Your Brain On

Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai
Your Brain On

A podcast about the neuroscience of everything. From neurologists, researchers, and public health advocates Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai, explore every aspect of our world through a neuroscientific lens, with science-based stories, interviews, anecdotes, and brain health facts. Equip yourself with neurologically sound answers to life’s everyday health questions and learn the essentials of brain health and optimization, one topic at a time.

  1. 19. FEB.

    Your Brain On... Music

    Music is one of the most powerful forces of all time for human connection, cognitive stimulation, and therapeutic introspection. We’ve seen music help Alzheimer’s patients find their voice, children with speech disorders unlock new ways to communicate with rhythm and melody, and communities express their identity through song. In this episode, we discuss: • The cognitive, psychological, and mental benefits of music • Why learning to play an instrument is one of the best things you can do for your brain • The power of music as a means of connecting with others • Therapeutic uses of music for patients living with neurodegenerative diseases • The neuroscience of how we process sounds and perceive music We’re absolutely thrilled to be speaking to THREE incredible experts on music and cognition today, discussing an element of the human experience that does so much for our brains without us even thinking about it. In this episode, we’re joined by: DR. ANI PATEL, PhD, a cognitive psychologist at Tufts University known for his research on music cognition and the neuroscience of music. DR. CHARLES LIMB, MD, a surgeon, professor of otolaryngology, and musician at University of California in San Francisco.  JONATHAN BISS, renowned pianist and author of the book ‘Unquiet’, which explores the intersection of music and mental health. This is... Your Brain On Music. ‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neurologists, scientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai. ‘Your Brain On...’ is supported by the NEURO World Retreat, taking place in San Diego, September 2–5 2025: https://neuroworldretreat.com/ ‘Your Brain On... Music’ • SEASON 4 • EPISODE 10 This is the Season 4 finale. We’ll be back in a few weeks with Season 5! ——— LINKS Dr. Ani Patel, PhD At Tufts University: https://as.tufts.edu/psychology/people/faculty/aniruddh-patel  The Sound Health Network: https://soundhealth.ucsf.edu/ Dr. Charles Limb, MD At UCSF: https://ohns.ucsf.edu/charles-limb  Dr. Limb’s TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/charles_limb_your_brain_on_improv Jonathan Biss Jonathan’s website: https://www.jonathanbiss.com/ On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jonathan_biss_official/ Jonathan’s book, ‘Unquiet’: https://www.jonathanbiss.com/projects/unquiet  ——— FOLLOW US Join the NEURO Academy: NEUROacademy.com Instagram: @thebraindocs Website: TheBrainDocs.com More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

    1 Std. 2 Min.
  2. 12. FEB.

    Your Brain On... Supplements

    Supplements have become a hundred-billion dollar industry. But can they really boost your brain health in the ways they claim? They’re everywhere: shelves and shelves of pills and powders promising everything from  improved immunity, boosted energy, and faster weight loss to better sleep, happier moods, and enhanced sexual wellness. Social media influencers won’t stop talking about them, and they seem to appear in TV commercials every five minutes. And yet... the evidence supporting most of the claims these supplements make is next-to-nought. So what’s the truth? In ‘Your Brain On... Supplements’, we discuss: The differences between supplements and medication Why supplements are so loosely regulated The most popular supplements, and the lack of evidence supporting their purported benefits Identifying between the placebo effect and real effects Some supplements with actual evidence-based potential The psychology behind why we all feel compelled to try supplements Tips for navigating supplement claims we see on social media Joining us for this episode is Dr. Adrian Chavez a nutrition researcher, educator, and consultant. He has a PhD in Nutrition and Health Promotion where he conducted research developing and delivering lifestyle interventions in community settings for improving cardiovascular and metabolic health. After graduating he opened up a private practice and has worked with hundreds of clients helping people to lose weight and improve a variety of health problems with science-based nutrition strategies. He is the host of The Nutrition Science Podcast, a top-rated nutrition podcast that provides bite-sized episodes covering important topics in nutrition. This is... Your Brain On Supplements. ‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neurologists, scientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai. ‘Your Brain On...’ is supported by the NEURO World Retreat, taking place in San Diego, September 2–5 2025: https://neuroworldretreat.com/ ‘Your Brain On... Supplements’ • SEASON 4 • EPISODE 9 ——— LINKS Dr. Adrian Chavez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.adrian.chavez Dr. Adrian Chavez’s website: https://www.dradrianchavez.com/ Dr. Adrian Chavez’s Podcast: https://www.thenutritionsciencepodcast.com/ ——— SELECTED CITATIONS Dietary Supplement Studies  Supplements adulterated with drugs: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35285963/  Prohibited contaminants in dietary supplements: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5753965/  Dietary Supplement Fraud: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33412717/  Unapproved Ingredients: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30646238/  Ashwagandha  Ashwagandha on Physical Performance https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8006238/ Ashwagandha on sleep https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34559859/  Ashwagandha on stress https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36017529/  Creatine  Creatine on Memory https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35984306/ ——— FOLLOW US Join the NEURO Academy: NEUROacademy.com Instagram: @thebraindocs Website: TheBrainDocs.com More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

