The NCCIH Integrative Medicine Research Lecture Series

While nature experience has been shown to benefit human beings in a variety of ways, people worldwide are increasingly disconnected from nature as they spend up to 90 percent of their time indoors. This is a concerning trend, given that contact with nature has been shown to benefit human beings in a variety of ways. Scientific interest in this area has been increasing, but key questions remain, and more research is needed. What we do know has the potential to shape policy, social programs, and the landscape we inhabit, but to do so responsibly, accurate and effective translation of the science is needed.

Dr. Bratman will discuss the current state of the field of research on nature and mental health, as well as an agenda for future research. He will describe various approaches to measuring the impacts of nature experience on human cognitive function and mental health, and a theory for the causal mechanisms that may be responsible for these effects. Major implications of these findings for urban planning, public policy, and future research directions will also be addressed.

During this lecture Dr. Bratman will:

Review the current state of the field of research on nature and mental health, as well as a proposed agenda for future research.
Discuss the evidence in support of a causal mechanism responsible for the impacts of nature experience on cognitive function, mood, and emotion regulation.
Describe the ways in which this body of evidence may be put into practice, and the emerging questions that can be investigated with these applications.

Dr. Gregory Bratman’s work takes place at the nexus of psychology, public health, and ecology. The inaugural holder of the Doug Walker Endowed Faculty Fellowship, he is an assistant professor of nature, health, and recreation at the School of Environmental and Forest Sciences, University of Washington. Dr. Bratman holds a Ph.D. in environment and resources from Stanford University, where he was a James and Nancy Kelso Fellow and a David and Lucile Packard Foundation Fellow. In 2015, he received the Charles A. Lewis Excellence in Research Award from the American Horticultural Therapy Association. He earned a master’s degree in environmental science and management from the University of California, Santa Barbara and a B.A. in philosophy from Princeton University. Funders of his research include Recreational Equipment, Inc. and the Wallenberg Foundation.

For more information go to https://nccih.nih.gov/news/events/IMlectures