About the Lecture
Many individuals who are affected by cancer turn to mind-body therapies to help with the psychological and physical challenges of cancer diagnosis and treatment. In this lecture, Dr. Julienne Bower provides an overview of the research on mind-body interventions. Therapies addressed include mindfulness meditation, yoga, and Tai Chi, with a focus on how they can impact the immune system, inflammation and other cancer-related symptoms.
About the Speaker
Julienne Bower, PhD, is the Director of the UCLA Mind-Body Research Lab, Co-Director of the JCCC Patients and Survivors Program, and Research Scientist of the Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at the UCLA Semel Institute for Neuroscience. She is also the George F. Solomon Professorship of Psychobiology. In collaboration with the Norman Cousins Center for Psychoneuroimmunology at UCLA, Dr. Bower leads the effort to develop innovative programs in evidence-based behavioral approaches to prevent disease, promote healing, and enhance overall well-being in cancer patients.
A recognized expert in clinical and health psychology, Dr. Bower’s discoveries have changed the way we understand the interactions between psychology and the immune system in cancer patients and survivors. Her laboratory is currently investigating associations between changes in immune status and behavioral symptoms experienced by patients throughout the cancer trajectory, including pioneering work on inflammation and cancer-related fatigue.
Dr. Bower is also examining links among the central nervous system, the immune system, and tumor biology. A central focus of her work is the translation of basic findings in psychoneuroimmunology into effective behavioral interventions for cancer patients and survivors, including trials of mind-body therapies.
