56. Mental Illness IS Physical Illness: Why True Mental Health Awareness Starts with the Brain

57. Why Brains Need Friends: Turning Rejection Into Resilience, Overcoming Imposter Syndrome, & The Neuroscience of Empathy with Dr. Ben Rein

On episode 57 of A Chat with Uma, I sit down with my dear friend & role model, Dr. Ben Rein: neuroscientist, author of Why Brains Need Friends, [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761227/why-brains-need-friends-by-ben-rein-phd/] & award-winning science communicator. A Stanford-trained researcher who has published 20+ papers on the neurobiology of empathy, autism, & social behavior, Ben has also pioneered the use of social media to teach millions, dismantle misinformation, & humanize the brain. But this episode isn’t just about his work: for the first time, Ben shares his story in full—raw, vulnerable, & unfiltered. He opens up about finding his voice through shyness in childhood, the rejection that nearly made him give up, the imposter syndrome that followed him for years, & the nightmare that forced him to confront his deepest fears. He shares what it felt like to fail publicly, to question his worth, & to rebuild from that place with nothing but persistence & purpose. We also go behind the scenes of his debut book,Why Brains Need Friends [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761227/why-brains-need-friends-by-ben-rein-phd/]—from the personal stories that shaped its pages to the emotional cost of living between the microscope & the mirror. Across two hours, we dive deep into the biology of empathy & belonging, how MDMA & oxytocin illuminate the brain’s circuitry for connection, and how kindness itself is a neurochemical process. We talk about burnout, authenticity, & the paradox of being “seen” by millions while still staying true to yourself. This episode is part masterclass, part mirror—a rare look at what it means to be a scientist, a communicator, & a whole human being trying to do good in the world. Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps): (00:00:00) Welcome & introduction to Dr. Ben Rein, PhD! (00:12:25) Who is Ben really behind the titles? (00:18:40) Growing up in Buffalo: the quiet, book-obsessed kid who found confidence through connection (00:26:55) The turning point — rejection, redirection, & the first spark of real scientific purpose (00:33:20) College reinvention: rebuilding after failure, discovering neuroscience, & earning a 4.0 GPA (00:39:50) Grad-school rejection letters → perseverance & persistence as scientific superpowers (00:54:42) Understanding empathy in the brain: oxytocin, MDMA, & the neurobiology of connection (01:05:10) Lessons from autism models: what social behavior looks like at the level of the neuron (01:23:16) The nightmare that changed everything: confronting fear, failure, & what really matters (01:33:12) The birth of Ben's SciComm: first TikTok video, the mask moment, & going viral overnight (01:42:30) Balancing science & storytelling: rigor, relatability, & respecting your audience’s intelligence (01:52:00) The invisible cost of visibility: burnout, criticism, & finding your moral center online (02:02:40) Writing Why Brains Need Friends: [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761227/why-brains-need-friends-by-ben-rein-phd/] translating warmth, data, & humanity into words (02:11:45) Gratitude, friendship, & staying grounded: why connection is both his message & his method Connect with Ben! * ⁠⁠⁠Website [https://www.benrein.com/] * Why Brains Need Friends: Grab your copy today!⁠ [https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/761227/why-brains-need-friends-by-ben-rein-phd/] * Instagram: @dr.benrein [https://www.instagram.com/dr.benrein/] * TikTok: @dr.benrein [https://www.tiktok.com/@dr.benrein] * ⁠LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-rein-phd-374605ab/]⁠ * X/Twitter: @dr_benrein [https://x.com/dr_benrein] * ⁠YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCn3KN9-HZ0y_kgZWlkhOPtQ]⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Try CURED Nutrition's CBN Night Oil, Serenity Gummies, & all of their other fantastic products--Use code 'UMA' for 15% off of all products!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://glnk.io/73640/uma] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Try CLEARSTEM's amazing skincare products, including VITAMINSCRUB, CELLRENEW, CLEARITY, HYDRAGLOW, and HYDRABERRY--Use code 'UMA' for 15% off all products!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://clearstem.com/UMA] Connect with me! * My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://umarchatterjee.com/] * ⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/umarchatterjee/] * Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/umarchatterjee] * TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@umarchatterjee] * Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [hello@umarchatterjee.com] * Support my work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee] * Guest Request? 👉🏾 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠ [https://forms.gle/csXttU8LNMMiiDxL8]

