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