Today, we present to you our first Journal Club episode, in which we feature a primary author of an important piece of research. Online, content supercedes context, and when it comes to emerging hypothesis around big topics–like AI–this loss of context can lead to polarizing views. Today, we are excited to share a longer form interview with one of the leads of the MIT Media Lab’s study that was published as a pre-print this summer: Your Brain on ChatGPT. 

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Citations:

Primary Paper and FAQ’s from MIT team : https://www.brainonllm.com/

Unesco 2025 ethics of neurotechnology draft: https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000394866/PDF/394866eng.pdf.multi

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https://x.com/nataliyakosmyna ; https://www.linkedin.com/in/nataliekosmina/ ; https://www.instagram.com/nataliyakosmyna/ ; https://mastodon.social/@nataliyakosmyna and @nataliyakosmyna.bsky.social‬ .

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Welcome back for season 3! For our first episode, we have on a food scientist to discuss from the industry side food myths, which we combine with our own readings from the psychiatry literature. We touch on red dye 40, the minerals in the soil, and how to slow down information from social media grocery store aisle walkers. 

For our bonus section with Hydroxide, check our Patreon, where this season we will have bonus segments for each episode! Funding through patreon lets us make this podcast sustainable. 

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Want more Hydroxide:

All socials: @hydroxide.foodscience

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Margaret and I pivot into mentor mode a little in this episode, it’s targeted towards medical students and the vicissitudes of the match. We know these are tough times and we wanted to share some advice about what to look for in a psych program and how to pick a  place to train that is right for you. We also debrief the end of season 2 and take a wrap on 40 episodes! As always, thank you for listening!

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By popular demand, Margaret and Preston are back with another therapy episode. The topic this week? Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), a third wave behavioral therapy that Margaret happens to be trained in and love for her patients and her own life. In this episode we talk about the founder of ACT and its roots in behaviorism, what an ACT therapist “sounds like”, and the 6 core processes of psychological flexibility that encompass what this type of therapy does. Finally, Margaret and Preston go through their own values, and try to apply the ACT principles to two particular problems in their own lives. 

Resources:

Book for clinicians: ACT in Steps by Clarissa W. Ong, Michael E. Levin, and Michael P. Twohig

Book for all: The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris, ACT Made Simple by Russ Harris

Quick explanations from the ACT official website: https://contextualscience.org/the_six_core_processes_of_act

Citations:

Chapter cited for history/explanation of theory for ACT: Hayes, S.C., Strosahl, K.D., Bunting, K., Twohig, M., Wilson, K.G. (2004). What Is Acceptance and Commitment Therapy?. In: Hayes, S.C., Strosahl, K.D. (eds) A Practical Guide to Acceptance and Commitment Therapy. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-23369-7_1

Process Based Therapy: Hofmann SG, Hayes SC. The Future of Intervention Science: Process-Based Therapy. Clin Psychol Sci. 2019 Jan;7(1):37-50. doi: 10.1177/2167702618772296. Epub 2018 May 29. PMID: 30713811; PMCID: PMC6350520.
Encyclopedia of Cognitive Behavior Therapy: Editors: Arthur Freeman, Stephanie H. Felgoise, Christine M. Nezu, Arthur M. Nezu, Mark A. Reinecke.

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In this episode, we bring on Kristin Flanary, who is currently doing her own investigation into dissociations associated with trauma from both her own experience as a survivor and as an academic. We discuss the current media landscape of trauma and dissociation, the neurological mechanisms of dissociation, and therapeutic approaches clinicians can use with a patient who is experiencing dissociation.

Citations:

Modesti MN, Rapisarda L, Capriotti G, Del Casale A. Functional Neuroimaging in Dissociative Disorders: A Systematic Review. J Pers Med. 2022;12(9):1405. Published 2022 Aug 29. doi:10.3390/jpm12091405

Tisserand A, Philippi N, Botzung A, Blanc F. Me, Myself and My Insula: An Oasis in the Forefront of Self-Consciousness. Biology (Basel). 2023;12(4):599. Published 2023 Apr 14. doi:10.3390/biology12040599

McIntyre CK, McGaugh JL, Williams CL. Interacting brain systems modulate memory consolidation. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2012;36(7):1750-1762. doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2011.11.001

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Today we are joined by the host of the “calling in sick” a pod run by our good friend Alex (familiarly) to discuss the rigamoroll that is navigating the healthcare system through the eyes of a patient with debilitatig conditions. Alex shares her story from Investment banker, to patient to podcaster all the while coloring things with her own levity and resilience.

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This episode is a slight excursion from our regularly scheduled program. Today we are chatting with Will Flannery, who is in many ways our content “dad” if you will. We will talk about the art of including humor into our daily practive, when it goes right, when it goes left, and where we go from here. Dr. Glaucomflecken also has some fun and new projects he’d like to share with you at the end. 

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Margaret and I are back with part two of our conversation with Dr. Drew Ramsey and this time, things get personal. I volunteered my real-life food log for a full nutritional psychiatry breakdown… and let’s just say my “ultra-processed protein” lifestyle did not escape unscathed.

Takeaways:

Why your “perfect” diet might still leave you mentally drained and what to do about it.

The hidden emotional layers behind our food choices (yes, even that afternoon candy craving).

How protein obsession became a modern wellness trap and what real balance looks like.

The role of creativity, cooking, and joy in building true mental fitness.

Why self-care means more than nutrients, it’s about structure, connection, and staying alive in this work.

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We sat down with Dr. Drew Ramsey to talk about something we all think we understand and don’t: how food shapes mood. In Part 1, we get practical and personal: what to reach for when you’re anxious, what to cook when you’re depressed, and how to think about nutrition when you’re busy, broke, or just not in the headspace to sauté anything. We talk simple swaps, what actually belongs on a “brain food” plate, and why perfection is the enemy of getting fed.

Takeaways:

Start small, eat real: One or two consistent food changes beat any “perfect diet” you’ll abandon by Thursday.

Plates, not rules: Build a simple “brain-food plate” you can repeat—color, protein, fiber, healthy fat, then stop obsessing.

Shop for mood, not vibes: A short grocery list can be more stabilizing than another self-help book.

Cook your baseline: Have 2–3 “low-spoon” meals you can make when motivation is gone.

Progress over purity: The goal isn’t clean eating; it’s consistent nourishment your future self can rely on.

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In this preston-led episode, we take a deep dive into the history of lithium and its use in psychiatry. But because Preston is very literal, we are starting at the very beginning, inside of stars where lithium was formed at the beginning of the universe. Then we will follow this wonderful atom through history and past its FDA approval in 1970 to where we are today. 

Takeaways:

Lithium was once sold in Seven Up as a mood-lifting ingredient—but the consequences were messy.

A forgotten Australian psychiatrist helped launch lithium into psychiatry with groundbreaking trials.

Despite its toxicity risks, lithium remains the gold standard for reducing relapse and suicidality.

U.S. psychiatrists resisted lithium for decades—even as Europe embraced it.

Preston and Margaret debate lithium’s place today: miracle stabilizer or underused relic?

Citations:

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0025556484901160

Shorter E. The history of lithium therapy. Bipolar Disord. 2009 Jun;11 Suppl 2(Suppl 2):4-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-5618.2009.00706.x. PMID: 19538681; PMCID: PMC3712976.https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3712976/

Fowler, Gene. Crazy Water: The Story of Mineral Wells and Other Texas Health Resorts. No. 10. TCU Press, 1991.

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