The BrainCore Podcast

This March, Tolu and Kristina take a deeper dive into psychological phenomena. To start the dive, they are joined by Professor of Psychology at the Florida Institute of Technology, Dr. Richard Addante. In this episode, Rick explains the Dunning-Kruger Effect or DKE. He also briefly explains his role in NASA's largest psychology for space travel. Have you ever underestimated or overestimated your abilities to do something? How do you find your personal balance between confidence and humility? The term of the episode or TOTE is the Dunning-Kruger Effect. 

Article Discussed:

Muller, A., Sirianni, L. A., & Addante, R. J. (2021). Neural correlates of the Dunning–Kruger effect. European Journal of Neuroscience, 53(2), 460-484. https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.14935

1999 Dunning & Kruger Article:

Kruger, J., & Dunning, D. (1999). Unskilled and unaware of it: How difficulties in recognizing one’s own incompetence lead to inflated self-assessments. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 77(6), 1121–1134. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-3514.77.6.1121

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @thebraincorepodcast

Twitter: @thebraincorepod

A haptic wristband that can convert emotions into vibrations, an app that tracks important data from dementia patients, and a group distributing medical and sanitary supply kits in the Bay Area. All of these initiatives have been co-founded by student entrepreneur Chloe Duckworth. To finish up our month's focus on neurotechnology, we invited Chloe, a sophomore (second-year student) at the University of South California, to discuss her involvement and interest in neurotechnology. We want to express to students that there truly is no impact that is too small and that you can start your own projects now. The term of the episode (TOTE) is Neurodiversity!

Chloe’s website: https://www.chloeduckworth.com/

Valence website: https://www.valencevibrations.com/

Hope Hearted website: https://www.hopeheartedvolunteers.org/

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @thebraincorepodcast

Twitter: @thebraincorepod

Neurable is a company that is trying to improve our ability to focus on tasks and get things done. They're doing this with the help of neurotechnology! In this episode, Tolu and Kristina are joined by a co-founder of Neurable, Adam Molnar to discuss what Neurable is up to. They talk briefly about the technologies used in the company's upcoming product, the future of work, and what we can expect to see from the company soon. The term of the episode is brain-computer interface or BCIs.

Neurable's website:

https://neurable.com/

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @thebraincorepodcast

Twitter: @thebraincorepod

Tolu and Kristina talk about haptic technology with co-founder of WearWorks, Keith Kirkland. Visually, the colour red signals 'stop' or 'danger', but what is the haptic equivalent of red? Does it exist? What can a multisensory experience look like with haptics as the lead, and visual and auditory technology as the enhancers? How does psychology inform the engineering process of a product like the Wayband, a product which helps the visually-impaired navigate the world with vibrations? Toward the end of the episode, they touch on why failure is the best opportunity to learn and improve. The term of the episode or TOTE is Haptics/Haptic Technology.

The WearWorks Website:

https://www.wear.works/

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @thebraincorepodcast

Twitter: @thebraincorepod

PTSD! What is it and how can analyzing brain tissue inform future treatments for it? Tolu and Kristina are joined by PTSD expert, Dr. Matthew J. Friedman and Dr. Matthew J. Girgenti, an Associate Research Scientist from the Yale School of Medicine. In this episode, they talk about transcriptomics, proteomics, PTSD treatments, and immunology. They also talk about the sex differences found in PTSD brains. Kristina's movie recommendations are: Leave No Trace, American Sniper, and The Flags of Our Fathers. The term of the episode (TOTE) is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, otherwise known as PTSD. 

Matt & Matt’s Article:

Girgenti, M.J., Wang, J., Ji, D. et al. Transcriptomic organization of the human brain in post-traumatic stress disorder. Nat Neurosci 24, 24–33 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-020-00748-7

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @thebraincorepodcast

Twitter: @thebraincorepod

A bonus episode to end the year! Tara Goodale joins Tolu and Kristina to talk about her experience living with depression, and her experience with anorexia and bulimia. It is likely that all of our listeners know someone who has or is suffering from depression. In this episode, Tara shares with us how she has managed it over the years with therapy, medication, and social support. What can you do for a friend with depression? What role does social media play in helping or destabilizing one's mental wellbeing? How accessible are resources? How can we overcome the self-made barriers to seeking these resources? The term of the episode or TOTE is repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS).

The Peer Support Groups mentioned from the Mood Association of Ontario (MDAO) - https://mooddisorders.ca/

Empathy Video mentioned by Kristina - https://brenebrown.com/videos/rsa-short-empathy/

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @thebraincorepodcast

Twitter: @thebraincorepod

In this episode, Tolu and Kristina take the conversation all the way to the UK to discuss the negative symptoms of schizophrenia with Isabelle Butcher, a Ph.D. student at the University of Manchester. What are negative symptoms? How can one feel...but also not feel? How do these symptoms differ from person to person? How do patients with schizophrenia think their symptoms came to be? All of this is discussed in this short but sweet episode. Tolu's movie/book suggestion is 'A Beautiful Mind' and the term of the episode or TOTE is Schizophrenia. We hope you are enjoying the holidays!

Isabelle's Article: Butcher, I., Berry, K., & Haddock, G. (2020). Understanding individuals’ subjective experiences of negative symptoms of schizophrenia: A qualitative study. British Journal of Clinical Psychology, 59(3), 319-334. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjc.12248

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @thebraincorepodcast

Twitter: @thebraincorepod

In this episode, Tolu and Kristina talk with Christine Knox, a professional in the field of both social work and psychotherapy at the Toronto Neurofeedback and Psychotherapy Centre. They talk about about how therapy has been impacted by the pandemic, what the future of therapeutic treatments may look like and what a holistic approach looks like in therapy. What is neurofeedback therapy? Why can you control objects on a screen with your brainwaves? How can neurofeedback help with anxiety, ADHD, and more? The term of the episode or TOTE is Neurofeedback. 

Check out the TNPC website to learn more about neurofeedback therapies (https://torontoneurofeedback.ca/christine-knox/)!

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @thebraincorepodcast

Twitter: @thebraincorepod

Tolu and Kristina take a deeper dive into the topic of memory with Dr. Myra Fernandes and her PhD student, Ryan C. Yeung from the University of Waterloo. How many different kinds of memory are there? What are Proustian memories? Are there better ways to analyze qualitative data? Does a specific form of memory give insight into mental health...say recurrent involuntary autobiographical memories (IAMs)? Recurrent IAMs are the term of the episode or TOTE! This was a fun and enlightening conversation - which actually ends with advice for students who aren't sure what they would like to do as a career - we hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed recording it.

Dr. Myra Fernandes and Ryan Yeung’s Article:

Yeung, R. C., & Fernandes, M. A. (2020). Recurrent involuntary autobiographical memories: characteristics and links to mental health status. Memory, 1-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/09658211.2020.1777312

Email: [email protected]

Instagram: @thebraincorepodcast

Twitter: @thebraincorepod