Smooth Brain Society

In this in-studio episode of Smooth Brain Society , Sahir and Neil are joined by Dr. Kate Messenger as they explore the fascinating world of language acquisition. They discuss why children seem to pick up languages effortlessly, the challenges adults face when learning new languages, and even how bilingual brains store and mix languages. Expect a lively discussion about the theories behind languag...

In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Chris Bryant—executive director of Bryant Research and an expert in alternative proteins—to unpack the science, psychology, and politics behind the future of food. From lab-grown meat and plant-based alternatives to the social and environmental challenges of industrial farming, we explore Dr. Bryant's research on how the “protein transition” is reshaping e...

What factors underpin how we treat animals? In this episode, Prof. Dr. Christopher J. Hopwood of the University of Zurich and the Editor-in-Chief of Psychology of Human-Animal Intergroup Relations. Talks about his research related to how people perceive, treat, and interact with animals. Join us as we go through some fascinating studies which have been published in his journal and what the future...

In this powerful episode, we sit down with Dr. Aaron Winter, senior lecturer in sociology at Lancaster University and Director of the Centre for Alternatives to Social and Economic Inequalities (CASEI), to unpack the complex rise and normalization of far-right ideologies. From his personal roots in anti-racist activism to his research on racism, terrorism, and structural inequality, Dr. Winter exp...

What does it take to elevate women's sport? Sahir and Lily Joiner of Nuku Ora - an active Wellington dive into the unique landscape of women's sports in New Zealand with special guest Erin Roxburgh, Deputy Chair of Women in Sport NZ. Erin, is a current squad member of the New Zealand Women's Indoor and Beach Handball teams and is currently a lecturer at Victoria University of Wellin...

How much do we really talk about sex in our relationships — and when should we? In this episode, Sahir and Olivia sit down with relationships researcher Katie Knowles to unpack the psychology of sex disclosure, why most people in relationships hover around a "3.5 out of 5," and how attachment styles can shape what we share (and what we don’t). We go on to discuss some surprisingly relata...

Professor Tony Marson of the University of Liverpool talks to Beth and Sahir about Epilepsy, a neurological disorder characterized by recurrent seizures, which are sudden, abnormal electrical activity in the brain. We discuss the types of epilepsy, what are its causes and how it manifests across time, what the current treatments for epilepsy are and what the future of epilepsy research looks like....

In the build to the International Festival of Neuroscience being held in Liverpool from the 27th to 30th of April, 2025. We spoke to Dr. Dorothy Tse of Edge Hill University about her incredible research aimed at understanding memory, preventing dementia and promoting healthy ageing. We speak about the Tse Lab's work in understanding how prior knowledge can help in developing new memories and...

Individuals' psychopathic personality traits can have negative effects on the people around them. Aaron Hissey of Victoria University of Wellington discusses his research on whether the negativity of someone's psychopathic personality crosses over to their partner and then spills over into their partner's workplace. We discuss some of the incredible associations he found including s...

Autism, or autism spectrum disorder (ASD), refers to a broad range of conditions characterized by challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech and nonverbal communication. Dr. Calum Hartley of Lancaster University talks us through ASD and come of the misconceptions people have about it. We cover Dr. Hartley's research on language development in children with autism and cover so...

Angela Kibia, Researcher at King's College London, talks about the work being carried out by the SAFE project aimed towards developing education and group support for Black families and carers supporting a relative with psychosis. Highlighting the importance of all those who care for someone with a mental health condition and what we can do to better support them. Experiences from participant...

Behrouz Boochani and Abdul Samad Haidari speak about their journeys as refugees, the systems which demonize asylum seekers as criminals, Manus Prison Theory and structural oppression, and the role of art, literature and storytelling in resistance an healing. Guest Profiles: Behrouz Boochani is a Kurdish-Iranian journalist, human rights defender, writer, film producer and research fellow at Canterb...

"You’re a hero. It’s in your DNA." The NHS and NIHR BioResource has started a nationwide movement for ages 0 - 15 to help health research. Dr. Anna Moore, University of Cambridge, and Elizabeth Mordey of the DNA, Children + Young People's Health Resource (D-CYPHR) talk about the project and how it has the potential to revolutionize healthcare in the UK and around the world..  By stu...

