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Christina Costa
Christina Costa is a PhD Psychology Candidate at the University of Michigan. She researches the psychology of well-being in addition to teaching undergraduate psychology and is specifically interested in well-being for teachers and the science of gratitude. Last year, Christina was diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma, a rare and severe brain tumor. Christina has used gratitude as a tool to maintain her personal well-being throughout her treatment. She holds a B.A. and M.S. from the University of Michigan.
Nick Skardarasy
(Talk coming soon!)
Nick Skardarasy is an actor, comedian, and writer. His work has been featured in CollegeHumor, The A.V. Club, TimeOutLA, and Funny or Die. During the summer of 2020, he wrote, performed, and produced his debut comedy special: Thin Walls - an evening with my neighbors while adhering to COVID-safe guidelines. Nick holds a BFA in Theatre and performance from the University of Michigan’s School of Music, Theatre, and Dance.
Leslie DeShazor
Leslie DeShazor is a freelance musician and educator based in the metro-Detroit area. She has performed as a soloist with the Toledo Symphony, been featured on the tracks of Grammy award winning artists including Smokey Robinson and Aretha Franklin, and regularly plays with the Ann Arbor, Saginaw, Flint and Sphinx Symphony Orchestras. Leslie opened a private studio, works with nonprofits such as the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, and coaches the string sections of metro-Detroit schools. Leslie holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Michigan.
Aradhna Krishna
Prof. Aradhna Krishna is a behavioral scientist, an author, and a professor at the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business. She studies subconscious mental imagery in food consumption — how we unveil the power of a Hershey’s Kiss, imagine the smell of brownies, and experience Campbell soup ads. Prof. Krishna has written more than a hundred research articles on various consumer behaviors, and two books which have been translated into multiple languages. She holds a B.A. from University of Delhi, an M.B.A. from the Indian Institute of Management, and a Ph.D. from New York University.
Nick Glynos
Nick Glynos is pursuing a doctoral thesis at the University of Michigan, focused on the function and regulation of endogenous DMT in the mammalian brain. Currently, he is the president of Student Association for Psychedelic Studies, which works to cultivate a space to discuss the growing body of research on therapeutic uses of psychedelics and related political, ethical, and PODS (privilege, oppression, diversity, and social justice) issues. He is also the co-founder of the Psychedelic Neuroscience & Therapy (PNT), a UM-funded organization with a mission to foster scholarship, interest, and discussion of psychedelic science and therapy. Nick is tremendously passionate about leveraging psychedelics research to unlock the secrets of human consciousness. He holds an Associate of Science from Flathead Valley Community College and a Bachelor of Science in Plant Science from Cornell University.
Scott Stonington
Dr. Scott Stonington is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of Michigan and a practicing internal medicine physician at Michigan Medicine. He completed his residency in Thailand, where he was inspired to study end-of-life care and pain management. Dr. Stonington’s research focuses on how to best treat chronic pain while reducing the use of opioids. His talk explains the differences between pain and suffering, and how those nuances can be employed to challenge prevailing Western thought on pain management and obtain striking medical results. Dr. Stonington holds a B.S. from Stanford University, Ph.D. in Medical Anthropology from UC Berkeley, and M.D. from UC San Francisco.