Before we can decide whether to panic or not, let us just stop and ask: What is panic, really? Join neuroscientist Philip Tovote, head of the Defense Circuits Lab, as he takes us on a journey into the brain’s ancient wiring. Discover how primal survival circuits and intricate neural networks spark our panic responses—and why evolution has kept these intense emotional reactions alive in humans for millions of years.
The talk will explore the evolutionary origins and neurobiological underpinnings of panic, focusing on how ancient brainstem circuits coordinate rapid defensive responses to threats. Drawing on systems neuroscience research, Philip Tovote will illustrate how specific brain networks detect danger and trigger panic-like reactions, and how these circuits are conserved across species—linking this fundamental neuroarchitecture to modern studies of fear and anxiety disorders. The talk will emphasize that panic is not a maladaptive glitch, but an adaptive survival mechanism.
