Tuesday, August 24, 2010
The Soloist - an event, Through the Eyes of Neuroscience, Journalism, Policy and the Arts
On August 23, 2010, The Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Foundation, The Atlanta Chapter of the Society for Neuroscience, The Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine, and The Carter Center Mental Health Program held a Panel Discussion of scenes from “The Soloist” followed by a Q&A session at the Carter Center in Atlanta.
The star of the evening was none other than Nathaniel Anthony Ayers himself. Mr. Ayers traveled from Los Angeles for the occasion and performed with piano accompaniment by Peter Marshall of the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. Attending the event was of special importance to Mr. Ayers because the partnership was announced between The Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Foundation and Mercy Housing to launch pilot programs in Atlanta and Los Angeles called “Nathaniel’s Place.” These programs will provide early intervention resources and mentoring for artistically gifted individuals with mental illness at Mercy Housing facilities in the two cities.
Opening remarks were given by Rebecca Palpant of the Rosalyn Carter Journalism Fellowship and Ted Sapp, Executive Director of The Nathaniel Anthony Ayers Foundation and the 16th U.S. Surgeon General, Dr. David Satcher. The discussion was co-led by the story’s author, Steve Lopez, and Dr. Kerry Ressler.
Panelists included leaders from Atlanta’s Mental Health and Neuroscience Communities:
Dr. David Satcher, 16th Surgeon General of the United States and Ted Sapp, Ex. Dir. Ayers Foundation
Elaine Walker, PhD, Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience, Emory University
Kerry Ressler, MD, PhD, Investigator, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and Associate Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Emory University
Jerome Lawrence, Artist
Martha Okafor, PhD, Director of Behavioral Health, The Satcher Health Leadership Institute at Morehouse School of Medicine
The Soloist is the captivating true story of a talented Julliard-trained cellist, Nathaniel Ayers, discovered living on the streets with schizophrenia by L.A. Times columnist Steve Lopez. The film reveals the social injustices facing the homeless and those with mental illnesses and the frustrations experienced by both Ayers and Lopez.
