Fumiko Hoeft is an accomplished Neuroscientist at UConn and, along with 30% of all Americans, experiences a fear of public speaking. In her inspiring talk, Fumiko discusses how her research and her own personal experience are testaments to the value of challenging personal comfort zones and the resilience people can build by doing so. Fumiko Hoeft MD PhD is Professor and Director of the Brain Imaging Research Center (BIRC) at University of Connecticut (UConn). She also holds appointments at Haskins Laboratories and UCSF. She has held faculty positions at Stanford, UCSF and UConn, and received training at institutions such as Harvard, UCLA, Caltech and Stanford. Hoeft is a clinician and neuroscientist. Her areas of work span widely from the neurobiological mechanisms underlying dyslexia, to resilience and socio-emotional competency in those with learning disabilities, and developing and validating apps such as APPRISE that assesses school readiness and identifies risk for dyslexia early. Recent honors include awards from the International Dyslexia Association (2014), Learning & the Brain Foundation (2015), International Mind Brain & Education Society (2018), and Society for Neuroscience (2018), many of which are related to translation of neuroscience to the public. She has over 130 publications, and has delivered over 160 talks at venues such as local schools, International conferences, TEDx and the White House. Her work has been widely covered in media such as The New York Times, NPR, CNN, the New Yorker, and Scientific American. She serves on numerous boards and has (co-)founded a number of organizations and centers across the world. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx