Curious by Nature

Dr. Dustin Scheinost, Associate Professor in the Departments of Radiology and Biomedical Imaging at Yale School of Medicine, studies how brain imaging and artificial intelligence can help scientists better understand psychiatric disorders.

What if brain scans could help explain the symptoms of a psychotic episode as they happen? And what if artificial intelligence could identify patterns in brain activity to help predict them?

In this episode, Dr. Scheinost discusses a new frontier in mental health research that combines functional MRI and machine learning to study psychosis. By examining the brain not just through behavior but through networks, circuits, and connectivity, researchers hope to better understand how psychiatric illness unfolds and how future tools might help clinicians detect and treat these conditions earlier.

Professor Angus Fletcher of The Ohio State University’s Project Narrative, a Professor of Story Science, studies how storytelling, creativity, and imagination affect the brain and emotional well-being.

Parents of children with anxiety are often willing to try anything that might help their kids feel better. Many traditional approaches focus on calming an overactive mind to reduce intense emotions. But Professor Fletcher’s research suggests a different path.

Instead of quieting the brain, his work explores how activating the brain through creativity and imagination-based play may help unlock the brain’s natural ability to regulate itself. In this episode, we discuss how storytelling and creative thinking might be powerful tools for helping children and adults manage anxiety and build resilience.

Dr. Bradley Cannon, Assistant Professor of Finance at Binghamton University, studies how social networks and personal relationships influence financial behavior.

Many people feel uncomfortable talking about money with friends. For some, financial topics are almost taboo in everyday conversation. But Dr. Cannon’s research suggests that these conversations may actually play an important role in shaping financial outcomes.

By studying the social networks of high-income individuals, he found that friendships can influence financial knowledge and opportunities. In particular, being connected to wealthier individuals, and openly discussing financial decisions, may help people learn strategies that improve their own financial well-being.

Dr. Megan Buning, Clinical Associate Professor at Florida State University and instructor in the FSU Coach Interdisciplinary Center, studies mental performance and helps athletes and professionals perform under pressure. She is also a Certified Mental Performance Consultant (CMPC) through the Association for Applied Sport Psychology.

Exceptional athletic performance often depends on mental toughness. While some people seem to develop this naturally, the good news is that these skills can also be taught.

A former professional softball pitcher herself, Dr. Buning understands what it takes to get “into the zone.” In this episode, she explains the science behind staying calm and focused under pressure, whether on the playing field or in high-stakes moments like presentations and leadership decisions. Her insights show how mental performance training can help anyone perform better in sports, careers, and everyday life.

Dr. Leda Kobziar, Professor of Wildland Fire Science at the University of Idaho, is a pyroaerobiologist studying the surprising biological components of wildfire smoke.

Last January, as heavily populated parts of Los Angeles burned, images of the disaster brought the destructive power of wildfires into the public consciousness more than ever. Today, as thousands of acres burn in the Pacific Northwest and in Canada, wildfire smoke is causing hazy skies and air quality warnings across much of North America.

But beyond the danger of flames and pollution, Dr. Kobziar’s research asks a surprising question: what if there is something alive in that smoke? Her work examines how microbes such as bacteria and fungi can be lifted from burning forests and soils and carried through the air, potentially affecting ecosystems, agriculture, and human health hundreds of miles away.

Dr. Phoebe Hughes, Lecturer in Musicology at Binghamton University, studies popular music and how it reflects cultural and musical change.

Taylor Swift is one of the most influential musicians of our time, but what exactly explains her impact? Dr. Hughes is the author of Cranking Up Taylor Swift: Her Musical Journey in 11 Songs, a book that explores Swift’s work not just to celebrate her success, but to understand why it resonates so strongly with audiences.

We look at how Swift’s music reflects broader cultural shifts and what her career reveals about the evolving sound of country and pop music in the 21st century.

Dr. Resh Gupta, Postdoctoral Research Associate with the Mindfulness Science and Practice Cluster and the Cognitive Control and Psychopathology Laboratory at Washington University in St. Louis, studies how mindfulness practices affect the brain.

Mindfulness practices are more popular than ever, from transcendental meditation to yoga and breathing exercises. But with so many options available, an important question remains: does the type of mindfulness practice actually make a difference?

Some techniques focus attention on a single object, like the breath, while others encourage open awareness, allowing thoughts and feelings to come and go without judgment. In this episode, Dr. Gupta explains how researchers are using functional MRI to observe brain activity in people with anxiety as they practice different forms of mindfulness, helping scientists understand why certain techniques may work better than others.

Dr. Michael Adler, Chair of the Anthropology Department and Associate Professor of Anthropology at Southern Methodist University, studies the archaeology and history of Indigenous communities in the American Southwest.

We explore research conducted alongside the New Mexico community of Picuris Pueblo, one of the smallest and oldest Indigenous groups in the United States. A recent study published in Nature established a clear ancestral link between Picuris Pueblo and the ancient peoples of Chaco Canyon.

The discovery represents a landmark in archaeological genetics, not only for its scientific findings but also for how the research was conducted. The work was carried out at the invitation of the tribe, under their direction, and with their sovereignty fully respected.

Dr. Adler discusses why archaeology today involves a continuing reckoning with history, and how meaningful partnerships with Native communities require not just new research methods, but a new mindset.

Dr. David Fajgenbaum, Physician-Scientist at the University of Pennsylvania and Co-Founder and President of Every Cure, studies how existing medicines can be repurposed to treat diseases they were not originally designed for.

What if the cure for a deadly condition is already sitting on a pharmacy shelf, just waiting to be matched to the right disease? A growing field of research focuses on drug repurposing, finding new uses for medications that are already approved and available.

With the help of artificial intelligence, researchers can now scan billions of possible drug-disease combinations, dramatically accelerating the search for life-saving treatments.

Dr. Edward Kelly, Professor in the Division of Perceptual Studies (DOPS) within the Department of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, studies the scientific investigation of consciousness and unusual mental phenomena.

For more than a century, scientists have explored the edges of human consciousness, asking difficult questions about the relationship between the mind and the brain, and whether aspects of consciousness might persist beyond death. While research in areas such as near-death experiences, reincarnation cases, and experimental parapsychology has produced intriguing findings, these topics still sit uneasily at the margins of mainstream science.

Dr. Kelly discusses the long history of research into these phenomena and why studying the mysteries of consciousness continues to challenge conventional scientific thinking.