Through her work with torture survivors, combat veterans, bereaved parents and orphans, Julia DiGangi has become intimately acquainted with the many faces of suffering—and it was through this work that she sought to understand both the scientific underpinnings and the spiritual consequences of stress and trauma. She shares what she has learned about various forms of suffering and coping strategies in her talk, “The Art and Science of Suffering.”

DiGangi received her doctorate in clinical-community psychology and puts her degree to work at the intersection of psychology and neuroscience studying the neural bases of disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Prior to pursuing her doctorate, she worked extensively in international human rights and politics. From Nigeria to Iraq and Central America, she helped develop aid programs in some of the world’s most traumatized communities. DiGangi is an alumna of DePaul University.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx