In Episode 6 (Part 1) of Leafing Through Science, we dive deep into one of the biggest challenges in medicine: understanding – and treating – the human brain. Hedi is joined by professor and brain researcher Nicole Rust, author of “Elusive Cures: Why Neuroscience Hasn’t Solved Brain Disorders – and How We Can Change That”.

Nicole asks a provocative question: what if treating brain disorders is less like replacing a broken part in a machine, and more like trying to redirect a hurricane? Nicole argues that only by embracing the brain as a complex adaptive system can we hope to make real progress.

From how many psychiatric drugs still trace back to chance discoveries in the 1950s, to what moods are for, and how the brain’s very adaptability may be the source of its fragility, this conversation explores a major shift in how we think about the brain – one that could accelerate advances in understanding and treating its disorders.

Every two weeks, the podcast series Leafing Through Science brings together host Hedi Young, Champalimaud Foundation neuroscientist and science communicator, with the authors behind some of the most fascinating non-fiction books in the life sciences. From new releases to timeless classics, we explore everything from the mysteries of consciousness and free will, to alien hands and minds under siege. Expect page-turning ideas, head-spinning science, and stories that might just change how you see the world – and yourself.

Relevant links:

“Elusive Cures: Why Neuroscience Hasn’t Solved Brain Disorders – and How We Can Change That” by Nicole Rust

More about Nicole

Chapters:

(00:00) The Dream of Weather Control

(01:06) Introduction

(03:36) Cracking the Code – But Not the Disease

(05:41) Empty Pages in the Brain’s Manual

(07:49) Why Simple Fixes Fail

(11:14) The Three Classes of Disorder

(13:08) The Domino Theory of the Brain

(18:30) Bench to Bedside… Sometimes

(23:17) How Antipsychotics Were Discovered by Accident

(26:08) The Elusive Biology of Schizophrenia

(29:10) Why, What, and How: A Multi-Level Understanding of the Brain

(35:31) The Brain’s Superpower Is Its Weakness

(40:14) Why Do We Have Moods?

(47:58) Wrapping Up

Episode Credits:

Creator & Series Producer: Hedi Young

Concept Development & Curation: Ana Rita Mendes, António Monteiro, Carla Emilie Pereira, Catarina Ramos, Diana Cadete, Hedi Young, João Van Zelst, John Lee, Marta Correia, Thaïs Lindemann, Andreia Pinho and Teresa Fernandes

Host: Hedi Young

Guest: Nicole Rust

Graphic Design: Marta Correia

Sound Design: João Van Zelst

Dissemination: Ana Rita Mendes, Diana Cadete, Thaïs Lindemann and Andreia Pinho