In this episode of Bridging Synapses, Alison speaks with Sarah, a former clinical psychiatric rehabilitation professor and advocate for patients affected by electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). After undergoing 116 rounds of ECT, Sarah has dedicated her career to advancing transparency, ethical standards, and informed consent in psychiatry. Their conversation explores the personal and systemic implications of ECT, from memory loss and misdiagnosis to the future of patient-centered reform.

Guest: Sarah Hancock

Join Alison as she interviews Yusuke, a pharmaceutical sciences student at The University of Tokyo. He shares insights on academic culture and school traditions, opportunities for cross-cultural learning at UTokyo, and his plans for his PhD and a future global move.

Guest: Yusuke Kobayashi

In this episode of Bridging Synapses, join Alison as she interviews Sean the Science Kid, a ten-year-old science fanatic and aspiring neurocardiosurgeon. Sean is dedicated to sharing his love for science with his over 1 million followers. Listen as Sean shares his insights into quantum physics, what he considers the most urgent scientific challenge of our time, and more!

Guest: Sean the Science Kid

Today's guest on Bridging Synapses is Noah Rasheta, the host of Secular Buddhism. In his podcast, Noah employs a non-religious approach to explaining Buddhist tenets and fundamentals. Listen as Noah explains his inspiration for the podcast, common misconceptions about Buddhism, and ways to integrate mindfulness into daily life.

Guest: Noah Rasheta

Join Alison Chan as she interviews Dr. Nancy Rappaport, a child and adolescent psychiatrist and associate professor of psychiatry, on the intersection of psychiatry and education. Listen as Dr. Rappaport shares insights gained from teaching undergraduates, medical students, and residents, working with teachers at local schools to better understand challenging students, and more.

Guest: Nancy Rappaport, MD

In this episode of Bridging Synapses, join Alison as she explores the nuances of global healthcare response systems. Dr. Chu Chung Ming, a respiratory medicine specialist based in Hong Kong, is no stranger to these intricacies; listen as he explains his experiences working in both the public and private healthcare sectors, compares healthcare models across the globe (including Hong Kong and the UK), and contrasts the 2003 SARS outbreak and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Guest: Chu Chung Ming, MD, MSc

Emergency medicine is a diverse medical field skill-wise, requiring both keen attention to detail and quick decision-making, and patient-wise, covering populations of all races, ages, and socioeconomic and health insurance statuses. This episode of Bridging Synapses features an interview with emergency medicine physician Dr. Jim Murrett on his unconventional journey to discovering his passion for emergency medicine, the unique benefits and challenges of working in such a dynamic field, and his advice for aspiring physicians. How does his time working in Cambridge, MA compare to his time in Philadelphia, PA? How did COVID-19 affect the emergency department? What are his recommendations for medical policy reform in the United States? Join Alison as she tackles these questions and more.

Guest: James (Jim) Murrett, MD

The MD/PhD journey is a daunting yet fulfilling one; the program often spans over seven years but allows for the opportunity to meaningfully balance time in the hospital and in lab. In the first episode of Bridging Synapses, join Alison Chan as she interviews Dr. Emily Ferenczi on her experience completing undergrad and medical school in the UK before moving to the US for her PhD, the benefits and challenges of splitting time between clinic and lab, and what drew her to the field of neuroscience.

Guest: Emily Ferenczi, BMBCh, PhD