56. Mental Illness IS Physical Illness: Why True Mental Health Awareness Starts with the Brain

On episode 56 of A Chat with Uma, I’m here for a solo episode to kick off Mental Illness Awareness Week 2025 with a bold claim: that the most powerful way to raise awareness for mental illness — & to change how it’s perceived, treated, & supported — is to reconceptualize it as what it actually is: a brain disorder — a physical illness. For generations, “mental illness” has been misunderstood as something of the "mind" rather than the brain — & that misunderstanding has fueled catastrophic stigma, under-funding, & inequity in care. In this episode I trace how that split between “mental” & “physical” emerged, why it still pervades our language & systems, & what it will take to undo it—from historical misclassifications to modern neuroscience establishing that these are all brain disorders. Here, I unpack my staunch belief of how reframing mental illness as a physical illness can transform stigma, funding, & compassion. Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps): (00:00:00) Mental Illness Awareness Week & why this is one of my most important messages Contextual episodes: * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠01. My Full Story: 0 to 26⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/01--My-Full-Story-0-to-26-e1tsenk/a-a97hn9e] * 02-05. My Mental Health Journey: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/02--My-Mental-Health-Journey-Part-1-e1u6ohp], ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/03--My-Mental-Health-Journey-Part-2-e1uh4c6], ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 3⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/04--My-Mental-Health-Journey-Part-3-e1usqo7], ⁠⁠⁠Part 4⁠⁠⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6HUI2to65TrvytJ2FVt1b5], ⁠⁠Part 5⁠⁠ [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/30--My-Mental-Health-Journey-Part-5-e2uub19] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠06. Yes, I've Done Psychedelics: Pt 1,⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/05--Yes--Ive-Done-Psychedelics-From-Psychonaut-to-Researcher-e1v85pn/a-a9c5g7h] ⁠⁠Part 2⁠⁠ [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/35--Yes--Ive-Done-Psychedelics--Part-2-From-Psychonaut-to-Researcher-e3165n0] * ⁠07-08. The Ketamine Diaries: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Part. 1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/06--The-Ketamine-Diaries--Pt--1-OCD--PTSD--Depression---Chronic-Pain-e1vissi/a-a9dc1rn],⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 2⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/07--The-Ketamine-Diaries--Pt--2-OCD--PTSD--Depression---Chronic-Pain-e1vte58] * 55. My Chronic Suicidality Journey [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/umarchatterjee/episodes/55--My-Chronic-Suicidality-Journey-Active-vs--Passive-Suicidal-Ideation--Reflections-on-Survival--Redefining-Recovery---Hope-Beyond-Stigma-e38r7oc] (00:04:00) The premise: why the term “mental illness” is a misnomer &how it has shaped stigma, funding, & treatment inequity (00:07:16) Why surface-level awareness is no longer enough if the core construct remains misunderstood as “non-biological” (00:09:00) How “mental” implies choice or character instead of biological brain dysfunction (00:11:00) What I’ve seen as a patient, researcher, + advocate — & how cancer taught me society treats “physical” & “psychiatric” illnesses entirely differently (00:16:02) The root problem with the word “mental” & the false divide between mind & brain (00:20:00) Why psychotherapy is biological: Rewiring the brain through cognition & behavior (00:23:40) The mind–brain relationship: the brain is the organ; the mind is the process it creates — & why this matters for shame vs. science (00:26:40) Defining mental health vs. mental illness through a biological lens: transient vs. chronic brain dysfunction (00:33:12) Neurobiology 101: How the brain creates symptoms — from genes to molecules to cells to circuits to behavior (00:38:00) “The brain doesn’t respect the boundaries of the DSM”: rethinking diagnoses as temporary placeholders until we can map mechanisms in real time (00:41:56) The neurology vs. psychiatry split: why visible vs. invisible symptoms should never have defined fields of medicine (00:46:00) Consequences of the false divide: how it has infiltrated insurance, education, & employment systems (00:53:00) The paradigm shift we need: a new era of mental illness as physical illness (00:57:00) A call to action for scientists, clinicians, & advocates to change our language + systems to match biology Try CURED Nutrition's CBN Night Oil, Serenity Gummies, & all of their other fantastic products--Use code 'UMA' for 15% off of all products!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://glnk.io/73640/uma] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Try CLEARSTEM's amazing skincare products, including VITAMINSCRUB, CELLRENEW, CLEARITY, HYDRAGLOW, and HYDRABERRY--Use code 'UMA' for 15% off all products!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://clearstem.com/UMA] Connect with me! * My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://umarchatterjee.com/] * ⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/umarchatterjee/] * Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/umarchatterjee] * TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@umarchatterjee] * Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [hello@umarchatterjee.com] * Support my work:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee] * Guest request? 👉🏾  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠ [https://forms.gle/csXttU8LNMMiiDxL8]

