An Evening with Marilu Henner
In Conversation with James Mcgaugh, Ph.D.
Moderated by Michael A. Yassa, Ph.D.
Sunday, April 12, 2026 at 5pm
This performance is presented without an intermission.
With the energy of a teenager, the wisdom of a sage, and the memory of a superhero, Marilu Henner has deservedly earned the nickname “Perpetual Motion.” In addition to starring in over thirty films, six Broadway shows, and two hit sitcoms—Taxi and Evening Shade—this five-time Golden Globe nominee is also a New York Times bestselling author of ten books on health, parenting, memory, and lifestyle improvement. Her books—including the bestseller Total Memory Makeover, as well as Total Health Makeover, The 30-Day Total Health Makeover, I Refuse to Raise a Brat, Healthy Life Kitchen, Healthy Kids, Healthy Holidays, Wear Your Life Well, and By All Means Keep On Moving—have changed the lives of millions in her quest to make the world a healthier place.
Currently hosting her own nationally syndicated radio show, The Marilu Henner Show, Marilu has previously hosted and executive produced two talk shows (Marilu and Shape Up Your Life) and has guest-starred on every major talk show, earning her the title “Talk Show Guest of the Year” several years in a row. As a two-time competitor on Donald Trump’s Celebrity Apprentice (Season 7, 2008) and Celebrity Apprentice All-Stars (Season 13, 2013), she made it to the Final Five and played for her favorite charities: the Physicians’ Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) and the Alzheimer’s Association. At PCRM’s 25th Anniversary Gala, she was awarded the Voice of Compassion Award.
As one of only twelve people documented with Highly Superior Autobiographical Memory, Marilu was the subject of a three-part special on 60 Minutes and 60 Minutes Australia, as well as numerous news programs and newspaper articles around the globe. She also served as a consultant on the CBS series Unforgettable. Her ninth book, Total Memory Makeover: Uncover Your Past, Take Charge of Your Future!, was released in 2012 and became an instant New York Times and Publishers Weekly bestseller. Its release was followed by a national multimedia book tour, which included appearances on Nightline, Good Morning America, The View, Anderson, Piers Morgan, and The Talk, among others. Her tenth book, How I Cured My Husband’s Cancer, was released in 2015.
Her acting career continues to thrive. Marilu appeared in the finale of Two and a Half Men (playing Ashton Kutcher’s love interest), held a recurring role on the Golden Globe–winning sitcom Brooklyn Nine-Nine, and portrayed Robin Williams’s ex-wife and Sarah Michelle Gellar’s mother in the season finale of The Crazy Ones. She has also appeared in the feature film Vamps and in three holiday movies: Hitched for the Holidays and June in January (Hallmark Channel), and High School Holiday Reunion (Lifetime). In 2014, Marilu co-starred as Masha with Christopher Durang (as Vanya) in his Tony Award–winning play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike at the historic Bucks County Playhouse. She can also be seen touring the country in her one-woman show, A Memorable Evening with Marilu Henner!
Marilu was a pioneer on the internet, launching her website, Marilu.com, in 1999. In 2000, she began teaching online classes for her growing membership, as well as offering online counseling and support alongside her team of twenty coaches, who teach her Total Health Makeover (THM) lifestyle.
Marilu has spoken before Congress on seven occasions on a range of subjects, including dietary supplements, women’s cardiovascular disease, the Child Nutrition Reauthorization Act of 2010, the Veggie Caucus, and deadbeat parents. She was also one of only a few private citizens selected to contribute to shaping the government’s food pyramid. In January 2014, she appeared before Congress to present healthy dietary guidelines as part of the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans. Marilu frequently lectures across the country as a keynote speaker and motivator for professional organizations, universities, government agencies, interest groups, and corporations. Her topics include memory, diet and fitness, women’s health issues, cardiovascular disease, cancer survival, child rearing, and strategies for lifestyle, entertainment, and business organization.
Marilu Henner is married to Michael Brown, CEO of Browntrout Publishers, and is the mother of two sons, Nick and Joey. Practicing what she preaches, Marilu embodies the benefits of health and fitness and is deeply committed to giving back to her community in many ways.
James L. McGaugh is a Distinguished Professor Emeritus at the University of California, Irvine. He was the founding chair of the Department of Neurobiology and Behavior in 1964 and the founding director of the Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory in 1982. He also served as dean of the School of Biological Sciences and as executive vice chancellor of the university (1974–1982). He received his Ph.D. degree from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1959 and did postdoctoral research with Professor Daniel Bovet at the Istituto Superiore di Sanità (1961–62). He is recognized internationally for his pioneering research on neurobiological systems that regulate the consolidation of memory. He is a member of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, as well as the Mexican and Brazilian academies, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and he received a Laurea Honoris Causa from the University of L’Aquila. His record of publications includes over 550 research articles, reviews, and books.
McGaugh’s groundbreaking research demonstrated that memories are not formed instantly but undergo a process called memory consolidation. His work revealed how emotional arousal and stress hormones strengthen memories through interactions among brain regions such as the amygdala and hippocampus.
Dr. Michael Yassa is a professor in the Departments of Neurobiology and Behavior, Neurology, Psychiatry and Human Behavior, and Psychological Science at UCI. He currently serves as the Associate Dean of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in the School of Biological Sciences and has been the director of the world-renowned Center for the Neurobiology of Learning and Memory since 2016. His research focuses on how our brains encode and store information into memories and how memories are used to guide everyday decisions.
His work particularly addresses how memories are disrupted in neurological and neuropsychiatric disease.
Dr. Yassa received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Johns Hopkins University and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Irvine. He began his career as an assistant professor in the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Johns Hopkins University in 2010 and moved to the University of California, Irvine in 2014. He has been awarded numerous research grants, including those from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute on Aging, the National Institute of Mental Health, and private foundations. He has authored over 100 research articles, and his work is published in top-tier journals.
He has appeared on BBC World News, ABC News, CNN Health, NBC News, and the PBS NewsHour, and has been featured in numerous radio interviews and podcasts. Finally, Dr. Yassa has received multiple awards for research and teaching excellence and is a highly celebrated mentor. His lab fosters an inclusive research and training environment where different cultural identities are valued and embraced.
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