What can a rat teach us about being human? Neuroscientist Kelly Lambert shares her research on joy and anticipation through the lens of small but remarkably intelligent mammals: rats. From teaching them to drive tiny cars—yes, drive—to studying their joy when anticipating positive experiences, she invites us to explore how happiness can be sparked through what she calls “behaviourceuticals.” Through her research, we find that enjoying the journey rather than only the destination may just be built into our DNA.Kelly Lambert is the Trawick Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience at the University of Richmond, where she investigates experience-based neuroplasticity and teaches neuroscience. She has about 85 scholarly publications and has written 2 neuroscience textbooks and 3 popular books, including Lifting Depression, The Lab Rat Chronicles, and Well-Grounded. She is currently writing Wild Brains: Translating Adaptive Mental Health Strategies from the Bush to the Bedside. Lambert received the 2008 Virginia Professor of the Year award, the 2018 Career Achievement Award from the International Behavioral Neuroscience Society, and the 2024 Science Educator Award from the Society for Neuroscience. Her research on links between physical effort and emotional resilience has been featured on CBS Sunday Morning, and her rat-driving studies have appeared in over 1,500 news stories worldwide, including Netflix’s The Hidden Lives of Pets and CBC’s Rat City.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