In Episode 004 of A Medicinal Mind: Wisdom and Wellbeing I share a conversation with my colleague and close friend Dr. Stephan Guyenet PhD. As you will hear in the introduction, Stephan was one of the first individuals with whom I was able to connect during my early exploration of ancestral health. After a few short emails, I soon discovered that Stephan’s father was actually a professor in my very own medical school and I would later go on to learn cardiovascular physiology and pharmacology from his kind and brilliant dad. I am indeed indebted to the entire Guyenet family for many aspects of my health education and am so grateful to have crossed paths with them both.
But before I dive much further into the specific details of today’s show I want to give you a little glimpse into the life and work of Stephan Guyenet.
Stephan received a BS in biochemistry from the University of Virginia, a PhD in neuroscience from the University of Washington, and spent a total of 12 years in the neuroscience research world. His most recent work investigates the neuroscience of eating behavior and obesity. Today, he continues his mission to advance science as a writer, speaker, and science consultant. He lives in the Seattle area, grows unreasonable amounts of potatoes, and brews a mean hard cider.
In addition to growing potatoes and brewing cider, Stephan recently wrote and released a groundbreaking book on the neurobiology and neuro-regulation of body weight called: The Hungry Brain. He has appeared on many podcasts over the past few months describing the ideas in his book, focusing on the complexities of understanding human behavior as it pertains to food choice and eating habits.
You can keep up with Stephan on his website:
And read his exciting book, The Hungry Brain, which discusses groundbreaking research on the neurobiology and neuro-regulation of body weight.
https://www.amazon.com/Hungry-Brain-Outsmarting-Instincts-Overeat/dp/125008119X
To learn more about the current best practices for minimizing bias and efforts to increase open access to scientific literature visit the Center for Open Science at
In this conversation, however, we venture away form the neurobiology behind human eating behavior and, instead, seek to explore and assess the current state of the scientific research community
- What are the biggest issues facing the scientific community right now beyond simply funding?
- Are we at a point where we must focus on value based research and incentivize replication studies over novelty based science?
- What are the most prevalent sources of bias in the scientific community and how are they being addressed?
- Is the scientific community inherently self correcting or is institutional inertia too much to prevent internal improvements and progress?
- And how about health care delivery and medical education? Are the same issues faced by the broader research community affecting medical education and health care as well? Are these institutions capable of self correction?
Whether your work or studies has taken you into the fields of biomedical research, medical education or something entirely different, as part of this discussion we offer several new ideas and conceptual frameworks in which to approach your profession and I encourage you to listen in and share this episode with any of your colleagues who you feel would benefit. Stephan’s insight into the both the macro and micro issues facing the research community are truly remarkable and hope you can benefit from his curiosity and wisdom.
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Disclaimer: The content at A Medicinal Mind and the content of our podcast are educational and informational in nature. They are not intended to be medical advice, spiritual counsel or a substitute for working with a health professional or a trained spiritual counselor. We cannot guarantee the outcome of any of the recommendations provided on our page or by the guests on our podcast and any statements written or made about any potential outcomes are expressions of opinion only.