    48 Min.
  3. 6. FEB.

    Your Brain On... Traumatic Brain Injury

    Traumatic Brain Injury is a major cause of death, disability, and cognitive decline. Thankfully, evolving research is helping us protect our heads and lessen the long-term impacts of TBIs. In this episode of ‘Your Brain On...’ we discuss: • The effects and symptoms of TBI, from mild concussions to more severe head injuries • What actually happens to your brain when you sustain a TBI • The links between TBI and neurodegenerative diseases and cognitive impairment • The prevalence of TBI in military personnel and sportspeople, and how we’re improving protective technologies • Steps to take after experiencing concussions or head traumas • How brain-healthy preventative lifestyle habits can lessen the long-term impacts of TBI Our guest for this episode is Dr. David Brody, MD, PhD, Chief Science Officer/Chief Innovation Officer, Center for Neuroscience and Regenerative Medicine, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, MD. Dr. Brody is a pre-eminent researcher of traumatic brain injuries, particularly in military personnel who experience TBIs during combat.  This is... Your Brain On TBI. ‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neurologists, scientists, and public health advocates Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai. ‘Your Brain On...’ is supported by the NEURO World Retreat, taking place in San Diego, September 2–5 2025: https://neuroworldretreat.com/ ‘Your Brain On... TBI’ • SEASON 4 • EPISODE 8  — LINKS David Brody, MD, PhD: https://www.usuhs.edu/profile/david-brody-md-phd  — FOLLOW US  Instagram: @thebraindocs  Website: TheBrainDocs.com More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

    43 Min.
  4. 22. JAN.

    Your Brain On... Omega-3

    Omega-3 supplements have become a multi-billion-dollar industry, promising to enhance your memory, boost your mood, and protect your brain. But where does the science end, and the marketing hype begin? Omega-3 fatty acids are a special category of ‘good fats’ that play vital roles in both brain and body health. Unlike some species, we can’t produce our own Omega-3s, so we must rely on our diets to get these essential fats. In this episode, we discuss how to get more brain-healthy quantities of Omega-3 into your diet, plus: • The brain health benefits of Omega-3 • The differences between Omega-3 and Omega-6 • The neurochemical intricacies of ALA, EPA, and DHA • Why Omega-3s are essential for development at a young age • The current (and future) state of Omega-3 research • Who needs Omega-3 supplements, and why Enriching the discussion this week are two celebrated experts in the field: DR. RICHARD BAZINET, a professor and researcher whose work focuses on the regulation and role of brain lipid metabolism in neurodegenerative diseases DR. BILL HARRIS, an internationally-recognised expert on omega-3, and the pioneer behind the Omega-3 Index This is... Your Brain On Omega-3. ‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neurologists, scientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai. ‘Your Brain On...’ is supported by the NEURO World Retreat, taking place in San Diego, September 2–5 2025: https://neuroworldretreat.com/ ‘Your Brain On... Omega-3’ • SEASON 4 • EPISODE 7 ——— LINKS DR. RICHARD BAZINET Dr. Bazinet at University of Toronto: https://nutrisci.med.utoronto.ca/faculty/richard-bazinet DR. BILL HARRIS Dr. Harris at OmegaQuant: https://omegaquant.com/dr-william-s-harris/  ———  FOLLOW US Join the NEURO Academy: NEUROacademy.com Instagram: @thebraindocs Website: TheBrainDocs.com More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

