A Chat with Uma

On episode 17 of A Chat with Uma, I provide a full recap of my experience at the Psychedelic Science 2023 conference in Denver, hosted by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS)! PS2023 was the world’s largest-EVER gathering focused on psychedelic research and medicine, with over 12,000 attendees from across the globe. This episode provides a recap of my experience at the conference, ranging from research updates, OCD advocacy and awareness, my presentation experiences, key takeaways from sessions, and general meta updates from the psychedelic science field. This robust episode goes deep into the human experience of not only this conference, but the full-circle experience of finding myself in this space, participating in this way.

I also speak in depth about the Intercollegiate Psychedelics Network (IPN), the premier student and youth-led psychedelic organization, where we empower, develop, and connect the next generation of students & rising professionals in the psychedelic ecosystem. IPN provides high-impact and interdisciplinary programming geared toward professional development, mentorship, and accessibility for members worldwide, and I provide context on my involvement as co-director and how our work contributed to the PS 2023 conference. Finally, I share my reflections and resolutions for moving forward beyond this conference.

Topics Discussed (+ timestamps):

(00:00:00) Intro:

(00:08:36): Background on my path to the psychedelic field + this conference

(00:27:22): All about the Intercollegiate Psychedelics Network (IPN)

(00:41:32): IPN's contribution to Psychedelic Science 2023

(00:49:28): RECAP: Psychedelic research funding from the NIH (& National Institute of Drug Abuse [NIDA])

(01:04:14): RECAP: Changing the paradigm of research collaboration vs. competition in psychedelic science; recommendations from experts

(01:09:33): RECAP: Keynote from Dr. Andrew Huberman (Huberman Lab Podcast) - Shutting down animal work post psychedelic treatments; Contributions of students

(01:19:26): RECAP: Launch of the ⁠Psychedelics & Pain Association (PPA)⁠; Psychedelics & Pain Symposium | July 15-16 (USE CODE 'umapod20' for 20% off tickets!)

(01:27:21): RECAP: Updates from Yale Psilocybin & OCD trial(s)

(01:31:59): RECAP: OCD advocacy & awareness through presenting my research

(01:38:47): RECAP: IPN panel + mixer; Advocating for non-traditional + underrepresented students in the psychedelic ecosystem; Experiencing the next generation of the psychedelic field!

Links mentioned in episode:

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On episode 16 of A Chat with Uma, I speak with Reverend Katie O'Dunne! Rev. Katie O'Dunne is the founder of Faith & Mental Health Integrative Services, an organization helping individuals with OCD and related disorders live into their faith traditions as they navigate evidence-based treatment. Prior to this, she spent 7 years serving as the Academy Chaplain and the Pauline and R.L. Brand Jr. '35 Chair of Religious Studies at Woodward Academy in Atlanta, Georgia. Katie is proud to be an IOCDF lead advocate, an ordained minister, and an endurance athlete tackling 50 ultra-marathons for OCD. She is currently pursuing her doctorate at Vanderbilt to continue her focus on faith & mental health.

In this episode, we discuss the following topics (+ timestamps):

(00:00:00) Intro:

(00:07:03): Introduction of Rev. Katie O'Dunne

(00:15:46): Confessional + backstory of my initial fear of Katie due to religious trauma; Misconceptions about those who work in ministry

(00:19:18): Deep dive into Katie's story:

(00:30:14): Doing unseen compulsions, accidentally "tricking" therapists, and being incorrectly treated by therapists who are not properly trained to treat OCD

(00:36:08): How Katie got into interfaith chaplaincy and working with people of all faith/belief backgrounds (including identifying as agnostic, atheistic, etc.)

(00:41:46): How OCD can latch onto religion, and working at the intersection of faith + OCD

(00:43:58): Defining + explaining moral scrupulosity and religious scrupulosity, individually and as themes of OCD

(00:56:07): How Katie created Faith & OCD initiatives for the International OCD Foundation (⁠IOCDF Faith & OCD Resource Center⁠⁠)

(00:58:10): Katie's doctoral work at Vanderbilt University, conceptualizing OCD treatment as a spiritual practice

(01:05:33): Challenges and opportunities around mental health outreach + education for other clergy members

(01:09:04): Where Katie is today in her own OCD recovery journey

(01:13:55): How running ultra-marathons became a part of Katie's OCD recovery & advocacy journey; Running towards our values

(01:19:00): All about Katie's upcoming projects:

(01:23:27): DEEP rapid-fire final questions with Katie, and closing out the episode!

Connect with Katie:

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On episode 15 of A Chat with Uma, I provide a full recap of the few weeks that I've (unexpectedly) been away from the podcast! This recap serves to fully & honestly reflect my true experiences with navigating graduation, closing out this chapter of my life, and transition - with no filters, whatsoever. I speak with radical honesty about the state of my recovery and well-being throughout this unexpectedly difficult time, and talk through all of the contributing factors that play into my experience.

