Best Dr Stephanie Caligiuri Podcasts (2024)

1
5 Lessons in 5 Years 31:41

9M ago31:41

31:41

Come celebrate with me in this special episode where I reflect on the last 5 years and the most important lessons this podcast has taught me. The lessons didn't come from a study or a classroom. They came from life experience. These lessons have had a really big impact on my life and I hope that they may spark something positive in you too. I am lo…

1
Echoes of Rain & Nature: From Ancient Seas to Recent Neuroimaging Studies 28:23

10M ago28:23

28:23

As I gaze out my window, captivated by the raindrops, the thought struck me – what makes the sound of rain so incredibly calming? Thus, the inspiration for episode 157 was born. In today's installment, I delve into the effects that environmental sounds can exert on our stress management, sleep patterns, hormonal balance, and neurobiology. It's my b…

1
Unmasking the Top Three of 2023 28:59

11M ago28:59

28:59

Wow what a year! 2023 was filled with a lot of wonderful changes to my scientific career. Thank you for coming along this ride with me. Come hang out with me as I countdown the top 3 most listened to episodes on the People's Scientist podcast of 2023. Which episode was your favorite? Want to buy me a coffee to say thanks for the episode? You can do…

1
Scented Wisdom: Rediscovering The Power of Smell for Memory & Cognition 28:09

11M ago28:09

28:09

I am so excited to be back producing episode 155 of The People's Scientist podcast. Thank you for allowing me to take a few months off from the show as I transitioned into my new role. Today I am excited to share a recent study with you in which scientists investigated a simple strategy we can all start using today that may enhance our memory and c…

1
When Nutritional Science & Drug Addiction Research Collide 23:02

1y ago23:02

23:02

In Episode 154 of The People's Scientist podcast, I discuss how consuming food, sugar, alcohol, nicotine, opioids, cocaine, are all consummatory behaviors; we are consuming substances with reinforcing and potentially addictive qualities. As such, there is much neurobiological overlap in eating and drug addiction. This nutritional perspective on dru…

1
The Energy Metabolome & Mental Health 29:31

1+ y ago29:31

29:31

Today in Episode 153, I share with you a recent study published by Amin and colleagues in JAMA Psychiatry this year. This study includes over 125,000 people to correlate the plasma metabolome containing 249 metabolites to the diagnosis of major depressive disorder. I share additional clinical trials to take these findings and give us all some actio…

1
The Neuroscience of Perseverance 32:56

1+ y ago32:56

32:56

In Episode 152, I was inspired by the song lyrics I danced to for this episode and chose to dive into the Neuroscience of Perseverance. Perseverance is distinct from resilience but the two are still very much interconnected. Resilience is an umbrella term, representing our ability to bounce back from adversity, our ability to adapt to change, and m…

1
Neuroplasticity & The Freedom To Change 29:47

1+ y ago29:47

29:47

In Episode 151, I discuss neuroplasticity as an adaptive process of the brain that can either be detrimental or beneficial. I discuss drug addiction, mental health, hormones, psychedelics, exercise, meditation, and more. I also discuss how I think the concept of neuroplasticity can support the notion of the freedom for change as opposed to determin…

1
Three Easy Nutrition Strategies to Promote Brain Health & Mental Well-Being 32:36

1+ y ago32:36

32:36

In the 150th Episode of the People Scientist podcast, I want to share with you, from my 17 years of experience in this field, some top evidenced based nutrition strategies that I think are easy to incorporate and likely to have a significant impact on our brain health and mental well-being. Any guesses as to what my top three suggestions are? Tune …

1
The Neuroscience of Lying 23:09

1+ y ago23:09

23:09

In Episode 149 of The People's Scientist podcast I share brain imaging studies that provide insight into what brain regions are involved in lying. Lying may require more cognitive demand and as such there might be certain signs of a lie. Why do we lie? Common lying is associated with lower self-esteem and quality of life. As such, perhaps lying is …

