A Chat with Uma

On episode 37 of A Chat with Uma, I hit pause on the lived experience & nitty-gritty research and rewind all the way to Psychedelics 101: What exactly counts as a psychedelic? Why do ketamine and MDMA show up in the same conversations as LSD and psilocybin even though they work on totally different receptors? In this deep‑dive I define "mind-manifesting," untangle the three big branches of hallucinogens, give an extra basic chemistry crash course (Lego analogies included), and walk through the neurobiology that turns a few serotonin receptors into weeks of heightened brain plasticity. You’ll also hear why “set and setting” actually matter, how non‑hallucinogenic 5‑HT2A receptor compounds are storming drug development pipelines, and a rapid‑fire myth‑busting round that debunks everything from “natural equals safe” to “one trip and you might never come back.” By the end you’ll have a clear map of the molecules, mechanisms, and mind‑manifesting experiences that shape today’s psychedelic landscape—plus the language to call out sloppy headlines when you see them.

Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps):

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Connect with me!

• My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Support my work:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Have a guest you want on the show? Fill out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠

On episode 36 of A Chat with Uma, I continue the “Everything You Need to Know About Scientific Research” series by breaking down everything you need to know about peer review and publishing papers! Here, I unpack the journey from raw data to a peer‑reviewed paper—the stage where independent experts test every assumption, statistic, and conclusion before the work can stand as part of the scientific record. You’ll learn why publishing is incredibly competitive after everything navigated to get the grant in the first place, how different review models (single‑blind, double‑blind, open, and registered reports) work, and what safeguards exist to catch bias or outright fraud.

We’ll also clear up common misconceptions—like who actually pays publication fees, what "peer review" actually means, whether industry can “buy” favorable results, and how to spot predatory journals that mimic the real thing. By the end, you’ll know how to read research headlines with a sharper eye and a fuller understanding of the system behind them.

Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps):

(00:00:00) Welcome back & why peer review is the gatekeeper after funding

(00:01:28) Grants vs. journals: the true currency of scientific reputation

(00:03:54) Peer‑review basics: single‑, double‑, open, and registered reports

(00:06:56) Preprint servers—speeding collaboration and sowing public confusion

(00:09:58) Wildly competitive acceptance rates of scientific journals

(00:13:46) Impact factors, citation culture, and career stakes

(00:15:46) The money side: article‑processing fees and why scientists don’t profit

(00:21:46) Step‑by‑step through the review gauntlet, from desk rejection to “accepted”

(00:29:28) Conflicts of interest, Big Pharma fears, and science’s self‑corrections

(00:32:50) Predatory journals: red flags and how researchers avoid them

(00:40:54) Replication challenges and the tools fixing them (preregistration, open data)

(00:45:14) Myth‑busting lightning round: peer review, pay‑to‑publish, and dissent

(00:46:14) Key takeaways for understanding peer review and the process of publishing papers

⁠Try CURED Nutrition's CBN Night Oil, Serenity Gummies, & all of their other fantastic products--Use code 'UMA' for 15% off of all products!⁠

Connect with me!

• My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Support my work:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Have a guest you want on the show? Fill out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠

On episode 35 of A Chat with Uma, I provide the long‑overdue follow‑up to my 2023 episode “Yes, I’ve Done Psychedelics: From Psychonaut to Researcher!” Two years (and many trips) later, I walk you through how psychedelics have woven themselves into my recovery from OCD, PTSD, and treatment‑resistant depression--and how my relationship to them has evolved. I’m candid about the depression pattern I now recognize: months of slow improvement, a frightening slide into suicidal exhaustion, and finally the “as‑needed biological intervention” of a macro‑dose psilocybin session.

I share why I now treat psilocybin as an “as‑needed biological intervention,” how my move to Madison and recovery gains changed the cadence of those sessions, and how I’m learning to identify red‑flag symptoms earlier so I don’t wait until rock‑bottom. Throughout the episode I’m brutally honest about the hellish parts: intrusive‑thought torture, eye‑burning exhaustion, and the constant urge to postpone each dose because I hate the experience even while I depend on the after‑effects. I describe how each trip has dovetailed with psychotherapy treatment for OCD, PTSD, and depression, and what last week’s brutally intense—but surprisingly fast‑acting—trip has already done for my mental state. If you want a raw, first‑person account of using psychedelics to carve out months of functional life—and why I still need intensive mental health treatment, behavioral change, and a healthy life to continue through recovery—here it is in its fullest form.

