In today’s episode we are joined by Dr. Gary Lewandowski, Professor of Psychology at Monmouth University, to talk about relationships, break-ups, and self-expansion. Gary explains why the ending of a relationship is not always a bad thing and instead can lead to self-growth and rediscover of the self.

In today’s episode we are joined by A Month in Neurodegenerative Disease Research’s Sarah Louadi and Elyn Rowe to talk about neurodegenerative research, Alzheimer’s Disease, and AMiNDR Podcast. Elyn shares with us how heart health is related to Alzheimer’s Disease, and how good cholesterol might help identify, prevent, and treat Alzheimer’s Disease. Sarah explains how trying to keep up with the incredible volume of literature on neurodegenerative research inspired the creation of AMiNDR podcast.

In Superbug Slayer we are joined by Associate Dean of Global Health Sciences and Harold Simon Professor in the Department of Medicine at the University of California San Diego School of Medicine, Dr. Steffanie Strathdee, to chat about superbugs and how to treat them. In this episode Steffanie shares with us the incredible story of how she helped resurrect a little known, but highly effective, treatment for antibiotic resistance bacteria and, in the process, saved her husband’s life.

On today’s episode we are joined by Dr. Jiaying Zhao from the University of British Columbia to talk about how direct cash transfers can reduce homelessness and improve wellbeing in people experiencing homelessness. Jiaying shares with us how providing homeless people with $7500 aided them in finding employment, improved their cognitive function, alleviated concerns of food security, and enabled these individuals to find stable housing solutions.

In Episode Three of Season Four we are joined by Dr. Alyssa Croft from the University of Arizona to chat about gender roles and social identities. Alyssa shares with us how asymmetrically changing gender roles have broad implications for gender equality.

Welcome to Season Four! In Part II, Kyle revisits Episode Two of Season One to provide an update on his research.

Welcome to Season Four! In Part I, Drake provides an update on his research since that very first episode of Brain Buzz.

In the final instalment of Season Three we are joined by Alex Missick from the University of British Columbia’s School of Journalism for a very special episode. Alex turns the tables on your hosts and has them sharing the origin story of Brain Buzz as well as how creating, producing, and publishing the podcast has changed their perspective on research and academia. Kyle and Drake acknowledge how the encouragement and support of many, including UBC’s Graduate Student Career Activation Project,...

In Episode Fifteen of Season Three we are joined by Dr. Ted Beauchaine from The Ohio State University to talk about hyperactivity and impulsivity in individuals with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Ted shares with us the neural underpinnings of and development of behavioral impulsivity, emotion dysregulation, and intentional self-injury in children, adolescents, and adults.

In Episode Fourteen of Season Three we are joined by Dr. Eric Landrum from Boise State University and inaugural Co-Editor of APA’s journal Scholarship of Teaching and Learning in Psychology to talk about teaching, the role of educators in preparing students for life after graduation, and the value of a degree in psychology. In this wide ranging episode, Eric shares with us how educators can assist students in developing skills in the classroom to be successful in the workforce after...

In Episode Thirteen of Season Three we are joined by Dr. Ashley Randall and Kai Kline from Arizona State University’s Couples Coping with Stress Lab to talk about relationships and stress. Ashley shares with us how stress impacts our romantic relationships and how our romantic partnerships can help alleviate feelings of stress. We learn how three dimensions of stress, the locus, severity, and acuity, play critical roles in the ability of romantic partnership’s ability to cope with the stress....

In Episode Twelve of Season Three we are joined by Todd Kamensek from the Neuroscience of Vision and Action Laboratory at the University of British Columbia to chat about how social motivation influences facial perception abilities in adults with autism. Todd shares with us how repeated exposure to social stimuli increases our expertise at being able to identify social cues, and how differences in social motivation for individuals with autism might be diminishing the amount of experience they...

In Episode Eleven of Season Three we are joined by Dr. Alexandra Crosswell from the Center for Health and Community in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco to discuss how the mind and body are connected and how that connection influences our wellbeing. Alexandra shares with us how stress influences our biological functioning and why stress has consequences for physiological and psychological health.

In Episode Ten of Season Three we are joined by Dr. Jordan Axt, director of the McGill Intergroup Cognition Lab to talk about the application of social cognitive processes in an intergroup context. Jordan shares with us how our thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are shaped by the distinction between “us” and “them,” and how these are manifest implicitly and explicitly.

In Episode Nine of Season Three we are joined by Dr. Cheryl Harasymchuk from the Positive Activities in Intimate Relationships Lab at Carleton University to chat about how play and positivity can stave off boredom in long term intimate relationships. Cheryl shares with us how the leisure activities we participate in with our partner can improve relationship satisfaction and how exploration plays a critical role in making activities less boring. What is relational boredom?

In Episode Eight of Season Three we are joined by Dr. Chris Davis from Carleton University to learn about posttraumatic growth following trauma. Chris shares with us how individuals make cognitive and emotional adaptations that promote personal growth and health following traumatic life events. Plus, we get a sneak peek at new work from Dr. Davis’ lab about the psychological costs of keeping secrets from your partner!

In Episode Seven of Season Three we are joined by Dr. Taylor Kohut from the University of Western Ontario to discuss pornography, its consumption, and the consequences of pornography on relationships. Taylor shares with us how pornography makes us feel, think, and behave, and why it is important to understand the intersection between porn users and pornographic preferences.

In Episode Six of Season Three we are joined by Kathie Bailey from Queen’s University and Trent University to chat about social problem solving and perspective taking in children with epilepsy. Kathie shares with us how the language ability of children with epilepsy contributes to difficulties in social perspective taking.

In Episode Five of Season Three we visit with Dr. Zach Walsh from the University of British Columbia Okanagan to chat about how social and cultural attitudes towards cannabis have changed with its legalization. Zach shares with us how research has shaped, and will continue to guide, changing norms and uses of cannabis - particularly surrounding its use medicinally.

In Episode Four of Season Three we are joined by Dr. Kathleen Gates from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to chat about how each brain is unique and what that means for psychological research. Kathleen shares with us how measuring brain processes over time enables researchers to tease apart differences in psychological functioning and predict future psychological outcomes.

In Episode Three of Season Three we are joined by Dr. Carey Morewedge from the Questrom School of Business at Boston University to chat about bias in decision making. Carey shares with us how biases, such as anchoring or confirmation bias, contribute to decision making and what can be done to mitigate these biases.

In Episode Two of Season Three we are joined by Dr. Liana Machado from the Department of Psychology at the University of Otago in New Zealand to chat about the effects of physical activity on cognition. Liana shares with us how exercise impacts brain blood flow and cognitive outcomes across the human life, especially in ageing.

Drake and Kyle welcome you back to the start of the academic year and introduce the beginning of Season Three!