The things we carry
From Harvard Thinking by Harvard University
March 18, 2026 · 33 min · Season 1 · Episode 24
About this episode
This episode explores how different forms of adversity affect our physical and mental health at a cellular level.
Different forms of adversity – like abuse, violence, and neglect – not only damage our physical and mental health but also change our cells. Scientific advances in the biology of adversity are showing us that in some cases, the harms of negative experiences run dangerously deep in our bodies and minds. In this episode, host Samantha Laine Perfas talks with children’s psychologist Kate McLaughlin, psychiatric epidemiologist Karestan Koenen, and cellular biologist Jason Buenrostro about what the future holds for protecting people from their worst experiences.
People in this episode
Host: Samantha Laine Perfas
Guests: Kate McLaughlin, Karestan Koenen, Jason Buenrostro
Topics covered
- adversity
- mental health
- biological impact
- psychology
- cellular biology
- protection from trauma
Keywords
- adversity
- abuse
- violence
- neglect
- mental health
- cellular biology
- psychology
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Harvard University
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