Mommy Brain Revisited

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, host Dr. Jodi Pawluski speaks with Dr. Jennifer O'Chan at Friedman Brain Institute, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA. They discuss Dr O’Chan’s recent Nature paper investigating how pregnancy and postpartum reshape the maternal brain through long-lasting epigenetic changes. Her work shows that reproductive experience produces persistent changes in gene expression—particularly in thehippocampus—that are associated with improved maternal behaviors, learning, and memory months after giving birth. These findings build on growing evidence that pregnancy leaves lasting biological adaptations in the brain rather thantemporary changes.The conversation also explores how chronic postpartum stress disrupts these beneficial adaptations. Dr. O'Chan explains that elevated dopamine during postpartum stress alters a novel epigenetic mechanism called histone dopaminylation, leading to changes in gene expression and behavior. Together, these findings provide new insight into the central role of dopamine in regulating motherhood-induced neuroadaptions and highlight potential pathways for developing more targeted treatments for perinatal mentalhealth disorders. The ResearchPublication information: O’Chan, J.C., Di Salvo, G., Cunningham, A.M. et al. Dopamine drives persistent remodelling of the maternal brain. Nature 654, 465–475 (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-026-10509-4Visit www.jodipawluski.com for more on mom brain, parenting and perinatal mental health.  

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, host Dr. Jodi Pawluski speaks with Dr. Elseline Hoekzema about her recent research on how pregnancy reshapes the brain—and whether those changes happen differently during a second pregnancy.Drawing on longitudinal brain imaging studies, Dr. Hoekzema explains how many of the structural brain changes observed in first-time mothers reappear during a second pregnancy, but often to a lesser degree. The conversation explores how pregnancy fine-tunes brain networks involved in social cognition, self-perception, attention, and processing sensory cues, while also revealing unique adaptations that may help mothers manage the demands of caring for multiple children.They discuss the concept of "maternal memory," why some brain changes appear to be long-lasting, and how becoming a mother for the first time may trigger distinct neural adaptations that are not repeated in subsequent pregnancies. The episode offers a fascinating look at the latest neuroscience of motherhood and what researchers are learning about the remarkable plasticity of the parental brain. The ResearchThe featured study is published in the Journal of Neuroendocrinology Special Issue on the Parental Brain, edited by Dr Jodi Pawluski, Dr Joseph Lonstein, Dr Susana Carmona and Dr Oscar Vilarroya.Publication information:Halmans S, Straathof M, van 't Hof S, Denys D, Crone EA, Månsson KNT, Hoekzema E. Neural variability across the transition to motherhood: Enhanced moment-to-moment neural variability during mentalizing in first-time mothers. J Neuroendocrinol. 2026 May;38(5):e70191. doi: 10.1111/jne.70191. PMID: 42062236; PMCID: PMC13132796. Halmans S, Straathof M, van 't Hof S, Denys D, Crone EA, Månsson KNT, Hoekzema E. Pregnancy changes the variability of brain signaling, NeuroImage, Volume 333, 2026, 121923,ISSN 1053-8119, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neuroimage.2026.121923. Special thanks to Agnes, the Communications Officer, British Society for Neuroendocrinology for editing! Visit www.jodipawluski.com for more on all things parenting and perinatal mental health. 

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, host Dr. Jodi Pawluski speaks with Dr. James Rilling from the Department of Psychology at Emory University about his recent paper published in the Journal of Neuroendocrinology special issue on the parental brain. The conversation explores how fatherhood changes the brain, with a focus on motivation, reward, and neural mechanisms involved in paternal caregiving.Drawing on both human and animal research, Dr. Rillingdiscusses how becoming a parent may reshape motivational systems in the brain.Inspired by studies in maternal behavior in rats, his research investigates whether human fathers experience similar shifts in reward processing and caregiving motivation across the transition to parenthood.The ResearchThe featured study examined how brain function and caregiving motivation change in first-time fathers from pregnancy through the postpartum period. The research is published in the Journal of Neuroendocrinology.Publication information: The transition to human fatherhood involves increased brain activation to infant stimuli in regions involved with reward and motivationJames K. Rilling, Minwoo Lee, Carolyn Zhou, Esther Jung, Ella Arrant, Sijia Wu, Jessica A. Cooper, Agena Davenport-Nicholson, Michael T. TreadwayFirst published: 22 December 2025 https://doi.org/10.1111/jne.70127 Special thanks to Agnes, the Communications Officer, BritishSociety for Neuroendocrinology for editing! Visit www.jodipawluski.com for more on all things parenting and perinatal mental health.

