010 | "Neuroscientist on Mental Illness" (Daniel at McGill Univ.)
Today’s guest on the “Phil with Forbes 30” podcast is Daniel Almeida – Neuroscientist at McGill University
Forbes List: USA
Year: 2020
Category: Science
Daniel Almeida is a neuroscientist based at McGill University in Montreal, Canada. He uses post-mortem human brain samples, coupled with psychological autopsies to understand the molecular impacts of severe childhood abuse on the brains of depressed individuals who died by suicide.
So, before you glimpse over his bio and think this podcast isn’t for me, I want to tell you that my conversation with Daniel was stimulating and exciting. He really knows how to translate neuroscience in a way that we lay people can use it. He shares real-world examples, so we can improve our thinking, brain health and daily life.
Daniel’s inspiration came in high school when his Dad had a stroke. A nurse gave him a book to help him understand what was happening to his Dad and as they say, the rest is history.
As a coach, I find it fascinating that Daniel’s research into brain tissue can
teach us how our habits, routines, life traumas, joys and mindfulness can physically change our brain and how it is wired. Our topics ranged the gamut from microbiomes, learning, use of language, PTSD and social connections.
Daniel shares his own research and that of other scientists on how controlling brain inflammation can help with depression, toxic stress, emotions and brain development.
We also discussed resilience and susceptibility, plus the concept of epigenetics. And, of course, we spoke about mental health and the proper way of speaking about suicide.
My biggest takeaway from this conversation were all the practical approaches we can make in our own brain health for long and short-term goals based on the science and research of Daniel and others in his community. He gave numerous examples of things we can learn from and put into practice immediately.
“Under 30 Seconds Round”
1. What is the book you’ve gifted more often than any other book, and why?
2. What’s one of the best investments and one of the worst investments you’ve ever made and why?
3. What’s the most impactful thing you do in your Morning routine and most impactful thing you do in your Evening routine?
4. Pretend you won the Peter Thiel Fellowship and you were going to get money to start a business instead of go to college, what’s the very first thing you’d do to start a new business?
5. What’s something you never knew you needed?
Additional references: “Babies” documentary on Netflix; “Shock and Awe” documentary on psychedelics treatment -- on Amazon Prime Video
In the REVIEW SECTION, please let me know…
GUEST INFO: Daniel Almeida – Neuroscientist at McGill University
HOST INFO: Phil Michaels
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