1
Persistent Changes to Hunger Neurons May Lead to Weight Regain 24:16

1+ y ago24:16

24:16

In episode 148, I go through the details of two recent studies investigating the impact of fasting on hunger and craving circuits within the brain. After one bout of fasting, persistent amplification of excitatory activity was noted onto agouti-related protein neurons of the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus. I believe these studies provide an un…

1
A Military Perspective on Leadership 34:18

1+ y ago34:18

34:18

Today in Episode 147, I have the great joy of interviewing Naval Officer, LTJG Joseph Gills, who led his team to achieving the award Thor's Hammer by obtaining the top scores in the Pacific Fleet competition of 2022. LTJG Gills goes through personal examples and suggestions to achieve good leadership and how to work with bad leadership. For example…

1
The Neuroscience of Itch 26:01

1+ y ago26:01

26:01

In Episode 146 I share some recent scientific evidence on the Neuroscience of Itch. We have yet to fully grasp this relatively new area of science but we appreciate that sensory fibers in the skin send signals along our spinal cord to the thalamus of our brain. But did you know that scratching can be contagious? If we see someone scratch, we may fe…

1
Evidence-Based Strategies to Promote The Health of Our Gut-Brain Axis 29:37

1+ y ago29:37

29:37

In episode 145 I share some scientific evidence on intestinal barrier dysfunction AKA: leaky gut. I use analogies to explain what leaky gut is, how this can contribute to brain inflammation, dementia, major depressive disorder, and scientific evidence on how to promote the health of our intestines and brain. Tune in for details! Want to buy me a co…

1
A Talk With My Sister - What The Recent Nutrition Studies Might Be Missing 33:54

1+ y ago33:54

33:54

Episode 144 is a special episode as a recent conversation with my sister sparked this topic! My sister and I were talking about how the attitude toward food has changed drastically over the last several decades. We talk about our personal experiences in the context of diets, how hormones may be involved, intuitive eating, how nutrition clinical tri…

1
The Neuroscience of Heartbreak 21:54

1+ y ago21:54

21:54

In episode 143, I continue with the theme of love for February but approach it from the opposite direction and share the Neuroscience of Heartbreak. Heartbreak is an intense emotional pain arising from the loss of a valuable relationship. In this episode I share Neuroimaging studies that indicate emotional pain recruits the same brain regions as ph…

1
The Neuroscience of Trust & Vulnerability 32:19

2y ago32:19

32:19

In Episode 142, I share some neuroscience on trust and vulnerability. To trust, we make ourselves vulnerable by relying on another individual to fulfill their role. The main reason why employees leave their job and why marriages end in divorce is because of a lack of trust, communication and appreciation. So clearly, trust is central to the success…

1
Are We Addicted To Our Rises in Insulin? 29:36

2y ago29:36

29:36

In Episode 141 of The People's Scientist podcast, I propose a theory; are we addicted to our rises in blood insulin? Back in the 1940s, injections of insulin were given to treat anxiety and neurosis. They noted that injections of insulin induced a calming effect, sedation, and enhanced motivation to obtain food. In more recent studies we see that i…

1
The Neuroscience of Starting Over 35:16

2y ago35:16

35:16

At many points in our life, we are likely to need to start over; in relationships, careers, school, etc. Here in Episode 140 of The People's Scientist podcast, I share clinical studies that provide some insight on how we can enhance our success in starting over. I highlight three key components: 1) Overcoming our fear of rejection/failure 2) Increa…

1
People's Scientist Recap - The Top Most Listened To Episodes of 2022 37:53

2y ago37:53

37:53

In episode 139, as the year 2022 comes to a close, I reflect on the episodes of 2022. I covered topics from the benefits of indoor plants, how horror movies may make us more resilient, the neuroscience of greed, rejection, social anxiety, embarrassment, intuitive eating, a new exercise metabolite lac-phe, the neuroscience behind the pursuit of happ…

