Pondering the Neurobiology of Aggression and Violence with Klaus Miczek

Klaus Miczek was born in Germany during World War II and grew up in Berlin where carnage from bombings were seen every day. Perhaps because of this profound example of the violence of the human species he became a neuroscientist whose research was aimed at understanding the neurobiology of aggression and violence with a goal of developing ways to reduce violent behaviors. Dr. Miczek is an endowed Professor of psychology, psychiatry, pharmacology and neuroscience at Tufts University. In this episode he describes what is currently known about the neuronal circuits and neurotransmitters involved in aggressive behaviors by providing a historical perspective on this fascinating yet understudied area of research.

Links:

Review articles:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3864145/pdf/nihms480918.pdf

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3380604/

Lecture on the neurobiology of aggression:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtVfoIkVSu8