Advertise on podcast: NeurOnAir

For the second of our two part series on stem cells, we interview Dr. Tiago Gonçalves, Assistant Professor in the Department of Neuroscience at Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He studies the formation of adult-born neurons in the dentate gyrus, the site of neurogenesis in the adult brain, and how these neurons integrate into the […]

In the media, any mention of stem cells is meant to offer a beacon of hope for our health as a species. These cells carry the burden of holding promise for everything from antiaging, to curing neurodegenerative diseases to treating cancer. But what is the true potential of stem cells for the more immediate future as seen by scientists today? In what fields are we closest to realizing this potential? And what are the biggest, boldest questions that are being asked? In part one of this two-part episode, we sat down with Dr. Magdalena Götz, Director of the Institute of Stem Cell Research at the Helmholtz Center Munich and Chair of Physiological Genomics at the Biomedical Center of the Ludwig-Maximilians-University. Here, we cover the role of the neural stem cells that reside in our own brains, the use of exogenous stem cells in transplantation therapy, and how recent advances in genetic technologies can control cell fate, allowing us to then, potentially, control our own. 

Episode 7: Reevaluating Parkinson’s as an Age-Related Disease (Guest: Dr. Deanna Benson) Remarkable advances in science and medicine have steadily increased our life expectancy, however, aging is also correlated with neurodegenerative diseases.  What makes these diseases so challenging, is that in the majority of cases, they are sporadic, with no known cause. But what if […]

Episode 6: Demystifying the Female Brain – From Genes to Behavior (Guest: Dr. Marija Kundakovic) Our DNA expression controls nearly if not everything that we are. It informs how we look, the diseases we are susceptible to, and shapes our personality. It even sets the bar for our risk of developing anxiety and depression. Females […]

Episode 5: Neurobiology of Love and Loss (Guest: Dr. Zoe Donaldson) Over the last few decades, distances between us around the world have been compressed through air travel and technological innovations, but the pandemic has temporarily re-expanded the Earth. As we have been tasked with forcibly isolating from one another for the benefit of humanity, […]

Episode 4 – A Glimpse into the Neural Code: Theoretical Neuroscience with Dr. Larry Abbott Our guest is Dr. Larry Abbott, a pioneer in the field of theoretical neuroscience and also the co-director of the Center of Theoretical Neuroscience at Columbia University. We enjoyed learning about theoretical neuroscience as it relates to the broader neuroscience […]

Episode 3 – GFP: Lighting Up Life with Nobel Laureate Dr. Martin Chalfie Scientists have learned a lot by looking at biological systems by imaging fixed sections of tissue, though to learn more we need to see dynamics, but how? Enter Green Fluorescent Protein, known in the scientific world as GFP. It is used by […]

After a tough year that has affected everyone around the globe in different ways, will 2021 provide any relief? One thing many of us do have in common these days to varying degrees is an unrelenting sense of anxiety and depression. Sometimes we can use our coping mechanisms to get through it. But what happens if, despite our best efforts, we can’t seem to work through these feelings on our own? In these moments, we may find, with the help of a doctor, that we have a form of depression. In Part 1, Joanna and Heather spoke with Dr. Jon Alpert, Chair of Psychiatry at Einstein, and Anonymous Annie, a friend who is living with depression and anxiety, to help us better understand how to think about these disorders and what it’s like to live with them. In Part 2, we’ll continue our interview by exploring the brain regions involved, how research is being conducted to develop new treatment options, and how social media has affected those with depression.

Episode 1