What makes you, you?
Meet Dr. Sarah McKay - a neuroscientist, TEDx speaker, science communicator and author of The Women's Brain Book, which explores the female lifespan through the lens of neurobiology, and Baby Brain, about how pregnancy and motherhood shape the brain. Her work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, The Guardian, The Sydney Morning Herald, and on ABC’s Catalyst. Sarah is also a sought-after keynote speaker and a regular guest on radio and podcasts. The new revised edition of The Women's Brain Book came out this week and contains findings from neuroscientists and researchers working in the disciplines of neuroendocrinology, brain development, brain health, and ageing.
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The new edition of The Women's Brain Book (2025) - https://www.waterstones.com/book/demystifying-the-female-brain/sarah-mckay/9781409173182
(00:00) Intro
(03:00) Gender equality and brain differences
(07:46) What is neuroplasticity?
(10:05) Pregnancy and neuroplasticity
(12:15) Why stress response physiology changes during pregnancy
(14:35) Intrusive thoughts and postnatal anxiety
(16:57) Why women suffer from depression and anxiety more
(20:10) Mental health and puberty
(23:18) How puberty creates an emotional blueprint
(25:03) Menstrual cycle as a neuroscience experiment
(30:50) Tools for hormone-sensitive women
(33:08) Insights from writing "Baby Brain"
(44:44) Ageing and wisdom
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