Let's Talk About Women

Light does much more than help us see - it directly influences our brain, hormones, sleep, and overall health. In this episode, we welcome PhD researcher Carolina Guidolin, who enlightens us about the world of circadian neuroscience and how light regulates our internal clock. Together we discuss why people respond differently to light exposure, how sex and hormones may shape these responses, and why understanding circadian biology may open important new perspectives for women’s health. Beyond the lab, Carolina also shares why science communication and her podcast have become an essential part of her work as a scientist.Interested in more science communication on circadian neuroscience? Listen in to Carolina's podcast "Light O'Clock": https://www.kyb.tuebingen.mpg.de/lightoclockIf you would like to get in touch with Carolina, you can find her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolinaguidolin/... her lab here: https://www.tscnlab.org/... or reach her at: carolina.guidolin@tuebingen.mpg.deTimestamps:00:26 Introduction to our guest Carolina Guidolin02:04 What are circadian rhythms?04:41 Relevance of circadian rhythms for mental health06:03 Non-visual effects of light09:05 What is melatonin and what role does it play?13:07 Melatonin suppression and its effects on brain and body18:06 What do we know about individual differences in melatonin suppression?22:30 Sex differences & hormones in melatonin suppression32:14 Introduction to Carolina’s project on how sex, the menstrual cycle, and oral contraception shape individual differences40:46 What are potential implications for women’s mental health?44:39 Carolina’s podcast Light O’Clock – Motivation and key takeaways from science communication50:22 Summary51:21 Next steps in circadian neuroscience research55:05 How close are we to translating these findings into clinical applications?58:23 Closing remarks Outline & questions: Franziska WeinmarSound recording & Editing: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle or when using oral contraceptives ("the pill") affect cognitive functions? In this episode, Franziska speaks with Prof. DDr. MMMag. Belinda Pletzer (Paris-Lodron University of Salzburg), a leading expert in cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology, especially when it comes to hormone-brain interactions. With a diverse background spanning biology, psychology, philosophy, and mathematics, Belinda's research focuses particularly on the effects of sex hormones and gender-related aspects of neuroscience, such as the effects of hormonal contraceptives on the female brain.Together we explore if and how cognitive performance and brain activity are affected by the menstrual cycle, premenstural syndrome (PMS), and oral contraceptives. Belinda also shares her hypothesis on hormonal sensitivity across the female lifespan and whether more or actually less sensitivity could be a risk factor for mental health. As always, we conclude with an outlook on how our guest envisions the future development of the research field. Join us for a deep dive into this enlightening conversation - and find out if the myth that all women are affected by the menstrual cycle holds true...Visit the website of Belinda's research group: https://ccns.plus.ac.at/labs/sexandgender/... and Belinda's profile: https://ccns.plus.ac.at/labs/sexandgender/members/belinda_pletzer/If you would like to get in touch with Belinda, you can reach her at: Belinda.Pletzer@plus.ac.atTimestamps:00:27 Introduction of Belinda Pletzer and her field of research02:20 The menstrual cycle and its phases05:18 Oral contraceptives and their influence on the menstrual cycle08:20 How do we define cognitive functions?10:24 Investigating cognitive functions - Belinda's research12:58 Does the menstrual cycle affect cognitive performance?22:28 Belinda's research on PMS, mood and cognitive performance33:08 Do oral contraceptives affect cognitive performance?41:11 Hot Topic: Hormonal sensitivity - Belinda's hypothesis46:30 Summary49:54 Closing remarks and future directions in research Outline & questions: Franziska WeinmarSound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Editing: Franziska WeinmarDo you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Let's Talk WITH Young Researchers: our podcast sideline in which we give the word to young researchers in the field of women's mental health!In this episode, meet Hanna Wierenga, PhD Candidate in the IRTG2804, who is working with Prof. Pia Schober (Tübingen) and Prof. Alkistis Skalkidou (Uppsala) on gender identity and ideologies and mental health, specifically during and after pregnancy.We talk about Hanna's PhD projects and journey so far, how she deals with setbacks and that a PhD is like detective work. In the end of the podcast, Hanna answers our quick "3 Burning Questions":Who is your science crush? What did you not know/expect before starting a PhD? What do you enjoy most about your work as a PhD researcher? Do you want to get in touch with Hanna Wierenga? Reach out to: hanna.wierenga@uu.se Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar at Recording Studio