S1E04: The Degenerating Brain

In 1848 an explosion launched an iron rod through Phineas Gage’s brain. He miraculously survived, but wasn’t the same person, giving scientists the first clues into how neurodegeneration can affect what it means to be human. In our latest episode, we sit down with Geoff Kerchner to learn about the latest ways scientists are trying to halt the neurodegeneration seen in diseases like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and ALS. As both a practicing neurologist and research scientist, Geoff gives us an inside peek at how his findings from the clinic can help unravel some of the most fundamental mysteries about the brain.