The Mayo Lab Podcast

Season 2 of The Mayo Lab podcast kicks off with its first full episode on August 29, but co-hosts Meagen Rosenthal, Ph. D, and Alexis Lee got together for a mini-episode to set the stage for the overarching theme of Season 2: Stigma. The Mayo Lab:  https://themayolab.com/   Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/themayolab/   Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/themayolab &...

Resilience is the ability to withstand challenges or recover quickly. As we each go through life, finding purpose is just one connection that binds us together. For Dr. Ethel Scurlock, despite her many responsibilities as an academic leader at the University of Mississippi—and as a pastor and parent—each day she takes time to find her purpose in this world. David and Dr. Scurlock talk through...

In this episode of Inside The Mayo Lab, we invite a student voice to the discussion. Between family, school and comparing themselves with peers, young people often encounter confusion and anxiety in attempting to measure what “success” looks like. David talks with college student Daneel Konnar, who shares keen insight on being aware of that struggle within oneself, the ways young people make choic...

"Be tough" is the message men from every generation have heard growing up. But awareness and understanding of men’s mental health is on the rise. Matthew Stefenko, the CEO and Founder of the MANUAL visits college campuses around the country to encourage young men to become the best version of themselves. Whether it be connecting them on social media or assisting them in finding counseling, Matthew...

You're a freshman at college. It's a school known for academics, athletics but, above all, "never losing a party." Drinking isn't just normalized but celebrated. How do you find moderation at a place like that? It can be a challenge, but scratch beneath the surface and the possibilities are endless. David, Meagen and Alexis walk through the benefits of limiting or refraining from alcohol—and how t...

In the age of TikTok, many young people get their “news” from social media. Dr. Nicole Ashpole and David talk about misinformation in the general population about how marijuana affects the brain. Adolescents have an increased chance of becoming addicted or having a marijuana disorder, however, 20-25% of people consume cannabis, and nearly 10% become addicted. David and Dr. Ashpole change...

For generations, cannabis use was hidden behind closed doors. It was either stigmatized or laughed off by the general public. This means there's never truly been an honest, open conversation about the impacts of marijuana use—whether those are positive or negative. But, with spikes in marijuana potency and widespread legalization, the conversation needs to happen. David, Meagen and Alexis discuss...

The cultural environment around marijuana is changing rapidly, and there is much that parents and students may not understand about the effects of cannabis on young people’s brains and their mental health. In this episode of The Mayo Lab podcast, Dr. Larry Walker and David talk about the importance of understanding that, as David puts it, this is not your parents’ or grandparents’ mild marijuana....

Most of today's children, teens and young adults barely remember—or never knew—a world without smartphones and social media. Whether we like it or not, these devices and apps are a part of life but they don't have to control us. In this episode of Inside The Mayo Lab, David, Alexis and Meagen discuss their own challenges with smartphones and social media, as well as ways they've used them to find...

Opioid addiction—and resulting overdoses and deaths—get a lot of headlines and rightly so. But addiction to, misuse of, and overdoses involving prescription stimulants have increased exponentially, with relatively little discussion. Researcher Dr. Sujith Ramachandran notes that all prescription drugs have the potential for misuse, but says misdiagnosis of ADHD and overpres...

When it comes to mental health and substance misuse, students are suffering. But parents aren't doing much better. That's why, although The Mayo Lab's schools program is aimed at students, the team hopes to reach their parents, too. By looking critically at their own wellbeing and relationship to substances, parents have the opportunity to take better care of themselves and have more authentic con...

Substance misuse is a problem. But that’s not the root problem, says guest Dr. Travita Gordon, principal of Fortis Academy in Harris County, Texas, which aims to both educate students and support their sobriety. Being the principal of one of only 40 recovery high schools in the United States isn’t always easy. But it’s always rewarding, Travita says. Substance misuse, she...

Parents and educators increasingly recognize the need for a different conversation about mental health and substance misuse among high schoolers. But why are schools often hesitant to let younger students join the conversation? On this episode of Inside The Mayo Lab, the team breaks down these understandable concerns and fears. They also discuss how the Lab's schools program is trying to push past...

In September 2022, Dr. Adam Downs celebrated 21 years of sobriety. After struggling with addiction in his early adult life, he made it his mission to foster and develop mental health services for college students transitioning into young adulthood. That led him to get his Ph. D., become a licensed therapist and co-found What Good Looks Like (WGLL). Adam and WGLL partner with Greek organizations on...

Our Inside The Mayo Lab series offers listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the groundbreaking work of the University of Mississippi's Thomas Hayes Mayo Lab. Each Thursday, we’ll release shorter conversations between David Magee, Dr. Meagen Rosenthal and Alexis Lee about what it takes to change the conversation around student mental health and substance misuse. On this first episode of Inside the...

Zac Clark is recognizable to many from his appearance in season 16 of The Bachelorette . On that show, he opened up about his sobriety, which came after struggling with drug addiction. Since then, Zac has been more than just open; he’s taken action to help others as a recovery and mental health advocate—including cofounding Release Recovery, an addiction recovery program in Westchester, New York,...

Bestselling author and national recovery advocate David Magee tackles tough yet necessary discussions about mental health and substance misuse among American teens and young adults. Join David as he unravels the crisis and equips parents, educators and students to start a different conversation in their own lives. Show guests include students, parents, educators and research innovators, resulting...