Brain Matter Chatter (BMC)

Ruby, Olivia, Julia, Niveen & Hayley - A SONGS (society of neuroscience graduate students) Production
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Welcome to Brain Matter Chatter (BMC), the #AcademicMentalHealth podcast. Our mission is to raise awareness about issues surrounding mental health in Academia. As graduate students, at various stages, studying neuroscience, our hosts bring a unique experiential and scientific perspective to discussions on mental health and illness. To provide a holistic picture of mental health in academia, we aim to bring a diverse set of guests to BMC. Some of our episodes will serve to highlight the experiences of current graduate students. Others will invoke perspectives from our very own faculty advisors, mental health experts, and special guests who will add professional insights to the discussions. Conversations surrounding mental health can be difficult. With this podcast, we hope to make the conversations easier and more accessible. A podcast platform is personal, on-demand, and varies in degree of engagement; listeners can choose when and where they listen, suggest topics that they want to hear discussed, and even appear on episodes as guests. One episode at a time, we hope to begin planting the seeds for change. There isn’t a single, simple solution to the on-going state of mental health in academia. Cultivating a platform for open conversations about #AcademicMentalHealth is the first step.

  1. 12/14/2021

    Episode 10: The Model Minority Academic with Dr. Kay Tye

    TW: sexual harassment, power dynamics, trauma There is an old joke amongst Eastern Asian immigrants: If we bring home a test score of 99, our dads will ask: where’s the other point? Due to various myths, stereotypes, and barriers, including the model minority myth and the bamboo ceiling, navigating the academic world, especially in STEM, with an Eastern Asian identity can sometimes feel complicated. In this episode, Dr. Kay Tye (@kaymtye), a neuroscientist and professor at UC San Diego, joins Kyla Lee (@kylaaalee) and Olivia Ghosh-Swaby (@ogoshhsw) in a conversation discussing the unique experience of being Eastern Asian in academia.  Dr. Tye and Kyla talk about the stereotypes that apply to them as people of Asian descent, from their perceived personalities to their expected aptitudes in STEM fields, and share how they navigated (and still do!) the complicated paradoxical melting pot that is their identities, straddling the line between belonging and “forever foreigner.”

    39 min

  2. 11/30/2021

    Episode 9: A Global Survey on Mental Health in Academia with Andrea Hayward

    In this episode, Ruby (@Ruby__Malik), and Julia (@juliasunstrum) chat with Andrea Hayward, Senior Associate at CACTUS Mental Health. We discuss the results of a recent global survey conducted on the state of mental health in academia. The survey included over 13 000 respondents in 169 countries. Andrea highlights common themes that impact the mental health of researchers and academics, including work-life balance, guilt to be productive, long work hours, and safety in the work environment. Connect with Andrea Hayward ↬ Twitter: @AndieAitch Mention in this Episode: Global Mental Health Survey ReportsCactus Mental Health Initiative Twitter Page R Voice by researcher.lifeCactus Communication YouTube Channel

    53 min

  3. 11/15/2021

    Episode 8: Academic women & family planning

    Academic women & family planning ft. Dr. Kasey Van Hedger & Dr. Alex Levine In this episode, Niveen (@nivful), Hayley (@hayleyrcshanks) and Kyla (@kylaaalee) chat with Drs. Alex Levine and Kasey Van Hedger, both who completed PhDs in STEM and currently work at the University of Western Ontario in London, ON, Canada. We discuss their experiences in Academia with family planning and get two unique perspectives. Kasey and Alex detail their personal stories of how they got to their positions today, how family planning did, or did not, affect their trajectory, and provide invaluable advice for Professional women, including Academics, who are considering building a family. Connect with Alex Levine, PhD ↬ Twitter: @AlexTLev / IG: @alextlev Connect with Kasey Van Hedger, PhD ↬ Twitter: @kvanhedger / IG: @kvanhedger Mentioned this episode: ↬ BMC ep 6- Anxiety & anger series with Rob Hicks:   - Part I: gender stereotypes - men’s mental health   - Part II: practicing mindfulness   - Part III: becoming a parent in Academia ↬ Dr. Harriet de Wit Lab - research on the physiological, mood-altering & behavioral effects of drugs in healthy humans (Chicago, IL, USA) ↬ Dr. Ingrid Johnsrude Lab - research using psychophysical and neuroimaging methods such as fMRI and EEG to study the neural basis of hearing (Western University, London, ON, CA) ↬ Dr. Penny MacDonald Lab - research on the neural bases of cognitive processes in patients with basal ganglia dysfunction, such as Parkinson’s disease, using functional neuroimaging techniques (Western University, London, ON, CA) ↬ #MomAdemia  Recent episodes can be found at www.songsuwo.ca/brainmatterchatter ↬ Ep 7: Mental Health in South Asian Communities with Ishita Aggarwal Listen on any podcast platform + follow us on Twitter + Instagram @BrainMatterChat

