How are metabolism, cognition, mood, and overall health connected - and do these interactions differ between women and men across the lifespan?

In this episode, Franziska talks to Prof. Manfred Hallschmid from the University of Tübingen, where he researches the links between brain function, metabolic processes, and sleep.

Manfred explains how our brain and body communicate when it comes to food intake and mental well-being - and how these processes shift during major hormonal transition phases such as puberty, pregnancy, and menopause. What role do sex hormones play in these changes?

In the outlook, Manfred shares the key questions he believes the field needs to tackle next and what’s the one thing he wishes more people understood about metabolism and well-being.

The topic of metabolism has never been this fascinating - join us as Manfred connects the dots of food intake, hormones, and mental health across the lifespan.

If you would like to get in touch with Manfred, you can find him here: https://www.medizin.uni-tuebingen.de/de/das-klinikum/mitarbeiter/profil/1965

... or reach him at: [email protected]

Timestamps:

00:25: Introduction of our guest Manfred Hallschmid and his field of research

01:17: What is metabolism?

02:25: Which systems in the body and the brain are involved in food intake?

06:25: Top-down and bottom-up pathways linking metabolism with cognitive function, mental health, and mood

14:44: Key sex differences in metabolism and their onset

21:03: Influence of sex hormones on metabolism

27:10: How do the hormonal fluctuations across the female life span impact metabolism?

42:42: Summary

45:00: Future directions in research

48:05: Take home message

49:55: Closing remarks

Outline & questions: Nina Goll & Franziska Weinmar

Sound recording: Nina Goll with the equipment of the IRTG2804

Editing: Franziska Weinmar

Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: [email protected]

Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

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Welcome Prof. Dr. Pia Schober, who brings us a sociological perspective on our field of research!

Pia is a professor at the University of Tübingen, where she leads the Chair of Microsociology in the Department of Sociology and is also part of our IRTG 2804. As an expert on gender-specific and social inequalities focusing on the impact of childcare and education policies, Pia talks about historic and current trends of the gender revolution in this podcast. Why does the gender revolution seem to be stalling? Is there a "paradox in women's well-being" - and how could we explain it?

Listen to explore a different perspective and gather food for thought to start a discussion in your circles too! 

If you would like to get in touch with Pia, you can find her here: https://uni-tuebingen.de/fakultaeten/wirtschafts-und-sozialwissenschaftliche-fakultaet/faecher/fachbereich-sozialwissenschaften/soziologie/institut/personen/prof-pia-s-schober/

... or reach her at: [email protected]

Timestamps:

00:25: Introduction of our Guest Pia Schober and her field of research

01:47: How is gender defined in sociology?

02:50: What kind of social inequalities are related to gender and how has this changed over time?

08:14: Factors, phases and current trends of the gender revolution

17:00: Benefits of the gender revolution

23:44: The longitudinal female well-being paradox

36:33: Summary

39:00: How can we move towards a less polarized discussion around gender, while acknowledging the effect that gender has on mental health & well-being?

47:01: What methods does Pia Schober use in her research?

49:21: Closing remarks

Outline & questions: Hanna Wierenga & Franziska Weinmar

Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804

Editing: Franziska Weinmar

Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: [email protected]

Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

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Let's Talk WITH Young Researchers: our podcast sideline in which we give the word to young researchers in the field of women's mental health!

In this episode, meet Zoé Bürger, PhD researcher in the Women's Mental Health and Brain Function lab in Tübingen, where she has been working with Prof. Birgit Derntl.

We talk about Zoé's research on hormonal contraception, specifically the hormonal IUD, and stress. Besides, Zoé shares her PhD journey over the past years, how she faced challenges, and found her "village". In the end of the podcast, Zoé answers our famous quick "3 Burning Questions":

• Who is your science crush? 
• What did you not know/expect before starting a PhD? 
• What do you enjoy most about your work as a PhD researcher? 

Do you want to get in touch with Zoé? Reach out to: [email protected]

... or find her on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoebuerger/

Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar

Editing: Franziska Weinmar

Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: [email protected]

Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

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March is Endometriosis Awareness Month - so Let's Talk About Endometriosis!

In this conversation, Elle Murata, PhD researcher in the Cognitive Neuroendocrinology Lab at the University of California, is sharing insights into neuroscience research on endometriosis.

What is endometriosis? Why is it important to consider endometriosis in neuroscience research? How are Elle and her research group exploring the topic? Elle is here to answer all these questions! 

In addition, she talks about the challenges of this research, her experiences as a young researcher and what she envisions for the future field.

