Is it okay if you don’t get into graduate school for psychology the first time? Should you take a gap year? What kinds of experiences should you aim to get before applying? How do I narrow down my research interests? Tolu is joined by 3 amazing graduate school friends - Amanda Nkeramihigo, Sabrina Valenzano, and Zachary Grey. Together, they discuss their own personal experiences, share the hurdles they faced, and offer invaluable advice on curating a successful application.  Instagram:...

What is psychology? What does it mean to be a psychologist? Can psychological research really have applications in our daily lives? In this episode, Tolu and Regan break down misconceptions about psychology as a science. Regan shares the evolution of his answer to the question: “So, can you read minds?” Tolu shares some updates on her academic journey. Together, they discuss real-life applications of psychology - from analyzing news headlines to reducing your anger at bad drivers. The TOTE...

How does psychedelic-assisted therapy give people perspective? How does ketamine help with diagnoses like depression and anxiety? Sabina Pillai, from Field Trip Health, enlightens Tolu and Kristina on the healing potential of psychedelics and ketamine. They discuss what a typical session looks like for clients who come to Field Trip Health. Sabina explains how psychedelics target the mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of a person and may help with existential questions one may have such...

What is it good for? Tolu and Kristina discuss how genetic testing may provide individuals with an opportunity to know more about themselves with Dr. Robyn Murphy (Scientific Advisor at DNALabs) and Dr. Aaron Goldman (Chief Science Officer at DNALabs). What is DNA? What can one do when they have risk factors for neurodegenerative diseases? How can lifestyle changes decrease one's chances of having cognitive decline? The term of the episode or TOTE is Genetic Testing. If you're interested in...

Tolu and Kristina bring back student-entrepreneur Chloe Duckworth to discuss an exciting update! How can we improve one's ability to communicate with others? What if that one is not especially good at interpreting subtle verbal or social cues? This short episode gives us insight into what Chloe and her team have been up to! The term of the episode or TOTE is Emotional Perception.  Chloe’s website: https://www.chloeduckworth.com/ Valence website: https://www.valencevibrations.com/ Email:...

Our reality is starting to look interestingly similar to that of a Black Mirror episode. In this episode, Kristina and Tolu talk about the potential benefits and drawbacks of a metaverse, particularly how virtual reality (VR) may affect mental health. Tolu brings up the research she did on Facebook, and how the metaverse is not a newly realized goal. They talk about how VR is starting to be implemented in situations other than gaming (e.g., work). The new DSM is rumored to release in March,...

Tolu and Kristina are joined by Dr. Andrea Halpern, a Professor of Psychology at Bucknell University, to discuss memory and music! In their last episode of the year, they delve into how we remember non-verbal music. Dr. Halpern enlightens the two on certain myths in the field, as well as some of her interesting findings over the years. What is auditory imagery and does everyone engage in it? Is our understanding of music innate or learned? The term of the episode is Auditory Imagery. 

Kristina and Tolu investigate attachment styles as it relates to their relationships with others. In this episode, they discuss their attachment style reports and its implications on their upbringing, friendships, and romantic relationships! How does one get a secure attachment style? What does it mean to be anxiously attached to romantic partners? The term of the episode is Attachment Theory! Article discussed: Simpson, J. A., & Rholes, W. S. (2017). Adult attachment, stress, and...

Congratulations to Rishik and Ashmita for winning the Brainstorm Jeopardy game! In this episode, Kristina and Tolu are joined by Nigerian Neuroscience researchers Dr. Ibukun Akinrinade and Dr. Mahmoud Maina. They discuss the issues that create barriers for neuroscience research in Nigeria. The issues include funding, lack of internal collaboration, outdated equipment, lack of graduate school opportunities, and more. They also talk about their involvement with TReND in Africa, an organization...

Tolu and Kristina are in two different countries!! They talk about the new chapters they're starting in their lives, new updates for the podcast, and what they see themselves doing in the future. They also briefly talk about elections, the water supply in Cyprus, and language barriers! The concept discussed is one of new beginnings. Don't forget to fill out our subscriber form!! Email: [email protected] Instagram: @thebraincorepodcast Twitter: @thebraincorepod Subscriber form!...

What does your brain look like when you're praying? Meditating? Conducting a ritual? These are the questions Dr. Andrew Newberg investigates with his research. On this episode, Kristina and Tolu discuss the field of Neurotheology and the implications of it. They talk about the difficulties that may arise from mixing the two, very different disciplines together (i.e., neuroscience and theology) and how to embrace the bidirectional relationship between them. Andrew's dog gives some wise insight...

Perhaps the majority of those embedded in philosophy have heard of the "Ghost in the Machine" analogy, introduced initially by Gilbert Ryle. It is one piece of the puzzle that is the conversation on consciousness. In this episode, Tolu and Kristina are joined by Peter Hampson from Blackfriars in Oxford, UK. Peter has a unique take on the subject because he has acquired degrees in both psychology and theology. They discuss what a monist perspective looks like from a psychological and...

