Let's Talk About Women

Despite being one of the major hormonal transition phases in the female lifespan, menopause is still underrepresented in medicine and research. Fortunately, this is changing - among others due to our guest, Dr. Claudia Barth, senior researcher at Diakonhjemmet Hospital and the Norwegian Centre for Mental Disorders Research in Oslo, who is an expert on female hormonal transitions and their effect on the brain and mental illness. In this episode Franziska sits down with Claudia to demystify menopause, asking about symptoms, mental health, and what we know about changes in the brain during the menopause transition. Also, they dive into why menopause has remained a blind spot in neuroscience so far and why this matters. With a glimpse into Claudia’s ERC grant on “Mapping Perimenopause", this episode offers a hopeful vision for future research on women’s health, where menopause is finally getting the attention it deserves. Website to the ENIGMA consortium: https://enigma.ini.usc.edu/Website to the ENIGMA Neuroendocrinology workgroup: https://enigma.ini.usc.edu/ongoing/enigma-neuroendocrinology/Website to the ENIGMA Early Onset Psychosis workgroup: https://enigma.ini.usc.edu/ongoing/enigma-eop-working-group/If you would like to get in touch with Claudia, you can reach her at: claudia.barth@medisin.uio.no... or find her work at: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Claudia-BarthTimestamps:00:27: Introducing Dr. Claudia Barth and her field of research02:17: How do we define menopause?05:38: What happens during menopause?11:40: Menopause and the brain17:35: Vulnerabilities and associated diseases21:32: Why do we know so little? Menopause and research31:55: Menopause and mental health43:22: Outlook: Claudia's ERC Project on "Mapping Perimenopause"50:56: Summary54:06: Closing remarks and future directions in research Outline & questions: Franziska WeinmarSound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Editing: Franziska WeinmarDo you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

After our summer break we're back to talk about women! In this episode we dive into the period of adolescence with Dr. Jolien Trekels, who is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of North Carolina. Jolien unpacks how the adolescent brain and body develop during this critical period and explains the complex effects of social media on well-being, from the negative to the positive. Through a bio-psycho-social lens, Jolien and Franziska discuss state-of-the-art insights into mental health and gender differences on how today’s youths interact with social media. We end this episode as always with a look ahead and Jolien's thoughts on the future directions in this research field. Timestamps:00:27 Introduction of Dr. Jolien Trekels02:12 About adolescence: How is this period characterized? 03:32 Changes in the brain and the body08:50 What is (social) media?11:09 Negative effects of social media on well-being15:09 The "Swiss cheese model"17:09 Positive effects and negative effects of social media in adolescence29:07 Sex/gender differences in social media use patterns and mental health37:38 Influence of hormones on adolescent girls regarding their social media use39:45 Summary42:30 Closing remarks & future directions in researchOutline & questions: Edita Karavidaj & Franziska WeinmarSound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Editing: Franziska WeinmarDo you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

Let's Talk WITH Young Researchers: our new podcast sideline in which we give the word to young researchers in the field of women's mental health! We kick-off with our very own Gloria Matte Bon, PhD Candidate in the IRTG2804, who is working with Prof. Tobias Kaufmann, applying computational models to investigate sex differences in brain structure, with particular focus on hormonal transition periods and women’s mental health.We end this podcast by introducing a new closing category and Gloria is the first one to answer our "3 Burning Questions":Who is your science crush? What did you not know/expect before starting a PhD? What do you enjoy most about your work as a PhD researcher? Gloria's hot-off-the-press-paper: Modeling brain sex in the limbic system as phenotype for female-prevalent mental disorders (Matte Bon, Kraft, Comasco, Derntl, & Kaufmann, 2024). https://bsd.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13293-024-00615-1Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Editing: Franziska WeinmarDo you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

