Smooth Brain Society

Smooth Brain Society
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In an attempt to change the way information is presented, we’ll be speaking to researchers, experts, and all round wrinkly brained individuals, making them simplify what they have to say and in turn, hopefully, improving our understanding of a broad range of topics rooted in psychology. Join us as we try to develop ourselves, one brain fold at a time. Instagram: @thesmoothbrainsociety  TikTok: @thesmoothbrainsociety Youtube: @thesmoothbrainsociety Facebook: @thesmoothbrainsociety Threads: @thesmoothbrainsociety X/twitter: @smoothbrainsoc https://linktr.ee/thesmoothbrainsociety

  1. Oct 21

    Voices From Pakistan: Neuroscience, AI and Research Equity – Ep #04

    In this episode of Voices from the Field, we speak with Dr Kiran Aftab, a medical doctor and neuroscience researcher whose work connects Pakistan and the UK. Kiran discusses her research using portable MRI and artificial intelligence to investigate neurological conditions, alongside the challenges of developing neuroscience research in settings where access to conventional brain imaging and research infrastructure may be limited. We explore the potential of portable neuroimaging, the use of AI in dementia research, and the importance of ensuring that datasets represent populations beyond those traditionally included in biomedical research. Kiran also reflects on the practical challenges of conducting research in Pakistan, building local research capacity, and developing collaborations that can help address inequalities in access to neuroscience and healthcare. From the opportunities offered by emerging technologies to the limitations of applying research findings across different populations, this conversation considers how neuroscience can become more inclusive, representative and equitable. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Dr. Kiran Aftab and episode overview 04:03 Healthcare Landscape in Pakistan 06:37 MRI and Portable MRIs 13:28 Portable MRI Research in Pakistan 26:45 Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience 29:41 Dr. Aftab's Aims for Research in Pakistan 38:26 Dream Research Project and Current Work Voices from the Field is a special series from the Smooth Brain Society, supported by the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP) through its Spark Grant. The series explores culturally responsive research and what cross-cultural psychology looks like in practice. The views expressed by guests are their own.

    Voices From Pakistan: Neuroscience, AI and Research Equity – Ep #04

  2. Oct 7

    Voices From India: Gender, Work and Parenting Across Cultures - Ep #03

    In this episode of Voices from the Field, we speak with Dr Veena Easvaradoss, a clinical psychologist and researcher from Chennai, India, about the ways culture and gender shape everyday life. We discuss her research with women who roll bidis (a tobacco product) in their homes, exploring gendered work, economic opportunity, health risks and an intervention designed to help workers move towards alternative livelihoods. We then turn to parenting in India, looking at how cultural values, urbanisation and changing family structures shape parenting practices and why psychological theories developed in one cultural context may not always translate neatly to another. Part of Voices from the Field: International Conversations on Cross-Cultural Research Practice, supported by the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP) SPARK Grant. Topics: Gender and work • Bidi workers • Women’s livelihoods • Occupational health • Alternative livelihoods • Indian parenting • Family and culture • Cross-cultural psychology • Cultural adaptation • Gender roles • Socioeconomic inequality Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to the episode and guest 00:44 Dr. Easvaradoss Shares Her Origin Story 03:13 Women in the workplace: The Indian Context 09:54 The Bidi industry and its gendered nature 16:57 Interventions to help bidi rollers 33:13 Policy, welfare and Future 35:25 Parenting Styles in India 48:03 Dream Research and Wrap up #CrossCulturalPsychology #CulturalPsychology #India #GenderAndPsychology

    Voices From India: Gender, Work and Parenting Across Cultures - Ep #03

  3. Sep 23

    Voices from Aotearoa: Language, Identity and Kaupapa Māori Research - Ep #02

    What can researchers around the world learn from Māori approaches to knowledge, language and community? In this episode of Voices from the Field, we speak with Dr Awanui Te Huia (Ngāti Maniapoto) about te reo Māori, identity, colonisation and Kaupapa Māori research. Awanui shares how language shapes identity and belonging, why culturally responsive research requires genuine relationships with communities, and how Māori approaches can challenge conventional ideas about psychology, wellbeing and research. We also discuss language revitalisation, researcher positionality, community-led research, and what it means to create research that is accountable to the people it seeks to serve. Part of Voices from the Field: International Conversations on Cross-Cultural Research Practice, supported by the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP) SPARK Grant Topics: Māori psychology • Kaupapa Māori • te reo Māori • Indigenous research • language revitalisation • identity • colonisation • research ethics • cultural psychology • neurodiversity #CrossCulturalPsychology #KaupapaMāori #MāoriPsychology #IndigenousResearch #TeReoMāori #SmoothBrainSociety

    Voices from Aotearoa: Language, Identity and Kaupapa Māori Research - Ep #02

  4. Sep 9

    Voices From Greenland: Reclaiming History, Knowledge and Language - Ep #01

    What does it actually mean to decolonise research? For the first episode of Voices from the Field, we go to Greenland to speak with Inuk anthropologist, educator and Indigenous rights advocate Qivioq Nivi Løvstrøm about research, identity and disability rights in Greenland. Qivioq takes us into the realities of conducting research in Greenland, exploring what decolonisation can mean beyond theory, what it looks like in practice and why research cannot be separated from the historical and political structures in which it takes place. We also explore the power of language. Qivioq discusses teaching historical methods in Kalaallisut, challenging colonial narratives of Greenland's past, and how the words we use to describe disability can shape how people understand themselves and their place in society. We finish by imagining a different academic system built around genuine collaboration, Indigenous knowledge and international networks rather than tokenistic inclusion. Supported by the International Association of Cross-Cultural Psychology (IACCP).