    59 Min.
  5. 15. JAN.

    Your Brain On... Social Media

    Two decades on from the start of the smartphone revolution, we have the first humans who, for as long as they’ve been alive, have had the entire internet just a few taps away. What has this done to our brains? It’s been an unprecedented period of rapid change, and, with the largest social networking sites using every neurological trick in the book to keep us endlessly scrolling down our feeds, what can we do to make our relationship with social media healthier? In this episode of ‘Your Brain On...’, we discuss: • The brain health risks of social media overuse (and rewards of healthy use!) • How social media apps are designed to keep us addicted • Structural brain changes that have been sparked by the digital age • The neuroscience of doom-scrolling, social comparison, social media’s impact on sleep • Practical steps to balance our social media use We’re joined by two internationally-renowned experts on these topics: DR. JEAN TWENGE, a researcher, author, and psychologist known for her work on how social media affects the mental health of different generations. DR.  LARRY ROSEN, co-author of ‘The Distracted Mind’ and celebrated expert in the psychology of technology. This is... Your Brain On Social Media. ‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neurologists, scientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai. ‘Your Brain On... Social Media’ • SEASON 4 • EPISODE 6 ‘Your Brain On...’ is supported by the NEURO World Retreat, taking place in San Diego, September 2–5 2025: https://neuroworldretreat.com/ ——— LINKS DR. JEAN TWENGE Dr. Twenge’s website: https://www.jeantwenge.com/ at San Diego State University: https://psychology.sdsu.edu/people/jean-twenge/ DR. LARRY ROSEN Dr. Rosen’s website: https://drlarryrosen.com/ ——— FOLLOW US Join the NEURO Academy: NEUROacademy.com Instagram: @thebraindocs Website: TheBrainDocs.com More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast

    49 Min.
  6. 18.12.2024

    Your Brain On... Ketogenic Diets

    High in fats and low in carbs, ketogenic diets were originally developed in the 1920s to treat children with epilepsy. Now, they’ve gained popularity for weight loss, and even improved cognitive function. But how much truth is there in the purported brain health benefits we see on social media? In this episode of ‘Your Brain On...’, we separate the facts from the fads, and discuss: • What one might eat on a typical ketogenic diet • How ketogenic diets affect brain metabolism • The different ways your brain uses sources of energy — glucose vs. ketones • The latest data on ketogenic diet in Alzheimer’s disease patients • What we know about how ketogenic diets and treatment of Alzheimer’s • The outcome differences between ketogenic diets and ketone supplements in Alzheimer’s • Other evidence-based nutritional approaches for brain health  For this episode, we welcome two world-renowned professionals in the field of nutrition and neuroscience: DR. MATTHEW TAYLOR, PhD, RD, Assistant Professor, Dietetics and Nutrition, Kansas University Medical Center DR. RUSSELL SWERDLOW, MD, Gene and Marge Sweeney Professor of Neurology; Director, Alzheimer's Disease Research Center, Kansas University Medical Center This is... Your Brain On Ketogenic Diets. ‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neurologists, scientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai. ‘Your Brain On... Ketogenic Diets’ • SEASON 4 • EPISODE 4   FOLLOW US Instagram: @thebraindocs Website: TheBrainDocs.com More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast   REFERENCES 1. Wheless, James W. "History of the ketogenic diet." Epilepsia 49 (2008): 3-5. 2. Krolak-Salmon, Pierre, Russell H. Swerdlow, Thibault Mastain, Catherine Dive-Pouletty, Nick Pooley, and Masoumeh Kisomi. "Efficacy and Safety of Exogenous Ketones in People with Mild Neurocognitive Disorder and Alzheimer’s Disease: A Systematic Literature Review." Nutrition Reviews (2024): nuae098. 3. Taylor, Matthew K., Debra K. Sullivan, Jonathan D. Mahnken, Jeffrey M. Burns, and Russell H. Swerdlow. "Feasibility and efficacy data from a ketogenic diet intervention in Alzheimer's disease." Alzheimer's & Dementia: Translational Research & Clinical Interventions 4 (2018): 28-36. 4. Taylor, Matthew K., Russell H. Swerdlow, and Debra K. Sullivan. "Dietary neuroketotherapeutics for Alzheimer’s disease: an evidence update and the potential role for diet quality." Nutrients 11, no. 8 (2019): 1910. 5. Koppel, Scott J., and Russell H. Swerdlow. "Neuroketotherapeutics: a modern review of a century-old therapy." Neurochemistry international 117 (2018): 114-125. 6. O'Neill, Blair, and Paolo Raggi. "The ketogenic diet: Pros and cons." Atherosclerosis 292 (2020): 119-126. 7. Crosby, Lee, Brenda Davis, Shivam Joshi, Meghan Jardine, Jennifer Paul, Maggie Neola, and Neal D. Barnard. "Ketogenic diets and chronic disease: weighing the benefits against the risks." Frontiers in nutrition 8 (2021): 702802.

