The Spirit Behind the Science

Dr. Andrew D. Huberman is a neuroscientist, tenured professor, and principal investigator/head of the Huberman Lab in the Department of Neurobiology at the Stanford University School of Medicine. He has made numerous important contributions to the fields of brain development, brain plasticity, and neural regeneration and repair. Dr. Huberman was awarded the McKnight Foundation Neuroscience Scholar Award (2013), a Biomedical Scholar Award from the Pew Charitable Trusts, and a 2017 ARVO Cogan Award for his contributions to the fields of vision science. His work on the use of noninvasive methods to enhance regeneration of damaged retinal neurons, leading to partial recovery from blindness, has been covered extensively in the popular press (Time, Scientific American), and is part of the National Eye Institute’s Audacious Goals Initiative to restore vision to the blind.

In 2017, the Huberman Lab created a state-of-the-art virtual reality platform to induce fear and anxiety under controlled conditions and study the neuroscience underlying these responses. Creating it involved collecting authentic 360-degree video of stress-inducing scenarios such as heights, claustrophobia, and swimming with great white sharks.

In 2018, the lab published a study in Nature reporting the discovery of two new mammalian brain circuits: one that promotes fear and paralysis, and another that promotes a “courageous” / confrontational reaction to visually evoked threats. This discovery has prompted ongoing exploration of how these brain regions may be involved in phobias, generalized anxiety, and PTSD—along with coping tools for reducing irrational fears.

Dr. Ruth Benca is a professor and chair in the Department of Psychiatry & Human Behavior at the University of California Irvine School of Medicine. Previously, she was director of the University of Wisconsin Center for Sleep Medicine and Sleep Research and medical director of Wisconsin Sleep, where she treated patients with a broad range of sleep disorders.

Widely published in her field, Dr. Benca is an internationally recognized authority on the relationship between sleep and psychiatric disorders, and she has served as principal investigator for a number of basic and clinical research studies, funded by agencies including the National Institutes of Health and the Department of Defense. She has served as president of the Sleep Research Society and on the board of directors of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. Dr. Benca received her undergraduate education at Harvard University and her MD and a PhD in Pathology from the University of Chicago, where she also completed a residency in Psychiatry and a fellowship in Sleep Medicine.

Rory Cordial, a doctor of physical therapy (DPT) and certified strength and conditioning specialist (CSCS), is an international speaker and leader in the field of sports medicine, rehabilitation, and sports performance. Cordial’s clients include professional athletes, dancers, entertainers, CEOs, and health-conscious entrepreneurs who seek to optimize performance while preventing or mitigating injury.

He received his doctorate degree at the University of Montana, a bachelor of science in sports science at the University of Idaho, and spent years studying experts in the fields of sports medicine, strength and fitness, spirituality, human movement, psychology, and philosophy. He credits his father, a physical therapist with 30-plus years of experience, for honing his treatment skills. More recently, Cordial added to his extensive knowledge of biomechanics, physiology, anatomy, and human movement by spending time in Thailand learning Thai massage, in Bali learning yoga, and he sought out a Shaolin monk to learn Qi Gong and mindfulness.

As a lifelong learner, Cordial’s methods are based in science but his methodology allows for the vast complexity and unknowns that surround the workings of the human body and mind.

Dave Phillips is an executive mentor for high-performance CEOs and business leaders who seek an authentic life purpose. He works with clients on topics ranging from the boardroom to the bedroom and some of the most challenging areas of leaders’ lives.

Phillips is an entrepreneur, columnist, talk show host, and the author of “Three Big Questions,” a book that helps everyone to answer critical questions about purpose, mission, and vision. Previously, he was a member and coach of Canada’s National Freestyle Ski team, a stunt man, and a professional ski-show performer. Phillips broke two Guinness World Records for ski duration and was also awarded the Bronze Medal for Bravery from the Royal Canadian Humane Association for his part in a life-saving effort.

Phillips is married to Ontario native and Olympic gold medalist in Alpine skiing, Kathy Kreiner-Phillips. They live in Vancouver and have three grown children, Nelson, Liam & Michela.