    Voices From Greenland: Reclaiming History, Knowledge and Language - Ep #01

  5. Aug 26

    #94. The Stories That Make Us Who We Are - Dr Sean Marshall

    We all have a story about who we are. But where does that story come from? In this episode of the Smooth Brain Society, Sahir and Beth sit down with developmental psychologist Dr. Sean Marshall, of the University of Melbourne, to explore narrative identity, which are the stories we build around the experiences that shape our lives. We discuss how narrative identity develops from childhood, how our memories and interpretations of significant events can change over time, and why the meaning we give to our experiences may be linked to mental health and wellbeing. Sean also shares insights from the Growing Memories Project, a longitudinal study exploring how the ways parents talk with their children about the past can influence language, memory and later autobiographical storytelling. So, how much of who we are is contained in the stories we tell about ourselves? In this episode:  🧠 Narrative identity  💭 Autobiographical reasoning  🕰️ Memory and mental time travel  🔄 Turning points and redemption narratives  👨‍👩‍👧 Childhood, parenting and storytelling  ❤️ Narrative identity and mental health Listen now and start thinking about your own life story a little differently. Support the show Support us and reach out! https://smoothbrainsociety.com https://www.patreon.com/SmoothBrainSociety Instagram: @thesmoothbrainsociety TikTok: @thesmoothbrainsociety Twitter/X:  @SmoothBrainSoc Facebook: @thesmoothbrainsociety Merch and all other links: Linktree email: thesmoothbrainsociety@gmail.com

    #94. The Stories That Make Us Who We Are - Dr Sean Marshall

  6. Aug 12

    #93. Can Video Games Predict Cognitive Decline? - Dr. Emre Yavuz

    What if playing a mobile game could help scientists understand how our brains navigate? and potentially identify early signs of Alzhiemer's Disease? In this episode, we sit down with computational neuroscientist Dr Emre Yavuz to explore the fascinating science of spatial navigation and its links to cognitive health. Emre discusses how Sea Hero Quest, a mobile navigation game played by millions of people, has created an enormous dataset for researchers studying how humans find their way around the world. We explore what navigation performance can tell us about cognitive differences, including research looking at Alzheimer's-related risk factors, and why navigation may eventually become a useful behavioural marker for cognitive decline. We also dive into the everyday things that might shape our navigation abilities. How does video gaming relate to navigation? Does relying on GPS actually make us worse at finding our way? What can driving independently at a young age tell us? And why might sleep duration affect navigation differently across men and women? Then things get even more futuristic. Emre talks us through his research using mobile brain imaging to record two people's brains simultaneously while they collaborate in a virtual Minecraft environment. We discuss brain-to-brain synchrony, the role of the prefrontal cortex, social navigation, and what studying two brains at once could reveal about how we interact with other people. Support the show Support us and reach out! https://smoothbrainsociety.com https://www.patreon.com/SmoothBrainSociety Instagram: @thesmoothbrainsociety TikTok: @thesmoothbrainsociety Twitter/X:  @SmoothBrainSoc Facebook: @thesmoothbrainsociety Merch and all other links: Linktree email: thesmoothbrainsociety@gmail.com

    #93. Can Video Games Predict Cognitive Decline? - Dr. Emre Yavuz

  7. Jul 29 ·  Bonus

    Life Updates, Big News & What's Coming Next

    In this short episode, newly titled Dr. Bethany Facer shares insights from her PhD research on Parkinson's disease. Sahir and Bethany also discuss their upcoming podcast series on cross-cultural research funded by the International Association of Cross Cultural Psychology (IACCP). Support the show Support us and reach out! https://smoothbrainsociety.com https://www.patreon.com/SmoothBrainSociety Instagram: @thesmoothbrainsociety TikTok: @thesmoothbrainsociety Twitter/X:  @SmoothBrainSoc Facebook: @thesmoothbrainsociety Merch and all other links: Linktree email: thesmoothbrainsociety@gmail.com

    Life Updates, Big News & What's Coming Next

  8. Jul 15

    #92. The Historian Solving Health Inequities - Dr. Erin Beeston

    We sit down with Dr. Erin Beeston, a Research Associate at the University of Manchester, to discuss her uniquely winding career path. Erin takes us through her journey from history of science and industrial heritage, which includes her PhD on the world's oldest railway station, to her current, impactful work researching health inequalities for the autism community. We dive into what "autism-informed" care actually looks like, why sensory and executive function barriers in healthcare are so significant, and how lived experience shapes her collaborative research approach. Erin also shares insights into her work on Parkinson’s, the importance of co-production in research, and how we might bridge the gap between healthcare systems and the needs of neurodivergent patients. Dr: Erin Beeston: https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/erin-beeston/ Support the show Support us and reach out! https://smoothbrainsociety.com https://www.patreon.com/SmoothBrainSociety Instagram: @thesmoothbrainsociety TikTok: @thesmoothbrainsociety Twitter/X:  @SmoothBrainSoc Facebook: @thesmoothbrainsociety Merch and all other links: Linktree email: thesmoothbrainsociety@gmail.com

    #92. The Historian Solving Health Inequities - Dr. Erin Beeston
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About

In an attempt to change the way information is presented, we’ll be speaking to researchers, experts, and all round wrinkly brained individuals, making them simplify what they have to say and in turn, hopefully, improving our understanding of a broad range of topics rooted in psychology. Join us as we try to develop ourselves, one brain fold at a time. Instagram: @thesmoothbrainsociety  TikTok: @thesmoothbrainsociety Youtube: @thesmoothbrainsociety Facebook: @thesmoothbrainsociety Threads: @thesmoothbrainsociety X/twitter: @smoothbrainsoc https://linktr.ee/thesmoothbrainsociety

Information

  • Creator
    Smooth Brain Society
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2026
  • Episodes
    107
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Smooth Brain Society
  • Show Website
    Smooth Brain Society