Lori Hogenkamp, from her lived experience and in-depth study in the field of adaptive stress and the science of neurodiversity. As the founder and CEO of the Center for Adaptive Stress, she is dedicated to understanding stress as a framework with a foundation in neurodiversity as initial conditions in complex adaptive systems. Her own experiences as an autistic person, combined with her studies in psychoneuroimmunology, have led her to develop the Evolutionary-Stress Framework, a revolutionary approach to understanding mental and physical health as a function of systems overworking in a highly protective and hyper problem-solving state. Through her work, she hopes to shift the focus and narratives of the current scientific and medical paradigms.
The ESF is a system-based, person-centered approach that offers a deeper understanding of the mechanisms and processes that shape health outcomes, and redefines health as an emergent property of allostasis, or emergent allostasis. This perspective aligns with the concept of neurodiversity, recognizing that there is no one right way to have a mind-body and that neurodiversity is essential for social ecosystem stability and stress resilience.