Listen to these contextual episodes first:

• ⁠My Full Story: 0 to 26⁠
• My Mental Health Journey:⁠ Part 1,⁠ ⁠Part 2⁠, ⁠Part 3⁠, ⁠Part 4,⁠ ⁠Part 5⁠
• ⁠Yes, I've Done Psychedelics: From Psychonaut to Researcher⁠
• The Ketamine Diaries:⁠ Part 1,⁠ ⁠Part 2⁠

Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps):

(00:00:00) Recapping Part 1 from two years ago, where I left off with ketamine treatments, and how today’s episode picks up from where we left off

(00:02:40) Why I share these vulnerable stories, disclaimers on anecdotal use, and how personal experiences shape broader conversations about psychedelics

(00:09:00) The ‘As‑Needed’ Psilocybin Plan: How I decided to approach psilocybin on a loosely scheduled basis, what “biological intervention” means to me... and why I still push it off

(00:18:00) From Ketamine Insights to Psilocybin Sessions: Unpacking what daily ketamine “torture” taught me about intrusive thoughts, the mind‑body split, and rediscovering color in life

(00:23:00) Facing Relapse & ‘Rock Bottom’ Warnings: Tracking my early warning signs of depression, the classic OCD loops, and learning to heed those signals before everything shuts down

(00:34:00) Exploring how moving to Madison, a supportive environment, and evidence-based therapy widened the gap between needing trips, sometimes up to eight months; Recap of my trips since 2023

(00:56:00) The Most Recent Trip (March 2025): A raw look at my week‑old session: the usual “hell” meets an unexpected flash of self‑compassion, plus the quicker‑than‑normal bounce‑back effect

(01:07:00) The unique relief I'm already experiencing from this trip, small windows of joy, and final reflections on integrating future psychedelics with therapy and recovery

Try CURED Nutrition's CBN Night Oil, Serenity Gummies, & all of their other fantastic products--Use code 'UMA' for 15% off of all products!

Connect with me!

• My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Support my work:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Have a guest you want on the show? Fill out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠

On episode 34 of A Chat with Uma, I continue the “Everything You Need to Know About Scientific Research” series by breaking down one of the most misunderstood parts of the scientific process: funding. I explain how labs secure (and often struggle to secure) the money needed to pay salaries, buy equipment, and keep the lights on—and why the competition for grants is more cutthroat than many realize. Along the way, I debunk myths about “rich” scientists, reveal the harsh truth of acceptance rates (sometimes below 10%), and show how even a multi-million-dollar grant can vanish quickly once overhead and experimental costs are covered.

I also address common misconceptions that lead the public to believe funding is wasted on bizarre or irrelevant projects. By giving real-world examples—from “shrimp on a treadmill” to mental-health studies in lab animals—I illustrate how “strange-sounding” research can deliver breakthroughs critical to medicine, technology, and our broader understanding of human health. If you’ve ever wondered where tax dollars for science really go, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at the competitive, complex, and endlessly challenging world of research funding.

Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps):

(00:01:00) Introduction: how science gets paid for and the crucial role of grant money

(00:01:18) Outlining the high costs of running a lab, including salaries, reagents, and all about indirect costs

(00:02:20) Why research funding matters so deeply and how labs can shut down without continuous support

(00:06:00) Dispelling the “rich scientist” myth, with personal examples of graduate student stipends and overall low researcher pay

(00:08:00) Describing various funding sources, from government grants (like NIH) to nonprofits and small-scale crowdfunding

(00:12:00) Essential training grants and fellowships that develop PhD students and postdocs as future scientists

(00:18:00) Major research grants (e.g., R01) that may total over a million dollars but face low acceptance rates

(00:20:00) Walking through the grueling grant-writing process, from pilot data to six-month waits for possible rejection

(00:30:00) How peer review panels score proposals and discard many that don’t make the top tier

(00:36:00) Addressing public confusion about “weird” studies, like shrimp on a treadmill, and why they actually matter

(00:50:00) Emphasizing how all labs rely on continuous funding cycles and tying it back to basic research’s real-world impact

(00:58:00) Wrapping up with final thoughts on how labs survive grant to grant and overview of future topics in the series

Connect with me!

