Although placebos have long been considered a nuisance in past clinical research, today they represent an active and productive field of research. Because of the involvement of many of the human brain’s vast mechanisms, the study of the placebo effect is actually now viewed as a melting pot of concepts and ideas for neuroscience to explore. And why do more expensive placebos work better than cheaper ones? These are some of the key questions that often come to mind when we consider the slippery and counterintuitive field of placebo science. Research with the living human brain unravels some of the mysteries so key to this nascent science.
As director of the recently established Institute for Interdisciplinary Brain and Behavioral Sciences, Dr. Amir Raz brings a highly regarded body of research to partner with Chapman University in establishing the new institute.