Blasenhus, Uppsala University Editing: Franziska WeinmarDo you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After our summer break we're back to talk about women! In this episode we dive into the period of adolescence with Dr. Jolien Trekels, who is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the University of North Carolina. Jolien unpacks how the adolescent brain and body develop during this critical period and explains the complex effects of social media on well-being, from the negative to the positive. Through a bio-psycho-social lens, Jolien and Franziska discuss state-of-the-art insights into mental health and gender differences on how today’s youths interact with social media. We end this episode as always with a look ahead and Jolien's thoughts on the future directions in this research field. Timestamps:00:27 Introduction of Dr. Jolien Trekels02:12 About adolescence: How is this period characterized? 03:32 Changes in the brain and the body08:50 What is (social) media?11:09 Negative effects of social media on well-being15:09 The "Swiss cheese model"17:09 Positive effects and negative effects of social media in adolescence29:07 Sex/gender differences in social media use patterns and mental health37:38 Influence of hormones on adolescent girls regarding their social media use39:45 Summary42:30 Closing remarks & future directions in researchOutline & questions: Edita Karavidaj & Franziska WeinmarSound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Editing: Franziska WeinmarDo you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Computational methods and machine learning are currently THE hot-topics and they are also applied in neuroscience research, showing us where the field is heading in the future. If you have ever wondered how these methods work, what their advantages - but also limitations - are and how they are implemented in research on women's mental health: We got you!In this episode Franziska is hosting Tobias Kaufmann, professor of neurotechnology and computational psychiatry at the University of Tübingen, who is also part of the IRTG2804. Tobias explains the basics of computational methods and gives us concrete examples of his own work, providing a first glimpse into the computational world. Also, we hear about his new ERC project: "HealthyMom: Modeling and maintaining maternal mental health".Timestamps:00:25 Introduction01:18 Computational psychiatry: Advantages & limitations10:15 Tobias' computational methods & examples: Prediction & classification models21:14 Computational methods in women's (mental) health: Focus on adolescence30:11 HealthyMom Project: Brain plasticity during pregnancy loss40:26 Recruitment information for Healthy Mom Study41:30 Summary43:40 Next steps in computational psychiatry and women's mental healthWebsite to Kaufmann Lab: https://www.kaufmannlab.org/About the HealthyMom Project: https://www.kaufmannlab.org/post/20230202-erc-consolidator-grant/References:Population-based neuroimaging reveals traces of childbirth in the maternal brain (de Lange, Kaufmann et al., 2019). https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1910666116Menarche, pubertal timing and the brain: female-specific patterns of brain maturation beyond age-related development (Gottschwesky, Kraft, & Kaufmann, 2024). https://bsd.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13293-024-00604-4Domain adapted brain network fusion captures variance related to pubertal brain development and mental health (Kraft, Alnaes, & Kaufmann, 2023). https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-41839-wModeling brain sex in the limbic system as phenotype for female-prevalent mental disorders (Matte Bon, Kraft, Comasco, Derntl, & Kaufmann, 2024). https://bsd.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13293-024-00615-1Outline & questions: Franziska Weinmar & Gloria Matte BonSound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Editing: Franziska WeinmarDo you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to this episode with Vibe Froekjaer, Professor in Neuropsychiatry at the Department of Clinical Medicine, Copenhagen University, Denmark. Join us as Vibe and Franziska delve into the question of why some women are more vulnerable to mental health problems during hormonal transitions, unraveling state of the art research on the hypothesis of “hormonal sensitivity”. From discussing the latest findings on genetic and neural mechanisms to the potential of psychoeducation, this episode promises an insightful conversation and valuable takeaways. Discover how understanding hormonal sensitivity can empower women to navigate their mental health journeys more effectively and hear Vibe sharing her vision on the final question: “What is the next question to solve regarding hormonal sensitivity across the female lifespan – and how could we do so?”Timestamps:00:02:10 - The "3 P's" across the female lifespan: puberty, pregnancy & perimenopause00:08:02 - Incidence of mental health problems across the female lifespan: windows of vulnerability?00:09:14 - Why are some women more prone to suffer from hormone-related mental health