Visit the Cognitive Neuroendocrinology Jacob's Lab website here: https://jacobs.psych.ucsb.edu/

If you would like to get in touch with Elle, you can find her here: https://jacobs.psych.ucsb.edu/people/elle-murata

... or reach her at: [email protected]

Timestamps:

00:26 Introduction of our guest Elle Murata and her field of research

01:48 What is endometriosis?

08:17 Why is it important to investigate endometriosis from a neuroscientific point of view?

14:15 Elle's neuroscience research project on endometriosis

24:39 Aims & hypotheses of the project

26:29 Possible implications

32:35 Challenges of this research topic

35:58 Summary

38:55 Closing remarks & future directions in research

39:50 Elle's experience as a young researcher

Outline & questions: Franziska Weinmar

Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804

Editing: Franziska Weinmar

Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: [email protected]

Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

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How do hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle or when using oral contraceptives ("the pill") affect cognitive functions?

In this episode, Franziska speaks with Prof. DDr. MMMag. Belinda Pletzer (Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg), a leading expert in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology, especially when it comes to hormone-brain interactions. With a diverse background spanning biology, psychology, philosophy, and mathematics, Belinda's research focuses particularly on the effects of sex hormones and gender-related aspects of neuroscience, such as the effects of hormonal contraceptives on the female brain.

Together we explore if and how cognitive performance and brain activity are affected by the menstrual cycle, premenstural syndrome (PMS), and oral contraceptives. Belinda also shares her hypothesis on hormonal sensitivity across the female lifespan and whether more or actually less sensitivity could be a risk factor for mental health. As always, we conclude with an outlook on how our guest envisions the future development of the research field. 

Join us for a deep dive into this enlightening conversation - and find out if the myth that all women are affected by the menstrual cycle holds true...

Visit the website of Belinda's research group: https://ccns.plus.ac.at/labs/sexandgender/

... and Belinda's profile: https://ccns.plus.ac.at/labs/sexandgender/members/belinda_pletzer/

If you would like to get in touch with Belinda, you can reach her at: [email protected]

Timestamps:

00:27 Introduction of Belinda Pletzer and her field of research

02:20 The menstrual cycle and its phases

05:18 Oral contraceptives and their influence on the menstrual cycle

08:20 How do we define cognitive functions?

10:24 Investigating cognitive functions - Belinda's research

12:58 Does the menstrual cycle affect cognitive performance?

22:28 Belinda's research on PMS, mood and cognitive performance

33:08 Do oral contraceptives affect cognitive performance?

41:11 Hot Topic: Hormonal sensitivity - Belinda's hypothesis

46:30 Summary

49:54 Closing remarks and future directions in research 

Outline & questions: Franziska Weinmar

Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804

Editing: Franziska Weinmar

Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: [email protected]

Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

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Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) approximately affects 2-5% of women around the world. In this episode we have Dr. Liza Kaltsouni, postdoc at Uppsala University, Department of Women's and Children's Health, as an expert in our podcast. During her PhD, Liza Kaltsouni conducted research on PMDD and collected various data, including brain data in the MRI scanner. This has influenced her holistic perspective on PMDD and the multimodal network approach needed to understand this multimodal disorder. In addition to pursuing such a multimodal approach for future research on PMDD, Liza emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary work and the inclusion of the people for whom the research is intended. Following the motto “nothing good is easy”, Liza calls on us to listen more. And you can start today - by listening to this enlightening conversation!

Timestamps:

00:27 Introduction of our guest Dr. Liza Kaltsouni & her field of research

01:46 What is premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and how is it differed to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) ?

05:57 What do we know about underlying causes of PMDD?

12:13 Hormonal sensitivity hypothesis

18:22 What do we know about PMDD & brain structure + function?

27:57 Multimodal study project & findings of Liza Kaltsouni

37:55 Implications of Liza's research

41:10 Current available treatment for PMDD

44:59 Outlook: Upcoming treatment possibilities for PMDD?

48:50 Summary

52:27 Closing remarks & future directions in research 

Want to get in touch with Liza?

[email protected]

https://www.uu.se/en/contact-and-organisation/staff?query=N19-2428

Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar at Recording Studio Blasenhus, Uppsala University 

Editing: Franziska Weinmar

Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: [email protected]

Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let's Talk WITH Young Researchers: our podcast sideline in which we give the word to young researchers in the field of women's mental health!

