Mind & Matter

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Wide release date: July 13, 2025 Episode Summary: Dr. Ying-Hui Fu discusses her research on the genetics of sleep, focusing on natural short sleepers who thrive on 4-6 hours of sleep and the heritability of sleep traits like duration and timing. She explores how sleep efficiency, rather than just duration, may...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Wide release date: July 8, 2025 Episode Summary: Dr. Charles Cornish-Dale discusses the decline of masculinity in modern society, linking it to falling testosterone levels, environmental endocrine disruptors, and the limitations of liberal democracy. Drawing on Francis Fukuyama’s “End of History & the Last Men...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Wide release date: July 4, 2025 Episode Summary: Dr. Joseph Takahashi discusses circadian rhythms, exploring their biological basis, from molecular mechanisms to their impact on metabolism and health; the discovery of circadian clock genes; role of the suprachiasmatic nucleus, and how light, feeding, and oxyge...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Wide release date: June 29, 2025 Episode Summary: Cell Biologist Dr. Bill Bement explains the dynamic world of the cell cortex, discussing how actin filaments and microtubules drive processes like cell division and wound healing through self-assembly and self-organization; energy dynamics of these processes; t...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Wide release date: June 25, 2025 Episode Summary: Dr. Marius Pachitariu discusses how the brain computes information across scales, from single neurons to complex networks, using mice to study visual learning. He explains the differences between supervised and unsupervised learning, the brain’s high-dimensiona...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Wide release date: June 16, 2025 Episode Summary: Dr. Steven Laviolette discusses the role of lipids, particularly endocannabinoids and fatty acids, in brain signaling and mental health, discussing how dietary omega-3 and omega-6 imbalances, prenatal THC exposure, and fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) impact...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Wide release date: June 11, 2025 Episode Summary: Dr. Brian Kerley talks about the health impacts of seed oils, their high omega-6 fatty acid content, and their role in chronic diseases through mechanisms like lipid peroxidation and oxidative stress. They explore how these industrially processed oils may contr...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Wide release date: June 5, 2025 Episode Summary: Dr. David Healy critiques modern medicine, focusing on SSRIs and psychiatric medicine, including: how pharmaceutical companies manipulate clinical trial data, ghostwrite studies, and influence medical practice, often ignoring patient experiences; highlighting is...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Wide release date: May 25, 2025 Episode Summary: CaaMTech CEO Dr. Andrew Chadeayne, discusses the chemistry of magic mushrooms and other psychedelics, their potential therapeutic applications, and the challenges of commercializing them in a shifting biotech market. The conversation delves into the complexities...

Wide release date: May 20, 2025 Episode Summary: Dr. Michael Wheeler talks about neuroimmune interactions, exploring how the immune system and brain communicate, particularly through the blood-brain barrier and meninges; how chronic stress and inflammation can alter brain circuits, contributing to mood disorders like depression; how drugs like psilocybin and MDMA may reduce inflammation by modulat...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Wide release date: May 15, 2025 Episode Summary: New research on how dietary fats, particularly omega-6 fatty acids like linoleic acid, influence triple-negative breast cancer progression by activating the mTOR pathway, a key regulator of cell growth. They explore the role of the FABP5 protein in enhancing can...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Wide release date: May 10, 2025 Episode Summary: Dr. Gyorgy Buzsaki discusses the hippocampus’s role beyond memory and spatial navigation, delving into its broader functions in cognition, action planning, and brain-body interactions; how hippocampal rhythms, like sharp wave ripples, influence memory consolidat...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Episode Summary: Dr. Nirosha Murugan discusses the role of biophysics in biology, focusing on how light, particularly biophotons emitted by cells, influences processes like wound healing, neural activity, and cancer detection; how microtubules may act as biological fiber optics, the impact of modern light envi...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Episode Summary: Dr. Alex Kwan discusses how psychedelics like ketamine and psilocybin induce rapid neuroplastic changes in the brain, particularly in the prefrontal cortex, contrasting their effects with traditional antidepressants like SSRIs, and exploring their potential for treating depression and chronic...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Short Summary: The flaws of nutrition epidemiology with Dr. John Speakman About the guest: John Speakman, PhD is a professor at the University of Aberdeen and runs a lab in Shenzhen, China, focusing on energy balance, obesity, and aging. Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Short Summary: Cancer’s metabolic roots with Dr. Thomas Seyfried. About the guest: Thomas Seyfried, PhD is a professor of biology at Boston College. He has researched cancer metabolism, epilepsy, and lipid biochemistry for over 40 years. Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Short Summary: Heart health and the ketogenic diet, with expert insights from a cardiologist and researcher. About the guest: Matthew Budoff, MD, is a preventive cardiologist and professor of medicine at UCLA School of Medicine. Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M Substack...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Short Summary: The science of obesity and appetite regulation, blending genetics and neurobiology with practical insights About the guest: Giles Yeo, PhD is a professor of molecular neuroendocrinology at the University of Cambridge. He leads a lab studying obesity and appetite regulation. Note: Podcast episode...

Short Summary: A mind-bending dive into evolutionary biology and health through a biophysicist’s lens, with Dr. Jack Kruse delivering provocative insights about biology, medicine, and health. About the guest: Jack Kruse, MD, is a neurosurgeon known for integrating biophysics into medicine. He challenges conventional biochemistry with his “leptin prescription” and decentralized health approach. Not...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Short Summary: A deep dive into the science of oxidative stress, antioxidants, aging, and neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s. About the guest: Pamela Maher, PhD is a professor at the Salk Institute in San Diego, California, with a focus on neurodegenerative diseases, oxidative stress, and antioxidants...

Short Summary: A detailed examination of shamanism with anthropologist Manvir Singh, blending evolutionary theory and vivid storytelling. About the guest: Manvir Singh, PhD is an anthropologist at the University of California, Davis. His new book, "Shamanism: The Timeless Religion," comes out on May 25, 2025. Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M Substack and ev...

This is a free preview of a paid episode. To hear more, visit mindandmatter.substack.com Short Summary: How environmental chemical exposures affect neurodegenerative disease and health. About the guest: Gary Miller, PhD is a Professor of Environmental Health Sciences at Columbia University. His research bridges pharmacology, toxicology, and neuroscience to explore neurodegeneration, particularly P...

Short Summary: Do elephants and other animals have language-like abilities, such as the ability to use individual names to refer to themselves and others? About the guest: Michael Pardo, PhD studies animal behavior at Cornell University, where he focused on animal communication and cognition. His work includes extensive field research with African elephants in Kenya. Note: Podcast episodes are ful...

Short Summary: The science of cancer and immunity with Dr. Rahul Roychoudhuri, blending cutting-edge research with everyday implications like aspirin’s role in fighting tumor metastasis. About the guest: Rahul Roychoudhuri, PhD is a Professor of Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy at the University of Cambridge, where he studies how the immune system interacts with cancer to improve therapies. His...

Short Summary: How dietary sugar (fructose) affects the growth rate of cancer. About the guest: Gary Patti, PhD is a professor at Washington University in St. Louis, holding appointments in chemistry, medicine, and genetics Note: Podcast episodes are fully available to paid subscribers on the M&M Substack and everyone on YouTube . Partial versions are available elsewhere. Full transcript and other...