Todays guest is Ben Rein, PhD. Ben is a postdoctoral scholar at Stanford University, and a science communicator on social media. In his current research, Ben is exploring the neural basis of empathy and mechanisms by which empathic behaviors can be enhanced. In 2021, he received his PhD in neuroscience from SUNY Buffalo, earning the Dean's Award for Outstanding Dissertation Research. Ben's PhD thesis research focused on autism spectrum disorder and identified key systems in the brain that regulate social behavior. Ben also creates educational science videos for an audience of more than 850,000 followers on social media. In his videos, he summarizes recent research papers, teaches fundamental science principles, and debunks "viral" videos containing scientific misinformation. Ben has been recognized for his science communication with awards from Stanford University, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) and the Mind Science Foundation.

Today Ben reveals 3 things that can make or break your BRAIN HEALTH and we also chat about the importance of sleep, how to know if you are sleep deprived and what you can do to improve your sleep. We also get into the neuroscience of empathy and social interaction, the ins and outs of burnout and so much more!

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What to Listen For:

0:00 Intro

1:40 These 3 things will make or break your brain health
6:03 The dangers of sleep deprivation & signs that you are sleep deprived
10:49 How to improve the quality of your sleep
14:05 Burnout explained (impact on brain, signs of burnout/how to fix it)
19:60 The neurobiology of social interactions
22:23 How to improve your social skills
24:56 The neuroscience of empathy
30:24 Train your brain to better cope with stress
33:51 Can we change our genes?
40:19 How does sugar impact our brains?
44:52 Detecting signs of depression before it becomes problematic

Episode resources:

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The 3 MUST DO's to Upgrade Your Brain Health & How to Improve Your Sleep and Avoid Burnout w/ Neuroscientist Dr. Ben Rein