    53 min

  4. 10/18/2021

    Episode 7: Mental Health in South Asian Communities with Ishita Aggarwal

    In this episode, Ruby (Host) and Olivia (Co-Host) chat with Ishita Aggarwal about her experiences as a South Asian woman. Ishita completed a master's in public health and is currently a medical student at Queen's University in Canada. Ishita is a member of the BIPOC Women's Health Network (WHN), an initiative led by a group of medical students who aim to provide healthcare resources and improve health experiences for racialized womxn in local Canadian communities.

    42 min

  5. 10/03/2021

    Episode 6 Part 3: Anxiety & anger with Rob Hicks: becoming a parent in Academia

    Anxiety & anger series with Rob Hicks, PART III: becoming a parent in Academia In this three-part series, Niveen (@nivful) and Julia (@juliasunstrum) chat with Rob Hicks, a PhD Candidate in Kinesiology & Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada), about his experience in Academia with gender stereotypes and mental health, expressing emotions other than anger, and panic attack/anxiety triggers and what to look out for. Rob details his personal story of becoming a new parent in graduate school while managing his mental health and provides invaluable advice for (really) everyone, including men, parents, and Academics. Check out the Anxiety & Anger Series where Niveen and Julia discuss crucial matters with Rob Hicks: ↬ Part I: gender stereotypes - men’s mental health ↬ Part II: practicing mindfulness ↬ Part III: becoming a parent in Academia Connect with Rob Hicks: ↬ Instagram: @neurosnacks ↬ Twitter: @_robhicks ↬ Website ↬ Rob's article: Men, we need to #GetReal about our mental health Recent episodes can be found at www.songsuwo.ca/brainmatterchatter ↬ Ep 5: Anxiety, Social Isolation & Returning to "Normal" w/Dr. David Dozois Listen on any podcast platform + follow us on Twitter + Instagram @BrainMatterChat !

    44 min

  6. 09/27/2021

    Episode 6 Part 2: Anxiety & Anger with Rob Hicks: practicing mindfulness

    Anxiety & anger series with Rob Hicks, PART II:  practicing mindfulness. In this three-part series, Niveen (@nivful) and Julia (@juliasunstrum) chat with Rob Hicks, a PhD Candidate in Kinesiology & Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada), about his experience in Academia with gender stereotypes and mental health, expressing emotions other than anger, and panic attack/anxiety triggers and what to look out for. Rob details his personal story of becoming a new parent in graduate school while managing his mental health and provides invaluable advice for (really) everyone, including men, parents, and Academics. Resources: ⇢The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Information Resource Center ⇢ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Check out this series where Niveen & Julia continue the conversation with Rob Hicks in the Anxiety & Anger Series: ↬ Part I: gender stereotypes - men’s mental health ↬ Part II: practicing mindfulness ↬ Part III: becoming a parent in Academia Connect with Rob Hicks: ↬ Instagram: @neurosnacks ↬ Twitter: @_robhicks ↬ Website ↬ Rob's article: Men, we need to #GetReal about our mental health September is National Suicide Prevention Month to address suicide, its causes, awareness around it, and its prevention. We want to bring awareness and remind individuals that you are loved and you matter to the world. Health Hotlines: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline ↬ The Lifeline provides 24-hour, toll-free, and confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to connect with a skilled, trained counsellor at a crisis centre in your area. ↬ Support is available in English and Spanish and via live chat Crisis Text Line ↬ Text HELLO to 741741 for free and confidential support 24 hours a day throughout the U.S. Disaster Distress Hotline ↬ People affected by any disaster or tragedy can call this helpline, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to receive immediate counselling. ↬ Call or text 1-800-985-5990 to connect with a trained professional from the closest crisis counselling centre within the network. Recent episodes can be found at www.songsuwo.ca/brainmatterchatter ↬ Ep 5: Anxiety, Social Isolation & Returning to "Normal" w/Dr. David Dozois Listen on any podcast platform + follow us on Twitter + Instagram @BrainMatterChat !

