Does Your Heart Rule Your Head?

Are you naturally a happy person, or do you tend to get depressed? Are our moods linked to our genes and, if so, can we do anything about it?

Mood and emotion affects every aspect of our lives. Being in a good mood can lift your day, while bad moods make you feel like the whole world is against you. So a positive frame of mind is pretty desirable – we all know someone who’s eternally cheerful and sometimes wish we could be more like them. But is this ‘glass-half-full’ attitude genetic?

The idea of genes altering mood may sound like a strange concept. Surely our genetics are fixed? But the way our genes are expressed changes over time. Genes affect and regulate moods by controlling the production of chemicals in the brain. For example, hormones are controlled by genes, and the production of different hormones varies through life and even over the course of a day. Scientists are starting to discover how genes can contribute to mood disorders such as bipolar disorder and depression. There is also the emerging field of ‘positive psychology,’ where research focuses on the biological, social and environmental factors that contribute to our sense of well-being.

So whether you’ve got a sunny disposition or a grey and gloomy one, you can find out more about moods, emotions and genes at this Dana Centre/IoP event. Hear from experts in the field and get the chance to ask questions too.

Speakers:
Anne Farmer, Institute of Psychiatry at King's College London Felicia Huppert, Well-Being Institute, Cambridge Emer O’Neill, Depression Alliance
Chair: Mark Stevenson

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