How far can we push our biology?

Meet Joyce Harper, an internationally renowned, award-winning scientist and Professor of Reproductive Science at University College London, Institute for Women’s Health. Joyce has worked in the fields of fertility, genetics, reproductive health and women’s health for over 30 years, and regularly appears in the press, on radio and TV. She is the mother of three sons born through IVF, a keen open water swimmer, and an ambassador for This Girl Can.

In this episode, we discuss emerging reproductive technologies, shifts in cultural attitudes towards family planning, independent motherhood, making embryos from skin cells ("IVG"), artificial wombs, government policy, and most importantly: how will all of it impact women?

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More from Prof. Joyce Harper:

https://joyceharper.com/

"Why Didn't Anyone Tell Me This?" podcast with Prof. Joyce Harper - https://joyceharper.com/podcasts/

(00:00) Intro

(02:15) Why are we struggling with fertility?  

(05:41) Fertility timeline for women and men  

(08:53) Egg freezing  

(14:04) The rise of solo motherhood  

(25:14) IVG – creating an embryo from skin cells  

(30:34) Artificial Wombs  

(39:27) Delaying menopause

(47:29) Government policies 

(51:44) Lessons about life, nature, and the universe

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What makes you, you?

Meet Dr. Sarah McKay - a neuroscientist, TEDx speaker, science communicator and author of The Women's Brain Book, which explores the female lifespan through the lens of neurobiology, and Baby Brain, about how pregnancy and motherhood shape the brain. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald, and on ABC’s Catalyst. Sarah is also a sought-after keynote speaker and a regular guest on radio and podcasts. The new revised edition of The Women's Brain Book came out this week and contains findings from neuroscientists and researchers working in the disciplines of neuroendocrinology, brain development, brain health, and ageing.

More from MOTHER:

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Follow Dr. Sarah McKay:

https://drsarahmckay.com/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drsarahmckay/

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmmckay

All Books - https://drsarahmckay.com/books/

The new edition of The Women's Brain Book (2025) - https://www.waterstones.com/book/demystifying-the-female-brain/sarah-mckay/9781409173182

(00:00) Intro

(03:00) Gender equality and brain differences

(07:46) What is neuroplasticity?

(10:05) Pregnancy and neuroplasticity

(12:15) Why stress response physiology changes during pregnancy

(14:35) Intrusive thoughts and postnatal anxiety

(16:57) Why women suffer from depression and anxiety more

(20:10) Mental health and puberty

(23:18) How puberty creates an emotional blueprint

(25:03) Menstrual cycle as a neuroscience experiment

(30:50) Tools for hormone-sensitive women

(33:08) Insights from writing "Baby Brain"

(44:44) Ageing and wisdom

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How do religion and culture shape our relationship with our body?

Meet Dr. Aziza Sesay, a GP, GP Educator, Honorary Senior Clinical Lecturer, Host, Speaker and Health Content Creator. She runs a health platform called ‘Talks with Dr. Sesay', sharing evidence-based health information on a variety of topics, specifically women’s health, cancer awareness, mental health and health inequity. Dr. Sesay is also Vice Chair and Creative Director of Black Female Doctors UK. She is an Ambassador for the charities Eve Appeal, Wellbeing of Women, Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare (FSRH) Hatfield Vision, and the Everywoman Festival. She is a member of the World Health Organisation Fides group and is one of the select creators of the first YouTube Health Partner Programme. She is also on the YouTube IQ Creator Programme with a select few who create videos targeting underrepresented communities.

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Follow Dr. Sesay:

Website - https://www.talkswithdrsesay.com/drsesay

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkswithdrsesay/

YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@talkswithdrsesay

TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@talkswithdrsesay

Projects Dr. Sesay mentioned:

Keep it FAX - a charity established to support the education of children in Sierra Leone by providing scholarships and support. More info: https://www.keepitfax.com/

Black Women Rising - a charity offering vital help, information and practical advice for people of colour who have been diagnosed with cancer. More info: https://www.blackwomenrisinguk.org/

(00:00) Intro

(03:25) Why removing taboos and shame will save lives

(07:50) The role of culture and religion in how we relate to our bodies

(12:00) Educating young girls

(15:15) Culture v. Religion

(15:45) The Quran is one of the earliest books on embryology

(20:00) The double standard on women’s bodies

(22:30) Finding purpose and managing the emotional challenges that come with her line of work 

(24:10) The disparities in health outcomes for Black women

(28:00) The importance of using the right language

(30:25) What equitable healthcare means

(33:40) Conscious and subconscious bias

(36:45) What everyone can learn from the strong women in African communities

(38:30) Pain and Pleasure

(42:00) Lessons about life, nature, and the universe

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What if we could map where trauma is stored in the body?

Meet Tracy Bale, the president of the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) and a leading neuroscientist exploring the connection between the brain, body, environment, and mental health. She is the Anschutz Foundation Endowed Chair in Women's Integrated Mental and Physical Health Research, Director for InterGenerational Stress and Health and the Director for Sex Differences Research in the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the University of Colorado. In this episode, we dive into whether women experience stress differently and discuss emerging scientific research that could change how we approach mental health.