    28 min

  7. 09/12/2021

    Episode 6 Part 1: Anxiety & Anger with Rob Hicks: gender stereotypes & men’s mental health

    Anxiety & anger series with Rob Hicks, PART I: gender stereotypes & men’s mental health In this three-part series, Niveen (@nivful) and Julia (@juliasunstrum) chat with Rob Hicks, a PhD Candidate in Kinesiology & Neuroscience at the University of Waterloo (Ontario, Canada), about his experience in Academia with gender stereotypes and mental health, expressing emotions other than anger, and panic attack/anxiety triggers and what to look out for. Rob details his personal story of becoming a new parent in graduate school while managing his mental health and provides invaluable advice for (really) everyone, including men, parents, and Academics. References / resources: ⇢The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Information Resource Center ⇢ Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Look out for upcoming episodes where Niveen and Julia continue the conversation with Rob Hicks in the Anxiety & Anger Series: ↬ Part I: gender stereotypes - men’s mental health  ↬ Part II: practicing mindfulness ↬ Part III: becoming a parent in Academia Connect with Rob Hicks: ↬ Instagram: @neurosnacks ↬ Twitter: @_robhicks ↬ Website ↬ Rob's article: Men, we need to #GetReal about our mental health September is National Suicide Prevention Month to address suicide, its causes, awareness around it, and its prevention. We want to bring awareness and remind individuals that you are loved and you matter to the world. Health Hotlines: National Suicide Prevention Lifeline ↬ The Lifeline provides 24-hour, toll-free, and confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Call 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to connect with a skilled, trained counsellor at a crisis centre in your area. ↬ Support is available in English and Spanish and via live chat Crisis Text Line ↬ Text HELLO to 741741 for free and confidential support 24 hours a day throughout the U.S. Disaster Distress Hotline ↬ People affected by any disaster or tragedy can call this helpline, sponsored by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, to receive immediate counselling. ↬ Call or text 1-800-985-5990 to connect with a trained professional from the closest crisis counselling centre within the network. Recent episodes can be found at www.songsuwo.ca/brainmatterchatter ↬ Ep 5: Anxiety, Social Isolation & Returning to "Normal" w/Dr. David Dozois Listen on any podcast platform + follow us on Twitter @BrainMatterChat !

    43 min

  8. 08/09/2021

    Episode 5: Anxiety, Social Isolation & Returning to "Normal" with Dr. David Dozois

    Julia and Niveen chat with Dr. David Dozois, a Psychologist, Professor, and the Director of the Clinical Psychology Graduate Program at Western University, about the impact of social isolation on mental health. We also learn why some of us feel anxious about going back to our normal social lives and routines and what we can do to ease this transition.  Dr. Dozois also shares some of his personal experiences in graduate school and gives some great advice for graduate students.  Connect with Dr. Dozois: Website: http://dozoislab.com/ Twitter: @david_dozois & @Dozois_Mood_LabResources Mentioned in this Episode: Book: Mind Over Mood by Dennis Greenberger & Christine A. Padesky

    43 min
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About

Welcome to Brain Matter Chatter (BMC), the #AcademicMentalHealth podcast. Our mission is to raise awareness about issues surrounding mental health in Academia. As graduate students, at various stages, studying neuroscience, our hosts bring a unique experiential and scientific perspective to discussions on mental health and illness. To provide a holistic picture of mental health in academia, we aim to bring a diverse set of guests to BMC. Some of our episodes will serve to highlight the experiences of current graduate students. Others will invoke perspectives from our very own faculty advisors, mental health experts, and special guests who will add professional insights to the discussions. Conversations surrounding mental health can be difficult. With this podcast, we hope to make the conversations easier and more accessible. A podcast platform is personal, on-demand, and varies in degree of engagement; listeners can choose when and where they listen, suggest topics that they want to hear discussed, and even appear on episodes as guests. One episode at a time, we hope to begin planting the seeds for change. There isn’t a single, simple solution to the on-going state of mental health in academia. Cultivating a platform for open conversations about #AcademicMentalHealth is the first step.

Information

  • Creator
    Ruby, Olivia, Julia, Niveen & Hayley - A SONGS (society of neuroscience graduate students) Production
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    14
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2024 Brain Matter Chatter (BMC)
  • Show Website
    Brain Matter Chatter (BMC)