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, I answer thoughtful and candid questions submitted by midwifery students, our next generation of birth workers. I dive into what questions they have around brain changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period, what this means for perinatal mental health, what mechanisms may be involved, and more. This episode offers insight for both students and anyone curious about brain changes in pregnancy and the postpartum period. ---If you would like to learn more about the parental brain and perinatal mental health, check out my workshop and training offers at www.jodipawluski.com

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, Dr Tim Oberlander and I briefly discuss SSRI use in pregnancy and the importance of focusing on maternal mental health in this area of research. Our conversation centers on our perspective, Potential risks and benefits of prenatal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications for maternal mental health and child development published in Nature Mental Health. We emphasize the complexity of separating medication effects from underlying maternal depression and the importance of comprehensive approaches, including pharmacologic and non-pharmacologic treatments. For more on current treatment guidelines for perinatal mental health see: https://www.canmat.org/2025/02/12/available-now-canmat-2024-guidelines-for-perinatal-mood-anxiety-and-related-disorders-and-accompanying-patient-and-family-guide/ Dr. Tim Oberlander  has over 3 decades of research on maternal mental health, SSRIs and child development. He is a Developmental Pediatrician, Clinician-Scientist and Professor of Pediatrics in the School of Population Public Health, University of British Columbia and BC Children’s Hospital. Our publication: Pawluski, J., Oberlander, T.F. Potential risksand benefits of prenatal selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor medications for maternal mental health and child development. Nat. Mental Health 3,1304–1310 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44220-025-00480-wFor more on your host see www.jodipawluski.com or follow Jodi on Instagram or LinkedIn.

In this episode, I sit down with Danielle S. Stolzenberg, Ph.D. , Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Davis, whose work explores the neuroscience of care. Dr. Stolzenberg shares insights from her emerging research on psychedelic compounds in the postpartum period, examining how substances like psilocybin may influence maternal stress, bonding, and brain plasticity.Whether you’re interested in neuroscience, maternal health, or the rapidly evolving field of psychedelic science, this conversation provides a grounded and thought-provoking look at what we know—and what we still need to learn—about psychedelics postpartum.Dr Stolzenberg's Lab : https://stolzenberg.wixsite.com/laboratoryPaper we discuss: Hatzipantelis, C.J., Liu, M., Love, A. et al. Psilocybin during the postpartum period induces long-lasting adverse effects in both mothers and offspring. Nat Commun 16, 8630 (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-64371-5 https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-64371-5Music: Luna Wave via SoundstripeEditing with the help of Descript!

Welcome to another episode of Mommy Brain Revisited! In this episode, I’m joined by Prof. Joseph Lonstein (Michigan State University) to talk about our recent research on how probiotic treatment shapes the maternal gut–microbiota–brain axis.This work—published in the Journal of Neuroendocrinology as part of the Parental Brain Special Issue—explores how reproductive experience influences the effects of Lactocaseibacillus rhamnosus HN001 on gut microbiota and hippocampal plasticity in female rats:📖 Citation: Pawluski JL, Kacimi K, Zhang C, Guillot L, Guidice AL, Charlier TD, Lonstein JS. Reproductive experience influences the effects of Lactocaseibacillus rhamnosus HN001 on gut microbiota and hippocampal plasticity in female rats. J Neuroendocrinol. 2025 Jul 22:e70068. doi: 10.1111/jne.70068The Journal of Neuroendocrinology (owned by the British Society for Neuroendocrinology) is the go-to international journal for neuroendocrine research, with an Impact Factor of 4.1 and a CiteScore of 7.9. Learn more here: Journal website.Stay tuned for more episodes in collaboration with the Parental Brain Special Issue at Mommy Brain Revisited!🎵 Music: Luna Wave – “All In My Head” via SoundStripe.

