Episode 123: Tressa Pantalena—Breaking Mental Health Stigmas Through Neuroscience

On Episode 123, I'm joined by Neuroscience Researcher: Tressa Pantalena! We discuss her journey from studying psychology to pursuing a neuroscience PhD, how modeling psychiatric disorders in the lab can help break mental health stigmas, her practical advice on rewiring the brain to overcome daily motivation hurdles, and the true realities of building a career in scientific research.Hope you enjoy!Hosted by: Ryan ZiaksThe Zicast Logo Designed by: Joe FlynnThe Zicast Intro Designed by: Jose Sarango The Zicast Score Composed By: Sean Valutkevich Thumbnail Designed by: Patrick Sorbero Add The Zicast on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thezicast/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5KQj8MsxHQlcwjno1SEDRZ?si=c5f525d4c4324a9fTik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thezicast?_t=8oqlOi6Xi0Y&_r=1#neuroscience #neuroscienceresearch #behavioralscience #motivation #humanbehavior #mentalhealth #breakthestigma #mentalhealthawareness #mentalhealthmatters #endthestigma #gradschoollife #graduateschool #lablife #stem #womeninstem #sciencecommunication #selfhelp 00:00 – Welcome To Episode 123!00:44 – About Tressa & Her PhD Journey01:21 – What Inspired Her to Pursue Neuroscience02:42 – Day-to-Day Life in a Research Lab04:54 – The Most Challenging Part of Scientific Research07:35 – How Studying Behavior Changes Self-Understanding09:09 – Actionable Tips for Rewiring Your Brain14:16 – Debunking Common Brain Myths & Misinformation21:22 – Do High-Pressure Lab Environments Create Deeper Friendships?23:10 – Lessons Learned From a Career in Academia30:51 – Get to Know Tressa37:20 – Why She Loves Horror Movies and How They Resonate44:06 – Outro & Closing Thoughts