Gordon in the News: last updated 10/19/2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 14, 2010
MEDIA CONTACT
Natalie Ferjulian
Office of College Communications
978.867.4249
[email protected]
In 2009, science faculty and students at Gordon College, Endicott College and Salem State University came together to establish a North Shore Chapter of Sigma Xi, an international scientific research society.
Now the group has planned its first lecture of the 2010–2011 academic year, entitled “Placebo Effects in Medicine and Psychiatry: Obstacle or Opportunity?” John Kelley (pictured here), associate professor of mathematics and psychology at Endicott College, will present the lecture, which will take place Thursday, November 4, at 7:30 p.m. in Gordon College’s Ken Olsen Science Center, Room 104, 255 Grapevine Road, Wenham (Exit 17 from Route 128). The event is free and open to the public.
“This is an important topic for students interested in the field of health professions to think about,” said Greg Keller, associate professor of conservation biology and one of six officers for the North Shore Chapter of Sigma Xi.
Kelley, who also teaches at Harvard Medical School, is a licensed clinical psychologist in the Psychiatry Service at Massachusetts General Hospital and maintains a private practice in general psychotherapy. His current areas of research include investigating the placebo effect in medical and psychiatric disorders and understanding how the doctor-patient relationship improves clinical outcomes in medicine and psychiatry.
“Interacting with researchers from Endicott and Salem State is a great way to get to know other researchers and form collaborative efforts,” said Keller. “It gives Gordon students the opportunity to deepen their appreciation for research and expand their contacts.”
Currently there are 45 members in the North Shore Chapter of Sigma Xi, 10 of whom are from Gordon College. Students invited into the group must have exceptional academic standing and experience in conducting research.
The mission of Sigma Xi is to “enhance the health of the research enterprise, foster integrity in science and engineering, and promote the public’s understanding of science for the purpose of improving the human condition.”
For more information on the North Shore Chapter of Sigma XI or the lecture, please visit http://www.salemstate.edu/~lhanson/NS_SigmaXi/
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Gordon College is a multidenominational Christian college of the liberal arts and sciences on Boston’s North Shore, offering majors in 36 fields with graduate programs in education and music education. Gordon is nationally recognized for excellence in academics and in character building, and ranks as one of the nation’s top Christian colleges. www.gordon.edu
