When: June 6, 2007, 3:00
Where: NIH Campus, Wilson Hall, Building One, Bethesda, MD
Institute: Office of the Director (OD)

What is “health”? Is it merely the absence of disease or illness, or is it an objective state of well-being that can be measured, quantified, and linked to combinations of biomarker responses? Collaborators Carol A. Ryff and Burton H. Singer have developed an approach that takes into account socioeconomic factors, psychological outlooks, social connections, and other such “non-biological” considerations in a fully integrative study of human health.

Because of their work, focused at the interface between social and biological sciences, the Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research has jointly awarded them the Second Matilda White Riley Lecture in the Behavioral and Social Sciences. This annual lecture is named after Dr. Riley, who served as associate director for behavioral and social research at the National Institute on Aging and chaired several landmark committees on health and behavior. In their lecture, Drs. Ryff and Singer will focus on the conceptual and empirical challenges to providing an integrative social and biological portrait of positive health.

Next Steps
You do not need to register for this free lecture. Visitors to the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland, should bring a photo ID and allow additional time for security procedures. Call (301) 594-6677 for more information, or visit www.nih.gov/about/visitor/index.htm to find the best way to travel and where to get your visitor badge.

You can learn more about this lecture or the series by contacting Ronald Abeles at (301) 496-7859 or abeles@nih.gov.

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