Dr. Sarah McKay - The Neuroscience of Being a Woman
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:Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.themotherverse.substack.comWant to create some magic together? Reach out to us: https://www.forms.gle/zfKWVCbw1ERKUgKB8Follow Dr. Sarah McKay:https://drsarahmckay.com/Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/drsarahmckay/Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahmmckayAll 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Dr. Aziza Sesay - Culture, Religion, Pleasure & Pain
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.More from MOTHER:Subscribe to the newsletter: https://www.themotherverse.substack.comWant to create some magic together? Reach out to us: https://www.forms.gle/zfKWVCbw1ERKUgKB8Follow Dr. Sesay:Website - https://www.talkswithdrsesay.com/drsesayInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/talkswithdrsesay/YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@talkswithdrsesayTikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@talkswithdrsesayProjects 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Tracy Bale, PhD - The Science of Stress and Groundbreaking Biomarkers for Mental Health
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.More from MOTHER:Subscribe to the newsletter: themotherverse.substack.comWant to create some magic together? Reach out to us: forms.gle/zfKWVCbw1ERKUgKB8Follow Tracy:The Bale Lab - https://www.balethompsonltp.org/bale/researchBluesky - 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Leah Hazard - Midwifery and The Future of Birth
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. More from MOTHER:Subscribe to the newsletter: themotherverse.substack.comWant to create some magic together? Reach out to us: forms.gle/zfKWVCbw1ERKUgKB8Follow Leah:Website - leahhazard.co.ukWomb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began - amazon.co.uk/Womb-Inside-Story-Gripping-Statesman/dp/0349015805Bluesky - bsky.app/profile/leahhazard.bsky.socialInstagram - instagram.com/leahhazardSubstack - 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Jessica DeFino - Science of Skin vs. Science of Skincare
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.More from MOTHER:Subscribe to the newsletter: themotherverse.substack.comWant to create some magic together? Reach out to us: forms.gle/zfKWVCbw1ERKUgKB8Follow 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 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
MOTHER is a movement of bold ideas about the female body.We will be diving into fascinating science and new technology pushing the boundaries of the female experience as we know it. The show is hosted by Karina Vazirova, CEO and co-founder of FemTech Lab (www.femtechlab.com), a global ecosystem supporting startups in women’s health, and producer of the DECODING THE FUTURE OF WOMEN (www.d3cod1ng.com) conference in London.The name for the podcast "MOTHER" is inspired by the creative force inside us all - the force that creates ideas, businesses, spaces, communities, and life itself. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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