Dr. Patrick Owen
Session Synopsis: The Origins and Future of Stress
- Learn why stress is the number one silent killer in developed countries and how it has gotten out of control.
- Understand the regulation and metabolism of cortisol – the stress hormone – in human evolution and its crucial role in keeping us alive.
- Learn about the HPA-Axis and how dysfunction of this important stress-signalling pathway is at the root cause of all our worries.
- Understand the gender differences in how we perceive stress, whether it’s real or not.
- Learn the health complications of stress, including an increase in body fat, even despite a perfect diet and exercise plan.
- Learn about the tight association that stress has with sleep, your circadian rhythm, your immune system, and the foods that you eat.
- Implement my 13 tips and tricks to control anxiety, get better sleep, and reduce stress.
- Apply proven scientific-based strategies ranging from mindfulness meditation to eating more butter.
Biography
Dr. Patrick Owen is a dynamic speaker and leading expert in Ancestral Health, Functional Wellness, and Evolutionary Nutrition. A Lecturer at McGill University's School of Nutrition, he teaches graduate courses on ethnobotany, medicinal plants, and evolutionary biology. His expertise is shaped by field research in Tibet, India, Papua New Guinea, and Northern Canada, where he explored the deep connections between human biology and the environment.
With two co-authored books and over a dozen peer-reviewed publications, Patrick excels at translating complex science into actionable strategies for optimizing mental and physical well-being. He hosted AskMen's THRIVE and was honored with the 2023 TEC Rookie Speaker of the Year award. His engaging, science-backed talks blend research, storytelling, and real-world application, empowering corporate leaders, health professionals, and general audiences to take control of their health using evidence-based ancestral principles.
Education
Ph.D. Human Nutrition, McGill University, 2008
M.Sc. Botanical Science, McGill University, 2000
Awards & Certifications
TEC Rookie Speaker of the Year - 2023
Elsevier Reviewer of the Year – Pharmacology Division, 2010
International Development Research Centre Award, 2004
Richard E. Schultes Award, 2002
CPR: Heart Saver Plus/AED (A+), updated 2018
Select Publications
Sayers J, Owen P, Darcy J, Paré J. 2012. Superfoods Cookbook: Recipes for a Healthy Lifestyle. Company's Coming Publishing Ltd. Edmonton, AB.
Karst A, Kershaw L, Owen P. 2009. Edible and Medicinal Plants of Canada. Lone Pine Publishing, Edmonton, AB, Canada. 448 pp
Ubalijoro E, Owen P, Atadja P, Mpagi, J, Geary T, Wambebe C. Infectious Disease and Traditional Knowledge in Africa. African Union Commissioned Paper, Experts Workshop on Research Networking and Pan African Policy on Infectious Disease, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 17-19 November 2008.
Owen PL, Martineau LC, Caves D, Haddad P, Matainaho T, Johns T. 2008. Consumption of guava (Psidium guajava L) and noni (Morinda citrifolia L) may protect betel quid-chewing Papua New Guineans against diabetes. Asia Pacific Journal of Clinical Nutrition 17:635-643
Fraser MH, Cuerrier A, Haddad PS, Arnason JT, Owen PL, Johns T. 2007. Medicinal plants of Cree communities (Québec, Canada): antioxidant activity of plants used to type 2 diabetes symptoms. Canadian Journal of Physiology & Pharmacology 85:1200-1214.
Owen PL. 2006. Tibetan foods and medicines: antioxidants as mediators of high-altitude nutritional physiology. Pieroni, A., Price, L.L. (eds.) Eating and Healing: Traditional Food as Medicine, Haworth Press Inc., Binghamton, N.Y., 39-64.
Contact
Patrick Owen, PhD.
Website: www.drpatrickowen.com
Facebook: Dr. Patrick Owen – Ancestral Health and Functional Nutrition
Instagram: @drpatowen
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-owen-8a061332/