IHMC Lecture Series will feature noted research scientist Dr. Marcas Bamman.
His early days as a young athlete in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri may have piqued Dr. Marcas Bamman’s interest in the human body and the science of exercise. He recalls spending as much time outside as he could back then, mostly playing sports and riding his bike.
His curiosity also drew him into education and he later attended Kansas State University on an academic scholarship, with emphasis on the exercise science program and studies in nutrition, chemistry, bio-chemistry and biology.
“That was my first exposure to research, as a student lab tech for a couple of professors and as a teaching assistant in physiology courses, learning and teaching at the same time,” he shares. “I then got my master’s at the University of Alabama Birmingham (UAB) and doctorate at the University of Florida. Toward the end of my doctoral training, I spent three years with NASA at the Johnson Space Center, exploring space physiology and trying to help develop ways to reduce some of the negative effects of space flight, including loss of muscle and strength.”
Bamman returned to UAB, where for 25 years he served as a professor and research center director. His career history includes leading clinical and translational re-search to advance human health, resilience and performance from elite performers to those with chronic diseases.
He says the greatest rewards of his career have come from serving as a mentor and “preparing the next generation of scientists.”
“Being a scientist is a privilege because we get paid to ask important questions that will change how we approach disease and the human condition,” he notes.
In 2020, Bamman joined the Institute for Human and Machine Cognition (IHMC) as a senior research scientist. He is based at the IHMC campus in Pensacola. On May 19th, he will be the guest speaker for the IHMC Lecture Series at the venue in Ocala.
Bamman says the pillars of IHMC include artificial intelligence, robotics and healthspan, resilience and performance, “which is the most biologically focused human research program.” He says he is eager to speak about how the latter pro-gram has grown, the primary areas of research being conducted and some of the results. OS
The lecture, which will take place at 15 SE Osceola Ave., will begin with a reception at 5:30 p.m. Seating will be limited to accommodate social distancing. To learn more, go to www.ihmc.us/lectures.
