Unlikely Collaborators Spark Salon with Theresa MacPhail

From hay fever to eczema to peanuts, allergies have become dramatically more common over the past half century. Scientists, doctors, and patients are all asking the same question: What exactly is happening inside our bodies, and why now?

In this Spark Salon, medical anthropologist and author Theresa MacPhail explores the global rise of allergic disease and what it reveals about the complex relationship between our bodies and the environments we inhabit. Drawing from her book Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World, she traces the history and science of allergies and the many theories researchers are investigating to explain their rapid increase.

Allergic reactions occur when the immune system identifies something harmless in the environment such as pollen, food proteins, or dust as a threat. That mistaken classification can trigger powerful and sometimes dangerous responses.

Understanding allergies therefore requires understanding how the body interprets signals from the world around it. Our immune systems are constantly evaluating what is safe and what is dangerous. When that system becomes overly sensitive or miscalibrated, everyday substances can be experienced as threats.

By exploring the mystery of allergies, MacPhail offers a fascinating window into how our bodies interact with the environments we live in and how those interactions shape health in ways scientists are still trying to understand.

6:00 p.m.: Doors open, reception

7:00 p.m.: Program begins promptly

8:00 p.m.: Book signing and reception

EVERY IN-PERSON ATTENDEE must present a government-issued ID. Please note that your photo will be taken for the building registration system upon arrival. You will also be asked to sign a general liability waiver and photo release form. No exceptions.

MacPhail is the author of Allergic: Our Irritated Bodies in a Changing World, available for purchase at your favorite book retailer.

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Host or Publisher Unlikely Collaborators