Molecular Biologist Guy Caldwell (pt2: BS 205)

Molecular Biologist Guy Caldwell (pt2: BS 205)

BS 205 is a follow-up interview with molecular biologist Dr. Guy Caldwell we learn more about how the tools of molecular biology are used to unravel questions in neurobiology and provide hope for better treatments for problems like Parkinson's Disease.

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Molecular Biologist Guy Caldwell (BS 204)

Molecular Biologist Guy Caldwell (BS 204)

This month's episode is an encore presentation of an interview with Dr. Guy Caldwell from the University of Alabama. Dr. Caldwell explains how tools from molecular biology make it possible to use the famous C. Elegans roundworm to improve our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson's disease.

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Understanding Action Potentials (spikes) with Mark Humphries (BS 186)

Understanding Action Potentials (spikes) with Mark Humphries (BS 186)

Episode 186 features Mark Humphries, author of The Spike: An Epic Journey Through the Brain in 2.1 Seconds. We explore how the brain uses electrical signaling in surprising ways, beginning with a look at how an action potential (aka. "the spike") is produced. This episode is for listeners of all backgrounds.

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Iris Berent author of "The Blind Storyteller" (BS 182)

Iris Berent author of "The Blind Storyteller" (BS 182)

Brain Science 182 features an interview with Iris Berent, author of The Blind Storyteller: How We Reason About Human Nature. We explore how our inborn biases toward dualism and essentialism influence our response to both science and mental illness.

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Bruce Goldstein on "The Mind" (BS 180)

Bruce Goldstein on "The Mind" (BS 180)

BS 180 features E Bruce Goldstein, author of The Mind: Consciousness, Prediction, and the Brain. It is a great episode for listeners of all backgrounds and highly recommended to share with potential new listeners.

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Seth Grant talks about Synapse Complexity (BS 176)

BS 176 is my fifth interview with molecular biologist and neuroscientist Dr. Seth Grant from The University of Edinburgh. Dr. Grant was recently recognized for his pioneering work by the Federation of European Neuroscientists. He continues to make fundamental discoveries about the structure and function of the synapse and this month we discuss the discovery that synapse complexity and diversity is greater than expected, along with the  implications of these discoveries. 

Dr. Grant first appeared on Brain Science back in 2008. So in this interview, I also asked him to take us back through some of the key discoveries of his career. These include the discovery that the synapse is much more complex than previously assumed and the fact that this complexity preceded the evolution of animals with brains. More recently he has discovered that synapses are also more diverse than expected and that those in some parts of the brain are more complex than others.

How to get this episode:

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Patreon supporters need to go to Your Memberships to update their tiers (>$3/month for transcripts or >$10/month for ad-free audio).

Links and References:

  • Seth Grant: University of Edinburgh

  • FENS EJN Award 2020

  • Cizeron M, Qiu Z, Koniaris B, et al. A brainwide atlas of synapses across the mouse life span. Science2020;369(6501):270-275. doi:10.1126/science.aba3163

  • Additional references are available in the episode transcript and in the show notes for previous episodes (Listed below)

Dr. Grant’s Previous Brain Science Interviews:

  • BSP 51: our first introduction to synapse complexity and evolution

  • BS 101: The role of the synapse in learning and disease

  • BS 137: How synapses change through out the lifespan

  • BS 150: Introducing the Synaptome and why it matters

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"The Spontaneous Brain" with Georg Northoff (BS 174)

BS 174 is an interview with Georg Northoff about his book The Spontaneous Brain: From the Mind–Body to the World–Brain Problem. We explore the surprising discovering that much of the brain’s activity is entirely independent of inputs from the senses, how this spontaneous activity interacts with stimuli, and the implications of these discoveries on our understanding of how the brain generates conscious experience.

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"The Brain from Inside Out" with György Buzsáki (BS 172)

"The Brain from Inside Out" with György Buzsáki (BS 172)

In BS 172 we talk with neuroscientist György Buzsáki about his new book The Brain from Inside Out . Several key ideas emerge including the importance of the brain’s spontaneous activity and the implications for learning and memory.

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"A Brain for Numbers" with Andreas Nieder (BS 170)

"A Brain for Numbers" with Andreas Nieder (BS 170)

BS 170 is an interview with Andreas Nieder, author of A Brain for Numbers: The Biology of the Number Instinct. We explore the surprising discovery that there appears to be a universal approximate number system that is shared across species and forms the basis for the symbolic mathematics that is unique to humans.

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Glial Cells with Doug Fields (BS 169)

Glial Cells with Doug Fields (BS 169)

BS 169 is an encore presentation of my interview with R. Douglas Fields, author of The Other Brain: The Scientific and Medical Breakthroughs That Will Heal Our Brains and Revolutionize Our Health. Ten years ago these discoveries about glial cells were controversial, but now they are mainstream neuroscience. Listen to learn why glial cells are essential to our health.

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Stephen Macknik works on Prosthetic Vision (BS 166)

Stephen Macknik works on Prosthetic Vision (BS 166)

Brain Science 166 is an interview with neuroscientist Stephen Macknik about recent efforts to development a new visual prosthesis based on recent discoveries about vision. His technique also involves tools like optogenetics. This week’s episode is more technical than usual but Dr. Macknik makes his work accessible to all listeners.

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