This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg
Weill Cornell Medicine Neurological Surgery
This Is Your Brain With Dr. Phil Stieg provides a fascinating look into the human brain, with each episode asking new questions — and finding new answers — about our most mysterious organ. Together with his expert guests, Dr. Stieg takes us on a journey that reveals unexpected secrets at every turn, and redefines what we know about ourselves and our place in the world.
The podcast explores the many fascinating aspects of neuroscience, ranging from how the brain is wired for both sudden bursts of violence and the pervasive inner calm of meditation. Where does confidence come from? How do we remember traumatic events – or do we? How do other animals experience consciousness? Does storytelling change our brains?
Take the journey with us as we explore the very foundation of what makes us human.
The podcast explores the many fascinating aspects of neuroscience, ranging from how the brain is wired for both sudden bursts of violence and the pervasive inner calm of meditation. Where does confidence come from? How do we remember traumatic events – or do we? How do other animals experience consciousness? Does storytelling change our brains?
Take the journey with us as we explore the very foundation of what makes us human.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Jul 24, 2020 • 17min
Dealing With Loss
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused unprecedented loss — of loved ones, of social interaction, and of our entire way of life. Dr. Richard Friedman, Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine, explains why the anguish we feel is normal — and how specific coping strategies can help minimize the potential impact on brain health during periods of adversity.
Jul 10, 2020 • 18min
Suffering From Headaches?
The COVID crisis is causing many more people to call their doctors with headache complaints. When is it time to stop self diagnosing your headache and to see a headache specialist? Dr. Louise Klebanoff, a leading neurologist and headache expert, explains why the right diagnosis can make all the difference in conquering most headaches. Hear about lifestyle changes and a range of medical approaches from nutraceuticals to Botox, plus the promising new CGRP therapy for migraines.
Jun 19, 2020 • 19min
How Elite Athletes Handle Pressure
How do elite athletes, some barely out of their teens, manage life in a fishbowl? Dr. Lani Lawrence, sports psychologist for the New York Giants, explains how the pros learn to cope with social media and news pressures and still find their way into "the zone" where they can excel.
Jun 5, 2020 • 21min
Fighting Parkinson's with DBS
Parkinson's Disease patient Elizabeth Larsen gives a deeply honest view of her Deep Brain Stimulation (DBS) surgery to control her tremors. We learn what it feels like to have electrodes in the brain and what happens when patients want to change their tremor management software program. Thanks to DBS, Liz triumphantly regains control over her life and returns to her boxing routine. Her surgeon, Dr. Michael Kaplitt, Director of the Movement Disorders Program at Weill Cornell Medicine, also shares exciting new treatments on the horizon.
May 22, 2020 • 24min
Facing Parkinson's Disease
From mild resting tremors to freezing, stiffness, and loss of motor control, the symptoms of Parkinson's disease progress relentlessly over time. Dr. Michael Kaplitt, Director of the Movement Disorders Program at Weill Cornell Medicine, along with his patient Elizabeth Larsen, explore how quality of life can erode over the years -- and when it's time for a life-changing surgical option.
May 8, 2020 • 24min
Love in Captivity
The COVID-19 quarantine has changed everything about love and sex. Biological anthropologist Helen Fisher reveals how socially distant dating can nurture a relationship by slowing things down and encouraging more substantive conversation and deeper intimacy. Long-term couples have a different problem as they adjust to 24/7 togetherness and learn to carve out safe spaces. Plus... why it's essential to laugh, play, and stay connected with friends and family to enhance brain health.
Apr 24, 2020 • 21min
COVID's Invisible Bullet
In the war on COVID-19, doctors face an enemy like no other - mysterious, invisible, and medically confounding. Dr. Laura Kolbe, co-founder of the COVID+ Hospice and Palliative Care Unit at Weill Cornell Medicine/New York-Presbyterian explains a new first-hour emergency room protocol. We learn how the palliative care team allays suffering, comforts the sick, and clarifies the final wishes of the most desperately ill and dying patients.
Apr 3, 2020 • 16min
Information Overload
Human brains are not wired for the staggering amount and variety of daily information coming our way. Dr. Marvin Chun, Professor of Psychology and Neuroscience at Yale University, explains how our brains evolved to do one thing at a time, why they react poorly to the demands of multi-tasking, and why distraction undermines our performance and our memory.
Mar 20, 2020 • 19min
Understanding and Destigmatizing Epilepsy
People with epilepsy have been stigmatized since the time of Hippocrates. Two epilepsy specialists, Dr. Caitlin Hoffman, a Weill Cornell Medicine pediatric neurosurgeon, and Dr. Heidi Bender, a neuropsychologist at Mt. Sinai Hospital, explain what happens in the brain to cause seizures. They give parents, teachers, kids, and their classmates a primer on understanding this common disorder and how we can best help if we see someone having a seizure.
Mar 6, 2020 • 24min
Music's Powerful Impact on the Brain
World-renowned soprano Renée Fleming is also a leading advocate for research and public education on the therapeutic power of music to heal the mind. Music's psychological and neurological impact can help people suffering with dementia, Parkinson's disease, and other brain disorders, and even restore speech after a stroke. Recorded live at Juilliard, this episode also explores the brain's incredible musical memory mechanism and why learning and healing through song can be so transformative.