    50 Min.
  7. 11.12.2024

    Your Brain On... ALS

    ALS, a nervous system disease, ruled the headlines in the summer of 2014 thanks to the viral Ice Bucket Challenge. How has our knowledge of the disorder evolved a decade later? Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ‘Lou Gehrig's disease’ (named after the iconic baseball player), is a progressive neurological disorder which breaks down a person’s motor neurons. The main symptoms are muscle weakness and impaired physical function — mild, at first, but in the latter stages of the disease’s progression, essential processes like breathing begin to fail. Most individuals face a life expectancy of two to five years. A small percentage live five to ten years. And an even tinier group survive beyond a decade. Most famously, renowned physicist Stephen Hawking survived more than 50 years past his diagnosis, in part due to the intensive care he was able to afford. In this episode of the ‘Your Brain On...’ podcast, we discuss: • What ALS is, and how it affects the brain and the body • The onset and progression of ALS, from the earliest symptoms to the end-stage impacts • How ALS patients are diagnosed, treated, and cared for • Likely causes of ALS, including genetic predispositions and potential environmental risk factors • How new technologies are rapidly accelerating our understanding of ALS, especially in genetics Joining us for this installment of the show are two world-class experts on the disease: • Professor Ammar Al-Chalabi PhD, Professor of Neurology and Complex Disease Genetics at the Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute at King's College. • Merit Cudkowicz, Director of the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital. ‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neurologists, scientists and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai. ‘Your Brain On... ALS’ • SEASON 4 • EPISODE 3 ——— LINKS PROFESSOR AMMAR AL-CHALABI at King’s College: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/ammar-al-chalabi at Motor Neurone Disease Disease Association: https://www.mndassociation.org/get-involved/cure-finders/professor-ammar-al-chalabi Project MinE: https://projectmine.com/ MERIT CUDKOWICZ at Massachusetts General Hospital: https://www.massgeneral.org/doctors/16904/merit-cudkowicz  at Harvard University: https://researchers.mgh.harvard.edu/profile/1520993/Merit-Cudkowicz ——— ANNOUNCING: NEURO WORLD RETREAT 2025 We’re so excited to share something very close to our hearts, which we’ve been working on over the past few months: our first ever brain health retreat! You’re warmly invited to join us in San Diego, California for the inaugural NEURO World Retreat 2025, taking place September 2–5, 2025 at the breathtaking Paradise Point Resort. For more information, and to book, visit: https://neuroworldretreat.com/ ——— FOLLOW US Join the NEURO Academy: NEUROacademy.com Instagram: @thebraindocs Website: TheBrainDocs.com More info and episodes: TheBrainDocs.com/Podcast ——— References: Brown, Robert H., and Ammar Al-Chalabi. "Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." New England Journal of Medicine 377.2 (2017): 162-172. Benatar, Michael, et al. "A roadmap to ALS prevention: strategies and priorities." Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry 94.5 (2023): 399-402. Voigtlaender, Sebastian, et al. "Artificial intelligence in neurology: opportunities, challenges, and policy implications." Journal of Neurology 271.5 (2024): 2258-2273. Zinman, Lorne, and Merit Cudkowicz. "Emerging targets and treatments in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." The Lancet Neurology 10.5 (2011): 481-490. Raghav, Yogindra, et al. "Identification of gene fusions associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." Muscle & Nerve 69.4 (2024): 477-489. Su, Feng-Chiao, et al. "Association of environmental toxins with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis." JAMA neurology 73.7 (2016): 803-811. Talbott, Evelyn O., et al. "Case-control study of environmental toxins and risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis involving the national ALS registry." Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Degeneration (2024): 1-10.

    47 Min.

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A podcast about the neuroscience of everything. From neurologists, researchers, and public health advocates Drs. Ayesha and Dean Sherzai, explore every aspect of our world through a neuroscientific lens, with science-based stories, interviews, anecdotes, and brain health facts. Equip yourself with neurologically sound answers to life’s everyday health questions and learn the essentials of brain health and optimization, one topic at a time.

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