I share openly about my experience with dissociation and maladaptive coping mechanisms - namely excessive busyness - in the name of verbalizing this experience for anyone else navigating this as well. I share reflections, progress updates, opportunities for growth, and how I have attempted to engage in self-compassion. I also speak through the stuck-points and the conundrum of burnout amongst more fully living life and burnout from things that light us up. I close with updates about my life, upcoming experiencs and opportunities for growth, and a reclamation of honesty, self-compassion, and acceptance - for me, and for YOU.

Topics Covered + Timestamps:

(00:00:00): Introduction: Confessional, gratitude, where I've been & the fear + experience of coming back

(00:11:23): Recap of finishing out my semester & labwork

(00:20:16): Recap on graduation; The comfort of "sprinting through a marathon," and the fear of finishing

(00:25:56): Navigating a parent's cancer treatment, dealing with the distress and overwhelm

(00:30:52): Addiction to busyness and overworking as a coping mechanism; The concept of being burnt out from being so lit up

(00:43:02): Experience in Miami with ⁠Biohaven⁠: glimpses of recovery & presenting as a survivor for the first time

(00:54:04): Next steps, what the immediate future looks like, opportunities for growth, what's coming!

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On episode 14 of A Chat with Uma, I provide a full recap of my recent trip to England! This recap serves to reflect pivotal experiences and realizations around the state of my overall recovery from decades of debilitation and dysfunction - namely mental and physical illnesses. I speak openly about navigating presence, dissociation, pain, triggers, stress, recovered moments, and everything in between.

I then share at length about my experience of presenting at Breaking Convention and ALL that came from sharing my research and inadvertent OCD advocacy + awareness. Overall, this episode serves as an honest and thorough reflection on the reality + power of persisting in recovery, especially in sharing the life-changing moments that came from the exposure of this trip.

Topics Covered + Timestamps:

(00:04:20): Neuroscience Research Seminar Presentation

(00:22:06): Experiencing new-found, transient presence + flexibility during this trip

(00:30:05): Navigating chronic pain, physical presence, and dissociation

(00:38:56):Procrastination, avoidance, denial, triggers, therapy on the trip

(00:44:03): Experience leading up to talk, navigating fears & intrusive thoughts, Source Research Foundation dinner, exposures through this process

(00:49:10): My full Breaking Convention presentation recap + experience, all of the OCD advocacy + awareness, meeting my heroes, glimpses of presence, newfound freedom + purpose, the power of recovery, reflections

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On episode 13 of A Chat with Uma, I reflect on my 27th birthday today. Recorded on my actual birthday, I share a live, raw, completely unedited account of everything coming up for me as I turn 27. I speak at length about the awe and gratitude I feel for being here + alive today, and reflect on how being alive for this long felt like a complete impossibility for much of my life. I talk through the rapid transformation of life that has ensued since cancer and all the recovery I have embarked upon, and how wildly different life looks than anything I could've ever expected, on all fronts. I speak candidly about my current state of being, including the full spectrum of emotions that come up with celebrating my birthday and my cancerversary in direct succession. I talk through examples of how meeting life with my authentic self has created so many experiences that I would've never thought to be even remotely possible. I share my experiences of exploring the duality of existence, the complete surprise of how life looks, and the awe of continuing to explore the continuum of experiences that life has to offer. Above all, this episode is a statement of love, gratitude, acceptance, and holding hope for every single beautiful human listening to this episode - especially through the darkest and most impossible moments that you may live through.

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On episode 12 of A Chat with Uma, inspired by my upcoming 4-year cancerversary and all that comes up this time of year - I share my full story + experience of my mental health struggles due to/influenced by my cancer. I discuss the research, conceptualization, and understanding of adverse mental health outcomes for patients with cancer & other life-threatening illnesses - particularly AYAs (adolescent + young adult patients, 15-39). I speak at length about my own experience living with cancer and mental health struggles, candidly sharing the concrete examples of how my OCD, anxiety, PTSD, depression, and more intersect with + are exacerbated by my cancer diagnosis. I dispel myths about "cancer victimhood," explaining the reality of cancer survivorship in tangible + accessible terms. I close with reflections about my cancer + mental health experience & my upcoming cancerversary, and provide a call to action + empowerment about sharing our true experiences in community with others - and allowing ourselves the chance to be truly seen + supported.

Topics Covered + Timestamps:

(00:06:09): Breaking Convention Presentation

(00:28:55): My own mental health & cancer experience

(00:45:05): Mental illness/dysfunction is NOT a choice

(00:55:00): My own reflections, my cancerversary, the duality of life & death around my cancerversary, closing the episode

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On episode 11 of A Chat with Uma, inspired by my upcoming 4-year cancerversary and all that comes up this time of year - I share my full story + experience of living with cancer since I was 22. I talk you through the 6 months of misdiagnosis that led up to my diagnosis the day after my birthday, and I take you through the tumultuous journey of treatment that was shaped by further negligence, misdiagnosis, and mistreatment. I share the consequences of my delayed treatment on my prognosis, and I explain the reality of living with cancer rather than being in remission. I speak at length about the unique struggles of living with cancer as an AYA (adolescent + young adult patient), and I draw awareness to the experience of survivorship beyond treatment that is often completely overlooked by those in an AYA's life. I close with reflections about my experience, and a call to action + empowerment about sharing our true experiences in community with others - and allowing ourselves the chance to be truly seen + supported.