To continue their conversations on consciousness, Tolu and Kristina are joined by Dr. Adrian Owen, a world-renowned neuroscientist, and Professor at the Brain and Mind Institute in London, Ontario. Back in 2006, Adrian's work showed that some individuals who were in a vegetative state could respond to questions with their brain activation - brain activation that could be viewed with an fMRI. In this episode, they discuss how this research informs the conversation on consciousness in...

First off, Tolu apologizes for the sound quality on her end - but what is podcasting without mic issues?  In this exciting episode, Tolu and Kristina start their two-month focus on the topic of Consciousness. They are joined by the knowledgable Patricia Churchland to discuss consciousness from a neurophilosophical point of view. Pat is one of the founders of Neurophilosophy and is a Professor Emeritus of Philosophy at the University of California, San Diego. The trio discusses the possible...

Tolu and Kristina go all the way to Greece (virtually) to discuss psychodrama therapy with Dr. Nikos Takis. This month they aim to put the focus on their respective countries of origin: Greece for Kristina and Nigeria for Tolu. Together, they discuss the history of psychodrama, what a psychodrama therapy session is like and how certain concepts like myth can be incorporated into group sessions. The term of the episode or TOTE is Psychodrama! Dr. Takis’ Article Takis, N. (2018). Psychodrama...

In this episode, Kristina and Tolu discuss their previous episodes and highlight their favourites so far. They also talk about how they felt at the start of their podcasting journey and how they feel now. Towards the end, they also talk about what the future may hold for the Braincore name! This is just a short episode to wrap up the school year and so there's no term of the episode.  Email: [email protected] Instagram: @thebraincorepodcast Twitter: @thebraincorepod

How do you begin to feel like you belong in a certain environment? A specific position? A new job? How can you start to internalize your successes when they occur? In this episode, Tolu and Kristina tackle the Imposter Phenomenon, better known as Imposter Syndrome. They are joined by Brooke Vick (Associate Provost at Muhlenberg College), Nick Rule (Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto), and Linda Tropp (Professor of Social Psychology at the University of Massasuchetts...

This March, Tolu and Kristina take a deeper dive into psychological phenomena. To start the dive, they are joined by Professor of Psychology at the Florida Institute of Technology, Dr. Richard Addante. In this episode, Rick explains the Dunning-Kruger Effect or DKE. He also briefly explains his role in NASA's largest psychology for space travel. Have you ever underestimated or overestimated your abilities to do something? How do you find your personal balance between confidence and humility?...

A haptic wristband that can convert emotions into vibrations, an app that tracks important data from dementia patients, and a group distributing medical and sanitary supply kits in the Bay Area. All of these initiatives have been co-founded by student entrepreneur Chloe Duckworth. To finish up our month's focus on neurotechnology, we invited Chloe, a sophomore (second-year student) at the University of South California, to discuss her involvement and interest in neurotechnology. We want to...

Neurable is a company that is trying to improve our ability to focus on tasks and get things done. They're doing this with the help of neurotechnology! In this episode, Tolu and Kristina are joined by a co-founder of Neurable, Adam Molnar to discuss what Neurable is up to. They talk briefly about the technologies used in the company's upcoming product, the future of work, and what we can expect to see from the company soon. The term of the episode is brain-computer interface or...

Bionic eyes, Neural dust, Neuralink...Tolu and Kristina ease into February by taking an overview of the neurotechnology field. What is artificial intelligence being used for? Could AI benefit mental health professionals in the future? What can we expect from Elon Musk's Neuralink product? Neurotechnology is a relatively new field, one which is a combination of many other disciplines - should we expect the rise of intersecting post-secondary programs (e.g., Neuroscience and Engineering)? Who...

Tolu and Kristina talk about haptic technology with co-founder of WearWorks, Keith Kirkland. Visually, the colour red signals 'stop' or 'danger', but what is the haptic equivalent of red? Does it exist? What can a multisensory experience look like with haptics as the lead, and visual and auditory technology as the enhancers? How does psychology inform the engineering process of a product like the Wayband, a product which helps the visually-impaired navigate the world with vibrations? Toward...

PTSD! What is it and how can analyzing brain tissue inform future treatments for it? Tolu and Kristina are joined by PTSD expert, Dr. Matthew J. Friedman and Dr. Matthew J. Girgenti, an Associate Research Scientist from the Yale School of Medicine. In this episode, they talk about transcriptomics, proteomics, PTSD treatments, and immunology. They also talk about the sex differences found in PTSD brains. Kristina's movie recommendations are: Leave No Trace, American Sniper, and The Flags of...

A bonus episode to end the year! Tara Goodale joins Tolu and Kristina to talk about her experience living with depression, and her experience with anorexia and bulimia. It is likely that all of our listeners know someone who has or is suffering from depression. In this episode, Tara shares with us how she has managed it over the years with therapy, medication, and social support. What can you do for a friend with depression? What role does social media play in helping or destabilizing one's...