x

75% of people globally want unbiased news (Pew Research) but are concerned they're not getting that.

Get balanced coverage with Symby. See how stories are covered across diverse outlets and spot when one side covers a story the other skips.

PODCAST

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain Science

Karen Toffler Charitable Trust

Welcome to Research Renaissance, presented by the Karen Toffler Charitable Trust. We invite you into the stories, struggles, and breakthroughs shaping the future of human health. From cutting-edge brain science to discoveries transforming how we heal, adapt, and thrive, we explore the ideas that matter and the people behind them.Each episode features early-career researchers driven by curiosity, entrepreneurs turning bold ideas into lifesaving innovations, and leaders in investment, policy, and

science life sciences

All Episodes

56:52

From Neuroscience to State Policy: How Science Shapes...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2026/03/25

How does neuroscience shape state policy? And what happens when scientists step inside government? In this episode of Research Renaissance, Deborah Westphal sits down with Dr. Julianne McCall, CEO of the California Council on Science and Technology (CCST), to explore how scientific thinking informs public policy in one of the world’s largest economies. From spinal cord injury research in Germany to advising California’s Governor during COVID-19, Dr. McCall shares how scientists can help gov...

en-us

64:13

The Vagus Nerve Revolution: How Bioelectronic...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2026/03/18

In this episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal sits down with Dr. Şiyar Bahadır, neurosurgeon and Elmezzi Scholar at the Feinstein Institute for Medical Research, to explore the cutting edge of neuroscience, bioelectronic medicine, and the powerful role of the vagus nerve in regulating nearly every organ system in the body. Dr. Bahadır shares his journey from the operating room to advanced research, explains how mapping the brain and nervous system is revolutionizing patient o...

en-us

80:26

Inside Health Informatics: Data, Decisions, and the...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2026/03/11

Healthcare today runs on data, but few people understand how deeply information systems shape patient outcomes, clinician workflows, and long-term public health. In this episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal sits down with Dr. Caterina (Cat) Lasome, a nationally recognized leader in health informatics and digital health transformation. Drawing from 23 years as an Army nurse and decades working across the Department of Defense, VA, NIH, and federal health systems, Cat explains...

en-us

59:00

Why Alzheimer’s Is No Longer a Black Box: Science,...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2026/03/04

For decades, Alzheimer’s disease was treated as an unavoidable consequence of aging. In this episode of Research Renaissance, Dr. Jessica Rexach explains why that framing is no longer true. Drawing on 20 years at the intersection of clinical neurology, genetics, and experimental neuroscience, Dr. Rexach walks us through a profound shift in the field. Today, scientists can model human brain circuits, measure Alzheimer’s pathology through blood-based biomarkers, and study why some brains remain...

en-us

59:53

From Lived Experience to Life-Changing Innovation:...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/11/25

In this powerful episode of Research Renaissance, Arushi Raina and John Chernesky from the Praxis Spinal Cord Institute pull back the curtain on what it really takes to innovate in spinal cord injury—and why the future of neurological care depends on integrating technology, science, and most importantly, lived experience. Rather than treating individuals as patients or passive recipients of care, Praxis centers their entire innovation pipeline around those living with spinal cord injury (SCI)...

en-us

47:21

Transforming Communities Through Resilience Science...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/08/19

In this episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal sits down with Dr. Wendy Ellis, Assistant Professor of Global Health at George Washington University and Founding Director of the Center for Community Resilience. Together, they explore how resilience science and systems-level thinking can drive lasting change for communities impacted by adversity. Dr. Ellis shares her groundbreaking Pair of ACEs Framework, which connects adverse childhood experiences to adverse community environm...

en-us

51:33

Ataxia, Advocacy, and Accelerating Research: Inside...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/08/05

Welcome back to Research Renaissance, presented by the Karen Toffler Charitable Trust. In this episode, host Deborah Westphal explores the cutting edge of rare disease research with special guests Andrew Rosen, CEO of the National Ataxia Foundation (NAF), and Dr. Lauren Moore, NAF’s Chief Scientific Officer. Together, they unpack how the NAF has evolved from a small support-focused nonprofit into a strategic, science-driven organization that’s advancing treatments and reshaping what’s possibl...

en-us

35:16

Unlocking Parkinson’s Potential: The Brain-Immune...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/07/29

In this groundbreaking episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal reconnects with Dr. Adithya Gopinath, University of Florida, to explore a game-changing discovery in Parkinson’s research: a direct connection between dopamine neurons in the brain and the peripheral immune system, specifically the spleen. Dr. Gopinath shares how his lab’s findings could reshape the future of Parkinson’s diagnosis and treatment—potentially identifying the disease earlier and opening new therapeutic ...

en-us

51:03

The AI Cure: How Drug Repurposing is Saving Lives

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/07/22

In this episode of Research Renaissance, Deborah Westphal sits down with Dr. Grant Mitchell, co-founder and CEO of Every Cure — a nonprofit revolutionizing how we treat disease using artificial intelligence and drug repurposing. You’ll hear the incredible true story behind the organization’s founding: a rare disease, a near-death diagnosis, and the life-saving power of finding the right drug at the right time — one that was already FDA-approved but never intended for that disease. Dr. Mitchel...

en-us

48:10

Unlocking Sex-Based Differences in Alzheimer’s Risk...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/07/15

