A Chat with Uma

On episode 32 of A Chat With Uma, as part of the “Everything You Need to Know About Scientific Research” series, we begin a 2-part overview of the full training pipeline that researchers work through to become independent biomedical research scientists.  I unpack the differences between simply knowing established scientific facts and actively generating new knowledge in a lab setting, showing how...

On episode 31 of A Chat with Uma, I launch my ‘Everything You Need To Know About Scientific Research’ series by sharing an overview of what I aim to cover in the coming episodes within this series, and the personal and professional lenses that bring me to this conversation. I talk through the current crises facing scientific research, how they are affecting research (including me) at this very mom...

On episode 30 of 'A Chat with Uma', a follow-up to last week’s episode, I continue my mental health update from the past 2 years, sharing what recovery has truly looked like—from OCD and PTSD treatment to navigating depressive episodes and breakthroughs with my eating disorder. I open up about the impact of psilocybin in interrupting my depression and how my ERP progress has finally moved...

On episode 29 of 'A Chat with Uma,' I share an in-depth update on my mental health journey, picking up from where I left off two years ago. I talk through the challenges and growth I’ve experienced in lacking OCD & PTSD treatment while completing my master’s, navigating a cross-country move, and starting my PhD program. I share honestly about living with ongoing severe OCD, PTSD, and depressio...

On episode 28 of 'A Chat with Uma,' I return to the podcast after a year-long hiatus to launch its next era! In this raw, unfiltered, tell-all episode (in true Uma fashion, of course), I talk us through the wild year that led to my unexpected hiatus, my PhD journey, the unexpected adjustment of navigating this new chapter, and the paralyzing fears that kept me from picking the mic back up...

On episode 27 of A Chat with Uma, I share my full experience of developing a fully independent research project inspired by my lived experience as a patient. I share the full story of how this project was born, and how this idea developed into a full research project that has resulted in presentations, awards, published abstracts, acceptance into Ph. D programs, and an upcoming publication. I disc...

On episode 26 of A Chat with Uma, I dedicate a full episode to OCD awareness, in honor of OCD Awareness Week 2023. I provide a full primer on OCD 101 - all about what OCD is NOT, and what it IS. I share my full OCD story of onset, symptoms, misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, incorrect treatment, and what evidence-based treatment has looked like. I speak at length about my non-linear path within trea...

On episode 25 of A Chat with Uma, I share my full journey of applying for graduate school as a non-traditional student with a very divergent & complicated academic + personal history. I share my experience in full detail of applying for clinical psychology Ph. D programs earlier on in my academic journey, and how + why I ultimately chose to pursue my masters in neuroscience. I discuss how vast...

On episode 24 of A Chat with Uma, I share a comprehensive overview of my experience and journey as a non-traditional question - informed and shaped by the many questions from listeners & this community on this topic! I first operationally define the concept of a non-traditional student, sharing the various contributing factors that give rise to holding this identity. I share my full timeline a...

On episode 23 of A Chat with Uma, I provide an honest and unfiltered life update in light of many recent major life changes. I share openly and honestly about the difficulties I faced in moving to Wisconsin, and all that has transpired in this adjustment period. I speak about the struggles that contributed to my experience, as well as the steps I took to work through them. I talk through my most r...

On episode 22 of A Chat with Uma, I speak with Dr. Elizabeth Berry! Elizabeth Berry, Ph. D is a neuroscientist, addiction researcher, science communicator, artist, and digital creator. Dr. Berry just received her Ph. D in Cell Biology with a specialization in neuroscience from New York Medical College this past May. For her dissertation project, she focused on opioid addiction and the impact it ha...

On episode 21 of A Chat with Uma, I speak with Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT! Kimberley is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and public speaker who is the host of Your Anxiety Toolkit podcast, founder of CBT School, and owner of Kimberley Quinlan (A Marriage and Family Therapy Corporation) in Los Angeles, CA.  She is passionate about the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and relat...

On episode 20 of A Chat with Uma, I recap my experience at the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)'s 28th Annual OCD Conference & the 8th Annual IOCDF Research Symposium . I provide my key research takeaways from the perspective of an OCD neuroscientist & researcher with lived experience of OCD - about many important topics including psychedelics, ketamine, OCD genes, advanced epigene...

