Laurie Rauch

Laurie is an adjunct senior lecturer in the Department of Human Biology at UCT, both at undergraduate and post-graduate level. He co-supervises MSc and PhD students in research projects ranging from relational health, weight loss, sleep and spinal cord injured persons, making use of techniques such as functional MRI, cardiovascular function, Heart Rate Variability measures, cognitive function and EEG.

In recent years Laurie has dedicated his time to sharing his personal journey and academic findings, professional experience to a wide range of audiences around the world focussed on 1) sporting experiences from his triathlon, cycling, rugby & rock climbing days; 2) experiences in regaining his health after his accident and 3) 25 years of conducting Health Science research at UCT through academic and mainstream presentations, lectures and workshops.

Laurie’s particular interest lies in the Autonomic Nervous System and a more than a decade of academic research and practice to understand the neural underpinnings of composure, i.e. what happens inside the heart, brain and body of a person performing at their peak in any arena, sporting, corporate, artistic, academic, etc.

Local workshops, lectures and presentations given:

• Strengthening the Brain Reward System via physical activity to combat addictive behaviours. Biological Psychiatry SA Conference, Century City, Cape Town 20 – 24 September 2019.
• Brain Reward System and Movement from the Spine. Institute for Exercise and Sports Medicine, Tygerberg Hospital, Bellville, Cape Town. 14 August 2019
• Stress regulation and productivity in a circular economy examined as an autopoietic system. UK Systems and Society Conference, Bournemouth University, Bournemouth, UK. 24 June 2019
• Food Mood and Movement. Lecture for the Nutrition Network Advisor Course (https://nutrition-network.org/) 6 May 2019.
• Increased Space for Agile Performance. Price Waterhouse Cooper Workshop. UCT Graduate School of Business, Waterfront, Cape Town. 26 March 2019.
• The Front Footed Brain. Provincial Sports Coaches Conference. Free State Sports Science Institute, Bloemfontein. 9 March 2019.
• The Neurobiology of Composure. AGM of the Japanese Karate Association of SA. Wanders Club, Johannesburg. 2 February 2019.
• The 4 pillars of composure. Nomad Academy (Nomad). 14 November, Brownlow Road Studio, Tamboerskloof, Cape Town.
• Connecting the Heart and the Brain. Symposium of the Southern African Neuroscience Society & Physiology Society of Southern Africa. UCT Medical School. 29 September 2018

Education

• Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Jan van Riebeeck (1979 — 1983)