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, I’m joined by Dr. Mariana Pereira, an Associate Professor at UMass. We dive into the maternal affective state and mother-offspring interactions in an animal model of depressive-like behavior. We also talk about dopamine, maternal mental health and treatment strategies. Tune in for a fascinating conversation on brain changes with maternal mood!For more about Dr Pereira's research, see here. Here is a direct link to the study we talk about. Tuncali, I., Sorial, N., Torr, K. et al. Positive maternal affect during mother–litter interaction is reduced in new mother rats exhibiting a depression-like phenotype. Sci Rep 13, 6552 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-33035-z

Pregnancy isn’t just about a baby bump—it’s also a massive hormonal and physiological shift, including how the body regulates temperature.In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, I’m joined by Dr. Rosie Brown, a Senior Lecturer and Group Leader at the University of Otago in New Zealand. We dive into the hormone prolactin—its role in motherhood and the brain—and explore her team’s groundbreaking research on how prolactin helps regulate body temperature during pregnancy. Tune in for a fascinating conversation on all things prolactin and parenting!For more information on Dr Brown’s research see:https://www.otago.ac.nz/neuroendocrinology/research/rosie-brown Here is the citation and link to the publication we talk about:Ladyman SR, Georgescu TR, Stewart AM, Khant Aung Z, Cheong I, Grattan DR, Brown RSE. Prolactin modulation of thermoregulatory circuits provides resilience to thermal challenge of pregnancy. Cell Rep. 2025 Apr 22;44(4):115567. doi: 10.1016/j.celrep.2025.115567. Epub 2025 Apr 11. PMID: 40215163. 

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Prof Dr Natalya Chechko, a specialist in psychiatry and psychotherapy at Aachen University. We talk about her recent research investigating maternal brain changes and mental health. We also talk about the neuroendocrine factors that may be involved and how to visualize them in the human brain. Fascinating research! Enjoy. For more information on Dr Chechko’s research see here .Here is a link to her recent .

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Katie Haigler, a graduate student at Penn State, about her research detailing how the maternal brain processes infant and adult emotion cues - aiding in our understanding of emotion regulation in parents. Interesting!For more about Katie’s research seehttps://hhd.psu.edu/contact/katherine-haigler Here is a direct link to the paper we talk about.

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Prof Wendy Saltzman, who is in the Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology at the University of California, Riverside. We talk about her research detailing how caregiving affects the paternal brain and how fascinating parenting is in many species! For more about her research see :https://profiles.ucr.edu/wendy.saltzmanFor a direct link to her lab website see :https://sites.google.com/site/saltzmanlaboratory/Do you want to show your support fo MBR? Give us a rating or buy me a coffee (beer or book) https://buymeacoffee.com/mommybrainrevisited

In this episode I talk with Dr Laura Pritschet about her recent research detailing how the brain changes across pregnancy. It’s a fascinating study! Dr Pritschet is a Postdoctoral Fellow in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Pennsylvania. For more about her see: https://www.pennlinc.io/team/laura-pritschet The study we talk about: Pritschet L, Taylor CM, Cossio D, Faskowitz J, Santander T, Handwerker DA, Grotzinger H, Layher E, Chrastil ER, Jacobs EG. Neuroanatomical changes observed over the course of a human pregnancy. Nat Neurosci. 2024 Nov;27(11):2253-2260. doi: 10.1038/s41593-024-01741-0. Epub 2024 Sep 16. PMID: 39284962; PMCID: PMC11537970. Music: All in my head by Luna Wave via Soundstripe

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, I talk with Dr Silvana Valtcheva, a Junior Group Leader at University of Cologne in the Faculty of Medicine, about her recent work on oxytocin and it’s role in the maternal brain and behaviour. For more about Dr Valtcheva’s research see: www.valtchevalab.com Paper we talk about: Valtcheva S*#, Issa HA*, Bair-Marshall CJ, Martin KA, Jung K, Zhang Y, Kwon HB, Froemke RC#, Neural circuitry for maternal oxytocin release induced by infant cries. 2023 Nature. Sep;621(7980):788-795. (*co-first author; #co-corresponding author) music: "All In My Head" by Luna Wave from Soundstripe

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited, I talk with Dr Darby Saxbe, Professor of Psychology at USC Dornslife. We talk about her recent work on how brain changes in fathers may reflect parenting engagement and mental health risk. Fascinating! For more about Dr Saxbe see https://dornsife.usc.edu/nestlab/current-members/ Her book ‘Dad Brain’ will be out in 2026! Can't wait! Paper we talk about: Saxbe D, Martínez-García M. Cortical volume reductions in men transitioning to first-time fatherhood reflect both parenting engagement and mental health risk. Cereb Cortex. 2024 Apr 1;34(4):bhae126. doi: 10.1093/cercor/bhae126. PMID: 38615244. For more about Jodi Pawluski see www.jodipawluski.com. music: All In My Head - Luna Wave via Soundstripe

