
Stanley Cobb Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and Chairman Emeritus at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. A pioneer of functional neuroimaging in psychiatry, he has helped define the neural circuitry underlying major psychiatric disorders. His systems-level research has shaped the modern field of neuropsychiatry.
Theresa Williamson, MD, MPH
Neurosurgeon at Brown University and Co-Director of the Neurotech Justice Accelerator. A leader in minimally invasive spine surgery and neurotechnology innovation, she bridges clinical excellence with bioethics and public health. She has mentored dozens of students at the intersection of neuroscience and society.
Judge (Ret.) Nancy Gertner, JD
Former U.S. District Judge and Senior Lecturer at Harvard Law School. A nationally recognized authority on sentencing, civil rights, and forensic evidence, she has received the Thurgood Marshall Award and numerous national honors for judicial excellence. Her work continues to shape conversations around justice and neuroscience.
Moderated by Francis X. Shen, JD, PhD
Chief Innovation Officer at the MGH Center for Law, Brain & Behavior, Co-Director of NJAM, Director, Shen Neurolaw Lab. A pioneer in neurolaw, he co-authored the first Law and Neuroscience casebook and has led major NIH BRAIN research initiatives. His work bridges science, law, and public policy.