Brain In Progress

In this deeply personal episode of Brain in Progress, Medical journalist and brain champion, Seema Mathur shares the story of surviving a life-threatening Acoustic Neuroma at just 19 years old — It was a golf-ball-sized brain tumor pressing against the brainstem that controls breathing, consciousness, and life itself. The surgery that saved her life was performed by legendary neurotologist Dr. Wil...

In this episode of Brain In Progress, medical journalist Seema Mathur explores the powerful intersection of music, emotion, and neuroscience with composer Yuval Ron—whose work spans film, world music, and sound-based approaches to healing. From the way a film score can instantly create suspense… to deeply personal experiences of recovery after brain surgery, this conversation asks a compelling que...

Is it the brain controlling the mind—or the mind shaping the brain? In this episode of Brain In Progress , Seema Mathur sits down with Belleruth Naparstek, a pioneer in guided imagery. She began her career as a clinical social worker in the late 1960s and started creating audio tapes to support her patients’ healing. Increasingly over the years, her work has been used alongside mainstream medicine...

What if one of the biggest problems in brain medicine isn’t the drugs—but getting them to the brain? Seema Mathur speaks with Dr. Chad Gordon, a Neuroplastic and Reconstructive Surgeon at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, about a bold new innovation: a skull-brain implant designed to bypass the brain’s natural defenses and deliver medicine exactly where it’s needed. This conversation explores what...

Seema Mathur sits down with Dr. S. Thomas Carmichael—neuroscientist, neurologist and Chair of Neurology at UCLA—to explore a question that could change stroke recovery: What if a pill could help repair the brain? Stroke is a leading cause of adult disability, and even with intense therapy, many people never fully regain movement—especially in the arm and hand. Dr. Carmichael explains neuroplastici...

In the premiere episode of  Brain In Progress , Seema Mathur sits down with ABC News journalist—and longtime friend—Kyra Phillips for the most personal conversation of her career. Seema shares the story she has never told publicly: her brain tumor diagnosis at 19 and what it means to live today with a second rare, currently incurable brain disease. She reflects on how being close to death can...

Award-winning medical journalist Seema Mathur turns her journey with brain disease into purpose. Her story — how Western medicine is saving her life and Eastern practices help her heal — becomes the thread that launches a deeper exploration of the brain. In Brain In Progress , Seema speaks with the world’s leading neuroscientists, physicians, and integrative experts to investigate the future of br...