Talk Details
Title : Is our tendency to be spiritual hardwired in our genes? Genetic correlates of spirituality
Prof. Nitika Parmar
CSUCI, Mol. Biology
Abstract:
Genes for hormones such as serotonin and dopamine, as well as their transporters have been shown to positively correlate with spirituality and religious experiences. Investigations by various researchers studying personality traits, genomic genotyping and brain density mapping have provided initial evidence that spirituality or being religious may be associated with altered levels of these hormones or presence of varying alleles. Are biological factors responsible for spirituality and religious experiences? Although preliminary studies show some correlation between spirituality and biological factors, more in-depth research is needed to establish a concrete link between biological determinants and spirituality or expression of religion. This presentation is based on other researchers work and will summarize their findings.
Bio:
Dr. Nitika Parmar is a Professor of Biology at California State University, Channel Islands, California. She also leads the MS in Biotechnology program and co-directs the MS Biotechnology/MBA dual degree program. She received her PhD in Molecular Biology and Post-Doctoral Fellowship in Cancer Biology from the University of California, Los Angeles. Her education in India includes a BS in Biophysics from Punjab University, MS in Biotechnology from Pune University and MTech in Biotechnology/Biochemical Engineering from IIT, New Delhi. Her research interests are in the areas of cancer biology, signal transduction pathways, gene silencing and biological screens of gene manipulators. She is the recipient of $10.5 million grant from the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) to lead the Stem Cell Program on her campus.