The Neurobiology of Sinners: Fear, Twins, and Vampires! at Elastic Arts – Chicago, IL

Austin Lim will discuss neural mechanisms of fear, the lives of people unable to feel fear, and the therapeutic applications of scary movies - all in the context of Ryan Coogler's award-winning 2025 horror film Sinners.   

Austin Lim, PhD is a neuroscientist and award-winning associate teaching professor at DePaul University. He developed and offers a course called “The Brain through Science Fiction,” which is an exploration into how science fiction authors such as Mary Shelley, H. P. Lovecraft, Philip K. Dick, and William Gibson have used the popular scientific advances of their time to inspire their creative works. His writing has appeared in Scientific American, U.S. News and World Report, and many other venues. He is the author of the open-source introductory level neuroscience textbook Open Neuroscience Initiative. Since its completion in 2021, the textbook has been adopted by faculty from more than 60 universities or colleges around the world. He has also written and illustrated neuroscience books for children such as Cellular Neuroscience for Babies! and Neuroscience from A to Z for Babies! and published an academic textbook, Understanding Figures in Neuroscience Research, through Cambridge University Press.

Accessibility Information:

The venue provides 80 guarenteed seats for this event. If you require ADA accommodations including an assigned seat please contact info@C2ST.org so we can ensure you are accommodated.