Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain Science

80 Episodes

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Bridging the Gap: Data and Human Connection in Addiction Recovery

2026-10-1454:09

Addiction treatment has historically relied on self-reporting and intermittent check-ins. Rachel Hobert, CEO of Huml Health, joins the show to discuss how her company is using wearable technology and voice biomarkers to provide clinicians with a clearer, continuous picture of a patient's health. We discuss the role of data in predicting struggles, the importance of the mind-body connection, and the challenges of innovating within a slow-to-adopt healthcare industry. Key Takeaways The Shift t...

How Ocean Currents Shape Our Brains, Health, and Climate Resilience

2026-10-0753:36

How are deep ocean dynamics, extreme weather, and human health intertwined? In this episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal sits down with Dr. Joellen Russell-a leading oceanographer and professor at the University of Arizona-to explore how the world’s oceans act as the ultimate life-support system for our planet. From her childhood north of the Arctic Circle to surviving 50-foot waves in the Southern Ocean, Dr. Russell shares her journey of uncovering how deep sea upwelling i...

How the Brain Balances Flexibility and Robustness with Dr. Wolfgang Stein

2026-09-3050:29

In this episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphall sits down with Dr. Wolfgang Stein, a professor at Illinois State University School of Biological Sciences. Dr. Stein shares his fascinating journey into neurobiology, how studying simple neural circuits in animals helps us understand complex brain function, and why flexibility is actually the foundation of biological robustness. Key Takeaways Discover how a chance encounter with neurophysiology during an undergraduate course cha...

Rethinking Neurodegeneration: The Hidden Role of Blood Vessels in Alzheimer's Disease

2026-06-2445:45

What if the blood vessels in your brain aren't just collateral damage in Alzheimer's disease, but part of the cause? Dr. Rachel Bennett, associate professor at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, is challenging one of the field's longest-held assumptions. In this episode, she joins host Deborah Westfall to break down her groundbreaking research on the relationship between tau pathology and vascular dysfunction, and why the future of Alzheimer's science may look nothing ...

How Early Life Adversity Rewires the Developing Brain

2026-06-1754:56

What if the roots of anxiety, depression, and early puberty trace back to the first years of life — and we've been asking the wrong questions? In this episode, host Deborah Westphal sits down with Angarika Balakrishnan, PhD candidate at the Brenhouse Lab at Northeastern University, whose research links early-life adversity to long-term brain development, neuroendocrine disruption, and mental health outcomes. Key Takeaways Early-life adversity is not a single variable — timing, type, and pr...

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Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain Science