55. My Chronic Suicidality Journey: Active vs. Passive Suicidal Ideation, Reflections on Survival, Redefining Recovery, & Hope Beyond Stigma

On Episode 55 of A Chat with Uma, I'm here with a deeply personal, long-requested solo episode for Suicide Prevention Month. For years, I've woven pieces of my story into different episodes-OCD, PTSD, depression, advocacy, research-but I've never dedicated an entire conversation to suicidality itself: what it's been like to live with it chronically, what the terms we use really mean, and the realities of growing up navigating both acute crises and a lifetime of persistent suicidal thoughts. This episode isn't about a neat before-and-after or a story wrapped in a bow. It's about the truth: surviving childhood and adolescence with unrelenting mental illness, learning the language to name what I was experiencing, and the stigma, shame, and systemic failures I encountered along the way. My hope is that this conversation brings visibility to what's too often silenced-because naming it, honestly and without judgment, is part of how we save lives and make others feel less alone. If you've ever felt unseen in your experience, or you love someone who struggles, this episode is for you. Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps): (00:00:00) Welcome & why this episode matters for Suicide Prevention Month 00:02:20) How this topic has threaded through my story across past episodes (00:04:10) Why chronic suicidality needs its own conversation & breaking the silence around it (00:05:40) The taboo of speaking honestly about living with ongoing suicidal thoughts (00:09:20) Listener questions & why this episode felt overdue (00:11:10) What I hope this conversation gives to anyone listening Contextual episodes: * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠01. My Full Story: 0 to 26⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/01--My-Full-Story-0-to-26-e1tsenk/a-a97hn9e] * 02-05. My Mental Health Journey: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/02--My-Mental-Health-Journey-Part-1-e1u6ohp], ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 2⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/03--My-Mental-Health-Journey-Part-2-e1uh4c6], ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 3⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/04--My-Mental-Health-Journey-Part-3-e1usqo7], ⁠⁠Part 4⁠⁠ [https://open.spotify.com/episode/6HUI2to65TrvytJ2FVt1b5], ⁠Part 5⁠ [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/30--My-Mental-Health-Journey-Part-5-e2uub19] * ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠06. Yes, I've Done Psychedelics: From Psychonaut to Researcher⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: Pt 1,⁠⁠ [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/05--Yes--Ive-Done-Psychedelics-From-Psychonaut-to-Researcher-e1v85pn/a-a9c5g7h] ⁠Part 2⁠ [https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/35--Yes--Ive-Done-Psychedelics--Part-2-From-Psychonaut-to-Researcher-e3165n0] * ⁠07-08. The Ketamine Diaries - OCD, PTSD, Depression, & Chronic Pain: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Part. 1⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/06--The-Ketamine-Diaries--Pt--1-OCD--PTSD--Depression---Chronic-Pain-e1vissi/a-a9dc1rn],⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Part 2⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/umarchatterjee/episodes/07--The-Ketamine-Diaries--Pt--2-OCD--PTSD--Depression---Chronic-Pain-e1vte58] https://creators.spotify.com/pod/profile/umarchatterjee/episodes/40--Why-Is-My-Brain-Trying-To-Kill-Me--Living-With-Bipolar-1-Disorder--Chronic-Suicidality-with-Dr--Maya-Schumer-pt--1-e3319c3 (00:18:54) Defining key terms: passive vs. active, chronic vs. acute suicidality, and why language matters (00:21:40) The beginning of my story: OCD, depression, PTSD, and mental illness showing up in childhood (00:23:50) First memories of suicidal thoughts & what I understood about death as a kid (00:26:40) From passive to active suicidality: abuse, self-harm, & my first attempts at 12 years old (00:30:20) Teenage years: multiple attempts, hospitalization, surviving crisis after crisis (00:36:10) How involuntary hospitalization taught me to mask what I was feeling (00:42:00) Systemic failures: what happens when the mental health system punishes honesty (00:45:50) Why so few models exist for chronic suicidality & what needs to change (00:48:20) How I live with it now: skills, supports, and what healing actually looks like (00:52:40) What I want people to know about supporting someone living with suicidality (00:57:10) Final reflections: breaking shame, creating language, and honoring survival Try CURED Nutrition's CBN Night Oil, Serenity Gummies, & all of their other fantastic products--Use code 'UMA' for 15% off of all products!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://glnk.io/73640/uma] ⁠⁠⁠⁠Try CLEARSTEM's amazing skincare products, including VITAMINSCRUB, CELLRENEW, CLEARITY, HYDRAGLOW, and HYDRABERRY--Use code 'UMA' for 15% off all products!⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://clearstem.com/UMA] Connect with me! * My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://umarchatterjee.com/] * ⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/umarchatterjee/] * Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/umarchatterjee] * TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@umarchatterjee] * Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [hello@umarchatterjee.com] * Support my work:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee] * Guest request? 👉🏾  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠ [https://forms.gle/csXttU8LNMMiiDxL8]