• My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Support my work:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Have a guest you want on the show? Fill out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠

In episode 33 of A Chat with Uma, I continue with part 2 of my deep dive into how scientists are trained, as part of the “Everything You Need to Know About Scientific Research” series. Picking up where I left off last time, I focus on the PhD as the central—and often most intense—phase of a scientist’s training path toward independence. I explain how researchers progress from dependent trainees to experts in their field, covering everything from learning to design experiments, to managing lab resources, to balancing the emotional and intellectual demands that come with advanced study. I further discuss the options to complete training after a Ph.D vs. pursuing a postdoctoral fellowship, and the added levels of training that occur during a postdoc. To round out the conversation, I also touch on the intricacies of training for physician researchers and the unique paths MD/PhD and MD holders may take as they bridge medicine and research.

Ultimately, my goal is to show you exactly why becoming a professional scientist is such a marathon. The PhD years are unlike any other phase, blending technical skill-building with growth in critical thinking, leadership, and a big dose of grit. By the end of this episode—together with last week’s discussion—you’ll see how these training stages add up to a truly rigorous process, ensuring that the people behind major biomedical breakthroughs are more than prepared to take on the world’s unanswered questions.

Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps):

(00:00:00) Welcoming you back and linking this episode to last week’s discussion on Master’s-level and early research training

(00:01:00) What a PhD actually IS?! And WHY the PhD is the most pivotal stage for cultivating scientific autonomy

(00:04:30) The choice to pursue a PhD, the competitive admissions process, and navigating subsequent rotations and fit with a chosen lab

(00:10:00) Balancing full-time research, the relentless demands of experimental trial-and-error, professional development, and all other doctoral requirements

(00:18:00) The vital development of critical thinking: variables, confounding factors, and advanced analytical skills

(00:28:00) Major milestones in a PhD, including committee meetings, qualifying exams, dissertation writing, and the final defense

(00:50:00) The resulting character development from the intense investment of a PhD: sacrifices, imposter syndrome, and learning to defending your work under scrutiny

(01:03:41) Choosing a path after the PhD—why you’re already considered an expert trained scientist, and deciding on a non-academic job or a postdoctoral fellowship

(01:06:22) Choosing a postdoc: what determines its length and scope, and how it paves the way toward faculty positions or higher-level non-academic positions

(01:14:00) Added steps for physician-scientists (MD/PhD) to conduct research and how non-PhD physicians acquire training to conduct research

(01:23:06) Concluding thoughts on how both episodes together form a complete map of the scientific training pipeline

Connect with me!

• My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Support my work:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Have a guest you want on the show? Fill out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠

On episode 32 of A Chat With Uma, as part of the “Everything You Need to Know About Scientific Research” series, we begin a 2-part overview of the full training pipeline that researchers work through to become independent biomedical research scientists.  I unpack the differences between simply knowing established scientific facts and actively generating new knowledge in a lab setting, showing how hands-on mentorship, repetitive trial-and-error, and deep immersion in research culture form the backbone of scientific training. Whether it’s undergraduates finding their footing, post-baccalaureate technicians refining their skills, or Master’s students tackling more advanced projects, this episode examines the practical, day-to-day realities that bring a scientific career to life.

By walking through each level of training in detail, I illustrate why scientific expertise stems from years of incremental growth rather than a quick leap into advanced classes. You’ll hear how labs function as collaborative learning spaces, why mastering techniques and analytical thinking takes patience, and how early independence in the lab opens the door to meaningful contributions. These episodes provide a transparent guide to the foundational stages that shape both scientists’ skill sets and their dedication to rigorous, evidence-based discovery. Ultimately, these episodes serve to improve public misunderstandings and skepticism of research training, and counter its resulting effects on the survival of our scientific research enterprise. We will continue this episode next week by discussing future training stages: PhD, post-doc, transitioning to full independence, and an addendum on physician-specific research training.

Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps):

(00:00:00) Overview of the general training pipeline for scientists

(00:01:00)  How public misunderstandings of research training shape skepticism toward science

(00:03:04) Defining what it means to be truly qualified in hands-on, iterative scientific practice

(00:06:12) Demonstrating the importance of biomedical research and its direct link to human health

(00:12:50) Outlining the stages—from undergrad to postdoctoral associate—that will be explored in these episodes

(00:18:06)  Distinguishing scientific education vs. actively “doing science”

(00:26:30) Showing how principal investigators guide skill-building and cultivate independence in the lab

(00:38:06)  How undergraduate research works (part-time & full-time) and its impact on future steps

(00:44:00) How post-bacc programs and technician roles bridge experience gaps before grad school.

(00:46:00) Differences & similarities between a Master’s degree vs. a PhD, & the role it may play in scientific development

(00:58:00) Reflecting on the crucial skills, ethical grounding, and accessibility issues tied to early training

(01:00:00) A look toward next week’s episode covering training through PhDs and postdoctoral fellowships, and physician-scientist and physician-specific research training steps

Connect with me!

• My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Support my work:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Have a guest you want on the show? Fill out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠

On episode 31 of A Chat with Uma, I launch my ‘Everything You Need To Know About Scientific Research’ series by sharing an overview of what I aim to cover in the coming episodes within this series, and the personal and professional lenses that bring me to this conversation. I talk through the current crises facing scientific research, how they are affecting research (including me) at this very moment, and why this is relevant to EVERYONE. I discuss my professional and personal background, and how my unique vantage point—spanning biomedical research, lived experience mental health advocacy, and science communication—positions me to see the urgent gaps and challenges facing biomedical research, including major funding cuts and widespread misinformation, and the steps we can take to bridge these gaps.

This episode shares my motivations, the prerequisites I hope you will integrate before diving into future episodes, and the importance of good faith, mutual respect, and respectful dialogue in navigating these current crises. I overview upcoming topics, invite you to contribute your questions to this series, and share my hopes of us ALL working together toward the shared mission of advancing human health.

Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps):

(00:00:00) —  Introduction & purpose of the series

(00:12:28) Essential caveats & prerequisites to this episode & series

(00:22:25) – My background & intersecting expertises relevant to this conversation: science, lived experience, advocacy, and science communication

(00:49:24) – Naming the current crises in research & its devastating impacts

(00:58:11) – Why I believe these crises are happening AND how I think we can help fix them; The direct impacts on me and my own research

(01:11:43) — Why I need YOUR help to co-create this series: How you can contribute to this & support science!

Connect with me!

• My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Support my work:⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Have a guest you want on the show? Fill out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠

On episode 30 of 'A Chat with Uma', a follow-up to last week’s episode, I continue my mental health update from the past 2 years, sharing what recovery has truly looked like—from OCD and PTSD treatment to navigating depressive episodes and breakthroughs with my eating disorder. I open up about the impact of psilocybin in interrupting my depression and how my ERP progress has finally moved the needle on my Y-BOCS scores. I also share my experience starting PTSD treatment for the first time with prolonged written exposure and how it has tapped into emotions and memories I thought were long buried.

This episode is a deep dive into the raw, nonlinear reality of recovery—where self-compassion, discomfort, and courage collide. It’s about the work, the trust, the setbacks, and the triumphs, and why I am still, always, in the thick of the process.

Contextual episodes:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠01. My Full Story: 0 to 26⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 02-05. My Mental Health Journey: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 3⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, Part 4
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠06. Yes, I've Done Psychedelics: From Psychonaut to Researcher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Pt. 1, Part 2

• ⁠07-08. The Ketamine Diaries - OCD, PTSD, Depression, & Chronic Pain: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Part. 1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 2⁠⁠⁠

Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps):

(00:00:00) Part 2: Picking up where we left off last week!

(00:03:25) The 4 stages of competence and working toward recovery from unconscious incompetence

(00:07:45) Battling moral scrupulosity and becoming aware of my (many) mental compulsions

(00:14:50) The role of self-compassion (and my resistance to it)

(00:21:20) Psilocybin & depression, again: how psilocybin pulled me out of another deep depressive episode. newfound depression recovery gains since, and set the stage for real progress in my ERP journey

(00:24:40) Measuring progress: when the Y-BOCS finally moved!

