Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences

Workshop

Unraveling the Neurobiology of Empathy and Compassion: Implications for Treatments for Brain Disorders and Human Well-Being: A Workshop

May 19 - 21, 2025

Past

Agenda

Download the Agenda

Materials

About

Virtual Workshop Details

Day 1 - May 19, 2025, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm ET
Day 2 - May 21, 2025, 11:00 am - 3:00 pm ET

Workshop Objectives

A planning committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine hosted a 2-day public virtual workshop that brought together leaders and experts across disciplines and sectors to explore the neurobiology of empathy and compassion and potential implications for treatments for brain disorders and other real-world applications.
Invited presentations and discussions:

Considered the various definitions and measurements of empathy and compassion across fields.
Examined evidence on the underlying neurobiological mechanisms of empathy and compassion, their evolutionary origin, and their role in brain functionality, including in some cases of brain disorders.
Explored how factors such as genetics, environment, social interactions, and psychological states influence the development and expression of empathy and compassion.
Discussed how different treatments (e.g., behavioral and pharmacological) for brain disorders affect empathy and compassion.
Considered how understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of empathy and compassion may be applied in other domains such as healthy workforce practices and to foster human well-being.

A planning committee developed the agenda for the workshop, selected and invited speakers and discussants, and moderate the discussions. Following the workshop, a proceedings of the presentations and discussions will be prepared by a designated rapporteur in accordance with institutional guidelines.

Organizing Project

Unraveling the Neurobiology of Empathy and Compassion: Implications for Treatments for Brain Disorders and Human Well-Being: A Workshop

Contact

Sheena Posey Norris

sposey@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting

Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences Meeting #51

May 7 - 8, 2025

Past

About

The Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences will host the spring board meeting at the Keck Building on May 7-8, 2025.
Join us for the open session on May 7th, 2 p.m. - 3 p.m., for the Spring 2025 meeting of the Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences. We are excited to feature a presentation by Steve Mitroff (George Washington University), who will deliver a talk titled Using “Theory-Driven Big Data” to Advance Psychology Research. His presentation will explore how theory-driven big data approaches have been applied to studies of visual search and individual differences, and how these methods can help strengthen the scientific process.

Contact

Contact us

BBCSS@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Webinar

Best Practices for Implementation and Evaluation of a Non-Clinical Community-Based Suicide Prevention Grants Program Expert Meeting

April 30, 2025

9:00 AM - 3:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

On April 30, 2025, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine will host a one-day expert meeting on Best Practices for Implementation and Evaluation of a Non-Clinical Community-Based Suicide Prevention Grants Program. The expert meeting will examine what is known about best practices and strategies for effectiveness across the life cycle of non-clinical community-based suicide prevention grants program, with a focus on the following topics:
• Program design
• Program operations
• Program improvement
• Program evaluation

Organizing Project

Best Practices for Implementation and Evaluation of a Suicide Prevention Grants Program: A Workshop and Meeting of Experts

Contact

Tina Winters

twinters@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting

External Review of Environmental and Biosafety of Synthetic Cell Research and Development - Committee Meeting #2

April 22 - 23, 2025

Past

Materials

About

The committee will meet for its first information gathering session and to discuss report organization and contents.

This meeting will be held in a hybrid format for committee members and invited speakers. The public will be able to view the meeting via livestream below.

The agenda consists of a mix of closed and open sessions. The open sessions that will be livestreamed will take place at the following times:

April 22nd

10:00-11:00am ET - Addressing Environmental, Security, and Safety Gaps for Engineering Biology R & D

1:15-2:15pm ET - National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology (NSCEB) Panel

2:30-3:30pm ET - Artificial Intelligence/ Automation Convergence in Engineering Biology

3:30-4:30pm ET - Open Discussion between the committee and the National Science Foundation (NSF)

April 23rd

9:00-10:00am ET - Industry Perspectives on Environmental, Safety, and Security Considerations for Engineering Biology

10:00-11:00am ET - Funders Perspectives of Environmental, Safety, and Security Considerations for Engineering Biology

11:15-12:15pm ET - Public Trust and Perception: Informing Safety, Security, and Environmental Risks

Additional Information

Is it a Closed Session event?

Partially Closed

The following committee members were present at the closed sessions of the event

Peter Carr, Maria Chavez, Chris Cummings, Jason Delborne, David Dunning, Emma Frow, India Hook-Barnard, Cameron Kim, Melinda Kliegman (former member as of 4/22), Richard Murray, Roni Reiter-Palmon, Robin Scheffler, Zara Summers, Felicia Wu

The following topics were discussed in the closed sessions:

The committee discussed the updated statement of task, committee balance relative to the modified scope, and debriefed on key topics from the presentations given during the open sessions.

