Today on the show, I talk with Dr. Kristen Willeumier. Dr. Willeumier is a neuroscientist with research expertise in neurobiology and neuroimaging. She is a leading advocate for brain health and wellness and is the author of the book Biohack Your Brain: How to Boost Cognitive Health, Performance and Power.

From 2009-2016, Dr. Willeumier served as the Director of Neuroimaging and Clinical Research for the Amen Clinics, where she led the efforts to utilize imaging technologies to better understand the neurobiological issues underlying psychiatric disorders. In this capacity, she oversaw many pioneering studies, including a clinical research trial investigating the long-term effects of repetitive subconcussive impacts in National Football League players. Subsequent work focused on therapeutic approaches to rehabilitate brain function in athletes with mild traumatic brain injury and the application of machine learning algorithms to neuroimaging data to improve the diagnosis and treatment of psychiatric disorders.

Dr. Willeumier holds a B.A. degree in psychology from Boston College, M.S. degrees in physiological science and neurobiology, and a Ph.D. degree in neurobiology from the University of California, Los Angeles. She conducted her graduate work in the laboratory of neurophysiology at the University of California, Los Angeles, and the laboratory of neurogenetics at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. She was a postdoctoral scientist in the Department of Neurology at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, where she continued her work in neurodegenerative disease, focusing on the molecular mechanisms underlying Parkinson’s disease. During her doctoral training at UCLA and Cedars- Sinai Medical Center she was awarded an NIH NRSA fellowship from the National Institute of Mental Health. She has presented her work at national and international scientific meetings including the Society for Neuroscience and the Gordon Research Conference in Honk Kong, China.

Kristen Willeumier, Ph.D.

https://www.drwilleumier.com/

Biohack Your Brain:

https://www.amazon.com/Biohack-Your-Brain-Cognitive-Performance-ebook/dp/B086JXQ5LC