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Follow Tracy:

The Bale Lab - https://www.balethompsonltp.org/bale/research

Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/thebalelab.bsky.social

(00:00) Intro

(02:40) The science of stress

(07:55) Biology of a stress response

(11:15) Stress vs trauma

(14:40) Women experience stress differently

(22:40) Generational and transgenerational trauma

(31:05) The biological mechanisms of the mind-body connection

(36:30) The potential of psychedelics

(48:00) Lessons about life, nature, universe

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You can see how much society values women's health by the magnitude of the crisis in maternity care.

Meet Leah Hazard, a practising midwife, activist, award-winning author, and mother of 2 daughters. Her book Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began is a vital investigation of the body’s most miraculous and misunderstood organ. From smart tampons to womb transplants, trans healthcare to reproductive justice, she explores how the uterus affects us all as individuals and as a society. In this episode, we unpack why the health of mothers, midwives, and maternity systems tells us everything about the health of society at large. 

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Subscribe to the newsletter: themotherverse.substack.com

Want to create some magic together? Reach out to us: forms.gle/zfKWVCbw1ERKUgKB8

Follow Leah:

Website - leahhazard.co.uk

Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began - amazon.co.uk/Womb-Inside-Story-Gripping-Statesman/dp/0349015805

Bluesky - bsky.app/profile/leahhazard.bsky.social

Instagram - instagram.com/leahhazard

Substack - leahhazard.substack.com

(00:00) Intro

(01:10) The role of midwives in society

(11:40) The difference between a midwife and a doula

(13:00) What happens during labour

(17:45) Uterus as a muscle

(22:00) Birth Plans vs. Birth Preferences

(26:30) Artificial wombs

(35:40) Organoid placentas and endometrium

(38:00) The uterine microbiome

(43:40) Lessons about life, nature and the universe

(45:10) Leah’s Next Book: Birth Wars

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The global beauty industry is worth over $260 billion, but has it lulled us into a collective beauty sleep? This week’s episode is a wake-up call. 

Meet Jessica DeFino, an award-winning beauty reporter and critic (the New York Times, the Sunday Times, Vice, The Guardian). A one-time editor for the Kardashian-Jenner Official Apps and a former product obsessive, she now explores how beauty culture impacts people — physically, psychologically, and spiritually. Jessica also publishes The Review of Beauty newsletter, which “basically gives the middle finger to the entire beauty industry,” HuffPost says, and has been praised in New York Magazine, Forbes, and Adweek’s 2023 Creative 100.

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Want to create some magic together? Reach out to us: forms.gle/zfKWVCbw1ERKUgKB8

Follow Jessica:

Website - https://www.jessica-defino.com/

The Review of Beauty - https://jessicadefino.substack.com/

"Science of Skincare is not Science or Care" by Jessica DeFino - https://jessicadefino.substack.com/p/the-science-of-skincare-isnt-science

(00:00) Intro

(05:20) Skin types are a myth

(08:30) The scientific narrative in skincare marketing

(10:05) Why "clinically proven" is a marketing term

(12:05) The (real) science of skin

(19:20) How skin interacts with different systems in the body

(24:40) Endocrine disruptors

(29:00) Embodied relationship with your skin

(32:25) Beauty privilege, socioeconomic benefits, and spiritual tax of chasing beauty

(34:45) Value of beauty in nature

(38:00) Lessons about life, nature, and the universe

(42:34) Jessica's non-skincare skincare routine

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Could hormones be the key to longevity?

Dr. Louise Newson is one of the world’s leading voices in menopause and hormone health, a GP, best-selling author, and founder of Newson Health, the largest menopause clinic globally. She has transformed the landscape of women’s health through her groundbreaking work in clinical care, research, education, and public advocacy. Louise founded The Menopause Charity, hosts the UK’s No.1 medical podcast, and developed a free menopause training programme downloaded by over 30,000 clinicians worldwide. 

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Follow Louise:

Website - drlouisenewson.co.uk

Newson Clinic - newsonhealth.co.uk

The Dr. Louise Newson Podcast - https://www.youtube.com/@menopause_doctor

(00:00) Intro

(01:20) Highlights from the UK tour

(03:40) What does a healthy hormone cycle look like?

(06:50) Why is estrogen so central to women’s health?

(09:00) Autoimmune conditions and inflammation

(10:00) Endometriosis and hormone treatment

(11:00) Quick summary of estrogen, testosterone, and progesterone

(12:30) What happens during perimenopause and menopause?

(15:30) What is HRT?

(17:00) Hormone therapy as a longevity tool

(19:10) How does getting started with HRT work?

(20:20) The controversy around the Women's Health Initiative Study in 2022

(23:20) Is hormone therapy unnatural?

(27:10) If you could commission any study…

(28:20) What is inflammation, and why does it matter?

