Restoring the Human Person: Addiction, Neuroscience and Christian Hope

Seton Hall University’s Academy for Nature and Nurture: Interdisciplinary Approaches to Resilience (ANN) will host “Restoring the Human Person: Addiction, Neuroscience and Christian Hope,” a two-part event that brings psychology, neuroscience, theology and pastoral ministry experience into conversation about addiction and healing. ANN is a faculty-led initiative sponsored by the Office of the Provost that responds to the current mental health and addiction crisis by supporting interdisciplinary research, teaching, service learning and public events. It integrates biomedical science, psychotherapy, as well as theology and spirituality in order to foster resilience in children, adolescents and adults and to place the Catholic Intellectual Tradition in dialogue with the natural and social sciences.

The first presentation will feature Samantha R. Mattheiss, Ph.D., Associate Professor of Psychology at Felician University. A cognitive neuroscientist by training, Mattheiss holds a Ph.D. and M.A. in Psychology from Rutgers University–Newark and a B.S. in Special Education from The College of New Jersey. Her research has examined the neural basis of effective feedback in learning and the impact of adversity on brain connectivity. Her scholarly articles can be found in the Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Cerebral Cortex, Frontiers in Psychology, Frontiers in Psychiatry, Behavioral and Brain Functions and other interdisciplinary journals and books. Drawing on this work and on her interests in human flourishing, the psychology of beauty and self-transcendent emotions, Mattheiss will explore how experiences of beauty, healthy attachment and spiritual meaning can reshape patterns of attention and emotion that underlie addiction and despair. Her talk will invite students, clinicians and pastoral ministers to see how empirical psychology and Catholic theology can converge on a richer vision of the human person, one that honors both vulnerability and the capacity for growth.

The second presentation will be given by the Rev. Simon Manwo Lau, a Christian minister from Taiwan associated with Operation Dawn, a long-standing faith-based residential treatment community that serves people struggling with substance use. Operation Dawn began as a rehabilitation community in Hong Kong and later expanded to Taiwan and other parts of East Asia, where it has developed a structured, community-based program that addresses addiction as a whole-person reality, combining therapeutic community practices, meaningful work and a Gospel-centered approach to conversion and long-term recovery. Building on this experience, the Rev. Lau will introduce participants to the spiritual and communal dimensions of recovery in the Operation Dawn model. His presentation will highlight how disciplined community life, Scripture, prayer and service can help individuals move from bondage to freedom, rebuild family relationships and discover a renewed sense of purpose. In conversation with contemporary clinical research, his witness will show how faith-based programs can complement professional treatment and contribute to the restoration of the human person.

The event is free and open to the public. It will take place on April 21, 2026 from 11:00am - 1:30pm at the Bishop Dougherty University Center, Chancellor’s Suite.
It will be of particular interest to students, faculty, pastoral ministers, healthcare professionals and community leaders concerned with addiction and mental health. Registration in advance is requested. For full details and to register, please visit the online event page.

Categories: Education, Health and Medicine