Computational methods and machine learning are currently THE hot-topics and they are also applied in neuroscience research, showing us where the field is heading in the future. If you have ever wondered how these methods work, what their advantages - but also limitations - are and how they are implemented in research on women's mental health: We got you!In this episode Franziska is hosting Tobias Kaufmann, professor of neurotechnology and computational psychiatry at the University of Tübingen, who is also part of the IRTG2804. Tobias explains the basics of computational methods and gives us concrete examples of his own work, providing a first glimpse into the computational world. Also, we hear about his new ERC project: "HealthyMom: Modeling and maintaining maternal mental health".Timestamps:00:25 Introduction01:18 Computational psychiatry: Advantages & limitations10:15 Tobias' computational methods & examples: Prediction & classification models21:14 Computational methods in women's (mental) health: Focus on adolescence30:11 HealthyMom Project: Brain plasticity during pregnancy loss40:26 Recruitment information for Healthy Mom Study41:30 Summary43:40 Next steps in computational psychiatry and women's mental healthWebsite to Kaufmann Lab: https://www.kaufmannlab.org/About the HealthyMom Project: https://www.kaufmannlab.org/post/20230202-erc-consolidator-grant/References:Population-based neuroimaging reveals traces of childbirth in the maternal brain (de Lange, Kaufmann et al., 2019). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1910666116Menarche, pubertal timing and the brain: female-specific patterns of brain maturation beyond age-related development (Gottschwesky, Kraft, & Kaufmann, 2024). https://bsd.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13293-024-00604-4Domain adapted brain network fusion captures variance related to pubertal brain development and mental health (Kraft, Alnaes, & Kaufmann, 2023). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-41839-wModeling brain sex in the limbic system as phenotype for female-prevalent mental disorders (Matte Bon, Kraft, Comasco, Derntl, & Kaufmann, 2024). https://bsd.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13293-024-00615-1Outline & questions: Franziska Weinmar & Gloria Matte BonSound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Editing: Franziska WeinmarDo you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

Celebrate with us the first anniversary episode of Let's Talk About Women!! - This time as PhD Candidate Franziska is hosting Dr. Nicole Petersen, Assistant Professor at the Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, California. Directing the Translational Neuroimaging Lab, Nicole's research focuses on neuromodulation and neuroendocrinology. Amongst others, she has investigated the effects of the menstrual cycle and oral contraceptives on brain and behavior.In this episode, Nicole explains what "SHAPERs" are and what we know about their effects on the brain - but also what gaps there are still today. As one of the founding chairs of the ENIGMA Consortium for Neuroendocrinology, Nicole introduces the idea of ENIGMA and the working group and explains how this can contribute to rigorous studies, which will allow us to address exactly these knowledge gaps. Timestamps:02:00 - Introduction of our guest Dr. Nicole Petersen and her field of research02:30 - Explaining underlying concepts: What are hormones?04:22 - Do sex hormones have functions beyond reproduction?05:44 - The acronym SHAPERs & how it emphasizes on the dual role of sex hormones08:38 - How are sex hormones associated with specific psychological aspects?10:29 - Example: The influence of sensitivity to sex hormones on emotions12:26 - Mysteries in neuroscience: How exactly are psychological conditions related to sex hormones?14:18 - Why are some women more sensitive to hormones & mental health disorders? 17:20 - What does research say about the effects of SHAPERs on the brain?23:20 - Is it especially important to investigate SHAPERs in women?26:44 - The ENIGMA Neuroendocrinology consortium: aims & how to join!34:26 - Summary36:20 – Future directions in research & next steps for investigating women’s mental health41:09 – Closing remarksWebsite to the ENIGMA consortium: https://enigma.ini.usc.edu/Website to the ENIGMA Neuroendocrinology workgroup: https://enigma.ini.usc.edu/ongoing/enigma-neuroendocrinology/If you would like to get in touch with Nicole, you can reach her at: npetersen@ucla.edu... or find her research group here: https://www.translational-neuroimaging.com/homeSound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Editing: Franziska WeinmarDo you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

