The CFA Society of Los Angeles will host a presentation by nationally renowned neuroeconomist Dr. Paul J. Zak, Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies at Claremont Graduate University. As one of the founders of the field, he has published several books and articles on the subject. Dr. Zak’s research into the action of the brain’s level of oxytocin and the ability to trust is groundbreaking. The luncheon event will be held at the Marriott Hotel, 333 S. Figueroa Street Los Angles, CA on January 17, 2008, starting at 12:00 noon.
Dr. Zak will discuss the neuroscientific basis for financial decisions, a new field known as neuroeconomics, and what recent research tells us about financial markets. Exchange is the foundation of civilization, and our brains have evolved to facilitate exchange with others. Unfortunately, our evolved brains can sometimes lead us to poor decisions in the modern world. Understanding how the brain works can improve our own decisions in financial markets, and suggest new ways to help clients with financial planning.
Paul J. Zak is the founding Director of the Center for Neuroeconomics Studies (http://www.pauljzak.com), a laboratory that integrates neuroscience and economics, at Claremont Graduate University in Claremont, CA. Zak also serves as Professor of Neurology at Loma Linda University Medical Center, and is a Senior Researcher at UCLA. He has degrees in mathematics and economics from San Diego State University, a Ph.D. in economics from University of Pennsylvania, and post-doctoral training in neuroimaging from Harvard. His current research has identified the brain mechanisms that allow us to determine who we should trust and who to distrust.
Dr. Zak’s recent publications include Oxytocin Increases Trust In Humans, Nature, 2005; The Neuroeconomics of Distrust: Physiologic and Behavioral Differences Between Men and Women, American Economic Review, 2005; The Neurobiology of Trust, Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences, 2004; Neuroeconomics, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B, 2004. His new book, Moral Markets: The Critical Role of Values in the Economy from Princeton University Press, will appear February 1, 2008.
The CFA Society of Los Angeles (CFALA) is an organization of more than 1900 financial professionals, most who have earned the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. CFALA is one of 135 affiliated societies of the CFA Institute, the global, non-profit professional association that administers the Chartered Financial Analyst® (CFA®) curriculum and examination program worldwide, publishes research, conducts professional-development programs, and sets voluntary, ethics-based professional and performance-reporting standards for the investment industry. CFA Institute has more than 96,000 members in 133 countries.