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Susana Carmona, Research Scientist at the Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón in Madrid, Spain. We talk about her recent research on how a mother’s brain changes from late pregnancy to the early postpartum published in Nature Neuroscience early this year. Fascinating research and the first of its kind! For more about Dr Carmona see: https://neuromaternal.es/ Her book is available in Spanish and titled: Neuromaternal: ¿Qué le pasa a mi cerebro durante el embarazo y la maternidad?. For our episode together on Matrescence and Adolescence see episode 6 here.   Paper we talk about: Paternina-Die, M., Martínez-García, M., Martín de Blas, D. et al. Women’s neuroplasticity during gestation, childbirth and postpartum. Nat Neurosci 27, 319–327 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-023-01513-2⁠ Link to paper⁠     Music: Luna Wave via Soundstripe

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Nicolas Renier, the Team Leader of the Laboratory of Structural Plasticity at the Paris Brain Institute. We talk about his work on the neural mechanisms modulating nest building in mice during pregnancy. A fascinating study with amazing neuroscience techniques. We also talk about the value of using pregnancy as a model to understand neurophysiological processes, the important role of pregnancy in remodeling certain parts of the brain, what progesterone can do to neurons and more. Fascinating! For more about Dr Renier see: www.renier-lab.com Link to paper Paper citation: Topilko T, Diaz SL, Pacheco CM, Verny F, Rousseau CV, Kirst C, Deleuze C, Gaspar P, Renier N. Edinger-Westphal peptidergic neurons enable maternal preparatory nesting. Neuron. 2022 Apr 20;110(8):1385-1399.e8. doi: 10.1016/j.neuron.2022.01.012. Epub 2022 Feb 4. PMID: 35123655; PMCID: PMC9090132. Music: Luna Wave via Soundstripe

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Shir Atzil an Assistant Professor at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. We discuss her recent Perspective in Nature Human Behaviour titled ‘Growing A Social Brain’. A must read! We talk about the importance of a caregiver or caregivers in growing a social brain, what happens when infants are more challenging or parents are struggling, and the fact that the parental brain is actually in charge of two brains. You won’t want to miss this one! For more information on Dr Atzil see https://www.atzillab.com/ Here is a link to the paper that we talk about: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-018-0384-6#auth-Shir-Atzil Citation: Atzil, S., Gao, W., Fradkin, I. et al. Growing a social brain. Nat Hum Behav 2, 624–636 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-018-0384-6

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Catherine Preston, an Associate Professor at the University of York. We talk about body sensations in pregnancy, trusting your perinatal body, bonding to bump, birth experience, and more. We also talk about the need to focus our research on pregnancy and importance of understanding the connection between interoception and the maternal brain in health and illness. For more information on Dr Preston’s research see https://www.york.ac.uk/psychology/staff/academicstaff/cp1039/ Here is a link to the paper that we talk about: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S026661382400024X Citation for paper: Lucy Stafford, Lydia Munns, Anna E. Crossland, Elizabeth Kirk, Catherine E.J. Preston, Bonding with bump: Interoceptive sensibility moderates the relationship between pregnancy body satisfaction and antenatal attachment, Midwifery, Volume 131, 2024, 103940, ISSN 0266-6138,

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Danielle Stolzenberg, an Associate Professor at UC Davis, about the nonhormonal basis of parenting, modelling perinatal mental illness, and the 51 Foundation which she started. We also talk about the need to understand current treatments for perinatal mental illness (particularly SSRIs) and the importance of funding research in females. Yes! For more information on Dr Stolzenberg see https://psychology.ucdavis.edu/people/dstolzen Here is a link to the paper that we talk about: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34674243/ Paper citation: Rosinger ZJ, Mayer HS, Geyfen JI, Orser MK, Stolzenberg DS. Ethologically relevant repeated acute social stress induces maternal neglect in the lactating female mouse. Dev Psychobiol. 2021 Nov;63(7):e22173. doi: 10.1002/dev.22173. PMID: 34674243; PMCID: PMC10631567.