problems?00:16:57 - Hormonal-related depressive symptoms and the role of serotonin00:19:26 - Hormone variability and gene expression00:26:12 - Large-scale changes in the brain in response to induced hormone variability00:29:02 - Hormonal manipulation effects on reward responses00:33:41 - Is hormonal sensitivity a phenomenon that translates across the lifespan?00:42:03 - What epidemiological data from Denmark tell us about risks for depressive symptoms across transition years00:44:00 - Can we identify women who are hormone sensitive?00:47:41 - What could be preventive and treatment approaches for women identified as hormone-sensitive before hormonal transition phases?00:52:56 - How the concept of hormonal sensitivity can reduce stigma involved in depressive symptoms and empower women00:56:03 - Summary00:58:41 - What is the next question to solve regarding hormonal sensitivity across the female lifespan – and how could we do so?01:03:50 - Closing remarksSound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Editing: Franziska WeinmarDo you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to a special episode, coming to you live and on-site from the Lorentz Center in Leiden, the Netherlands!The Lorentz Center serves as a dynamic workshop hub, hosting international scientific meetings which bring together brilliant minds and foster an open and interactive atmosphere. In this episode, PhD Candidate Franziska Weinmar is taking you directly to the Lorentz workshop on "Hormonal fluctuations across the female lifespan". With 40 participants including researchers and clinicians from approximately 6 countries, this five-day intensive gathering in February 2024 promises lively exchanges, discussions, and reflections.Join Franziska as she takes you through a series of 9 conversations, capturing the very fresh impressions and thoughts from different participants. Get ready to hear the pulse of the workshop, where ideas converge and minds collide – all in pursuit to move the field of research and clinical practice forward. And stay tuned for the announced outcomes! Speakers, in order of appearance:00:01:38: Ellen de Bruijn, Professor, Leiden University00:10:19: Birit Broekman, Medical Specialist, Amsterdam UMC00:15:33: Anne Marieke Doornweerd, PhD Candidate, Utrecht University00:27:25: Klara Sifalakis-Spalek, Postdoctoral Researcher, Amsterdam UMC00:34:36: Alkistis Skalkidou, Professor, Uppsala University00:40:12: Lotte Gerritsen, Associate Professor, Utrecht University00:46:4: Hanna Wierenga, PhD Candidate, IRTG 2804, University of Tübingen00:52:50: Claudia Barth, PhD, Diakonhjemmet Hospital Oslo01:03:09: Birgit Derntl, Professor, IRTG 2804, University of Tübingen01:12:10 Closing RemarksMany thanks to the Lorentz Center for providing the space and opportunity for this workshop!Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Editing: Franziska WeinmarFollow the FLAME (Female Lifespan Association for Mental Health and Neuroendocrinology) for future updates: https://www.linkedin.com/company/female-lifespan-research-initiative?trk=public_post-textDo you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With our first episode in 2024, we are back and ready to talk about stress and stress regulation! In this episode PhD candidate Franziska Weinmar hosts Dr. Lydia Kogler, a clinical psychologist by training, expert on the neuroscience of stress and associate of the IRTG2804. Together they dive into the complex world of stress and stress regulation - especially if and how women and men differ in this regard. To this end, this episode leaves us with more insights, a suggestion on how to improve our resilience to stress, and curiosity for future talks on this topic!Stress is part of our everyday life. But what does stress mean and how does the body react to stress? In this episode Lydia explains:01:21: What is stress? (01:21)05:30: How does the stress response leads to behavioural and endocrine adaptations?08:28: The role of cortisol11:49: How do we induce stress in the lab?14:22: What neurological changes come with stress?15:34: How chronic stress affects the body...18:58: ... and mental healthNext, Lydia talks about sex/gender differences:22:58: Sex differences in the stress response...26:25: ... its neural basis....27:17: ... and psychological effects28:00 Sex differences in stress related disorders30:18: Reasons behind sex differences33:50: Consequences of sex differences in stress response35:15: Why is it important to look into sex differences?39:24: Mechanisms of stress regulation44:49: How self-esteem influences the stress response49:00: Sex differences on a neuronal level...50:03: ... and a hormonal level50:18: Implications of coping mechanisms52:00: Summary54:57: What is the next question to ask about sex/gender differences in stress response or regulation, especially considering female-specific processes? Many thanks to Anna Denninger for contributing to this episode!Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804Editing: Franziska WeinmarDo you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.comAre you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.