Let's Talk About Women

What if we could peek into the developing brain before birth? In this episode we welcome Prof. Hubert Preissl, head of the research group Metabolic Neuroimaging at the University of Tübingen, who talks about the fascinating science of fetal brain development. Using fetal magnetoencephalography (fMEG) - with one of two systems worldwide right in Tübingen - researchers can measure fetal brain activity and uncover how a mother’s metabolic health and stress influence fetal development. Besides talking about early recordings of sex differences in brain development, we consider clinical implications and how insights into fetal brain activity may transform our understanding of mental health across the lifespan. From the origins of brain function to lifelong (mental) health, this conversation will change how you think about the very beginning of life. If you would like to get in touch with Hubert, you can find him here: https://preissl-lab.net/de/people/prof-dr-hubert-preissl/... or reach him at: hubert.preissl@uni-tuebingen.deTimestamps:00:26: Introduction of our guest Prof. Hubert Preissl and his field of research01:49: When does the fetal brain start to develop?02:37: How do scientists study fetal brain activity?06:54: How does fetal magnetoencephalography work & what are challenges?14:05: The concept of developmental origins of health & disease20:20: Maternal metabolic health & the influence on fetal brain activity26:58: Maternal psychological stress & the influence on fetal brain activity29:40: Longterm consequences of metabolic & psychological health on cognitive & emotional development in offspring32:57: Sex differences in fetal brain development38:01: Summary38:58: What are clinical implications for maternal health interventions?43:32: How might our understanding of the fetal brain impact our perspective on mental health across the lifespan?45:50: Call for applications!46:50: Closing remarksOutline & questions: Franziska WeinmarSound recording & Editing: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Do 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 podcast sideline in which we give the word to young researchers in the field of women's mental health!In this episode, meet Romina Garcia de leon, PhD researcher at the Institute of Medical Sciences at the University of Toronto and part of the Laboratory of Behavioural Neuroendocrinology at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, where she works under the supervision of the one-and-only Dr. Liisa Galea.We discuss Romina's preclinical research on the heterogeneity of peripartum depression and the role hormones and immune signaling play - including in treatment. Romina also speaks openly about the challenges of pursuing a PhD, but also about what she loves about it. At the end of the podcast, Romina answers our renowned "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? Do you want to get in touch with Romina? Reach out to: Romina.Garcia@camh.ca... or find her here:https://www.galealab.com/rominagarciahttps://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/profile/romina-garcia-de-leon/https://www.linkedin.com/in/romina-garcia-de-leon-7b2976149/Sound recording: Franziska WeinmarEditing: 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 Prof. Dr. Pia Schober, who brings us a sociological perspective on our field of research! Pia is a professor at the University of Tübingen, where she leads the Chair of Microsociology in the Department of Sociology and is also part of our IRTG 2804. As an expert on gender-specific and social inequalities focusing on the impact of childcare and education policies, Pia talks about historic and current trends of the gender revolution in this podcast. Why does the gender revolution seem to be stalling? Is there a "paradox in women's well-being" - and how could we explain it?Listen to explore a different perspective and gather food for thought to start a discussion in your circles too! If you would like to get in touch with Pia, you can find her here: https://uni-tuebingen.de/fakultaeten/wirtschafts-und-sozialwissenschaftliche-fakultaet/faecher/fachbereich-sozialwissenschaften/soziologie/institut/personen/prof-pia-s-schober/... or reach her at: pia.schober@uni-tuebingen.deTimestamps:00:25: Introduction of our Guest Pia Schober and her field of research01:47: How is gender defined in sociology?02:50: What kind of social inequalities are related to gender and how has this changed over time?08:14: Factors, phases and current trends of the gender revolution17:00: Benefits of the gender revolution23:44: The longitudinal female well-being paradox36:33: Summary39:00: How can we move towards a less polarized discussion around gender, while acknowledging the effect that gender has on mental health & well-being?47:01: What methods does Pia Schober use in her research?49:21: Closing remarksOutline & questions: Hanna Wierenga & 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 podcast sideline in which we give the word to young researchers in the field of women's mental health!In this episode, meet Zoé Bürger, PhD researcher in the Women's Mental Health and Brain Function lab in Tübingen, where she has been working with Prof. Birgit Derntl.We talk about Zoé's research on hormonal contraception, specifically the hormonal IUD, and stress. Besides, Zoé shares her PhD journey over the past years, how she faced challenges, and found her "village". In the end of the podcast, Zoé answers our famous quick "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? Do you want to get in touch with Zoé? Reach out to: Zoe.Buerger@med.uni-tuebingen.de... or find her on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoebuerger/Sound recording: Franziska WeinmarEditing: 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

