S2E11: The Neuroscience of Pleasure, Desire, and Addiction with Professor Kent Berridge

S2E11: The Neuroscience of Pleasure, Desire, and Addiction with Professor Kent Berridge

Professor Kent Berridge, a leading neuroscientist and the James Olds Distinguished University Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at the University of Michigan, has revolutionized our understanding of pleasure, desire, and motivation. In this captivating episode, we discuss the difference between “liking” and “wanting,” why dopamine drives desire rather than pleasure, and how specific “hedonic hotspots” in the brain generate pleasurable experiences. Professor Berridge also explains how these discoveries have reshaped our understanding of addiction, craving, and reward. We explore the surprising links between desire and fear, how motivation is created in the brain, and what these findings reveal about human behavior.

S2E10: How Brain Networks Drive Learning and Aging with Dr. Randy McIntosh

Join me as I speak with Dr. Randy McIntosh, a leading neuroscientist and Professor at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, Canada. He holds the BC Leadership Chair in Neuroscience and Technology Transfer Across the Lifespan and serves as Director of the Institute for Neuroscience and Neurotechnology. In this episode, we explore how different parts of the brain work together, why early development is such a critical window for learning, and how brain networks change in conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s. Professor McIntosh also explains The Virtual Brain, an open-source platform he co-developed that creates personalized brain simulations, and discusses how these models could support early detection, prediction, and future clinical care. He also shares how social and cultural experiences shape brain health, along with insights from My Virtual Dream (a large-scale public neuroscience experiment).

S2E09: The Science of Attention, Memory, and Mental Performance with Dr. Heather Collins

In this insightful episode, I sit down with Dr. Heather Collins, a cognitive neuroscientist and a keynote speaker with over 50 peer-reviewed publications, including work in The New England Journal of Medicine and the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS). Dr. Collins specializes in translating brain research into real-world strategies, and her work spans from studying Alzheimer's disease to helping NASA astronauts maintain peak cognitive performance. We discuss mastering attention by managing cognitive load and working in focused sprints, why multitasking decreases performance, the difference between working memory and long-term memory, and techniques for retaining information. Dr. Collins also shares Alzheimer's prevention strategies, early warning signs, and compassionate caregiving approaches.

S2E08: The Neuroscience Behind Emotion, Dreams, and Engagement with Professor Moran Cerf

In this fascinating episode, I sit down with Prof. Moran Cerf, a neuroscientist, Academic Director in Executive Education at Columbia University, and Alfred P. Sloan Professor at the American Film Institute. He holds a PhD in neuroscience from Caltech, an MA in Philosophy, and a BSc in Physics from Tel-Aviv University. Prof. Cerf holds multiple patents and has published five books and over 70 academic papers. His work has been featured on CNN, BBC, NPR, Time, Netflix Explained, and many other outlets. We explore his journey from hacker to neuroscientist, his groundbreaking research recording single neurons during brain surgery to study consciousness and emotion, and how he studies and influences dreams. Prof. Cerf also discusses what makes content truly engaging, the future of brain–machine interfaces, and why mastering storytelling is one of the most valuable skills to develop.

S2E07: Understanding the Brain Through Computational Neuroscience with Dr. Grace Lindsay

Join me on this episode with my guest, Dr. Grace Lindsay, a computational neuroscientist and Assistant Professor of Psychology and Data Science at New York University. Dr. Lindsay leads the Lindsay Lab, where her team uses artificial neural networks as models of biological information processing to study the brain. We explore connections between CNNs and biological vision, her research on attention, and what computational models can and cannot tell us about the brain. Dr. Lindsay briefly discusses her book Models of the Mind, AI’s role in education, grid cells and navigation, and applications of machine learning to climate-related challenges.