Presented as part of the Advancing Women’s Health Series.
Featuring Dr. Emily Jacobs, neuroscientist and professor at UC Santa Barbara, whose groundbreaking research examines how hormonal changes across the female lifespan influence brain function and structure. Dr. Jacobs begins with a keynote exploring how estrogen and other sex hormones shape the brain, from pregnancy through perimenopause and menopause, and how these transitions impact memory, mood, and long-term cognitive health. Drawing from advanced brain imaging research, she explains why understanding hormonal shifts is essential to supporting women’s brain health at every stage of life. Following her remarks, she joins “Behind the Lens” podcast host Carolyne Heldman for a moderated conversation, expanding on the implications of her research, the historical gaps that have left women underrepresented in brain science, and how a new generation of research is working to close that gap. This series is generously sponsored by Meredith Loring and Sami Inkinen.
Paepcke Auditorium, doors at 4:30 pm
Registration
This free event has reached full capacity. If you would like to view the event online, please click here.
Parking
Parking is very limited. Please carpool, walk, bike, or ride RFTA. The parking lot located at 3rd and Gillespie will also be open for this event.
Dr. Emily Jacobs is a Professor of Neuroscience at UC Santa Barbara and Director of the Ann S. Bowers Women’s Brain Health Initiative. Her body of research is redefining our understanding of the brain’s capacity to undergo dynamic neuroanatomical changes and plasticity well into adulthood. In 2024 her team published the first detailed map of the human brain across pregnancy and she leads several multi-center studies on neurological changes tied to menopause. Prior to UCSB, she held a faculty appointment at Harvard Medical School and the Department of Medicine/Division of Women’s Health at Brigham & Women’s Hospital.
Dr. Jacobs’ serves on the Steering Committee of the Coalition for Women’s Brain Health, the Milken Institute’s Women’s Health Network, the Foundation for Women’s Health, and the WHAM Research Collaborative to drive the national and international agenda on women’s health research. Outside the lab, Dr. Jacobs’ team partners with K-12 groups to advance girls’ representation in STEM. She is a graduate of Smith College and UC Berkeley. You can find her work in the The New York Times, National Geographic, Scientific American, NPR, BBC, TED, Netflix, and MasterClass.
Carolyne Heldman Rovira has been in media for 35 years, and is currently the podcast host and producer for The Lens, a non-profit news organization in New Orleans. Prior to that she served as Executive Director at Aspen Public Radio where she launched four weekly news, public affairs, and cultural affairs programs and live Town Hall broadcasts. She lives in Old Snowmass with her husband Doug.
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