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Maria Muzik and Dr. Katherine Rosenblum about Mom Power, a parenting intervention they developed, and how it impacts parents and the parental brain. Both are Professors in the Departments Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynecology, as well as Co-Directors of Zero To Thrive & Women and Infant Mental Health Program at the University of Michigan. We talk about the development of Mom Power, it’s core components and the research supporting the importance of this group intervention. We also talk about attachment, the importance of nature, and building ‘strong roots’. It was an honor to speak with these two inspiring clinician-scientists. If you work with parents, this episode is a must. For more information on Mom Power and Zero to Thrive, including research and training opportunities see: https://zerotothrive.org/ Here is a link to the paper on the parental brain that we talk about: https://zerotothrive.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/02/Frontiers-Mom-Power.pdf

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Jonny Kohl, Group Leader, State-Dependent Neural Processing Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK. We talk about his new research on how the hormones of pregnancy affect specific neurons in the MPOA that essential for parenting. It’s a fascinating new finding and provides valuable insight into the neuroendocrine factors governing parental care. We also talk about whether or not we should be using reproductively experienced females more in general neuroscience research because of the long-term impact of pregnancy on the brain, the importance of state in general and practical considerations for doing these types of studies. It’s a good one. You won’t want to miss it. For more information on Dr Kohl and his group: https://www.crick.ac.uk/research/find-a-researcher/jonny-kohl Here is a link to the paper we talk about: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adi0576

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Pascal Vrticka, Associate Professor and Senior Lecturer in Psychology at the University of Essex. We talk about all thing’s attachment and neural synchrony in mother-child and father-child dyads. We also talk about attachment parenting and how our beliefs about parenting can impact how our brain functions. Fascinating! Don’t miss this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited. It will make you rethink about how the parental brain is working and why! For more information on Dr Vrticka’s work: https://pvrticka.com/ For a free pdf of the book we talk about see: https://babygro.org/babygro-book Follow Dr Vrticka on Instagram @pascalvrticka where you at ask him about attachment in his Q&A!

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Kristina M. Deligiannidis, MD, Professor, Institute of Behavioral Science, Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, Director, Women’s Behavioral Health, Zucker Hillside Hospital, Northwell Health, Professor, Psychiatry, Molecular Medicine and Obstetrics & Gynecology, Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine at Hofstra/Northwell, USA. We talk about her research on the development of neurosteroid treatments for postpartum depression. In particular we talk about her work on the new FDA approved oral medication for postpartum depression – Zuranolone as well as some practical information on Zuranolone, itself. Don’t miss this episode on Mommy Brain Revisited. It’s an important one for understanding the current treatment options and challenges for perinatal mental illness. For more information on Dr Deligiannidis’ work and her contact information see: https://feinstein.northwell.edu/institutes-researchers/our-researchers/kristina-m-deligiannidis-md Download one of the publications that we talk about here: https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.20220785

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Devaleena Pradhan, Associate Professor of Behavioral Neuroendocrinology and Physiology at Idaho State University, USA. We talk about fatherhood, the neural mechanisms mediating parenting, the origins of parenting behaviors and more. We also talk about her research on parenting in sex-changing fish and what we can learn from them. Don’t miss this episode. It will make you rethink sex/gender and parenting! For more information on Dr Pradhan’s work and her contact information see: https://www.isu.edu/biology/people/faculty---professors/--devaleena-s-pradhan/ Download one of the publications that we talk about here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24827441/   Music: Luna Wave via Soundstrip

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Tara Chaplin, Associate Professor of Psychology at George Mason University, USA. We talk about parenting, mindfulness, and the parental brain. We also talk about the importance of mindfulness in terms of parenting tweens and teens, how mindfulness helps empower parents to parent with intention (wow!), and her ongoing research in this area. Don’t miss this episode on Mommy Brain Revisited. It will make you want to be more mindful! Download the publication that we talk about here: Affective Neural Mechanisms of a Parenting-Focused Mindfulness Intervention https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7962669/pdf/nihms-1525033.pdf For more information on Dr Chaplin’s work: https://yel.gmu.edu/ Although the Mindfulness intervention they use is not readily available it is based on MBSR or Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction techniques and other evidence based interventions. Book recommendation: Everyday Blessings: The Inner Work of Mindful Parenting by Jon and Myla Kabat-Zinn. Citation of study we talk about: Turpyn CC, Chaplin TM, Fischer S, Thompson JC, Fedota JR, Baer RA, Martelli AM. Affective Neural Mechanisms of a Parenting-Focused Mindfulness Intervention. Mindfulness (N Y). 2021 Feb;12(2):392-404. doi: 10.1007/s12671-019-01118-6. Epub 2019 Feb 16.

