The People's Scientist

The People's Scientist

By Dr. Stephanie CaligiuriHealth & FitnessNutritionMental Health
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The People's Scientist episodes

  • Can Indoor Plants Improve Our Air Quality and Mood?

    In Episode 118 of The People's Scientist podcast, I share some scientific evidence on indoor plants and whether or not they improve air quality and measures of mental health and work productivity. In the segment foregone facts, I discuss how in 1907 it took scientists 30 years to prove that a plague of Pellagra in the South Eastern United States was due to a deficiency in vitamin B3 niacin, not due to a bacteria. Tune in for details!


    Want to buy me a coffee to say thanks for the episode? You can do so via Venmo or Patreon below.

    Venmo ID: Steph-Cal

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/DrSCaligiuri


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

    26 min
  • Do Horror Films Make Us More Resilient?

    In Episode 117 of The People's Scientist podcast, the first episode of 2022, I add in a new section called "Forgeone Facts" and start off with some Neuroscience based strategies to help form new habits and to help break old habits as the new year begins. I continue on in the episode discussing a study published a few months ago that concludes individuals who are fans of horror movies, ranked better in regard to their mental health and preparedness during the pandemic. Is there any logic to that? Tune in to find out!



    Want to buy me a coffee to say thanks for the episode? You can do so via Venmo or Patreon below.

    Venmo ID: Steph-Cal

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/DrSCaligiuri


    Follow me on social media to see the papers I cite in this week's episode:

    IG: Dr.SCaligiuri

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

    27 min
  • The Brilliant Capability of Dogs in Silent Cancer Detection

    In Episode 116 of The People's Scientist podcast, I share some case reports and studies in which dogs accurately detect the presence of several types of cancer based on urine, breath, and body odor samples from humans. Dogs are brilliant animals with advanced olfactory systems. It appears that cancer cells may emit organic volatile compounds that are undetectable to humans but detectable to dogs. Dogs may be particularly helpful for the silent forms of cancer that go unnoticed until later stages. Early detection is of key importance for patient outcomes. Do our future medical exams include dogs assessing us for cancer? Tune in for the details!

    Want to buy me a coffee to say thanks for the episode? You can do so via Venmo or Patreon below.

    Venmo ID: Steph-Cal

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/DrSCaligiuri


    Follow me on social media to see the papers I cite in this week's episode:

    IG: Dr.SCaligiuri

    FB: ThePeoplesScientist

    Twitter: DrSCaligiuri

    Linkedin: Stephanie Caligiuri

    TikTok: Dr.SCaligiuri



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

    26 min
  • Using Neuroscience to Our Advantage for Self-Defense

    In Episode 115 of The People's Scientist podcast, I dive into the neuroscience and psychology of self-defense in order to deter violence or to avoid being accosted. 1. We may be able to use uncertainty to our advantage as instinctually, we humans tend to feel uneasy and want to avoid unpredictable situations 2. The likelihood of being caught is a far greater deterrant than the severity of punishment. So we can give off an impression that if someone were to approach us, we would not be an easy target, we would draw attention, and have a high chance of this person getting caught. I give some suggestions for this. 3. I also talk about scenario training as used in police academies and the military in order to prevent us from freezing up in situations and to have a known plan of action in likely scenarios. I speak of particular brain regions involved in these emotions and how they play a role in our ability to deter being attacked. Make sure to tune in for details!


    Want to buy me a coffee to say thanks for the episode? You can do so via Venmo or Patreon below.

    Venmo ID: Steph-Cal

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/DrSCaligiuri


    Follow me on social media to see the papers I cite in this week's episode:

    IG: Dr.SCaligiuri

    FB: ThePeoplesScientist

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    Jiu Jitsu Tutorials from Gracie Dojo: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNMZWa1QP42jHrmmzayFEeg


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    29 min
  • Physical Convergence - Do We Look More Like Our Partner Over Time?

    In this fun interest piece for Episode 114 on The People's Scientist podcast, I talk about if we become physically more similar to our partners over time. As we share a home with people over a long period of time, we may develop similarities in our immune system, gut microbiome, facial expressions, mannerisms, and we may therefore become more biologically similar over time. There is also a theory that we choose a partner that has some similarities to us whether that be physical, intellectual, social, psychological, etc. Tune in for all the scientific details!


    Want to buy me a coffee to say thanks for the episode? You can do so via Venmo or Patreon below.