1
Let's Dive Into My Recent Published Studies! 29:42

2y ago29:42

29:42

In episode 138 I dive into two of my recent publications. In the first clinical trial I discuss how we used the technique of metabolomics to quantify the plasma oxylipidome. Here we link smoking status to peripheral artery disease with the oxylipidome. In the second study, we provide evidence that genetics may play a role in the propensity for nico…

1
The Neuroscience of Greed 25:07

2y ago25:07

25:07

In Episode 137 of The People's Scientist podcast, I share some scientific evidence on the Neuroscience and Psychology of Greed. Often thought to be a personality trait with negative connotations, I offer an alternative perspective. I go through a Psychology test with you to determine our level of greed, other personality traits associated with gree…

1
What's Taste Got To Do With It? Recent Research Suggests Wanting Sugar and Fat is Independent of Taste 29:52

2y ago29:52

29:52

A recent study by Li and colleague coming from the Charles Zuker lab suggests that the wanting of sugar and fat has to do with a specific population of cells within the vagus nerve that responds to sugar or fat to activate my favorite brain region, the nucleus of the tracts solitarius (nTS). This was independent of taste in the mouth and smell from…

1
The Neuroscience & Psychology of Nightmares 30:53

2y ago30:53

30:53

Happy Halloween my People's Scientist Army! Today in Episode 135 I dive into some scientific evidence on the Neuroscience and Psychology of Nightmares. I discuss many theories on nightmares dating back to the 1800s and earlier. Nightmares used to be called Incubus or Wizard Pressing, thought to be related to supernatural phenomenon. I also go into …

1
The Neuroscience of Embarrassment 34:18

2y ago34:18

34:18

In Episode 134 of The People's Scientist podcast, I go into the details on the Neuroscience and Psychology of Embarrassment. We study embarrassment because it may prevent us from pursuing health promoting activities like social interactions, going to the gym, or seeking help. What brain regions are involved, what types of embarrassing scenarios exi…

1
Stephanie's Theory of Modern Motivation 31:27

2y ago31:27

31:27

In Episode 133, I discuss my own theory on the modern motivations of humans today. With the onset of technology, I believe that our motivations have adapted and changed. At the root, we all crave to be seen. That is it. I go on to explain 3 other levels to human motivation. I expound upon how we can use this information to our advantage to benefit …

1
Is it Social Anxiety or Introversion? 33:58

2y ago33:58

33:58

In Episode 132 of The People's Scientist podcast, I talk about how Scientists speculate that the prevalence of social anxiety has increased in the last several years. I offer an alternative, that in part, these observations may be explained by us having the opportunity to be more introverted over the pandemic. So is it introversion or social anxiet…

1
What Are We So Afraid Of? The Neuroscience of Rejection 31:17

2+ y ago31:17

31:17

In Episode 131 of The People's Scientist podcast, I dive into the Neuroscience and Psychology of Rejection. Social rejection is believed to recruit brain regions involved in feeling social pain. As a result, many of us may have missed opportunities because of the fear of this pain. But guess what? When people were surveyed about their missed opport…

1
An Exercise Metabolite That Can Reduce Food Intake and Induce Fat Loss 31:35

2+ y ago31:35

31:35

In Episode 130 I dive into a recent publication by Li et al. published this year in Nature that identified an exercise metabolite, lac-phe, that reduces food intake and induces fat loss. The scientists conducted a series of experiments to illustrate that certain types of exercise increase circulating lac-phe in the blood which is likely the mechani…

1
How to Enhance Our Attention Control 53:42

2+ y ago53:42

53:42

In Episode 129 of The People's Scientist podcast, I dive into a ton of scientific evidence on this highly requested topic. Attention control is our ability to regulate to what we give our attention. The opposite would be being distracted, ruminating on negative things, and having intrusive thoughts. Attention control is incredibly important for hig…