The following materials (written documents) were made available to the committee in the closed sessions:

N/A

Date of posting of Closed Session Summary:

April 29, 2025

Organizing Project

External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development

Contact

Layla Garyk

lgaryk@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting Closed

Alcohol at Sea: Committee Meeting 5

April 10 - 11, 2025

Past

About

The Committee on Alcohol at Sea will hold its fifth and final meeting from April 10 through April 11, 2025, and continue deliberations. The committee will prepare an assessment that will inform public policies concerning the possession and consumption of alcohol by crew members and other personnel aboard commercial vessels of the United States. The assessment will consider the personal security, welfare, and safety interests of all individuals aboard the vessel as well as the use of other intoxicants in conjunction with alcohol.

Additional Information

Is it a Closed Session event?

Institution Closed

The following committee members were present at the closed sessions of the event

Joshua Sharfstein
Claudine Bradley
Livingstone Caesar
Martha Grabowski
Robyn Hacker
Songqi Liu
Vicki Magley
Kirsten Martin
Amie Newins
Martin Slade
Mieka Smart

The following topics were discussed in the closed sessions:

The committee reviewed the draft report chapters and deliberated on the conclusions and recommendations.

The following materials (written documents) were made available to the committee in the closed sessions:

N/A

Date of posting of Closed Session Summary:

April 14, 2025

Organizing Project

Alcohol at Sea

Contact

Molly Checksfield Dorries

MDorries@nas.edu

Location

Arnold and Mabel Beckman Center

100 Academy Way

Irvine CA 92617, USA

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting Closed

External Review of Ethical, Legal, Environmental, Safety, Security, and Societal Issues of Engineering Biology Research and Development: Committee Meeting #1b

March 20, 2025

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

The committee will further discuss the breadth of the study, their charge, and the committee's composition and balance.

This meeting will be held over zoom.

Additional Information

Is it a Closed Session event?

Institution Closed

The following committee members were present at the closed sessions of the event

Jason Delborne, India Hook-Barnard, Richard Murray, Felicia Wu, R. Alta Charo, Maria Chavez, Peter Carr, Chris Cummings, Emma Frow, Melinda Kliegman, Robin Scheffler, David Dunning, Cameron Kim, Rayvon Fouché

The following topics were discussed in the closed sessions:

The committee discussed plans for the upcoming information gathering session.

The following materials (written documents) were made available to the committee in the closed sessions:

N/A

Date of posting of Closed Session Summary:

March 27, 2025

Organizing Project

External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development

Contact

Layla Garyk

lgaryk@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting

External Review of Ethical, Legal, Environmental, Safety, Security, and Societal Issues of Engineering Biology Research and Development: Committee Meeting #1a

March 18, 2025

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

The committee will further discuss the breadth of the study and deliberate on the committee's composition and balance. The committee will also meet with the study sponsor to review the statement of task. This review will be webcasted below from 3:30pm-4:30pm ET.

This meeting will be held over zoom.

Additional Information

Is it a Closed Session event?

Partially Closed

The following committee members were present at the closed sessions of the event

David Dunning, Chris Cummings, Roni Reiter-Palmon, Jason Delborne, Maria Chavez, Richard Murray, Melinda Kliegman, Rayvon Fouché, Emma Frow, Felicia Wu, India Hook-Barnard, R. Alta Charo, Peter Carr, Cameron Kim, Robin Scheffler, Zara Summers

The following topics were discussed in the closed sessions:

The committee discussed conflict of interest, balance of the committee composition, and the statement of task.

The following materials (written documents) were made available to the committee in the closed sessions:

N/A

Date of posting of Closed Session Summary:

March 27, 2025

Organizing Project

External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development

Contact

Layla Garyk

lgaryk@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting Closed

External Review of Ethical, Legal, Environmental, Safety, Security, and Societal Issues of Engineering Biology Research and Development: Pre-Committee Meeting #1 Initial Conversations - Session #2

February 18, 2025

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

In this meeting, the committee will continue their discussion on the statement of task following the initial kickoff meeting on 2/11.

This meeting will be held over zoom.

Additional Information

Is it a Closed Session event?

Institution Closed

The following committee members were present at the closed sessions of the event

Roni Reiter-Palmon, Felicia Wu, Jason Delborne, Maria Chavez, Melinda Kliegman, R. Alta Charo, David A. Dunning, Chris Cummings, Richard Murray, Rayvon Fouché, Emma Frow, Peter Carr, India Hook-Barnard, Cameron Kim, Robin Scheffler

The following topics were discussed in the closed sessions:

The committee discussed the statement of task and the formation of working groups.

The following materials (written documents) were made available to the committee in the closed sessions:

N/A

Date of posting of Closed Session Summary:

February 25, 2025

Organizing Project

External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development

Contact

Layla Garyk

lgaryk@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting Closed

External Review of Ethical, Legal, Environmental, Safety, Security, and Societal Issues of Engineering Biology Research and Development: Pre-Committee Meeting #1 Initial Conversations - Session #1

February 11, 2025

11:00 AM - 1:00 PM (ET)

Past

About

This virtual meeting is the initial convening of the "External Review of Ethical, Legal, Environmental, Safety, Security, and Societal Issues of Engineering Biology Research and Development" committee members. The committee will discuss the statement of task.

