Unsettled: Motion, Adolescence, Gender

Mainstream treatment for gender dysphoria is to transition from one gender to another, to align with the internal sense of self. This talk will discuss the history of transition, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and contrasting research. For some, transitioning does not resolve gender distress. I will explore how I managed my own gender dysphoria and discuss the importance of a holistic approach. 

Theories of risk taking typically treat risky behaviour as something that is typical of all teenagers. These theories suggest that engagement in risky behaviours is due to a mismatch in the development of our brains’ reward system and control system. However, if this was the case, we would expect that all teenagers would engage in these behaviours to the same extent. So, what else could be influencing this? I will present evidence that risk-taking behaviour is a result of individual differences in cognition, impulsivity, and reward drive and is not simply a result of age.

Motion sickness and space sickness both cause discomfort due to unfamiliar movements. Motion sickness, common during travel, results from conflicting visual and inner ear signals, while space sickness occurs in zero-gravity environments. Psychological factors like anxiety can also worsen symptoms. Treatments involve dampening inner ear signals for motion sickness and adapting microgravity for space sickness and innovations like VR simulations and spacecraft design may help combat both sicknesses. This talk will explore the approaches and interdisciplinary collaboration in more details.