Children and young people whose parents use substances often feel alone in their experiences, with very few people to trust or talk to.  Parents and caregivers mention uncertainty on how and when to have conversations with children in their family and answer their questions in the best way. Dr. Cassey Muir,  Dr Ruth McGovern and teams at Newcastle University brought together the messages from thei...

Nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI) is a self-inflicted act that causes pain or superficial damage but is not intended to cause death. Dr. Kealagh Robinson, of Massey University, works in emotion and emotion regulation, with a specific emphasis on how these factors underpin self-injurious thoughts and behaviours. She discusses the role of emotion regulation in self-injury behaviours and some fascinatin...

We Collaborated with V oice of Aroha on an exciting podcast featuring Lawyer and Host of the Podcast, Me, Racism and I, the incredible Thoraya Abdoul-Rassol. In the episode we delve into thought-provoking discussions on identity, culture, and personal experiences. Check it out! Support the show Support us and reach out! https://smoothbrainsociety.com https://www.patreon.com/SmoothBrainSociety Inst...

Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, better known as concussions, are poorly understood. This means diagnosis and proper management are difficult often leading to people living with the impacts of milder injuries for years. Asha Strom of the University of Birmingham talks about UoB's current project, Called mTBI predict , looking at multiple aspects of traumatic brain injury to identify biomarkers (b...

Dr. Frankie Fong, of Victoria University of Wellington, discusses imitation behaviors and how they are key to child development. He also shares his research on how these behaviours differ between cultures and influence digital media effects on children's socio-cognitive development. Dr. Frankie Fong: https://people.wgtn.ac.nz/frankie.fong Support the show Support us and reach out! https://smo...

Dr. Nuzha Saleem is a Teaching Fellow at Victoria University of Wellington. She discusses her research working with youth from migrant and refugee backgrounds. She has particularly focused her work around understanding the role of friendships in educational performance, identity and feelings of belonging for people from refugee backgrounds. Fellow Youth wellbeing researcher Niusha Aryan joins as c...

Dr. Jo-Anne Puddephatt of Edge Hill University is a mixed-methods researcher in the field of mental health, alcohol use, and co-occurring problems. She combines her experience of working in psychiatric intensive care units with her expertise using datasets to explore the patterns of drinking across individuals experiencing different mental health problems. Jo-Anne also conducts qualitative researc...

Finally! after 47 episodes as host, Sahir takes his place in the wrinkly brained experts chair to talk about his research on how alcohol drinking by fathers can impact development of the future generations. Amer Hussain and Jeremy Hall co-host this special episode where we discuss the importance of animal research, find out why Dr. Hussain gets rats drunk and talk about the importance of science c...

Bayesian Statistics allows combining prior information of a population to the current sample of experimentation to create stronger inferences. Dr. Taylor Winter, Senior Lecturer in Mathematics and Statistics at University of Canterbury , uses Bayesian methods to investigate a range of societal and group factors (Social Psychology). Dr. Winter takes us through some of the basic ideas around Bayesia...

Bethany Facer, PhD student at University of Liverpool and Science Communicator explains the intricacies of Parkinson's Disease. We discuss Beth’s Neuroimaging research into the neurodegenerative condition as she goes over some of the key biological mechanisms, clinical manifestations and current treatments which together highlight the need to better understand this multifaceted disorder. Late...

There is often a tendency to focus on physical rather than mental health during pregnancy. While rates can vary by country, research suggests that about 10 - 20% of pregnant women experience depression during pregnancy. This is higher than the average rate of 6% seen in the general population. The changes during pregnancy can also make it hard for mood disorders to be detected and treated. Dr. Ste...

At its core, Stoicism is a tool in the pursuit of self-mastery, perseverance, and wisdom: something one uses to live a virtuous life. However, the English language has dealt great injustice to the word “Stoic.” Dr. John Sellars, Reader in the History of Philosophy at Royal Holloway, University of London, and Research Fellow at King's College London, joins along with Dr. Johannes Karl, Dublin...