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Robert Froemke, Professor, Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery and Skirball Professor of Genetics, Department of Neuroscience and Physiology at New York University. We talk about oxytocin neurons, learning to parent and alloparenting. We also talk about the importance of experience with offspring, making mistakes, and ‘mouse midwifery’. Don’t miss this episode on Mommy Brain. So interesting! Download the publication in Nature that we talk about here: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34381215/ For more information on Dr Froemke’s work: https://med.nyu.edu/faculty/robert-c-froemke   Citation: Carcea I, Caraballo NL, Marlin BJ, Ooyama R, Riceberg JS, Mendoza Navarro JM, Opendak M, Diaz VE, Schuster L, Alvarado Torres MI, Lethin H, Ramos D, Minder J, Mendoza SL, Bair-Marshall CJ, Samadjopoulos GH, Hidema S, Falkner A, Lin D, Mar A, Wadghiri YZ, Nishimori K, Kikusui T, Mogi K, Sullivan RM, Froemke RC. Oxytocin neurons enable social transmission of maternal behaviour. Nature. 2021 Aug;596(7873):553-557. doi: 10.1038/s41586-021-03814-7. Epub 2021 Aug 11. PMID: 34381215; PMCID: PMC8387235.  

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Valerie Miller, a PhD candidate in Anthropology at Purdue University. We talk about her recent research on ‘Mommy Brain’ in the USA and the importance of studying how moms feel and the cultural factors that can influence mommy brain and motherhood.  You won't want to miss this episode!   Download the publication here: https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/etho.12381 Citation: Valerie Miller, Marcy Price-Crist. Mommy brain in the United States. First published: 18 January 2023 https://doi.org/10.1111/etho.12381 Music: Luna Wave via Soundstripe

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Elseline Hoekzema, Assistant Professor, Adult Psychiatry and Amsterdam Neuroscience at Amsterdam University Medical Centers. We talk about her recent research published Nature Communications on how pregnancy impacts brain structure and function. This is a fascinating area of research! Download the publication here: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-33884-8 For more information about Dr. Hoekzema see:  https://www.amsterdamumc.org/en/research/researchers/elseline-a.-hoekzema.htm Citation: Hoekzema, E., van Steenbergen, H., Straathof, M. et al. Mapping the effects of pregnancy on resting state brain activity, white matter microstructure, neural metabolite concentrations and grey matter architecture. Nat Commun 13, 6931 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-33884-8 For more about Dr. Jodi Pawluski see: www.jodipawluski.com

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I read our viewpoint in JAMA Neurology titled "It's time to rebrand 'Mommy Brain'" published Feb 6, 2023 and authored by Dr Clare McCormack, Dr Bridget Callaghan and myself.  We also talk about how we are rebranding 'Mommy Brain'.  For the print version of the viewpoint see:  https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaneurology/article-abstract/2801288 Citation: McCormack C, Callaghan BL, Pawluski JL. It’s Time to Rebrand “Mommy Brain”. JAMA Neurol. Published online February 06, 2023. doi:10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.5180

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Margaret Bublitz, a Clinical Psychologist and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, and Medicine, in the Department of Psychiatry, at the Warren Alpert Medical School, Brown University.  We talk about her research on how child maltreatment early in life can modify the maternal brain in human mothers. We also talk about the need to support mothers, in general, and to talk more about the reality of motherhood. Such an interesting one you won’t want to miss! For more information about Dr. Bublitz and her research see: https://www.brown.edu/public-health/mindfulness/people/margaret-bublitz-phd Publication details: Bublitz MH, Swain J, Lustig S, Barthelemy C, DeYoung L, Dickstein D. Maternal History of Childhood Maltreatment and Brain Responses to Infant Cues Across the Postpartum Period. Child Maltreat. 2022 Sep 24:10775595221128952. doi: 10.1177/10775595221128952. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 36154501.

On this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited talk with Emma Jane Unsworth, British writer and bestselling author. We talk about her memoir After the Storm: Postnatal Depression and the Utter Weirdness of New Motherhood and what she did to prepare for her second pregnancy and postpartum experience.  This podcast episode is part of a collaboration with InSPIre the Mind – a digital magazine – where we have been doing a series on Maternal Mental Health. Listen to the podcast, read the book and check out the maternal mental health series. All are musts. For more on Emma Jane Unsworth’s book After the Storm: Postnatal Depression and the Utter Weirdness of New Motherhood see: https://www.waterstones.com/book/after-the-storm/emma-jane-unsworth/9781788166553 You can read the Maternal Mental Health series here: https://www.inspirethemind.org/our-series

