#53 Peter Whitehouse
Another captivating episode! This month Mary had the chance to be in conversation with Dr. Peter Whitehouse. With MD and PhD degrees from Johns Hopkins, Peter has filled roles as Professor of Cognitive Science, Psychiatry, Neuroscience, Psychology, Nursing, Organizational Behavior, Bioethics and History. He's also deeply involved with public education as President of Intergenerational Schools International, and can be found portraying "The Tree Doctor," a metaphorical tree being who shares what trees and forests have to teach humans about being healthy.
In 1986, after filling positions at Harvard and Boston University, Peter established the department of Neurology at Case Western Reserve in Cleveland, OH, where he continues on faculty. He is coauthor of The Myth of Alzheimer's: What You Aren't Being Told about Today's Most Dreaded Diagnosis and hundreds of academic papers and book chapters. He is also part of the reimagine aging movement personally and culturally. In 2000, Peter and his wife, Catherine Whitehouse, a developmental psychologist, began opening what are now 3 public schools in Cleveland focused on connecting seniors with school-age children. From the beginning, a key focus of the curricula in these schools has been the wellbeing of the climate.
From dignity across the lifespan to ecological interdependence and quantum entanglement, Mary and Peter had plenty to talk about.
You can learn more about Dr. Peter Whitehouse by checking out any of his many publications. In particular, The Myth of Alzehimer’s. Also check out these videos.
HAPI - People, Planet and Profit: Health in a Time of Polycrisis (2024)
TEDx - Alzheimer's and the Value of Inter-Generational Schools (2012)
Gerontology Society of America - The Gerontologist Podcast: ”American Dementia” with Drs. Daniel George and Peter Whitehouse (2024). Audio only.
And find a way to take the opportunity Peter offers, to tend deeply to the lessons of trees and all of the natural world. See how wellness and aging are as diverse in people as they are in the wide world of which we are part.
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Jazz Café Background Music - Music by Maksym Malko from Pixabay
Easy Listening Jazz - Music by Krzysztof Szymanski from Pixabay
nhac-jazz - Music by Zazz Bossa from Pixabay
