This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg

In the war on COVID-19, doctors face an enemy like no other - mysterious, invisible, and medically confounding. Dr. Laura Kolbe, co-founder of the COVID+ Hospice and Palliative Care Unit at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York-Presbyterian explains a new first-hour emergency room protocol. We learn how the palliative care team allays suffering, comforts the sick, and clarifies the final wishes of the m...

Human brains are not wired for the staggering amount and variety of daily information coming our way. Dr. Marvin Chun, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Yale University, explains how our brains evolved to do one thing at a time, why they react poorly to the demands of multi-tasking, and why distraction undermines our performance and our memory.

People with epilepsy have been stigmatized since the time of Hippocrates. Two epilepsy specialists, Dr. Caitlin Hoffman, a Weill Cornell Medicine pediatric neurosurgeon, and Dr. Heidi Bender, a neuropsychologist at Mt. Sinai Hospital, explain what happens in the brain to cause seizures. They give parents, teachers, kids, and their classmates a primer on understanding this common disorder and how w...

World-renowned soprano Renée Fleming is also a leading advocate for research and public education on the therapeutic power of music to heal the mind. Music's psychological and neurological impact can help people suffering with dementia, Parkinson's disease, and other brain disorders, and even restore speech after a stroke. Recorded live at Juilliard, this episode also explores the brain's incredib...

A three-year mission to Mars will have profound effects on bodies—and brains. The recent NASA study of twin astronauts Scott and Mark Kelly provides a new understanding of how life in space can alter cognition, heart health, and even gut bacteria. Dr. Christopher Mason of Weill Cornell Medicine and Dr. Mathias Basner of the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine reveal their findings about...

"Today Show" nutritionist Joy Bauer has easy, affordable, and delicious tips for making brain-healthy food choices. Boost your memory, strengthen your focus, and improve your blood flow by following Joy's simple advice. Plus, the surprising benefits of coffee, and the 3 golden rules of snacking.

Dr. Frances Jensen, Chair of the Department of Neurology, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, and author of "The Teenage Brain," explains how vaping, binge drinking, and pot smoking are especially dangerous for adolescent brains. Young adults are more susceptible to addiction, cognitive impairment, and mental health issues when exposed to such substances because their brains h...

Anti-depressants don't work for everyone. Psychiatrist Conor Liston, MD, PhD, describes four effective treatments that restore the brain's lost connections and repair the cellular changes that cause depression. Magnetic stimulation, deep brain stimulation, electroconvulsive therapy, and low-dose ketamine ("Special K") have all been shown to relieve the symptoms of clinical depression and correct t...

Artificial intelligence is ushering in a new era of mind reading, with advanced brain scans revealing much of what we're thinking about. Dr. Marvin Chun, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Yale, explains how researchers in his lab are using fMRI and other new technologies to see what's going on in your brain, even as you sleep. This holds great promise for those in persistent vegetative s...

Frayed social bonds, toxic and demanding work environments, and even helicopter parenting are all contributing to an American epidemic of burnout. Dr. Richard Friedman, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry and Director of the Student Mental Health Program at Weill Cornell Medical College, explains how we can better deal with everyday adversity, stress, and discomfort without succumbing to burnout – an...

New York Times journalist Rod Nordland is confronting his glioblastoma diagnosis with positivity, not despair. In this inspiring episode, he speaks with Dr. Stieg about coming to terms with the disease, what it's like to live with his everyday challenges, and why he hasn't shed a tear over it.

Dr. Richard Isaacson, Director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine, shares the just-published results of his groundbreaking clinical trial which show that a personalized prevention plan can dramatically lower the risk or progression of Alzheimer's. Also joining the discussion is one of Dr. Isaacson's patients who is living proof that this new approach works.

Mass shootings, bullying and retaliation, and other acts of violence -- why did the human brain evolve to be so aggressive? Dr. Heather Berlin, assistant professor of psychiatry at the Icahn School of Medicine, talks about the genetics of violence, the "mean girl" phenomenon, and why some psychopaths end up in jail while others land in the corner office.

How have sexual behaviors changed in our Millennial, #MeToo era? Biological anthropologist Helen Fisher, PhD, explains the nuances of being just friends, friends with benefits, or a casual hookup -- and tells us how the trend toward longer courtships may change everything.

Some 46 million Americans already have the early brain changes that are the harbingers of a dementia that won't reveal itself for decades. Dr. Richard Isaacson, Director of the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine, talks about the three stages of cognitive impairment, how to distinguish "senior moments" from symptoms of dementia, and whether multitasking puts our overloaded brai...

Chronic pain is a national epidemic. Journalist Melanie Thernstrom, author of The Pain Chronicles, explains the difference between chronic and acute pain, how chronic pain rewires the brain, and the brain's ability to modulate pain.

From Abraham Lincoln's untreatable melancholy to the serendipitous discovery of SSRIs, we have come a long way in understanding depression. Psychiatrist Conor Liston, MD, PhD, explains the diagnostic challenges psychiatrists face, and the trial-and-error process to finding the right medication that frustrates both doctors and their patients.

Stem cells hold the potential to change the landscape of medicine and bring patient care and well-being into a new era. Neurosurgeon Robert Hariri, MD, PhD, talks about the possibilities and promise of using placental stem cells to target cancer cells, control diseases like HIV, restore brain function, and extend life expectancy.

"Neuro-pianist" and conductor Eitan Globerson explains the intricate connections between a musician's instrument, hands, and brain and how the power of music can heal and improve brain performance and enrich our lives.

Coma and vegetative states are confounding for loved ones of brain-injured patients. Dr. Joseph Fins, Chief of Medical Ethics at Weill Cornell Medicine, explains the sobering discovery of hidden consciousness in coma patients and shares a painfully fascinating patient story.

Throughout history, humans have experienced pain as punishment from the gods, a metaphysical struggle, or a simple biological process. Journalist Melanie Thernstrom, author of The Pain Chronicles, talks about the different ways humans have tried to conquer pain over the centuries.

Talking with your neurosurgeons during brain surgery may seem terrifying or like science fiction. But actually, as two patients share, it was a necessary part of making their surgeries successful. Dr. Rohan Ramakrishna joins Dr. Stieg to talk about how awake craniotomies provide a critical real-time assessment into the inner workings of the brain.

The drive to reproduce – to move our DNA into tomorrow – may be behind our ability to do math, make music, and even play sports. Evolutionary anthropologist Helen Fisher explains why our complicated brains evolved in response to a very primal urge to mate.

A faulty risk/reward area of your brain can get you into trouble, but it can also free you to think outside the box. Cognitive neuroscientist Heather Berlin explains how the prefrontal cortex develops – or doesn't – and how cognitive behavioral therapy can help you harness the power of neuroplasticity.

Ethics and emotions often clash at the bedside of terminally ill patients—especially those with brain injuries. Dr. Joseph Fins, Chief of Medical Ethics at Weill Cornell Medicine, talks with Dr. Stieg about what we can do to best prepare for our final days and who has the legal and moral authority to make life and death decisions.