On episode 19 of A Chat with Uma, I discuss my experience and history as a disabled person, in honor of Disability Pride Month. This is a raw episode, sharing my history with physical, psychiatric, and cognitive disabilities - both lifelong and more recently developed. I share my unfiltered experiences of discrimination, stigma, ableism, and the repercussions of these chronic experiences. I speak...

On episode 18 of A Chat with Uma, I speak with Dr. Ana Maria De Souza! Ana Maria De Souza, Ph. D, is a Brazilian cognitive neuroscientist, who is passionate about bridging the gap between researchers, clinicians, and the public. She has completed an undergraduate degree and a Master's in Psychology in Brazil, and moved to the UK to pursue a Ph. D at the University of Cambridge with some of the...

On episode 17 of A Chat with Uma, I provide a full recap of my experience at the Psychedelic Science 2023 conference in Denver, hosted by the Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS) ! PS2023 was the world’s largest-EVER gathering focused on psychedelic research and medicine, with over 12,000 attendees from across the globe. This episode provides a recap of my experience at the...

On episode 16 of A Chat with Uma, I speak with Reverend Katie O'Dunne! Rev. Katie O'Dunne is the founder of Faith & Mental Health Integrative Services, an organization helping individuals with OCD and related disorders live into their faith traditions as they navigate evidence-based treatment. Prior to this, she spent 7 years serving as the Academy Chaplain and the Pauline and R.L. Bra...

On episode 15 of A Chat with Uma, I provide a full recap of the few weeks that I've (unexpectedly) been away from the podcast! This recap serves to fully & honestly reflect my true experiences with navigating graduation, closing out this chapter of my life, and transition - with no filters, whatsoever. I speak with radical honesty about the state of my recovery and well-being throughout th...

On episode 14 of A Chat with Uma, I provide a full recap of my recent trip to England! This recap serves to reflect pivotal experiences and realizations around the state of my overall recovery from decades of debilitation and dysfunction - namely mental and physical illnesses. I speak openly about navigating presence, dissociation, pain, triggers, stress, recovered moments, and everything in betwe...

On episode 13 of A Chat with Uma, I reflect on my 27th birthday today. Recorded on my actual birthday, I share a live, raw, completely unedited account of everything coming up for me as I turn 27. I speak at length about the awe and gratitude I feel for being here + alive today, and reflect on how being alive for this long felt like a complete impossibility for much of my life. I talk through the...

On episode 12 of A Chat with Uma, inspired by my upcoming 4-year cancerversary and all that comes up this time of year - I share my full story + experience of my mental health struggles due to/influenced by my cancer. I discuss the research, conceptualization, and understanding of adverse mental health outcomes for patients with cancer & other life-threatening illnesses - particularly AYAs (ad...

On episode 11 of A Chat with Uma, inspired by my upcoming 4-year cancerversary and all that comes up this time of year - I share my full story + experience of living with cancer since I was 22. I talk you through the 6 months of misdiagnosis that led up to my diagnosis the day after my birthday, and I take you through the tumultuous journey of treatment that was shaped by further negligence, misdi...

On episode 10 of A Chat with Uma, I'm sharing everything about the next chapter of my life, which stems from one of the biggest life decisions I have made to date. I speak at length about the major decision I have made for the next step of my life + career, and narrate through the complexities and interplay of my beliefs, traumatic experiences, pathologies/mental illnesses, and distortions tha...

On episode 9 of A Chat with Uma, I provide a high-level overview of the full spectrum of brain science research. This episode serves as a primer to illustrate the spectrum of brain research that exists across psychology, neuroscience, psychiatry, and other related fields. This primer breaks down each level of research, its techniques, and jargon in an intuitive and accessible way, illustrating the...

On episode 8 of A Chat with Uma, I share my first "Honesty Hour": a space where I share my raw, unfiltered, uncensored thoughts as I process the reality of life in real time. Honesty Hour episodes serve to create a space for us to allow the messy, confusing, and complex nature of experiencing life to live, rather than just sharing the insights and hindsight that come from sharing at the...