In this episode, meet Hanna Wierenga, PhD Candidate in the IRTG2804, who is working with Prof. Pia Schober (Tübingen) and Prof. Alkistis Skalkidou (Uppsala) on gender identity and ideologies and mental health, specifically during and after pregnancy.

We talk about Hanna's PhD projects and journey so far, how she deals with setbacks and that a PhD is like detective work. In the end of the podcast, Hanna answers our quick "3 Burning Questions":

• Who is your science crush? 
• What did you not know/expect before starting a PhD? 
• What do you enjoy most about your work as a PhD researcher? 

Do you want to get in touch with Hanna Wierenga? Reach out to: [email protected]

Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar at Recording Studio Blasenhus, Uppsala University 

Editing: Franziska Weinmar

Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: [email protected]

Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

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Despite being one of the major hormonal transition phases in the female lifespan, menopause is still underrepresented in medicine and research. Fortunately, this is changing - among others due to our guest, Dr. Claudia Barth, senior researcher at Diakonhjemmet Hospital and the Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research in Oslo, who is an expert on female hormonal transitions and their effect on the brain and mental illness. In this episode Franziska sits down with Claudia to demystify menopause, asking about symptoms, mental health, and what we know about changes in the brain during the menopause transition. Also, they dive into why menopause has remained a blind spot in neuroscience so far and why this matters. With a glimpse into Claudia’s ERC grant on “Mapping Perimenopause", this episode offers a hopeful vision for future research on women’s health, where menopause is finally getting the attention it deserves.

Website to the ENIGMA consortium: https://enigma.ini.usc.edu/

Website to the ENIGMA Neuroendocrinology workgroup: https://enigma.ini.usc.edu/ongoing/enigma-neuroendocrinology/

Website to the ENIGMA Early Onset Psychosis workgroup: https://enigma.ini.usc.edu/ongoing/enigma-eop-working-group/

If you would like to get in touch with Claudia, you can reach her at: [email protected]

... or find her work at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Claudia-Barth

Timestamps:

00:27: Introducing Dr. Claudia Barth and her field of research

02:17: How do we define menopause?

05:38: What happens during menopause?

11:40: Menopause and the brain

17:35: Vulnerabilities and associated diseases

21:32: Why do we know so little? Menopause and research

31:55: Menopause and mental health

43:22: Outlook: Claudia's ERC Project on "Mapping Perimenopause"

50:56: Summary

54:06: Closing remarks and future directions in research 

Outline & questions: Franziska Weinmar

Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804

Editing: Franziska Weinmar

Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: [email protected]

Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After our summer break we're back to talk about women! In this episode we dive into the period of adolescence with Dr. Jolien Trekels, who is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of North Carolina. Jolien unpacks how the adolescent brain and body develop during this critical period and explains the complex effects of social media on well-being, from the negative to the positive. Through a bio-psycho-social lens, Jolien and Franziska discuss state-of-the-art insights into mental health and gender differences on how today’s youths interact with social media. We end this episode as always with a look ahead and Jolien's thoughts on the future directions in this research field.

Timestamps:

00:27 Introduction of Dr. Jolien Trekels

02:12 About adolescence: How is this period characterized?

03:32 Changes in the brain and the body

08:50 What is (social) media?

11:09 Negative effects of social media on well-being

15:09 The "Swiss cheese model"

17:09 Positive effects and negative effects of social media in adolescence

29:07 Sex/gender differences in social media use patterns and mental health

37:38 Influence of hormones on adolescent girls regarding their social media use

39:45 Summary

42:30 Closing remarks & future directions in research

Outline & questions: Edita Karavidaj & Franziska Weinmar

Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804

Editing: Franziska Weinmar

Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: [email protected]

Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

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Let's Talk WITH Young Researchers: our new podcast sideline in which we give the word to young researchers in the field of women's mental health!

We kick-off with our very own Gloria Matte Bon, PhD Candidate in the IRTG2804, who is working with Prof. Tobias Kaufmann, applying computational models to investigate sex differences in brain structure, with particular focus on hormonal transition periods and women’s mental health.

We end this podcast by introducing a new closing category and Gloria is the first one to answer our "3 Burning Questions":

• Who is your science crush? 
• What did you not know/expect before starting a PhD? 
• What do you enjoy most about your work as a PhD researcher? 

Gloria's hot-off-the-press-paper: Modeling brain sex in the limbic system as phenotype for female-prevalent mental disorders (Matte Bon, Kraft, Comasco, Derntl, & Kaufmann, 2024). https://bsd.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13293-024-00615-1

Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804

Editing: Franziska Weinmar

Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: [email protected]

Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.