In this powerful episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal sits down with Dr. Rachel Buckley, Associate Professor of Neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Together, they explore a growing body of research that challenges long-standing assumptions about sex differences in Alzheimer's disease. Dr. Buckley shares her unexpected journey from skepticism to advocacy in studying how biological sex and hormonal changes—particularly around menopause—can i...

en-us

45:23

How Regenerative Biology Could Help Treat Alzheimer’s...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/07/08

In this episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal sits down with Dr. Prabesh Bhattarai, Associate Research Scientist - The Taub Institute for Research on Alzheimer's Disease, the aging Brain, Columbia University Irving Medical Center and a 2024 Toffler Scholar. Dr. Bhattarai shares his groundbreaking work on regenerative biology and how understanding the remarkable ability of certain fish to regrow neurons could eventually lead to new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases lik...

en-us

49:57

Decoding Alzheimer’s: Breakthroughs in Neural...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/07/01

In this exciting episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal speaks with Dr. Ted Zwang, Assistant Professor of neurology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Andrew Holbrook, Assistant Professor at UCLA and Jasen Zhang, PhD student in biostatistics in Holbrook’s lab. Together, they share how novel neural recording devices and advanced machine learning techniques are transforming the study of Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Ted and Jasen discuss their collabora...

en-us

53:39

How Childhood Stress Shapes the Brain with Dr....

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/06/24

In this fascinating episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal sits down with Dr. Heather Brenhouse, professor of psychology and director of the Developmental Neuropsychobiology Lab at Northeastern University—and a 2024 Toffler Scholar. Together, they explore the deep connections between childhood adversity, brain development, and long-term mental health. Dr. Brenhouse discusses why early life stress impacts some individuals more than others, how adversity can alter the timing of ...

en-us

40:56

Engineering the Brain—In the Lab and in Space

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/06/17

In this fascinating episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphall welcomes Dr. Alysson Muotri, a professor in the Departments of Pediatrics and Cellular & Molecular Medicine at the University of California, San Diego., for a deep dive into what makes the human brain unique—and how understanding that uniqueness might unlock new treatments for neurological disorders. From stem cell brain models grown in the lab to sending "mini-brains" into space, Dr. Muotri shares his bold,...

en-us

45:39

Microscopic Conversations: How Organelles Communicate...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/06/10

In this episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal welcomes Dr. Yvette Wong, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Northwestern University and 2024 Toffler Scholar, for a deep dive into the dynamic inner world of cells—and how her lab is uncovering new clues about neurodegenerative diseases by studying the microscopic interactions between organelles. Dr. Wong discusses how organelles like mitochondria and lysosomes don’t just function in isolation—they actually “talk” to each other ...

en-us

53:44

Aging with Dignity: Advancing Equity, Access, and...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/06/03

In this compelling episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal sits down with Sue Peschin, President and CEO of the Alliance for Aging Research, for a candid conversation about the intersection of science, policy, and aging. From Alzheimer’s drug coverage to the future of stem cell research, they unpack what it truly means to age with dignity—and how equity, access, and advocacy play a critical role. Sue shares her personal journey into aging research, her leadership transition at ...

en-us

54:16

Rewiring Brain Research—Why Networks Matter as Much...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/05/27

In this eye-opening episode of Research Renaissance, Dr. Rod Scott takes us on a journey through the emerging science of brain networks, complex adaptive systems, and why rethinking how we treat neurological conditions like epilepsy and autism might be the key to improving outcomes—especially in children. Dr. Scott explains why he views the brain not as a collection of isolated parts, but as a dynamic, self-organizing system. From his clinical experience to his cutting-edge lab work on neural...

en-us

54:49

Inside the Mind of Brain Cancer: Modeling...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/05/20

In this episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal sits down with Dr. Frank Furnari, professor of medicine at UC San Diego and co-director of the Brain Tumor Program at the Sanford Stem Cell Institute. Together, they explore one of the most aggressive and complex cancers known to medicine—glioblastoma—and the innovative tools his team is developing to study and treat it. 🔬 Topics Covered: Why glioblastoma is so resistant to treatment—and what makes it uniqueThe role of tumor

en-us

52:02

Inside the Neurodegeneration Puzzle: A Conversation...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/05/13

In this compelling episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal sits down with Jackson Mace, a neuroscience PhD candidate at Johns Hopkins University and 2023 Toffler Scholar, to explore the cutting-edge research driving our understanding of neurodegenerative diseases—particularly multiple sclerosis (MS). Drawing from personal experience—his father’s MS diagnosis—and a deep academic curiosity, Jackson shares the winding path that led him from undergraduate lab work to a promising ca...

en-us

42:41

Exploring the Role of Astrocytes and APOE in...

Research Renaissance: Exploring the Future of Brain... ·

2025/05/06

In this episode of Research Renaissance, host Deborah Westphal sits down with Dr. Alberto Serrano-Pozo, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Harvard Medical School, staff neurologist at Massachusetts General Hospital, and a 2022 Toffler Scholar. Together, they explore Dr. Serrano-Pozo’s pioneering research into the role of glial cells—specifically astrocytes—and the APOE gene in the development and progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Serrano-Pozo discusses how astrocytes, long overlooked i...

en-us

64 results

Similar Podcasts

Classic Radio Science Fiction

solgoodmedia.com

Mission to Mars

Inception Point Ai

The 365 Days of Astronomy

365DaysOfAstronomy.org

Creek Devil

william Jevning

UFO Chronicles Podcast

Nik Hunter