In this talk we will learn about the brain and explore the topic of consciousness from a multidisciplinary perspective, incorporating ideas from the basic neurosciences, clinical neurosciences, and philosophy. We will review various disorders of consciousness, including vegetative state, coma, and brain death. Some of the investigatory tools used to evaluate brain function in health and disease will also be discussed.

Albert Hinn, MD, is a Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery and an Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Allied Health Sciences at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He specializes in epilepsy and clinical neurophysiology. He is a past Director of the Neurology Residency Program in the UNC Department of Neurology and is the current Medical Director of the UNC Hospitals Electroencephalography and Evoked Potentials Lab.