Brain Goods: Mental Health Moments

AB Korkor Foundation for Mental Health

Brain Goods podcast focuses on your mental health. Topics range from mindfulness, depression, physical exercise and mental health, personal stories plus much much more. These podcasts have been repurposed from our webinar series. To learn more about our webinar series and AB Korkor Foundation for Mental Health visit ABKF.org.

  1. 05/20/2023

    Mental Health in Our Judicial and Legal Systems - Alexandria J Hughes and Wesam Shahed, Esq.

    Alexandria J Hughes, Wesam Shahed, Esq., and the AB Korkor Foundation for Mental Health discuss the many ways how mental health plays a role in our judicial and legal systems. Alexandria J Hughes is a University of Michigan graduate, and Michigan native passionate about mental health and art. Currently I work as a Mental Health and criminal justice organizer at Michigan Liberation, am part of the leadership team at Accountability for Dearborn, and have 3.5 years experience working as a behavioral health therapist in schools, homes and ABA Centers at Centria Healthcare. Through work experience, and personal experiences with racial inequalities, I’ve learned that existing problems within our criminal legal system often intersect with problems pertaining to mental health services and access. This motivated me to become an organizer and advocate for change. I firmly believe that we can create a world where humanity isn’t selective. Wesam Shahed is a first-generation Palestinian-American from Chicago, Illinois. He serves as an Assistant State’s Attorney at the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office (CCSAO), the second-largest prosecutor’s office in the US. Wesam has not only been recognized as one of the most promising young talents in the CCSAO, but he has also been internationally recognized in the Arab American Foundation’s “30 Under 30.” Wesam recently gave a TEDx Talk on criminal justice reform titled "Does Justice Require a Conviction?" discussing misconceptions about prosecutors and what alternative prosecution methods need to be focused on. Wesam’s involvement ranges far beyond his day job, as he is the Finance Director for the first Muslim and Palestinian American to be elected by the Democratic Party into Illinois’s House Legislature in 2023. At only 24, Wesam earned his B.A. in Pre-Law: Business Management from Loyola University Chicago and his Juris Doctor (J.D.) from Michigan State University College of Law. Wesam holds executive leadership positions for the Arab American Bar Association, the Illinois Muslim Civic Coalition, the Arab Professional Business Association (APBA). Originally Recorded January 26, 2023

    58 min
  2. 12/20/2022

    Food as Medicine - Blanche Shaheen and Reed Dohmen

    Blanche Shaheen, Reed Dohmen and Adel B. Korkor, M.D. discuss how food can be used as medicine. To help improve your mental and physical health. Blanche Shaheen is a TV host/journalist turned cooking show host, cookbook author, and food columnist. She was the host of the PBS independent film/documentary show, Video I for ten years, an on-air correspondent on ABC, a tech reporter for G4 Television, and news anchor for Link Media's program: Mosaic, World News of the Middle East. Blanche now focuses on her passion on preserving Middle Eastern recipes and culture through her YouTube show called "Feast in the Middle East." Her goal has been to break down stereotypes of Arabs, humanize Palestinians, and inspire dialogue between the Arab world and the west. Her instructional cooking videos share heirloom recipes that her Palestinian family has passed down to her through the generations, as well as modern shortcuts for today's busy cook. She is the author of the cookbook called "Feast In The Middle East," a food columnist for the San Jose Mercury News and digital magazine Arab America, as well as a cooking instructor. Her YouTube channel, BlancheTV, has about 70,000 subscribers, and her cooking show has been featured on Virgin America Airlines in flight entertainment,NBC News, Fox News and BBC International. Reed Dohmen is responsible for executing growth strategies and identifying ways to create and increase value for organizational stakeholders. He has led the screening and evaluation of both acquisition and partnership opportunities and contributes to iterative business planning through qualitative research and financial modeling. His past experience includes work as an investment banker at New York Bay Capital, where he specialized in cross-border M&A advisory. Reed received his Bachelors in Business Administration majoring in Finance and Economics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Originally Recorded December 14, 2021

    48 min
  3. 09/20/2022

    The Neuroscience of Failure: A Proxy for Mental Health - Mohammad M. Herzallah, M.D., Ph.D.

    Mohammad is a neuroscientist, physician, and entrepreneur. He is the founder and director of the Palestinian Neuroscience Initiative at Al-Quds University in Palestine, and research scientist at Rutgers University in the USA. Mohammad obtained an M.D. degree from Al-Quds University, Palestine in 2009, and a Ph.D. in behavioral and neural sciences from Rutgers University, USA in 2015. His research focuses on the identification of neural and cognitive markers for the diagnosis of mental ill-health and brain disorders. Through the Palestinian Neuroscience Initiative, Mohammad aims to create a powerhouse for neuroscience research in Palestine, train the next generation of Palestinian scientists and entrepreneurs, and help educate patients and their families about mental and brain health in Palestine and worldwide. In 2011, Mohammad received the Young Arab Neuroscientist Award. In 2013, he received the TED Fellowship, and made the 500 Most Powerful Arabs in the World list by Arabian Business. In 2016, Mohammad was selected for the Lancet Commission for Global Mental Health and Sustainable Development. In 2019, Mohammad was named as a Fellow of the Middle East Leadership Initiative and member of the Aspen Global Leadership Network. His work was featured by Forbes, Science Magazine, Nature, and TED Conferences. Originally Aired November 18, 2020   Presentation slides can be found at https://adelbkorkorfoundation.org/webinars/

    34 min

About

Brain Goods podcast focuses on your mental health. Topics range from mindfulness, depression, physical exercise and mental health, personal stories plus much much more. These podcasts have been repurposed from our webinar series. To learn more about our webinar series and AB Korkor Foundation for Mental Health visit ABKF.org.