This meeting will be held over zoom.

Additional Information

Is it a Closed Session event?

Institution Closed

The following committee members were present at the closed sessions of the event

Chris Cummings, Maria Chavez, Roni Reiter-Palmon, David Dunning, Cameron Kim, Felicia Wu, Richard Murray, Emma Frow, India Hook-Barnard, Jason Delborne, Melinda Kliegman, Peter Carr, R. Alta Charo, Rayvon Fouché, Robin Scheffler

The following topics were discussed in the closed sessions:

The committee discussed the statement of task and scope of the study.

The following materials (written documents) were made available to the committee in the closed sessions:

N/A

Date of posting of Closed Session Summary:

February 11, 2025

Organizing Project

External Review of Environmental, Biosafety, and Biosecurity Considerations for Synthetic Cell Research and Development

Contact

Layla Garyk

lgaryk@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Webcast

Report Webinar: Adult Learning in the Military Context

January 7, 2025

11:00 AM - 12:00 PM (ET)

Past

Discussion

This discussion information is being collected via Slido. Slido is not affiliated in any way with, or endorsed by, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and your submission via the Slido website is subject to Slido’s privacy and terms of use.

About

The Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences and the Board on Science Education are pleased to announce the release of the Adult Learning in the Military Context consensus report. This work is sponsored by the U.S. Army Research Institute for the Behavioral and Social Sciences (ARI). Please join Dr. Margaret Beier, the study chair, for an overview of the report and a discussion of the conclusions and recommendations.

Additional Information

Organizing Project

Adult Learning in the Military Context

Contact

Emily Vargas

(202) 334-2068
evargas@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting

Alcohol at Sea Committee Meeting #3

December 9 - 10, 2024

Past

Agenda

Download the Agenda

Materials

About

The committee on Alcohol at Sea will hold its third meeting on December 9th and 10th in Jacksonville, FL. There will be an open session to explore insights and perspectives on workforce policies, safety practices, and industry challenges within the U.S. maritime sector related to sexual assault, sexual harassment (SASH), and alcohol and other substance misuse.

Additional Information

Is it a Closed Session event?

Partially Closed

The following committee members were present at the closed sessions of the event

Joshua Sharfstein
Claudine Bradley
Livingstone Caesar
Martha Grabowski
Robyn Hacker
Songqi Liu
Vicki Magley
Kirsten Martin
Amie Newins
Martín-Josè Sepúlveda
Martin Slade
Mieka Smart

The following topics were discussed in the closed sessions:

• Update committee members on status of draft report chapters
• Travel to Crowley for a site visit, and tour of a ship
• Discuss differences between this committee’s statement of task and the new NASEM committee on SASH within Coast Guard
• Identify needs for further information gathering and plan future meetings

The following materials (written documents) were made available to the committee in the closed sessions:

• Memo to the Committee
• Meeting Agenda
• Approved Statement of Task
• Committee Roster and Biographies
• Committee Guidance on Findings, Conclusions, and Recommendations
• Report Review Criteria
• Report Outline
• Draft Survey

Date of posting of Closed Session Summary:

December 16, 2024

Organizing Project

Alcohol at Sea

Contact

Molly Checksfield Dorries

MDorries@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

Meeting

Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences, Meeting #50

November 7 - 8, 2024

Past

About

The Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences will host the fall board meeting at the NAS Building on November 7-8, 2024.

There will be open and closed sessions.

Open Session November 8, 2024, 1:15pm 2:15pm

Join us for the open session of the Fall 2024 meeting of the Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences. We are excited to feature a presentation by board member Mo Wang, titled "Is Retirement a Curse or a Blessing? Work and Retirement Pathways Matter." This insightful talk will synthesize key findings from his extensive research on retirement and the employment of older workers.

Dr. Wang is a University Distinguished Professor and holds the Lanzillotti-McKethan Eminent Scholar Chair at the Warrington College of Business, University of Florida. He also serves as the Associate Dean for Research and Strategic Initiatives, Department Chair of the Management Department, and Director of the Human Resource Research Center at the University of Florida. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with his important work on retirement and its implications!

Contact

Contact us

BBCSS@nas.edu

Disclaimer

It is essential to the National Academies mission of providing evidence-based advice that participants in any of our meetings or events avoid political or partisan statements or commentary and maintain a culture of mutual respect. The statements and presentations during our meetings or events are solely those of the individual participants and do not necessarily represent the views of other participants or the National Academy of Sciences, which is a non-partisan, tax exempt organization that includes under its Charter the National Academy of Engineering and National Academy of Medicine, and that operates the National Research Council.

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Board on Behavioral, Cognitive, and Sensory Sciences

Unraveling the Neurobiology of Empathy and Compassion: Implications for Treatments for Brain Disorders and Human Well-Being: A Workshop