
Circle of Willis
Circle of Willis is a podcast for and about the scientists, authors, journalists, and even a few mystics, who make and communicate science for all of us. Circle of Willis is brought to you by the Virginia Audio Collective at WTJU 91.1 FM and Brown Residential College at the University of Virginia.
Latest episodes

5 snips
Aug 2, 2023 • 1h 1min
30: The Fear Factor with Abigail Marsh
A discussion about the role of fear and emotional recognition in our understanding of altruism and psychopathy. Dr. Abigail Marsh is a professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Georgetown University and the author of The Fear Factor: How One Emotion Connects Altruists, Psychopaths, and Everyone In-Between.
Subscribe and share! If you love what you hear, rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts! Check us out on Twitter and Instagram for more content.CircleOfWillisPodcast.com
Find out more at http://circleofwillispodcast.com
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May 31, 2023 • 58min
29: Avoidance
What is the impact of avoiding emotions that we might code as unpleasant or difficult? This episode explores the key role that avoidance plays in psychopathology and the importance of confronting discomfort for mental health. Dr. David Barlow, a pioneer of modern Exposure Therapy, and Dr. Steven Hayes, the developer of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), provide expert interviews on their experience with this paradigm, both professional and personal.
Subscribe and share! If you love what you hear, rate and review us wherever you get your podcasts! Check us out on Twitter and Instagram for more content.CircleOfWillisPodcast.com
This episode features the music of Blue Dot Sessions.
Special thanks to Kaylyn Feeley, Ashley Park, and Omega Ilijevich for production assistance!
Find out more at http://circleofwillispodcast.com
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Dec 26, 2022 • 34min
28 : Jim Coan
Content Warning : Mentions of Domestic Violence and Childhood Poverty
Today's episode features a conversation with our show founder and host, Dr. Jim Coan!
In addition to hosting Circle of Willis, Jim is a Professor of Psychology at UVa, where he directs the Virginia Affective Neuroscience Lab. He is also the principal of Brown Residential College.
Circle of Willis is about to undergo a lot of developmental changes as we adapt our production over the next several months. It seemed like a perfect time to interview Jim to cap off the initial phase of this show! His story is one of struggle and triumph, and is a rarity in upper academia. Hopefully you are intrigued and inspired just as much as we are by this conversation with Jim Coan - as well as the greater context clips of his younger sister Sandra provides.
CircleOfWillisPodcast.com Check us out on Twitter and Instagram for more content.
Circle of Willis is a production of the Virginia Audio Collective at WTJU 91.1 FM and Brown Residential College at the University of Virginia.
Find out more at http://circleofwillispodcast.com
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Dec 22, 2022 • 42sec
Preview : Jim Coan
Coming Monday, December 26th we interview our host Jim Coan about his unique path to academia.

Dec 12, 2022 • 30min
27 : Alan Lightman
Today's episode features a recent conversation with physicist and writer Alan Lightman during his visit to Brown College at the University of Virginia in October 2022.
Dr. Lightman's prominent work in both science and the humanities challenges the divide between fields and he discusses his approach of both disciplines through a creative lens. Eventually, we get a little taste of what he does best - demonstrating the innate poetry of what we know, and don't know, about our universe. Are scientific and artistic pursuits really so different in their motivation?
Alan Lightman presently serves as Professor of the Practice of the Humanities at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His new docu-series Searching: Our Quest for Meaning in the Age of Science will premiere on January 7th, 2023 on public television stations and stream online at PBS.org.
CircleOfWillisPodcast.com Check us out on Twitter and Instagram for more content.
Circle of Willis is a production of the Virginia Audio Collective at WTJU 91.1 FM and Brown Residential College at the University of Virginia.
Find out more at http://circleofwillispodcast.com
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Dec 8, 2022 • 42sec
Preview : Alan Lightman
Coming on Monday, December 12th, a conversation with Alan Lightman about finding a creative outlet through physics and writing!

Nov 28, 2022 • 30min
26 : Sarah Rose Cavanagh
Today's episode features a conversation with psychologist and author Sarah Rose Cavanagh.
What role do emotions play in the classroom and what can teachers do better to effect learning outcomes for the better? What can we learn about seemingly cognitive activities from affective strategies and analysis?
Sarah Rose Cavanagh is presently an associate professor of Psychology at Assumption College.
CircleOfWillisPodcast.com Check us out on Twitter and Instagram for more content.
Circle of Willis is a production of the Virginia Audio Collective at WTJU 91.1 FM and Brown Residential College at the University of Virginia.
Find out more at http://circleofwillispodcast.com
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Nov 24, 2022 • 43sec
Preview : Sarah Rose Cavanagh
Coming on Monday, November 28th a conversation with Sarah Rose Cavanagh about the intersection of emotions and education - how can we be more effective in the classroom?

Nov 14, 2022 • 60min
25 : Felix Warneken
Today's episode features a conversation with developmental and comparative psychologist Felix Warneken. When do humans develop the ability to help one another and how does that differ from the behavior of our closest evolutionary relatives? If everything we do is ultimately self preservation on a biological level, how does altruism fit into our understanding of our own psychology?
Felix Warneken is presently a professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan.
CircleOfWillisPodcast.com Check us out on Twitter and Instagram for more content.
Circle of Willis is a production of the Virginia Audio Collective at WTJU 91.1 FM and Brown Residential College at the University of Virginia.
Find out more at http://circleofwillispodcast.com
This podcast is powered by Pinecast.

Nov 10, 2022 • 43sec
Preview : Felix Warneken
Coming on Monday, November 14th a conversation with Felix Warneken about the psychological development of altruistic behaviors in children - an adorable episode about helping each other!