(31:40) Social media, hormone myths, and misinformation

(33:20) How should we redesign our approach to menopause?

(34:50) Lessons about life, nature and the universe

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

What happens in the brain during menstrual cycles, post-partum and menopause?

Meet Emilė Radytė, the founder of Samphire Neuroscience, a technology company creating neuroscientific solutions for women. Their first product Nettle uses brain stimulation to treat period pain non-invasively. In this episode, Emilė brings the neuroscientific perspective to the show and explains what happens in the brain as the female body undergoes key physical transformations.

Enjoy!

Want to become a MOTHER-sponsor and create some magic together? Reach out to us: https://shorturl.at/0RHLM

00:00) Intro

(01:10) Insights from studying depression and its link to the menstrual cycle

(02:20) Neuroscience 101: How the brain operates chemically and electrically

(04:40) Phases of the menstrual cycle

(12:30) Menstrual Phase: Brain activity and the role of pain sensitivity

(18:50) Follicular Phase: Creativity, dopamine, and social engagement

(20:45) Ovulation: Hormonal peaks and Mittelschmerz

(27:50) Luteal Phase: Emotional introspection and the influence of progesterone

(33:20) Alpha waves in the luteal phase

(37:50) Brain stimulation technology & Nettle

(42:50) Applications in postpartum depression and menopause

(45:40) Consciousness and the brain

(47:10) Lessons about life, nature and the universe

Follow Emilė:

Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eradyte/

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/radytee/

Samphire Neuroscience - https://samphireneuro.com/

Links mentioned:

Cycle-Brain Guide - https://www.samphireneuro.com/nettle/science/publications/cycle-brain-guide

"Women’s health research lacks funding – these charts show how" - https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-023-01475-2/index.html

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

Imagine a digital twin for a pregnancy: a model based on the unique geometry of a mother's uterus, capable of anticipating potential complications.

Michelle Oyen, PhD, a materials scientist and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Wayne State University, is bringing the engineering perspective to pregnancy. She explains that many aspects of pregnancy involve forces—rupturing, pushing, growing, stretching. These are all mechanical events. If we can describe pregnancy in engineering terms, we can model it. Collaborating with other visionaries in the field, Michelle is working on developing the first-ever Virtual Pregnancy model.

Enjoy!

Want to become a MOTHER-sponsor and create some magic together? Reach out to us: https://shorturl.at/0RHLM

(00:00) Intro

(04:29) Why pregnancy is a mechanical event

(06:35) How pregnancy is similar to running a marathon

(08:11) How female anatomy is designed for pregnancy

(10:20) The female immune system

(12:10) Why the placenta is so misunderstood

(15:28) Digital twins & Virtual Pregnancy models

(25:56) Applying engineering principles to menopause

(31:26) Key challenges to creating artificial womb technology

(37:53) What has studying pregnancy taught Michelle about life, nature, and universe

Connect with Michelle:

Michelle's profile - https://engineering.wayne.edu/profile/hx4827

Michelle's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-oyen/

Michelle's Twitter - https://x.com/michelleoyen

Links mentioned:

Kristin M. Myers - https://kristinmyerscolumbia.com/

"Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began" book by Leah Hazard

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

Can better sex education and values transform our culture?

Meet Cindy Gallop, a legendary advertising executive, the founder of MakeLoveNotPorn, and one of the most influential entrepreneurs in SexTech today. At MakeLoveNotPorn, Cindy's mission is to help end rape culture by showing how wonderful great, consensual, communicative sex is in the real world, and role-modelling good sexual values and behaviour. Her next milestone is to tackle sex education by building age-appropriate sex content. Along the way, she is going to overcome every challenge the SexTech industry faces.

This isn't just an episode about the future of SexTech. It's a masterclass in disruptive business thinking.

Enjoy!

Want to become a MOTHER-sponsor and create some magic together? Reach out to us: https://shorturl.at/0RHLM

(00:00) Intro

(01:10) The unexpected start of Make Love Not Porn

(02:30) Cindy’s viral TED Talk that shocked audiences

(06:00) The importance of breaking down society’s shame around sex

(08:40) Cindy’s advice for parents

(11:00) A new model for open, age-appropriate sex ed

(14:10) The "hierarchy of acceptability" in SexTech funding

(16:20) How embracing sexuality can unlock creativity

(19:00) Cindy on living happily outside traditional norms

(23:40) The perks and pitfalls of dating younger men

(25:30) Why Cindy may need to create a sex-positive bank

(28:40) A bold new platform for ads that people actually want to watch

(31:20) How AI could help shift consent culture in media

(34:10) Why female entrepreneurs should aim to make serious money

Links:

MakeLoveNotPorn - https://makelovenotporn.tv/

The WeFunder Campaign - https://wefunder.com/makelovenotporn (invest at your own risk)

Cindy's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cindygallop

Cindy's LinkedIn - https://linkedin.com/in/cindygallop

Cindy's TED talk - https://www.ted.com/talks/cindy_gallop_make_love_not_porn

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