Feb 26, 2018
Renowned pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris, MD took our stage to discuss new research that illustrates a deep connection between toxic stress during childhood and the likelihood of lifelong illnesses. In her book, The Deepest Well, Burke Harris relates findings from her survey of more than 17,000 adult patients and illuminates us on an astonishing breakthrough: childhood stress changes our neural systems and lasts a lifetime.
Town Hall’s own Kristin Leong moderated the conversation, leading us through Burke Harris’ journey of discovery—from her own pediatric practice to research labs across the nation. Join Burke Harris and Leong for an exploration of the impact of early-life trauma and adversity (with vital hope for change) in an essential discussion for anyone who has faced a difficult childhood or feels compassion for the millions of children who do.
Nadine Burke Harris, MD is the founder and CEO of the Center for Youth Wellness in San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point. She is the subject of a New Yorker profile and was the recent recipient of a prestigious Heinz Award in 2016, among many other honors. Her TED talk, “I Was Thinking Too Small,” previewed the subject of The Deepest Well, her first book. A pioneer in the field of medicine, pediatrician Dr. Nadine Burke Harris is a leader in the movement to transform how we respond to early childhood adversity and the resulting toxic stress that dramatically impacts our health and longevity. By exploring the science behind childhood adversity, she offers a new way to understand the adverse events that affect all of us throughout our lifetimes. She has brought these scientific discoveries and her new approach to audiences at the Mayo Clinic, American Academy of Pediatrics, Google Zeitgeist and Dreamforce.
Kristin Leong is Town Hall’s Community Programs Curator. She is a speaker, essayist, and education activist, and the photographer and project designer for equity projects such as Half, Roll Call, and #EducationSoWhite. These projects explore the racial divides between educators and students and celebrate identities of biracial students and citizens.