In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, I talk with Dr Darby Saxbe, Professor of Psychology at USC Dornslife. We talk about her recent work on how brain changes in fathers may reflect parenting engagement and mental health risk. Fascinating! For more about Dr Saxbe see https://dornsife.usc.edu/nestlab/current-members/ Her book ‘Dad Brain’ will be out in 2026! Can't wait! Paper we talk about: Saxbe D, Martínez-García M. Cortical volume reductions in men transitioning to first-time fatherhood reflect both parenting engagement and mental health risk. Cereb Cortex. 2024 Apr 1;34(4):bhae126. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhae126. PMID: 38615244. For more about Jodi Pawluski see www.jodipawluski.com. music: All In My Head - Luna Wave via Soundstripe --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Susana Carmona, Research Scientist at the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón in Madrid, Spain. We talk about her recent research on how a mother’s brain changes from late pregnancy to the early postpartum published in Nature Neuroscience early this year. Fascinating research and the first of its kind! For more about Dr Carmona see: https://neuromaternal.es/ Her book is available in Spanish and titled: Neuromaternal: ¿Qué le pasa a mi cerebro durante el embarazo y la maternidad?. For our episode together on Matrescence and Adolescence see episode 6 here. Paper we talk about: Paternina-Die, M., Martínez-García, M., Martín de Blas, D. et al. Women’s neuroplasticity during gestation, childbirth and postpartum. Nat Neurosci 27, 319–327 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-023-01513-2 Link to paper Music: Luna Wave via Soundstripe --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Nicolas Renier, the Team Leader of the Laboratory of Structural Plasticity at the Paris Brain Institute. We talk about his work on the neural mechanisms modulating nest building in mice during pregnancy. A fascinating study with amazing neuroscience techniques. We also talk about the value of using pregnancy as a model to understand neurophysiological processes, the important role of pregnancy in remodeling certain parts of the brain, what progesterone can do to neurons and more. Fascinating! For more about Dr Renier see: www.renier-lab.com Link to paper Paper citation: Topilko T, Diaz SL, Pacheco CM, Verny F, Rousseau CV, Kirst C, Deleuze C, Gaspar P, Renier N. Edinger-Westphal peptidergic neurons enable maternal preparatory nesting. Neuron. 2022 Apr 20;110(8):1385-1399.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.01.012. Epub 2022 Feb 4. PMID: 35123655; PMCID: PMC9090132. Music: Luna Wave via Soundstripe --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Shir Atzil an Assistant Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. We discuss her recent Perspective in Nature Human Behaviour titled ‘Growing A Social Brain’. A must read! We talk about the importance of a caregiver or caregivers in growing a social brain, what happens when infants are more challenging or parents are struggling, and the fact that the parental brain is actually in charge of two brains. You won’t want to miss this one! For more information on Dr Atzil see https://www.atzillab.com/ Here is a link to the paper that we talk about: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-018-0384-6#auth-Shir-Atzil Citation: Atzil, S., Gao, W., Fradkin, I. et al. Growing a social brain. Nat Hum Behav 2, 624–636 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0384-6 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Catherine Preston, an Associate Professor at the University of York. We talk about body sensations in pregnancy, trusting your perinatal body, bonding to bump, birth experience, and more. We also talk about the need to focus our research on pregnancy and importance of understanding the connection between interoception and the maternal brain in health and illness. For more information on Dr Preston’s research see https://www.york.ac.uk/psychology/staff/academicstaff/cp1039/ Here is a link to the paper that we talk about: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026661382400024X Citation for paper: Lucy Stafford, Lydia Munns, Anna E. Crossland, Elizabeth Kirk, Catherine E.J. Preston, Bonding with bump: Interoceptive sensibility moderates the relationship between pregnancy body satisfaction and antenatal attachment, Midwifery, Volume 131, 2024, 103940, ISSN 0266-6138, --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Danielle Stolzenberg, an Associate Professor at UC Davis, about the nonhormonal basis of parenting, modelling perinatal mental illness, and the 51 Foundation which she started. We also talk about the need to understand current treatments for perinatal mental illness (particularly SSRIs) and the importance of funding research in females. Yes! For more information on Dr Stolzenberg see https://psychology.ucdavis.edu/people/dstolzen Here is a link to the paper that we talk about: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34674243/ Paper citation: Rosinger ZJ, Mayer HS, Geyfen JI, Orser MK, Stolzenberg DS. Ethologically relevant repeated acute social stress induces maternal neglect in the lactating female mouse. Dev Psychobiol. 2021 Nov;63(7):e22173. doi: 10.1002/dev.22173. PMID: 34674243; PMCID: PMC10631567. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Maria Muzik and Dr. Katherine Rosenblum about Mom Power, a parenting intervention they developed, and how it impacts parents and the parental brain. Both are Professors in the Departments Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynecology, as well as Co-Directors of Zero To Thrive & Women and Infant Mental Health Program at the University of Michigan. We talk about the development of Mom Power, it’s core components and the research supporting the importance of this group intervention. We also talk about attachment, the importance of nature, and building ‘strong roots’. It was an honor to speak with these two inspiring clinician-scientists. If you work with parents, this episode is a must. For more information on Mom Power and Zero to Thrive, including research and training opportunities see: https://zerotothrive.org/ Here is a link to the paper on the parental brain that we talk about: https://zerotothrive.