1
How To Make Lasting Friendships As An Adult 33:03

2+ y ago33:03

33:03

In Episode 128 I change it up and do a bit of a different episode based less on empirical evidence and moreso on philosophy, sociology, and my own personal experiences. As of late, I have heard many people say they find it difficult to make new friends as an adult, especially with the onset of working from home. So in today's episode I talk about t…

1
The Pursuit of Happiness Lies in Juxtaposition 37:21

2+ y ago37:21

37:21

In Episode 127 of The People's Scientist podcast, I discuss some recent Psychology and Neuroscience findings on the Pursuit of Happiness. Dating back to the time of Aristotle, a happy life was thought to consist of 1. hedonism (pleasure and security) and 2. eudaimonism (purpose and meaning). However, recent data suggests a third component: psycholo…

1
Let's Learn From Athletes & Sports Psychology Tactics 32:57

2+ y ago32:57

32:57

In episode 126, I dive into the scientific evidence on the resilience, psychology techniques, and neurobiology of top athletes. Even the top teams in their league fail on average 40% of the time. Failures and setbacks should not surprise us. We don't not lose, we either win or we learn. What sets apart the winner from the rest is how they respond t…

1
The Neuroscience of Intuitive Eating 39:34

2+ y ago39:34

39:34

In Episode 125, I discuss the neuroscience of intuitive eating. Intuitive eating is associated with a healthier BMI, less symptoms of depression, less probability for disordered eating, higher self-esteem, and more positive body image. Intuitive eating is a form of adaptive eating that relies on our skill of interoception: being able to observe our…

1
The Neuroscience of Self-Confidence 35:47

2+ y ago35:47

35:47

In Episode 124 I share scientific evidence on The Neuroscience of Self-Confidence. I discuss science to answer the following questions: What part of our brain regulates our self-confidence? How does the brain respond differently in people with high vs low self esteem? What difference does it make to our life we have or lack self-confidence? Can we …

1
There Is Power In Understanding The Science Behind Why We Feel The Way We Do 41:48

2+ y ago41:48

41:48

In Episode 123, I provide some scientific evidence on how increasing our self-awareness, our knowledge of our physiology, and actionable goals to modify our behavior can induce benefits to our health and well-being. My goal with every episode of this podcast is to empower us through understanding the science behind why we feel the way we do. I give…

1
The Importance of Magnesium in Coping with Stress 32:43

2+ y ago32:43

32:43

In episode 122 on The People's Scientist podcast, I dive into some scientific evidence on how physical and psychological stressors increase the need for Magnesium. Magnesium helps to buffer the stress response by promoting the production of ATP, Serotonin, GABA, and antagonizing the excitatory NDMA receptor. However, chronic stress can deplete Magn…

1
Genetic History: How The Lifestyle Choices of Previous Generations May Influence Us Today 31:52

2+ y ago31:52

31:52

Today in episode 121, I discuss some scientific evidence of genetic history, how the lifestyle choices and experiences of past generations may induce genetic and epigenetic changes which may be passed along to us. For example, were our parents of a healthy weight, did they drink a lot of alcohol, did they exercise regularly, what was their diet lik…

1
Recent Clinical Evidence on Blueberries & Our Health 28:06

2+ y ago28:06

28:06

My oat blueberry muffins inspired today's episode! I pondered as I baked this week, I wonder what the recent clinical evidence says about blueberries? Jump into today's episode with me as I cover recent clinical trials from the last 2-3 years that investigated the impact of 1/3 to 1 cup of blueberries daily on inflammation, arthritis, antioxidant s…

1
What Do Neuroscientists & Psychologists Suggest For Happy & Lasting Romantic Relationships? 35:50

3y ago35:50

35:50

In Episode 119, I do a timely episode as Valentine's Day is upon us. I discuss the studies and theories that scientists have in regard to why we gravitate toward particular people for romantic relationships and what characteristics are associated with long-term happy relationships. Certain factors I discuss include our genetics, social history, phy…