Dr. Samer Hattar is a senior investigator and chief of the Section on Light and Circadian Rhythms at the National Institute of Mental Health, the lead federal agency for the research of mental disorders, under the auspices of the National Institutes of Health. A leading chronobiologist in his field, Dr. Hattar’s research focuses on how light effects behavior.

For years, it was assumed that when light struck the retina, only two kinds of cells responded: rods and cones. However, research by Dr. Hattar and others uncovered a third type of photoreceptor cell called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells (ipRGCs). This discovery has spurred further research into how light influences circadian rhythms, sleep, learning, and mood, potentially leading to more effective treatments for seasonal affective disorder.

Dr. Hattar was previously an associate professor in the Department of Neuroscience and the Department of Biology at Johns Hopkins University, where he established the Hattar Lab. He received his PhD from the University of Houston in Texas, and was a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the Howard Hughes Medical Institute. He is married to Rejji Kuruvilla, a neuroscientist and professor at Johns Hopkins.

Dr. John J. Ratey is an associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School and an internationally recognized expert in neuropsychiatry. Dr. Ratey’s groundbreaking “Driven to Distraction” series on attention deficit disorder, written with Dr. Edward Hallowell, is considered one of the bibles of ADD, with over two million copies in print.  His book “Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain,” established Dr. Ratey as an authority on the brain-fitness connection and set him on a mission to re-engineer schools, corporations, and individual lifestyle practices to use exercise to achieve peak performance and optimum mental health.

His 11th and most recent book, “Go Wild,” explores how to achieve optimal physical and mental health by getting in touch with our caveman roots and “re-wilding” our lives. Dr. Ratey has served as a consultant to the President of Taiwan and the Minister of Education in South Korea, a co-head of the Advisory Board of the California Governor’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sport, a consultant to ANTA Kids in China, and an Ambassador for Active Kids with BOKS, Reebok’s nonprofit school fitness program. Dr. Ratey’s own nonprofit, Sparking Life, has a mission to promote exercise in the treatment of mental health challenges. Recognized by his peers as one of the Best Doctors in America since 1997, Dr. Ratey was honored as “Outstanding Psychiatrist of the Year for Advancing the Field” in 2016 by the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society.

Married, with two children and two grandchildren, Dr. Ratey maintains private practices in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Los Angeles, California.

Evelyn Tribole, MS, RDN, CEDRD-S (Certified Eating Disorders Registered Dietitian-Supervisor), is co-author of the bestselling “Intuitive Eating,” a mind-body self-care eating process, which has given rise to over 90 studies showing benefit, and more than 800 certified intuitive eating counselors in 22 countries. Tribole has written nine books on healthy eating and runs a busy nutrition-counseling practice in Newport Beach, California. Previously, she was the nutrition expert for Good Morning America, a national spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association, and a contributing editor for Shape magazine, where her monthly column appeared for 11 years. Tribole has been quoted in hundreds of media outlets, including CNN, Today, MSNBC, Fox News, USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic, and People magazine. As a highly sought-after speaker and college lecturer, she trains the public and healthcare professionals on how to cultivate a healthy relationship with food, mind, and body. Tribole received her master’s in nutritional science and her bachelor’s in dietetics from California State University, Long Beach. In 1984, she qualified for the Olympic Trials in the first-ever women’s marathon (with a time of 2:51:15!). Although she is no longer a competitive runner, Tribole is a wicked ping-pong player and avid hiker. Her favorite food is chocolate—when it can be savored slowly.

Cnossen was raised on a fifth-generation family farm in Topeka, Kansas. After successfully completing basic SEAL training in 2003, Cnossen deployed numerous times in support of global special operations. As a SEAL platoon commander, he was severely injured in 2009 in Afghanistan, resulting in the amputation of both legs above the knees.

Turning to sport for recovery, Cnossen began training full-time for the U.S. Paralympic ski team in 2011 as a cross-country skier and biathlete. Before his injury, he had never skied. But he has since competed for Team USA in the 2014 and 2018 Winter Games and is the first male athlete to win a gold medal for the United States in biathlon, a sport that combines cross-country skiing with precision shooting. 

Cnossen holds a bachelor of science degree in English from the U.S. Naval Academy, a master’s in public administration from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, and a master’s in theological studies from the Harvard Divinity School.