Welcome to this episode with Vibe Froekjaer, Professor in Neuropsychiatry at the Department of Clinical Medicine, Copenhagen University, Denmark. Join us as Vibe and Franziska delve into the question of why some women are more vulnerable to mental health problems during hormonal transitions, unraveling state of the art research on the hypothesis of “hormonal sensitivity”. From discussing the latest findings on genetic and neural mechanisms to the potential of psychoeducation, this episode promises an insightful conversation and valuable takeaways. Discover how understanding hormonal sensitivity can empower women to navigate their mental health journeys more effectively and hear Vibe sharing her vision on the final question: “What is the next question to solve regarding hormonal sensitivity across the female lifespan – and how could we do so?”Timestamps:00:02:10 - The "3 P's" across the female lifespan: puberty, pregnancy & perimenopause00:08:02 - Incidence of mental health problems across the female lifespan: windows of vulnerability?00:09:14 - Why are some women more prone to suffer from hormone-related mental health problems?00:16:57 - Hormonal-related depressive symptoms and the role of serotonin00:19:26 - Hormone variability and gene expression00:26:12 - Large-scale changes in the brain in response to induced hormone variability00:29:02 - Hormonal manipulation effects on reward responses00:33:41 - Is hormonal sensitivity a phenomenon that translates across the lifespan?00:42:03 - What epidemiological data from Denmark tell us about risks for depressive symptoms across transition years00:44:00 - Can we identify women who are hormone sensitive?00:47:41 - What could be preventive and treatment approaches for women identified as hormone-sensitive before hormonal transition phases?00:52:56 - How the concept of hormonal sensitivity can reduce stigma involved in depressive symptoms and empower women00:56:03 - Summary00:58:41 - What is the next question to solve regarding hormonal sensitivity across the female lifespan – and how could we do so?01:03:50 - Closing remarksSound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Editing: Franziska WeinmarDo you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

In this episode, PhD candidate Franziska Weinmar interviews Dr. Adriene Beltz, visiting Tübingen from the University of Michigan. The topic of today’s episode are hormonal intrauterine devices, short IUD. From contraceptives beyond the “pill” and hormonal contraceptive trends worldwide, they discuss how the IUD works, why it is important to look at potential effects of IUDs separately from oral contraceptives and what research there is on the IUD and mental health as well as the brain. Further, they discuss how a specific method of research, “intense longitudinal data”, can help understand individual variability within people to do better science and go towards individualized medicine. Timestamps:01:30 Hormonal contraceptives beyond the “pill”05:00 Trends in contraception worldwide / by age06:45: How does the hormonal IUD work?08:15: Hormonal levels in IUDs10:30 Systemic IUD effects?12:30 Combining OC and IUD in research?15:00 IUDs in neuroscience research and types of progestins23:10 IUD & the brain25:50 Why is it so important to investigate hormonal contraceptives and IUDs specifically?29:30: Summary34:00 Outlook with focus on methods37:30 Intense longitudinal data – what is it and why is it important40:00 Paths to individualized medicine?42:00 Diversity in research via intensive longitiudinal data45:00 Summary and teaser for future episodes on stress & the IUDMany thanks to Zoé Bürger for contributing to this episode!Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Editing: Franziska WeinmarDo you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804

Tune in to this episode for an enlightening conversation on the profound transformations of the brain in transition to mother- and parenthood: PhD candidate Franziska is interviewing Dr. Magdalena Martínez-García, researcher in the “Neuromaternal” group in Madrid. Using longitudinal neuroimaging studies, she and her team investigate structural and functional neuroplasticity across different stages of pregnancy and beyond. Don't miss out and join us when we dive into how (and why) both the maternal and paternal/parental brains are shaped by pregnancy, experience as well as time shared with the offspring.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction 01:44 What happens during pregnancy within the mother's body?04:00 What is neuroplasticity?06:05 Neuroplasticity during pregnancy18:18 Do pregnancy-related changes in the brain reverse?23:35 Why does the brain of mothers-to-be change?27:20 Why we should NOT be scared of pregnancy-related neuroplasticity and brain volume shrinkage!32:02 What are neural plasticity mechanisms during pregnancy in human mothers?37:01 Research on brains of fathers and parents42:03 Time spent with the child matters: experience-induced plasticity43:46 What is the importance of research on the parental brain?47:20 Summary 50:25 The next step in research on neuroplasticity of peripartum and parenthoodMany thanks to Julia Siódmiak for contributing to this episode!Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Editing: Franziska WeinmarDo you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804