(00:29:15) Healing in unexpected places: food, movement, and chronic pain

(00:37:50) PTSD treatment begins: Why we're doing written exposure instead of traditional prolonged exposure

(00:46:25) The messy middle of recovery: why there’s no neat bow to tie around this journey—and how living, healing, and struggling can all coexist.

Connect with me!

• My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Support my work:⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠⁠⁠
• Have a guest you want on the show? Fill out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠

On episode 29 of 'A Chat with Uma,' I share an in-depth update on my mental health journey, picking up from where I left off two years ago. I talk through the challenges and growth I’ve experienced in lacking OCD & PTSD treatment while completing my master’s, navigating a cross-country move, and starting my PhD program. I share honestly about living with ongoing severe OCD, PTSD, and depression while navigating the complexities of life transitions within recovery.

I discuss the difficulty of finding effective treatment after multiple traumatic experiences with providers, and how meeting my current OCD- and PTSD-specialized therapist became a pivotal turning point. I also share about my ongoing experiences with psychedelics to triage severe depressive episodes, and how it supported me through the intense transition into my PhD program before beginning proper therapeutic treatment.

Next week's episode (part 5) will talk through all the details of my treatment journey over the past 1.5 years with my new therapist, and where I am with in my recovery journey with OCD, PTSD, depression, anxiety, and bulimia.

Contextual episodes:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠01. My Full Story: 0 to 26⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• 02-04. My Mental Health Journey: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 1⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 2⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 3⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠05. Yes, I've Done Psychedelics: From Psychonaut to Researcher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠06-07. The Ketamine Diaries - OCD, PTSD, Depression, & Chronic Pain: ⁠⁠⁠⁠Part. 1⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 2⁠⁠

Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps):

(00:00:00) Hello & Welcome!

(00:03:15) My mental health during the past 2 years since my last podcast update

(00:07:45) The consequences of being in OCD & PTSD treatment limbo for 1 year

(00:14:25) Finding my new OCD & PTSD therapist in Wisconsin

(00:25:30) Moving to Madison & confronting my worsening depressive episode

(00:33:10) Intervening with psychedelics during severe depression downswings

(00:44:30) Beginning with my new OCD & PTSD therapist while navigating the first semester of my Ph.D

(00:53:20) Viewing my PhD as recovery bootcamp

(00:58:10) The hardest lesson—Thoughts are not (always) real

(01:01:25) What’s next: Part 5 coming next week!

Connect with me!

• My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Support my work: ⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠⁠
• Have a guest you want on the show? Fill out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠

On episode 28 of 'A Chat with Uma,' I return to the podcast after a year-long hiatus to launch its next era! In this raw, unfiltered, tell-all episode (in true Uma fashion, of course), I talk us through the wild year that led to my unexpected hiatus, my PhD journey, the unexpected adjustment of navigating this new chapter, and the paralyzing fears that kept me from picking the mic back up up again. I open up about perfectionism, the overwhelming realization that people (including scientists and clinicians!) were actually listening, and the endless self-doubt that stifled me. Most importantly, I share all of the reasons that led me to come back - how I’m facing my fears and self-doubt, learning to accept imposter syndrome, making space for my health & well-being amongst all of my values-driven work, and letting myself be seen. I’m so grateful to be back here with you and can’t wait for everything to come for us!

Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps):

(00:00:00) HI! We’re BACK!

(00:01:40) The unplanned hiatus

(00:05:00) Moving to Madison, beginning my Ph.D, and navigating constant transition & uncertainty

(00:18:00) The overwhelm & burnout of it all

(00:25:40) Imposter syndrome, perfectionism, self-doubt, and the paralyzing fear of being seen

(00:36:00) The comeback: How and why I’m facing all of my fears to be here and show up fully

(00:53:20) What’s coming next for the podcast?

(01:00:00) Gratitude, reflections, and moving into our next era

Connect with me!

• My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• ⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
• Support my work:⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠
• Have a guest you want on the show? Fill out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