Renée Fleming

Dr. Flavio Fröhlich is Professor of Psychiatry at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, with appointments in Neuroscience, Cell Biology & Physiology, Neurology, and Biomedical Engineering. He serves as Associate Vice Chair for Research and founding Director of the Carolina Center for Neurostimulation.  

Fröhlich earned his electrical engineering degree from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, an International Diploma from Imperial College London, and his PhD in neurobiology at UC San Diego. He completed postdoctoral training at Yale University, where he discovered that electric fields generated by the brain represent an active neuronal communication mode. In 2011, he moved to UNC to translate this discovery into therapeutic strategies. 

A pioneer in network neuroscience, Fröhlich integrates neurobiology, engineering, and medicine to develop non-invasive brain stimulation treatments for psychiatric disorders. Currently, he is also pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology and completing his clinical psychology internship, combining his research expertise with direct clinical training. He authored the textbook Network Neuroscience and has received numerous awards for his research. 

Dr. Hanson is a Professor and Vice Chief for Research in the UNC Division of Geriatrics, and Medical Director of the Palliative Care & Hospice Program. She graduated from Harvard Medical School. She trained in Internal Medicine at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston, and completed her fellowship in Geriatric Medicine at the University of North Carolina (UNC), where she also obtained a Masters in Public Health. Her clinical practice at UNC includes Geriatric Medicine, Palliative Medicine and Hospice. Dr. Hanson leads a program of research to improve health care for older adults experiencing serious illness, with a particular focus on improving the lives of people with Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias. 

Dr. Patrick Smith is a clinical psychologist and biostatistician with expertise in behavioral medicine and neuropsychology. He is a Chapel Hill native and was a scholarship music major at UNC-Chapel Hill, as was his wife and older brother. He trained in trombone performance and continues to perform on both trombone and bass guitar. He has previously performed with international touring groups, including KC and the Sunshine Band, Fishbone, Who’s Bad, and Darius Rucker, among others. His recordings have been featured on NPR and local radio, during UNC sporting events, and at Carolina Hurricanes games. After obtaining his PhD at Duke in 2010, he completed postdoctoral trainings in behavioral medicine and clinical neuropsychology, as well as an MPH in biostatistics at UNC-CH in parallel. His research is focused on using biobehavioral interventions to improve cognitive function and mental health outcomes among adults with chronic medical conditions.