“Understanding Social Motivation in Autism” is the topic of the next presentation in the Your Health Lecture Series at Northern Michigan University. Barbara Thompson of Michigan State University College of Human Medicine will be the presenter. Attendees will learn about the brain mechanisms involved in social motivation, gain awareness of individual differences in social behaviors and recognize the need for individualized interventions for disorders of social behaviors. The lecture will take place at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 7, in Reynolds Recital Hall. Admission is free.
Thompson is an assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Human Development. She specializes in social and emotional neurodevelopment. As a trained behavioral neuroscientist, she uses behavioral, molecular and physiological techniques to study the impact of environmental and genetic effects on brain development. The long-term goals of her studies are to better understand these functional disruptions for individuals with neurodevelopmental disorders.
The Your Health Lecture Series is co-sponsored by NMU, UP Health System - Marquette, Superior Health Foundation and MSU College of Human Medicine. Learn more at MSUYourHealthLecture.com.