Time: 6:30 - 8:30pm
This event, hosted jointly by Queen Mary University of London and Action for Happiness, will feature three short talks from leading experts on psychological well-being followed by a panel discussion on what new findings on the genetics of well-being mean for individuals and society.
Professor Lord Richard Layard will talk about how our experience over life affects our well-being. Lord Layard is a labour economist who worked for most of his life on how to reduce unemployment and inequality, co-founder of Action for Happiness and author of several books on happiness including "Happiness: Lessons from a new science".Professor Meike Bartels will talk about the genetics of well-being. Prof Bartels is University Research Chair Professor in Genetics and Wellbeing at the Department of Biological Psychology, VU University Amsterdam where she conducts and supervises several large research projects to gain sight into the underlying genetic and environmental sources of variation on psychological well-being.
Dr Michael Pluess will talk about the interplay between genes and environment. He is a senior lecturer in developmental psychology at the Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology at Queen Mary University of London and investigates how genetic differences moderate the effects of environmental influences. He is the editor of a new book "Genetics of Psychological Well-Being: The role of heritability and genetics in positive psychology" published by Oxford University Press.
After they speak they will be joined for a discussion, chaired by Dr Mark Williamson, Director of Action for Happiness, by Professor Felicia Huppert, from University of Cambridge and Tim Loughton MP, former Minister for Children and Families.
Discounted copies of Dr Pluess' book will be available at the event.
The event will take place on Wednesday October 7 2015, from 6.30-8.30pm at the Arts Two Lecture Theatre, Mile End campus of Queen Mary University of London.