Topics Covered + Timestamps:

(00:09:44): Aspiring Scientists Coalition Presentation with Dr. Ben Rein

(00:14:00): Breaking Convention Presentation

(00:42:56): Negligence, radiation, metastasis

(01:01:20): What my cancer looks like now

(01:07:31): The AYA cancer experience

(01:14:42): The reality of facing your mortality

(01:19:27): Closing out the episode, integrating and allowing all parts of you to exist

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On episode 10 of A Chat with Uma, I'm sharing everything about the next chapter of my life, which stems from one of the biggest life decisions I have made to date. I speak at length about the major decision I have made for the next step of my life + career, and narrate through the complexities and interplay of my beliefs, traumatic experiences, pathologies/mental illnesses, and distortions that contributed to my past confusion about my life path. I detail the process of integrating a pivotal psilocybin experience and the insights that provided integral support to my decision-making. I share the details of my next steps, how I got to this path, where exactly I will be going + what I will be doing, and how I will navigate the challenges & difficulties that may arise. I illustrate a tangible example of the illusion of "correct" choices, and share the role of acceptance and self-discovery in making values-driven decisions. This episode ultimately serves to share my raw and honest experience of moving through acceptance, curiosity, finding myself beyond what I "do," breaking through the binaries + limitations of others, and the process of becoming myself.

Topics Covered + Timestamps:

(00:03:18) Aspiring Scientists Coalition meeting with Dr. Ben Rein

(00:07:39): Breaking Convention Presentation

(00:30:06) How I'm moving from safety behaviors to this choice being an avenue to discover, accept, & become myself

(00:46:45) Where I am going/moving for this next chapter + why

(01:04:02) What I experienced there & how this place changed my perception of life

(01:07:31) Breaking through the belief that I need to shrink + be either/or an advocate or scientist, and paving my own path to integrate all parts of myself

(01:14:48) Where I'm going from here, gratitude for this podcast community, moving into my next chapter

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On episode 9 of A Chat with Uma, I provide a high-level overview of the full spectrum of brain science research. This episode serves as a primer to illustrate the spectrum of brain research that exists across psychology, neuroscience, psychiatry, and other related fields. This primer breaks down each level of research, its techniques, and jargon in an intuitive and accessible way, illustrating the advantages and limitations of each research approach and how they come together to comprehensively answer the questions we have about brains, mental/psychiatric illnesses, and consciousness. From observational human studies all the way to molecular analysis, this episode will teach you the basics of how brain research works across the spectrum of scientific study, from human to molecule.

This easily digestible, accessible primer will equip you with the basic knowledge and skillset to begin effectively interacting with brain research that interests you across the full spectrum of fields, including: observational studies, clinical psychology, experimental psychology, cognitive psychology, psychiatry, clinical trials, cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging, systems neuroscience, cellular neuroscience, molecular neuroscience, human-derived stem cell research, computational neuroscience, and more.

Topics Covered + Timestamps:

Brain Research Spectrum: each includes explanation, techniques, examples, advantages, limitations, + description of experimenters

(00:24:48) Cognitive neuroscience, neuroimaging/brain scans (humans)

(00:44:22) Pre-clinical research, neurobiology, animal models

(00:46:45) Systems neuroscience, circuits

(00:51:24) Cellular & molecular neuroscience, therapeutic targets

(00:56:25) Human-derived stem cell models, brain organoids

(00:59:58) Computational neuroscience, computational modeling

(01:02:30) Variability in humans vs. preclinical research, experimenters in pre-clinical research

(01:10:05) Full example of research question + how this question would be functionally answered across each part of the brain research spectrum discussed in this episode

I cannot wait to connect with you, answer all of your questions, and co-create this with you. Welcome to a Chat with Uma!

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On episode 8 of A Chat with Uma, I share my first "Honesty Hour": a space where I share my raw, unfiltered, uncensored thoughts as I process the reality of life in real time. Honesty Hour episodes serve to create a space for us to allow the messy, confusing, and complex nature of experiencing life to live, rather than just sharing the insights and hindsight that come from sharing at the "other side" of experiencing; Instead, I hope to instead create an equally valuable & supportive space for moving through experiences. I share details about my current experiences around recovery, making crucial future decisions, crippling fear, the uncertainty of my values, the struggles of my bicultural identity, the declining health of my elderly parents, fear about not being able to recover my health, and more. This episode serves to normalize & unite us in accepting the nuance, complexity, and duality of the human condition that we all experience.

Topics Covered + Timestamps:

(00:45:00): Familial obligations & biculturality

(01:01:35): Contending with the state of my mental health

(01:23:00) Glass vs. plastic balls of responsibility

(01:25:54) Final reflections, self-compassion, accepting duality, allowing complexity, embracing uncertainty, and safe space for all of us to process

I cannot wait to connect with you, answer all of your questions, and co-create this with you. Welcome to a Chat with Uma!

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