    Venmo ID: Steph-Cal

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/DrSCaligiuri


    Follow me on social media to see the papers I cite in this week's episode:

    IG: Dr.SCaligiuri

    FB: ThePeoplesScientist

    Twitter: DrSCaligiuri

    Linkedin: Stephanie Caligiuri

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

    30 min
  • How to Raise our Metabolic Rate to Maintain a Healthy Body Weight

    Today in Episode 113 of The People's Scientist podcast, I talk about the importance of our metabolic rate. Our resting energy expenditure is an incredibly important factor in determining our weight regain after weight loss and our ability to maintain a healthy body weight. Unfortunately, when reducing calories and losing weight, our metabolic rate declines. This is often why some of us regain weight after weight loss. What can we do to keep our metabolic rate elevated? I go into all those details in today's episode.


    Want to buy me a coffee to say thanks for the episode? You can do so via Venmo or Patreon below.

    Venmo ID: Steph-Cal

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/DrSCaligiuri


    Follow me on social media to see the papers I cite in this week's episode:

    IG: Dr.SCaligiuri

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

    33 min
  • The Neuroscience of Anxiety

    There is power in understanding the science behind why we feel the way we do. In Episode 112 I talk about the Neuroscience of Anxiety. Anxiety may be a result of an imbalance in the activity of our emotional brain regions like the hypothalamus, amygdala, and bed of the stria terminalis. Think of an overflowing sink without a safety drain port. Chronic anxiety may be a result of our stress signal not resolving. So how can we add in a safety drain port? How can we resolve this stress signal? I go into details about our genetics, heat therapy, ketogenic diet, exposure therapy, blood sugar levels, stimulants, alcohol, and more. Tune in for details!


    Want to buy me a coffee to say thanks for the episode? You can do so via Venmo or Patreon below.

    Venmo ID: Steph-Cal

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/DrSCaligiuri


    Follow me on social media to see the papers I cite in this week's episode:

    IG: Dr.SCaligiuri

    FB: ThePeoplesScientist

    Twitter: DrSCaligiuri

    Linkedin: Stephanie Caligiuri

    TikTok: Dr.SCaligiuri


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

    36 min
  • The Security Guard of Our Mitochondria - L-Carnitine

    Today in Episode 111, I cover a listener requested topic, all about Carnitine. We make Carnitine in our body; it is essential for our ability to turn fat into energy. As such, orally supplementing with Carnitine has been studied in the context of fat loss, exercise performance, mental functioning, cognition, and overall health in chronic disease. Deficiencies in Carnitine can occur in some individuals. But who is at risk for deficiency and is supplementation safe or effective? Tune in to find out!


    Want to buy me a coffee to say thanks for the episode? You can do so via Venmo or Patreon below.

    Venmo ID: Steph-Cal

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/DrSCaligiuri


    Follow me on social media to see the papers I cite in this week's episode:

    IG: Dr.SCaligiuri

    FB: ThePeoplesScientist

    Twitter: DrSCaligiuri

    Linkedin: Stephanie Caligiuri

    TikTok: Dr.SCaligiuri


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

    34 min
  • The Nose Knows - How Our Emotions Have a Smell

    In today's episode I dive down the science rabbit hole of how humans can communicate with one another via our body odor and sense of smell. For decades we thought that humans communicated via our sense of vision and sound, because through evolution of visual cortex became more developed and our olfactory system regressed. However, recent data suggests that humans can emit certain molecules while feeling certain emotions and this can indeed impact those smelling the compounds, specifically impacting their mood, behavior, physiological and brain responses. Tune in for more details!


    Want to buy me a coffee to say thanks for the episode? You can do so via Venmo or Patreon below.

    Venmo ID: Steph-Cal

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/DrSCaligiuri


    Follow me on social media to see the papers I cite in this week's episode:

    IG: Dr.SCaligiuri

    FB: ThePeoplesScientist

    Twitter: DrSCaligiuri

    Linkedin: Stephanie Caligiuri

    TikTok: Dr.SCaligiuri


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

    21 min
  • The Neuroscience of Anger

    Today in Episode 109, I dive into the neuroscience and psychology of anger. Trait anger, or commonly called, having a temper, may be in part influenced by our genetics and past life experiences. But our genetics and past are not our destiny, let's take that information, and let it empower us. We can to a certain extent, change our outcomes and I help give some neuroscience based suggestions on how we may be able to manage our anger. Tune in for details.


    Want to buy me a coffee to say thanks for the episode? You can do so via Venmo or Patreon below.

    Venmo ID: Steph-Cal

    Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/join/DrSCaligiuri


    Follow me on social media to see the papers I cite in this week's episode:

    IG: Dr.SCaligiuri

    FB: ThePeoplesScientist

    Twitter: DrSCaligiuri

    Linkedin: Stephanie Caligiuri

    TikTok: Dr.SCaligiuri



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

    29 min

About The People's Scientist

From the publisher's feed

The People's Scientist is a weekly podcast covering the latest scientific findings on Neuroscience, Physiology, and Nutrition. I, your host, Dr. Stephanie Caligiuri, hold a Bachelor and Master degree…