March is Endometriosis Awareness Month - so Let's Talk About Endometriosis!In this conversation, Elle Murata, PhD researcher in the Cognitive Neuroendocrinology Lab at the University of California, is sharing insights into neuroscience research on endometriosis.What is endometriosis? Why is it important to consider endometriosis in neuroscience research? How are Elle and her research group exploring the topic? Elle is here to answer all these questions! In addition, she talks about the challenges of this research, her experiences as a young researcher and what she envisions for the future field. Visit the Cognitive Neuroendocrinology Jacob's Lab website here: https://jacobs.psych.ucsb.edu/If you would like to get in touch with Elle, you can find her here: https://jacobs.psych.ucsb.edu/people/elle-murata... or reach her at: elle.murata@psych.ucsb.eduTimestamps:00:26 Introduction of our guest Elle Murata and her field of research01:48 What is endometriosis?08:17 Why is it important to investigate endometriosis from a neuroscientific point of view?14:15 Elle's neuroscience research project on endometriosis24:39 Aims & hypotheses of the project26:29 Possible implications32:35 Challenges of this research topic35:58 Summary38:55 Closing remarks & future directions in research39:50 Elle's experience as a young researcherOutline & 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

How do hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle or when using oral contraceptives ("the pill") affect cognitive functions? In this episode, Franziska speaks with Prof. DDr. MMMag. Belinda Pletzer (Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg), a leading expert in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology, especially when it comes to hormone-brain interactions. With a diverse background spanning biology, psychology, philosophy, and mathematics, Belinda's research focuses particularly on the effects of sex hormones and gender-related aspects of neuroscience, such as the effects of hormonal contraceptives on the female brain.Together we explore if and how cognitive performance and brain activity are affected by the menstrual cycle, premenstural syndrome (PMS), and oral contraceptives. Belinda also shares her hypothesis on hormonal sensitivity across the female lifespan and whether more or actually less sensitivity could be a risk factor for mental health. As always, we conclude with an outlook on how our guest envisions the future development of the research field. Join us for a deep dive into this enlightening conversation - and find out if the myth that all women are affected by the menstrual cycle holds true...Visit the website of Belinda's research group: https://ccns.plus.ac.at/labs/sexandgender/... and Belinda's profile: https://ccns.plus.ac.at/labs/sexandgender/members/belinda_pletzer/If you would like to get in touch with Belinda, you can reach her at: Belinda.Pletzer@plus.ac.atTimestamps:00:27 Introduction of Belinda Pletzer and her field of research02:20 The menstrual cycle and its phases05:18 Oral contraceptives and their influence on the menstrual cycle08:20 How do we define cognitive functions?10:24 Investigating cognitive functions - Belinda's research12:58 Does the menstrual cycle affect cognitive performance?22:28 Belinda's research on PMS, mood and cognitive performance33:08 Do oral contraceptives affect cognitive performance?41:11 Hot Topic: Hormonal sensitivity - Belinda's hypothesis46:30 Summary49:54 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

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) approximately affects 2-5% of women around the world. In this episode we have Dr. Liza Kaltsouni, postdoc at Uppsala University, Department of Women's and Children's Health, as an expert in our podcast. During her PhD, Liza Kaltsouni conducted research on PMDD and collected various data, including brain data in the MRI scanner. This has influenced her holistic perspective on PMDD and the multimodal network approach needed to understand this multimodal disorder. In addition to pursuing such a multimodal approach for future research on PMDD, Liza emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary work and the inclusion of the people for whom the research is intended. Following the motto “nothing good is easy”, Liza calls on us to listen more. And you can start today - by listening to this enlightening conversation!Timestamps:00:27 Introduction of our guest Dr. Liza Kaltsouni & her field of research01:46 What is premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) and how is it differed to premenstrual syndrome (PMS) ?05:57 What do we know about underlying causes of PMDD?12:13 Hormonal sensitivity hypothesis18:22 What do we know about PMDD & brain structure + function?27:57 Multimodal study project & findings of Liza Kaltsouni37:55 Implications of Liza's research41:10 Current available treatment for PMDD44:59 Outlook: Upcoming treatment possibilities for PMDD?48:50 Summary52:27 Closing remarks & future directions in research Want to get in touch with Liza?elisavet.kaltsouni@uu.sehttps://www.uu.se/en/contact-and-organisation/staff?query=N19-2428Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar at Recording Studio Blasenhus, Uppsala University Editing: 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 podcast sideline in which we give the word to young researchers in the field of women's mental health!In this episode, meet Hanna Wierenga, PhD Candidate in the IRTG2804, who is working with Prof. Pia Schober (Tübingen) and Prof. Alkistis Skalkidou (Uppsala) on gender identity and ideologies and mental health, specifically during and after pregnancy.We talk about Hanna's PhD projects and journey so far, how she deals with setbacks and that a PhD is like detective work. In the end of the podcast, Hanna answers our quick "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? Do you want to get in touch with Hanna Wierenga? Reach out to: hanna.wierenga@uu.se Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar at Recording Studio Blasenhus, Uppsala University Editing: 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