Dr. Robert Sapolsky: Baboons, Stress Research, Connection and Determinism

In today’s episode of the podcast, we are joined by neuroscientist and primatologist, Dr. Robert Sapolsky, to discuss his work with baboons, stress, and his own mental health journey. Dr. Sapolsky is professor of biology, neurology, and neuroscience at Stanford University, as well as an author of several books including, A Primate's Memoir: A Neuroscientist’s Unconventional Life Among the Baboons, Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, and Determined. He has spent extensive time studying baboons in Kenya over the course of his career, a passion he attributes to his extensive time spent in the American Natural History Museum in New York. Joining our conversation is Alexander Horwitz, M.D., a 4th-year psychiatry resident who previously enlightened us on serotonin syndrome in an earlier episode.

By listening to this episode, you can earn 1.25 Psychiatry CME Credits.

Link to blog.

Link to YouTube video.

Fascinating and Entertaining

Every now and then there’s a podcast that you just wish was a conversation taking place in your living room. this was that podcast for me. It was so fascinating to hear about the culture of baboons, and have it applied to modern society. I really enjoyed this, and was especially inspired by hearing how the baboon culture changed after a tragedy. The culture shift was maintained, simply by baboons modeling different behavior. Thinking about how humans have changed, and how there is always room for growth, and that we can facilitate it