As a pediatrician working in the Bay View-Hunter’s Point neighborhood of San Francisco, Nadine Burke Harrisnoticed that the children who came to her clinic with health problems—including ADHD, asthma, and eczema—had histories of severe adversity. Her research has shown that exposure to violence and stress affects the developing brains and bodies of children, resulting in increased instances of substance dependence, impulse control, engagement in high-risk behavior, and heart disease or cancer. In response to her findings, Harris founded the Center for Youth Wellness which provides care coordination, mental health services, nutrition, holistic interventions, and medication when necessary. She is the author of The Deepest Well: Healing the Long-Term Effects of Childhood Adversity.
Indre Viskontas is a cognitive neuroscientist at University of California, San Francisco and on the faculty at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. She has published groundbreaking work on the neural basis of memory and creativity and is co-host of the podcast Inquiring Minds. Her forthcoming book, How Music Can Make You Better, comes out Spring 2019.