54. Rebuilding Science Through Lived Experience: From Burnout and Ableism to Bridging Disciplines & Pioneering Humane Neurotech with Dr. Rachel Wurzman (pt. 2)

On episode 54 of A Chat with Uma, we dive into Part 2 of my conversation with Dr. Rachel Wurzman—a neuroscientist, neuroethicist, therapist, entrepreneur, and lived-experience advocate who has walked through the fire of academia, identity, and survival while holding onto her nonlinear truth. In this second half, Rachel takes us deep into her professional journey: navigating graduate school dysfunction, fighting stigma in the very labs that trained her, and finding ways to keep contributing even when mentors tried to hold her back. She opens up about what it meant to build resilience in the face of sabotage, ableism, sexism, and systemic barriers—and how she reclaimed her place in neuroscience, neuroethics, and innovation. Along the way, she reflects on the power of lived experience in shaping scientific insight, what it means to survive academia without losing yourself, and how embracing her multidisciplinary “many-hatted” identity ultimately became her strength. What emerges is a conversation about persistence, reinvention, and refusing to amputate parts of yourself to fit a mold. Rachel’s story is one of learning to own her voice, design her own path, and use the very struggles that nearly pushed her out of science as fuel to transform it. Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps): (00:00:00) Introduction & welcome back to Dr. Rachel Wurzman, PhD! (00:03:00) Entering the lab: Tourette’s, cannabinoids, and turning lived experience into scientific insight (00:10:30) First publications: premonitory urges, sensory neuroscience, and shaping hypotheses through her own body (00:14:00) Visible vs. invisible diagnoses: Tourette’s as “proof,” masking OCD & bulimia, and stigma in neuroscience (00:17:00) Wanting to be a pediatric neurologist: reframing what parents see in their kids (00:24:30) Graduate school reality: dysfunction, ableism, sexism, and the gauntlet of scientific acculturation (00:28:40) Surviving sabotage: rewriting a stigmatizing letter, securing the NRSA, and finding allies (00:33:00) Burnout, isolation, and social anxiety in the PhD years (00:35:30) Thesis defense chaos: stigma exposed, resilience tested, and the relief of moving forward (00:38:40) Rediscovering joy in science: mentorship, collaboration, and falling back in love with research (00:46:00) Neuroethics and responsibility: bridging policy, military neuroscience, and human impact (00:55:00) Becoming “many-hatted”: scientist, therapist, innovator, and entrepreneur shaped by lived experience (01:07:00) Toward humane neurotech: what Rachel is building now and why lived experience must lead the way (01:20:00) Final reflections: persistence, self-trust, and honoring every part of yourself Connect with Dr. Wurzman! * ⁠⁠⁠Email [rachel@neurolivd.com] * NeuroLivd Website⁠ [https://neurolivd.com/]⁠⁠ * ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-wurzman/]⁠ * ⁠⁠Facebook⁠ [https://www.facebook.com/RachelWurzman/] * ⁠Watch Rachel's TED Talk: How isolation fuels opioid addiction⁠ [https://www.ted.com/speakers/rachel_wurzman] ⁠⁠Try CURED Nutrition's CBN Night Oil, Serenity Gummies, & all of their other fantastic products--Use code 'UMA' for 15% off of all products!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://glnk.io/73640/uma] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Try CLEARSTEM's amazing skincare products, including VITAMINSCRUB, CELLRENEW, CLEARITY, HYDRAGLOW, and HYDRABERRY--Use code 'UMA' for 15% off all products!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://clearstem.com/UMA] Connect with me! * My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://umarchatterjee.com/] * ⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/umarchatterjee/] * Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/umarchatterjee] * TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@umarchatterjee] * Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [hello@umarchatterjee.com] * Support my work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee] * Have a guest you want on the show? Fill out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠⁠ [https://forms.gle/csXttU8LNMMiiDxL8]