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Frontiers-Mom-Power.pdf --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Jonny Kohl, Group Leader, State-Dependent Neural Processing Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK. We talk about his new research on how the hormones of pregnancy affect specific neurons in the MPOA that essential for parenting. It’s a fascinating new finding and provides valuable insight into the neuroendocrine factors governing parental care. We also talk about whether or not we should be using reproductively experienced females more in general neuroscience research because of the long-term impact of pregnancy on the brain, the importance of state in general and practical considerations for doing these types of studies. It’s a good one. You won’t want to miss it. For more information on Dr Kohl and his group: https://www.crick.ac.uk/research/find-a-researcher/jonny-kohl Here is a link to the paper we talk about: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adi0576 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Pascal Vrticka, Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Essex. We talk about all thing’s attachment and neural synchrony in mother-child and father-child dyads. We also talk about attachment parenting and how our beliefs about parenting can impact how our brain functions. Fascinating! Don’t miss this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited. It will make you rethink about how the parental brain is working and why! For more information on Dr Vrticka’s work: https://pvrticka.com/ For a free pdf of the book we talk about see: https://babygro.org/babygro-book Follow Dr Vrticka on Instagram @pascalvrticka where you at ask him about attachment in his Q&A! --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Kristina M. Deligiannidis, MD, Professor, Institute of Behavioral Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Director, Women’s Behavioral Health, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Northwell Health, Professor, Psychiatry, Molecular Medicine and Obstetrics & Gynecology, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, USA. We talk about her research on the development of neurosteroid treatments for postpartum depression. In particular we talk about her work on the new FDA approved oral medication for postpartum depression – Zuranolone as well as some practical information on Zuranolone, itself. Don’t miss this episode on Mommy Brain Revisited. It’s an important one for understanding the current treatment options and challenges for perinatal mental illness. For more information on Dr Deligiannidis’ work and her contact information see: https://feinstein.northwell.edu/institutes-researchers/our-researchers/kristina-m-deligiannidis-md Download one of the publications that we talk about here: https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.20220785 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Devaleena Pradhan, Associate Professor of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology and Physiology at Idaho State University, USA. We talk about fatherhood, the neural mechanisms mediating parenting, the origins of parenting behaviors and more. We also talk about her research on parenting in sex-changing fish and what we can learn from them. Don’t miss this episode. It will make you rethink sex/gender and parenting! For more information on Dr Pradhan’s work and her contact information see: https://www.isu.edu/biology/people/faculty---professors/--devaleena-s-pradhan/ Download one of the publications that we talk about here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24827441/ Music: Luna Wave via Soundstrip --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Tara Chaplin, Associate Professor of Psychology at George Mason University, USA. We talk about parenting, mindfulness, and the parental brain. We also talk about the importance of mindfulness in terms of parenting tweens and teens, how mindfulness helps empower parents to parent with intention (wow!), and her ongoing research in this area. Don’t miss this episode on Mommy Brain Revisited. It will make you want to be more mindful! Download the publication that we talk about here: Affective Neural Mechanisms of a Parenting-Focused Mindfulness Intervention https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7962669/pdf/nihms-1525033.pdf For more information on Dr Chaplin’s work: https://yel.gmu.edu/ Although the Mindfulness intervention they use is not readily available it is based on MBSR or Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction techniques and other evidence based interventions. Book recommendation: Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Jon and Myla Kabat-Zinn. Citation of study we talk about: Turpyn CC, Chaplin TM, Fischer S, Thompson JC, Fedota JR, Baer RA, Martelli AM. Affective Neural Mechanisms of a Parenting-Focused Mindfulness Intervention. Mindfulness (N Y). 2021 Feb;12(2):392-404. doi: 10.1007/s12671-019-01118-6. Epub 2019 Feb 16. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Robert Froemke, Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Skirball Professor of Genetics, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology at New York University. We talk about oxytocin neurons, learning to parent and alloparenting. We also talk about the importance of experience with offspring, making mistakes, and ‘mouse midwifery’. Don’t miss this episode on Mommy Brain. So interesting! Download the publication in Nature that we talk about here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34381215/ For more information on Dr Froemke’s work: https://med.nyu.edu/faculty/robert-c-froemke Citation: Carcea I, Caraballo NL, Marlin BJ, Ooyama R, Riceberg JS, Mendoza Navarro JM, Opendak M, Diaz VE, Schuster L, Alvarado Torres MI, Lethin H, Ramos D, Minder J, Mendoza SL, Bair-Marshall CJ, Samadjopoulos GH, Hidema S, Falkner A, Lin D, Mar A, Wadghiri YZ, Nishimori K, Kikusui T, Mogi K, Sullivan RM, Froemke RC. Oxytocin neurons enable social transmission of maternal behaviour. Nature. 2021 Aug;596(7873):553-557. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03814-7. Epub 2021 Aug 11. PMID: 34381215; PMCID: PMC8387235. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Valerie Miller, a PhD candidate in Anthropology at Purdue University. We talk about her recent research on ‘Mommy Brain’ in the USA and the importance of studying how moms feel and the cultural factors that can influence mommy brain and motherhood. You won't want to miss this episode! Download the publication here: https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/etho.12381 Citation: Valerie Miller, Marcy Price-Crist. Mommy brain in the United States. First published: 18 January 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/etho.12381 Music: Luna Wave via Soundstripe --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Elseline Hoekzema, Assistant Professor, Adult Psychiatry and Amsterdam Neuroscience at Amsterdam University Medical Centers. We talk about her recent research published Nature Communications on how pregnancy impacts brain structure and function. This is a fascinating area of research! Download the publication here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-33884-8 For more information about Dr. Hoekzema see: https://www.amsterdamumc.org/en/research/researchers/elseline-a.-hoekzema.htm Citation: Hoekzema, E., van Steenbergen, H., Straathof, M. et al. Mapping the effects of pregnancy on resting state brain activity, white matter microstructure, neural metabolite concentrations and grey matter architecture. Nat Commun 13, 6931 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33884-8 For more about Dr. Jodi Pawluski see: www.jodipawluski.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I read our viewpoint in JAMA Neurology titled "It's time to rebrand 'Mommy Brain'" published Feb 6, 2023 and authored by Dr Clare McCormack, Dr Bridget Callaghan and myself. We also talk about how we are rebranding 'Mommy Brain'. For the print version of the viewpoint see: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/article-abstract/2801288 Citation: McCormack C, Callaghan BL, Pawluski JL. It’s Time to Rebrand “Mommy Brain”. JAMA Neurol. Published online February 06, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.5180 --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Margaret Bublitz, a Clinical Psychologist and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, and Medicine, in the Department of Psychiatry, at the Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University. We talk about her research on how child maltreatment early in life can modify the maternal brain in human mothers. We also talk about the need to support mothers, in general, and to talk more about the reality of motherhood. Such an interesting one you won’t want to miss! For more information about Dr. Bublitz and her research see: https://www.brown.edu/public-health/mindfulness/people/margaret-bublitz-phd Publication details: Bublitz MH, Swain J, Lustig S, Barthelemy C, DeYoung L, Dickstein D. Maternal History of Childhood Maltreatment and Brain Responses to Infant Cues Across the Postpartum Period. Child Maltreat. 2022 Sep 24:10775595221128952. doi: 10.1177/10775595221128952. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36154501. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
On this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited talk with Emma Jane Unsworth, British writer and bestselling author. We talk about her memoir After the Storm: Postnatal Depression and the Utter Weirdness of New Motherhood and what she did to prepare for her second pregnancy and postpartum experience. This podcast episode is part of a collaboration with InSPIre the Mind – a digital magazine – where we have been doing a series on Maternal Mental Health. Listen to the podcast, read the book and check out the maternal mental health series. All are musts. For more on Emma Jane Unsworth’s book After the Storm: Postnatal Depression and the Utter Weirdness of New Motherhood see: https://www.waterstones.com/book/after-the-storm/emma-jane-unsworth/9781788166553 You can read the Maternal Mental Health series here: https://www.inspirethemind.org/our-series --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
On this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Prof Carmine Pariante, a psychiatrist and professor at King's College London. This episode is part of a collaboration with InSPIre the Mind – a digital magazine – where we are doing a series of blogs on maternal mental illness. Over the next month check out stories from the series at : https://www.inspirethemind.org/our-series In this episode we talk about the different mental illnesses that can occur during the perinatal period, the causes for these illnesses, and the need to improve our support to those who birth the next generation. You can read the InSPIre the Mind Maternal Mental Illness series here: https://www.inspirethemind.org/our-series For more about Prof Carmine Pariante see: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/professor-carmine-pariante --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support
In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Amanda Kentner a Full Professor at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in the USA. We talk about her recent research published at eNeuro on the important role that enrichment can play in parenting and development. Don’t miss this episode on cutting edge research in behavioral neuroscience. So interesting! Download the publication here: https://www.eneuro.org/content/9/4/ENEURO.0148-22.2022 For more information about Prof. Kentner’s research see https://www.kentnerlab.org/ Citations: DeRosa H, Caradonna SG, Tran H, Marrocco J, Kentner AC. Milking It for All It's Worth: The Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Maternal Nurturance, Lactation Quality, and Offspring Social Behavior. eNeuro. 2022 Aug 25;9(4):ENEURO.0148-22.2022. doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0148-22.2022. PMID: 35995560. Follow @dr.jodi_pawluski on instagram for more on how the brain changes with parenting. https://www.jodipawluski.com/ --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/mommybrainrevisited/support