On this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Prof Carmine Pariante, a psychiatrist and professor at King's College London. This episode is part of a collaboration with InSPIre the Mind – a digital magazine – where we are doing a series of blogs on maternal mental illness. Over the next month check out stories from the series at : https://www.inspirethemind.org/our-series In this episode we talk about the different mental illnesses that can occur during the perinatal period, the causes for these illnesses, and the need to improve our support to those who birth the next generation. You can read the InSPIre the Mind Maternal Mental Illness series here: https://www.inspirethemind.org/our-series For more about Prof Carmine Pariante see: https://www.kcl.ac.uk/people/professor-carmine-pariante

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Amanda Kentner a Full Professor at Massachusetts College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences in the USA. We talk about her recent research published at eNeuro on the important role that enrichment can play in parenting and development. Don’t miss this episode on cutting edge research in behavioral neuroscience. So interesting! Download the publication here: https://www.eneuro.org/content/9/4/ENEURO.0148-22.2022 For more information about Prof. Kentner’s research see https://www.kentnerlab.org/ Citations: DeRosa H, Caradonna SG, Tran H, Marrocco J, Kentner AC. Milking It for All It's Worth: The Effects of Environmental Enrichment on Maternal Nurturance, Lactation Quality, and Offspring Social Behavior. eNeuro. 2022 Aug 25;9(4):ENEURO.0148-22.2022. doi: 10.1523/ENEURO.0148-22.2022. PMID: 35995560. Follow @dr.jodi_pawluski on instagram for more on how the brain changes with parenting.  https://www.jodipawluski.com/

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Bridget Callaghan, an Assistant Professor at UCLA, about recent research she’s done on memory during pregnancy. Love this research! We talk about “baby brain”, hippocampal-dependent memory changes during pregnancy – what the data shows, how we need to think about memory and motherhood, and where research needs to go to understand memory changes during the perinatal period in birthing and non-birthing parents. For more about her research see: https://brainandbodylab.psych.ucla.edu/

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Ruth Feldman, the Simms-Mann Professor of Developmental Social Neuroscience at the Interdisciplinary Center (IDC) Herzlia with joint appointment at Yale Child Study Center. We talk about her recent research on neural synchrony and how maternal cues can aid in neural synchrony between strangers and infants. We also talk about the importance of understanding brain changes with perinatal mental illness and her ongoing research on the parental brain.  Don’t miss this episode on cutting edge research from a leader in the field! For more information about Dr. Feldman’s research see https://ruthfeldmanlab.com/

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. James Rilling a Professor in the Department of Anthropology and the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Emory University in the USA. We talk about his research on brain changes in human fathers. So cool! We also talk the interplay between oxytocin, testosterone, dad brain changes as well as tradeoffs between parenting and mating and more! Don’t miss this episode and share it with a dad near you. For more information about Dr. Rilling’s research see: http://anthropology.emory.edu/home/people/faculty/rilling.html For more about me see www.jodipawluski.com

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Siobhain O’Mahony a Senior Lecturer at University College Cork, Ireland. We talk about the the Brain-Gut axis (or axes) and the role of the gut microbiome in pregnancy and postpartum. We also talk about the role that stress can play on this system. She updates us on how birth mode may affect the developing microbiome in infants - something that's been in the news a lot the past few years - and we talk about practical ways to mind our microbiome. We could have talked all day!  For more information about Dr. O’Mahony and her research: http://publish.ucc.ie/profiles/C003/somahony 

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Ann-Marie de Lange a Maitre-Assistant Ambizione FNS (Assistant Professor) at the Centre for Research in Neuroscience, Department of Clinical Neurosciences, l'Universite de Lausanne, Switzerland. We talk about her research on motherhood and brain-aging in middle aged women. We also talk about the importance of understanding the female brain throughout life, not only in the context of motherhood but also with menopause and aging. And, no, you don’t have to parent to have an amazing brain. Don’t miss this episode on the brain and women’s health! For more information about Dr. de Lange’s research click here https://www.unil.ch/lren/home/menuinst/teams-science/femilab---womens-brain-health.html

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Kimberly D'Anna-Hernandez an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at Marquette University in the USA. We talk about her research on sociocultural stressors and maternal mental health in Latinx populations in the US. We talk about the impact of systemic racism and microaggressions on pre- and post-natal maternal mental health and how these factors affect physiological health. We also talk about how she is using community-engaged research to address perinatal mental health disparities in Latina women and their children.  For more information about Dr. D'Anna-Hernandez's research listen now. You can also contact her at https://www.marquette.edu/psychology/directory/kimberly-danna-hernandez.php

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Helena Rutherford an Assistant Professor at the Yale Child Study Center in the USA. We talk about her research using EEG (brain waves) to understand brain changes in pregnancy, how they predict postpartum outcomes, the role of reproductive experience on the brain and how dad's brain changes too. We also talk about the importance of understanding the parental brain in order to improve parenting outcomes. Don’t miss this episode! For more information about Dr. Rutherford's research see https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/helena_rutherford/ .