1
Can Indoor Plants Improve Our Air Quality and Mood? 25:39

3y ago25:39

25:39

In Episode 118 of The People's Scientist podcast, I share some scientific evidence on indoor plants and whether or not they improve air quality and measures of mental health and work productivity. In the segment foregone facts, I discuss how in 1907 it took scientists 30 years to prove that a plague of Pellagra in the South Eastern United States wa…

1
Do Horror Films Make Us More Resilient? 26:25

3y ago26:25

26:25

In Episode 117 of The People's Scientist podcast, the first episode of 2022, I add in a new section called "Forgeone Facts" and start off with some Neuroscience based strategies to help form new habits and to help break old habits as the new year begins. I continue on in the episode discussing a study published a few months ago that concludes indiv…

1
The Brilliant Capability of Dogs in Silent Cancer Detection 25:28

3y ago25:28

25:28

In Episode 116 of The People's Scientist podcast, I share some case reports and studies in which dogs accurately detect the presence of several types of cancer based on urine, breath, and body odor samples from humans. Dogs are brilliant animals with advanced olfactory systems. It appears that cancer cells may emit organic volatile compounds that a…

1
Using Neuroscience to Our Advantage for Self-Defense 28:10

3y ago28:10

28:10

In Episode 115 of The People's Scientist podcast, I dive into the neuroscience and psychology of self-defense in order to deter violence or to avoid being accosted. 1. We may be able to use uncertainty to our advantage as instinctually, we humans tend to feel uneasy and want to avoid unpredictable situations 2. The likelihood of being caught is a f…

1
Physical Convergence - Do We Look More Like Our Partner Over Time? 29:19

3y ago29:19

29:19

In this fun interest piece for Episode 114 on The People's Scientist podcast, I talk about if we become physically more similar to our partners over time. As we share a home with people over a long period of time, we may develop similarities in our immune system, gut microbiome, facial expressions, mannerisms, and we may therefore become more biolo…

1
How to Raise our Metabolic Rate to Maintain a Healthy Body Weight 32:17

3y ago32:17

32:17

Today in Episode 113 of The People's Scientist podcast, I talk about the importance of our metabolic rate. Our resting energy expenditure is an incredibly important factor in determining our weight regain after weight loss and our ability to maintain a healthy body weight. Unfortunately, when reducing calories and losing weight, our metabolic rate …

1
The Neuroscience of Anxiety 35:31

3y ago35:31

35:31

There is power in understanding the science behind why we feel the way we do. In Episode 112 I talk about the Neuroscience of Anxiety. Anxiety may be a result of an imbalance in the activity of our emotional brain regions like the hypothalamus, amygdala, and bed of the stria terminalis. Think of an overflowing sink without a safety drain port. Chro…

1
The Security Guard of Our Mitochondria - L-Carnitine 33:39

3y ago33:39

33:39

Today in Episode 111, I cover a listener requested topic, all about Carnitine. We make Carnitine in our body; it is essential for our ability to turn fat into energy. As such, orally supplementing with Carnitine has been studied in the context of fat loss, exercise performance, mental functioning, cognition, and overall health in chronic disease. D…

1
The Nose Knows - How Our Emotions Have a Smell 20:15

3+ y ago20:15

20:15

In today's episode I dive down the science rabbit hole of how humans can communicate with one another via our body odor and sense of smell. For decades we thought that humans communicated via our sense of vision and sound, because through evolution of visual cortex became more developed and our olfactory system regressed. However, recent data sugge…

1
The Neuroscience of Anger 28:56

3+ y ago28:56

28:56

Today in Episode 109, I dive into the neuroscience and psychology of anger. Trait anger, or commonly called, having a temper, may be in part influenced by our genetics and past life experiences. But our genetics and past are not our destiny, let's take that information, and let it empower us. We can to a certain extent, change our outcomes and I he…

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Dr Stephanie Caligiuri Podcasts

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