We’re very pleased to announce the program for the Esther Thelen Research Symposium on August 30 and 31, 2012. The Symposium will be followed by the Annual Feldenkrais Method^® Conference, beginning with a keynote address on the evening of Friday, August 31, and continuing through September 5, 2012, in San Mateo, California. 

The Symposium program includes lectures by:

• Michael T. Turvey, Ph.D., Senior Scientist, Haskins Laboratories. Professor, Psychology, University of Connecticut. Dr. Turvey was a good friend and important colleague of Esther Thelen and helped introduce her to dynamic systems theory. He will give the Symposium keynote Esther Thelen Memorial Lecture on changes in neuroscience, movement science, and the influence of Esther Thelen.

• Georg F. Striedter, Ph.D., Professor, School of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, will speak on the evolutionary foundations of human awareness, based on the chapter entitled “What Is Special about the Human Brain?” in his book Principles of Brain Evolution.

• Jane E. Clark, Ph.D., Professor, Kinesiology, University of Maryland, College Park, and Jill Whitall, Ph.D., Professor of Motor Control and Development, University of Maryland, Baltimore will look at the process of embodied development relating to neuroscience, and will address neuroplasticity across the human life span. Their presentations will include consideration of variation and exploration in the development of a self-organizing dynamic system.

• Catherine E. Kerr, Ph.D., Director of Translational Neuroscience, Contemplative Studies Initiative;
 Assistant Professor (Research), Department of Family Medicine, Alpert Medical School, Brown University, will discuss brain mechanisms underlying body-based attention and healing in mindfulness and other mind-body practices. Dr. Kerr has been performing fMRI research with body-based awareness methods.

• Wolf E. Mehling, M.D., Assistant Clinical Professor, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Osher Center for Integrative Medicine, University of California, San Francisco will speak about body awareness, mind-body therapies, and methodological issues.

• Alva Nöe, Ph.D., Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, City University of New York, will offer philosophical reflections on what neuroscientific knowledge can contribute to practice for human development.

The Symposium will conclude with a panel discussion among presenters and attendees.

Several Conference workshops will take the Symposium themes and demonstrate how the theory and research presented are employed in and reflect upon the practice of the Feldenkrais Method. Each Symposium presentation will be followed by a short talk by a Feldenkrais practitioner to “close the circle”—to set the stage for the Conference workshop on that theme.

This seminal event will give Feldenkrais practitioners and other professionals the opportunity to hear from scientists on the frontiers of neuroscience and to learn how their discoveries can be applied for improving human performance, development and health.

Plan now to join us in San Mateo in August. Don’t miss this exciting program!