Hellen Keller once remarked that if you “keep your face in the sun, you will never see the shadows.”
Thankfully we are headed into the warmer months when it is much easier to capture those magical rays and the benefits that come along with them. Most people know that more sun means an increase in that much-needed vitamin D, as well as an increase in serotonin. Did you know that sunshine has been found to also affect cognition? Or, that it can actually help certain skin conditions?
It’s true that the sun boasts quite an impressive list of benefits, but as the age-old saying goes: “You don’t want too much of a good thing.” The first description of skin cancer dates as far back as the writings of Hippocrates of Kos in the 5th century, B.C. However, scientists at Michigan Medicine, led by one of our mini symposium speakers, are still connecting UV rays with new unexpected forms of cancer.
“Here Comes the Sun,” the mini symposium of Michigan Medicine's NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies, featured:
The Sun & Brain Health + Moderator
Eva Feldman, MD, PhD
James W. Albers Distinguished University Professor of Neurology
Russell N. DeJong Professor of Neurology
Director, NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies
The Sun & Seasonal Affective Disorder
Leslie Swanson, PhD
Clinical Associate Professor
Department of Psychiatry
Eisenberg Family Depression Center
The Dos & Don'ts of Sun Exposure & Your Skin
Kelly L. Harms, MD, PhD
Lewis and Lillian Becker Professor of Dermatology
Chief, Division of Cutaneous Surgery and Oncology
The event was presented by the Wolfe Brain Health Initiative, in partnership with the Frances and Kenneth Eisenberg Family Depression Center, the Department of Psychiatry, and the Department of Dermatology.