53. Masking Behind the Tics: Tourette’s, OCD, ADHD, & Living the Science You Study with Dr. Rachel Wurzman (pt. 1)

On episode 53 of A Chat with Uma, I sit down with Dr. Rachel Wurzman—a neuroscientist, neuroethicist, therapist, and lived-experience advocate whose story is as nonlinear and multidimensional as the brain itself. Growing up with Tourette’s, OCD, ADHD, and dyscalculia, Rachel learned early what it meant to be brilliant and struggling at the same time. She survived by embracing creativity and theater, channeling her tics and differences into performance and expression, and refusing to flatten herself to fit the mold. In this first half of our conversation, she takes us inside that journey—of identity, family, diagnosis, and the fierce act of owning her many “parts” instead of hiding them. What emerges is a narrative about otherness, resilience, and the refusal to amputate pieces of yourself just to belong. Rachel shares how childhood “weirdness” became survival, how her family scaffolded resilience in formative ways, and how creativity and hyperfixations gave her lifelines. She also opens up about what it means to live as a “many-hatted” person—neuroscientist, therapist, innovator, and advocate—while holding all her lived experience at the center. Part 1 is raw, validating, and deeply human. Part 2, coming next week, follows Rachel into her groundbreaking work at the intersections of neuroscience, neuroethics, and innovation. Topics Discussed (+ Timestamps): (00:00:00) Introduction & welcome to Dr. Rachel Wurzman! (00:11:10) Growing up “different”: Tourette’s, ADHD, OCD, and learning to survive as a precocious but struggling kid (00:20:40) How religion, culture, and identity shaping a childhood of not belonging (00:31:40) Family resilience: lessons of CBT at the dinner table & early scaffolding that shaped how she coped (00:36:00) Theater as lifeline: channeling tics into performance, reinventing herself on stage, and finding community through art (00:42:20) Creativity as survival strategy: hyperfixations, crafting, and the role of “obsessions” in keeping her alive (00:49:00) Living in parts: discovering IFS, embracing multiplicity, and refusing to amputate pieces of herself (00:55:20) The turning point: collapsing under the weight of academia & learning to rebuild without losing herself (01:02:00) Choosing integration over boxes—why Rachel has always been “many-hatted” and what it costs to live that way (01:17:40) Building community out of survival: co-founding social-health initiatives rooted in lived experience (01:28:10) Science with responsibility: how neuroethics gave her the language to connect research with humanity (01:38:50) Reclaiming weirdness as power: why embracing her nonlinear brain became the key to resilience (01:54:00) Rachel’s reflections of Part 1: resilience, identity, and the possibility of integration Connect with Dr. Wurzman! * ⁠⁠Email [rachel@neurolivd.com] * ⁠NeuroLivd Website⁠ [https://neurolivd.com/]⁠⁠ * ⁠⁠LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/rachel-wurzman/]⁠ * ⁠Facebook [https://www.facebook.com/RachelWurzman/] * Watch Rachel's TED Talk: How isolation fuels opioid addiction [https://www.ted.com/speakers/rachel_wurzman] ⁠Try CURED Nutrition's CBN Night Oil, Serenity Gummies, & all of their other fantastic products--Use code 'UMA' for 15% off of all products!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://glnk.io/73640/uma] ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Try CLEARSTEM's amazing skincare products, including VITAMINSCRUB, CELLRENEW, CLEARITY, HYDRAGLOW, and HYDRABERRY--Use code 'UMA' for 15% off all products!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://clearstem.com/UMA] Connect with me! * My website⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://umarchatterjee.com/] * ⁠Instagram:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/umarchatterjee/] * Twitter:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://twitter.com/umarchatterjee] * TikTok:⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠@UmaRChatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.tiktok.com/@umarchatterjee] * Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@umarchatterjee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [hello@umarchatterjee.com] * Support my work: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://ko-fi.com/umarchatterjee] * Have a guest you want on the show? Fill out the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Guest Suggestion Form!⁠ [https://forms.gle/csXttU8LNMMiiDxL8]