A wonderful new article about the benefits of awe walks— thank you all for supporting this work! @GretchenReynold @UCSFmac @GBHI_Fellows @UCSF_CAN_Lab @nytimes

So grateful for all the support we’ve received along the way from Chandler Zablo and @bizbookpr at Fortier and to Lucy Kennedy @routledgebooks. And of course thank you to our colleagues at @UCSFmac 🧠. Excited to report that our book is on the @USATODAY bestseller list!

👏 Kudos to Atlantic Fellows @embrotherhood, Mawuli Lawson, @AkiyaMuluken and special guest @brainsturming for hosting an inspiring Salon on Empathy—a core value of @GBHI_Fellows that drives leadership and connection. @UCSFmac @atlanticfellows #brainhealth #dementia

Earlier this week, we screened "The Rest I Make Up," a moving film by Atlantic Fellow Michelle Memran about her 15+ year collaboration with playwright María Irene Fornés during her journey with Alzheimer’s. Grateful to Michelle & our panelists for a powerful discussion. 🎬

Thank you @KQEDForum for inviting us on to your program. It was a wonderful discussion about aging, dementia, and the social brain. @UCSFmac

Check out my new blog Thinking about Feelings in @PsychToday @UCSFmac 🧠

Francisco Lopera, a pioneering and acclaimed Alzheimer's researcher, who worked for decades in Colombia with the world's largest extended family to suffer from the disease, has passed away.

I'm thrilled to share our latest paper, the first to describe the neuroanatomic correlates of itching in patients with FTLD. A huge thank you to the amazing team at GBHI, UCSF! #AtlanticFellows @GBHI_Fellows @brucemillerucsf @brainsturming @Rankin_Lab @victorvalcour

Always wonderful talking with the amazing Jane Hirshfield about poetry and science ✍️🧠

This weekend, we attended #AffectScience2023 and had an amazing time learning about emotions! Congrats to @EleanorPalser and Patrick Hullett on presenting their own research at the conference. 🧠

The role of the autonomic nervous system in emotions is complex, but maybe we just need to examine it with fresh eyes. This paper changed how I think about its functioning during emotions and rest.

‘Disruptive’ science has declined — and no one knows why

@EleanorPalser's clinical research focuses on neurodevelopmental disorders. She recently found children with dyslexia have higher resting parasympathetic activity, which may yield social benefits-- another strength in dyslexia! @AlbaLanguage @UCSFmac https://t.co/RDGuplBje9

Here is the link to her paper on this topic: https://t.co/9eHEpkNJIC

🎉🎉Congratulations to @EleanorPalser, @UCSF_CAN_Lab postdoc extraordinaire, who has won the @UCSF Chancellor Award for the Advancement of Women for her work on gender disparities in journal editorial boards. Listen to her discuss her work in this video: https://t.co/NFaxKGbaSX

We shook our heads, laughed, and reflected on the uncanny situation for a moment. I am increasingly grateful for my weak social ties. She helped me get home, and I still owe her $5. In any case, I look forward to seeing her next week at the bus stop and to saying good morning.

On the car ride home, I was struck by the irony of it all. I told her that I had been on the radio this morning talking about the people at our bus stop and the importance of the people in our lives that we don't know well. People like her.

The next bus wouldn't come for an hour. We quickly found another bus that would get us close to our stop at home. Together, we got on this other bus, rode to the end of the line, and shared a rideshare home. As we waited, we chatted and learned we had several things in common.

Yesterday evening, after this piece aired on @KQED, I arrived at the bus terminal to learn that my bus home was canceled. Another woman happened to arrive at the same time to hear the same news. We recognized each other because we wait at the same bus stop each morning.

During lockdown, I found myself wondering about a woman I used to see each morning at my @rideact bus stop. Before COVID, we would say good morning and wait for the bus. That was it. I didn't appreciate these brief interactions, however, until they were gone.

I wrote this story as a part of a speech for the end-of-year celebration that we hold for @GBHI_Fellows. I shared how my experiences during COVID made me appreciate the weak ties in my social network, a concept pioneered by Dr. Mark Granovetter, whose important work I discuss.