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Victoria Leong an Assistant Professor of Psychology at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore and an Affiliated Lecturer at University of Cambridge in England. We talk about her research on neural synchrony between mother and child in relation to cognition and emotion. We also talk about the importance of understanding the parental and infant brain in the context of social interactions and the environment – outside of the lab. Don’t miss this episode on cutting edge research in social neuroscience! For more information about Dr. Leong’s research click here .

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Katherine M. Sharkey, an Associate Professor of Medicine and Psychiatry & Human Behavior at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University in the USA. We talk about her research on sleep in motherhood and how it is related to maternal mood disorders and breastfeeding. She also does some myth busting: Is poor sleep in pregnancy preparing you for the postpartum? Should you sleep when baby sleeps? Are new dads sleeping more? We talk a lot about getting our babies and kids to sleep but in this podcast it is all about parent’s sleep – how important it is and how to improve it.  You won’t want to miss this one! For more information about Dr. Sharkey and her research click here.

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Aya Dudin, a PhD Candidate in Neuroscience, supervised by Dr. Geoffrey Hall, at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. We talk about her research on the neurobiology of Postpartum Depression and how it differs from that of Major Depression. We focus our discussion on her research in the Amygdala but we also talk about treatments for PPD, the importance of translational research to understand the uniqueness of maternal mental illnesses and the exciting role the gut-brain axis may play as a target for treatment for these disorders. For more information about Aya Dudin’s research click here .

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr. Larry Young, a William P. Timmie Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the School of Medicine at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, USA. We talk about his research on the neuroscience of oxytocin and bonding. So interesting! We also talk about oxytocin’s role in the maternal brain, mental illness and child development. Hearing about this ancient maternal hormone is a must. For more information about Dr. Larry Young and his research click here.  

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Prof Paola Dazzan, Professor of Neurobiology of Psychosis, Vice Dean (International) at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King’s College London, UK. We talk about her research investigating the neurobiology of Postpartum Psychosis. So important! We talk about the biological basis of this debilitating disorder, treatment options and aims for future research. For more information about Prof Dazzan’s and her research click here.  

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Catherine Dulac, Higgins Professor of Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University and Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute in the USA. We talk about her research on neurons expressing galanin in the MPOA and their essential role in parenting behaviors in females and males. So interesting! We also talk about the potential role of these neurons in maternal mental illness and whether or not we should be using the word 'instinct' when we talk about parental behaviour.  For more information about Dr. Dulac's research click here.   Here is a direct link to her publications.  

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Millie Rincón-Cortés, a Research Assistant Professor in Department of Neuroscience at the University of Pittsburgh in the USA. We talk about her research investigating VTA dopamine neuron activity in the postpartum maternal brain and its role in normative changes in postpartum mood and anxiety. We also talk about maternal separation from offspring, parental leave duration, and how much we need to know about how these effects can impact the maternal brain. Don’t miss this one! For more information about Dr. Rincón-Cortés click here.   Here is a direct link to their publications.  

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Pilyoung Kim, an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Denver in Colorado where she heads the Family and Child Neuroscience Lab. We jump right in to talk about our experiences with Mommy Brain and then we talk stress and motherhood. Dr Kim’s research investigates how life stress, such as socioeconomic status and poverty, affects the maternal brain and behavior. So important! We also talk about race, resilience, coping, cannabis, and the need for social policies to support mothers, and parents in general. For more information about Dr. Kim’s research click here.   Here is a direct link to her publications.

In this episode of Mommy Brain Revisited I talk with Dr Benedetta Leuner who is an Associate Professor of Behavioral Neuroscience in the Department of Psychology at The Ohio State University in the USA.  We talk about her research investigating the neuroimmune changes in the maternal brain. So important! We talk about microglia changes during pregnancy and the postpartum, their role in neuroplasticity, mechanisms behind their changes, and the potential role of neuroimmune changes in maternal mental illnesses such as Postpartum Depression.  We also talk about our experiences with ‘Mommy Brain’ – 😊 . For more information about Dr. Leuner's research click here.   Here is a direct link to her publications.