Smooth Brain Society

What happens inside a child's brain when they're told not to touch something… and immediately reach for it anyway?
In this episode we sit down with developmental neuroscientist Dr. Abigail Fisk from Lancaster University to explore how self-control develops in infancy and early childhood.
Dr. Fisk studies executive functions, which are the mental skills that help us focus, regulate behaviour, and resist impulses. Using child friendly brain-imaging technology (FNIRS) and longitudinal research, she follows children from infancy through early childhood to understand how these critical abilities emerge and develop.
We discuss:
Why toddlers struggle with self-control
What executive functions actually are
How inhibitory control develops in the brain
Measuring brain activity in babies using non-invasive neuroimaging
The role of the prefrontal cortex in early development
Lessons from the classroom that inspired Dr. Fisk's research career
Why the first five years of life are so important
Early intervention, education, and the future of child development research
Whether you're a parent, educator, psychology enthusiast, or simply curious about how the brain develops, this conversation offers fascinating insights into the science behind self-control and learning.
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In this special audience Q&A episode of The Smooth Brain Society, hosts Dr. Sahir Hussain and (soon to be Dr.) Beth Facer answer your most thoughtful, chaotic, philosophical, and occasionally cursed questions.
From the darkest stories in neuroscience history to whether trauma is really “stored in the body,” Beth and Sahir dive into mental health, AI, addiction, academia, policy, stress, and the strange realities of working in science. 
Plus: the podcast finally tackles one of humanity’s greatest debates… is a hot dog a sandwich?
Topics discussed include:
The darkest neuroscience experiments in history
Trauma, stress, and the body
AI’s future impact on child development and human connection
Alcohol & mental health
Culture and public health policy
The realities of working in academic research
Epigenetics and family planning
Research papers Beth & Sahir wish they’d worked on themselves
And, of course, hot dog discourse.
Thank you to everyone who sent in questions for this episode! we loved making this one.
Follow The Smooth Brain Society  on our social media platforms for future Q&As, episode updates, and science content from Beth and Sahir.
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Instagram: @thesmoothbrainsociety
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email: thesmoothbrainsociety@gmail.com

Dr. Bailey Rose (Ngāti Maniapoto), Clinical Psychologist at Ora Toa Mauriora, New Zealand, joins us for a conversation on eating disorders, culture, identity, and mental health care.
We explore how eating disorders are often misunderstood through a narrow Western lens, and why that can leave Māori and other underserved communities unseen, misdiagnosed, or excluded from support systems. Bailey shares insights from both her clinical work and research, discussing the cultural meaning of food, barriers to care, stigma, social media pressures, and the limitations of relying too heavily on measures like BMI.
The episode also dives into:
 Māori perspectives on food, care, and wellbeing 
 How culture shapes experiences of eating disorders 
 Emotional regulation, shame, and relationships with food 
 Misconceptions around who “gets” eating disorders 
 The impact of beauty standards and social media 
 Ozempic and the growing conversation around weight-loss medications 
 Why culturally responsive mental health care matters 

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https://smoothbrainsociety.com
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Instagram: @thesmoothbrainsociety
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email: thesmoothbrainsociety@gmail.com

Can preparing the body before cancer treatment improve recovery, reduce complications, and even protect brain function?
In this episode, Sahir sits down with Dr. Christopher Gaffney, Senior Lecturer in Integrative Physiology at Lancaster University, to explore the growing science of prehabilitation. Prehabilitation uses exercise, nutrition, and psychological support to help cancer patients better tolerate surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
They discuss how a patient’s baseline fitness can influence treatment outcomes, why exercise is increasingly being viewed as medicine, the emerging evidence around “chemo brain,” and why healthcare may need to shift from reactive treatment to proactive preparation.
A fascinating conversation at the intersection of cancer research, physiology, and preventative medicine.
Topics Covered
 What prehabilitation is and why it matters 
 Exercise as medicine in cancer care 
 How fitness affects surgery and chemotherapy outcomes 
 The science behind chemo brain and fatigue 
 Why medicine needs to think earlier, not later
Support the show
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Instagram: @thesmoothbrainsociety
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Facebook: @thesmoothbrainsociety
Merch and all other links: Linktree
email: thesmoothbrainsociety@gmail.com

We explore the rapidly evolving intersection of human psychology and artificial intelligence with Dr. Eeshan Hasan,of the Ohio State University, specialising in computational models of decision-making.
We dive into how humans and AI can work together more effectively, from improving medical diagnoses using “wisdom of the crowd” techniques to tackling misinformation and distortions on social media. Dr. Hasan shares insights into how both human and machine intelligence represent information and what that means for the future of healthcare, and human-AI collaboration.
This conversation unpacks big questions: Can AI help us think better? Where do human biases still outperform algorithms? And how do we design systems that enhance, rather than distort, our decision-making?
If you're interested in the future of AI, psychology, and the way we navigate an increasingly digital world, this episode offers a thoughtful and accessible deep dive.
Dr. Eeshan Hasan: https://eeshanhasan.com/
Support the show
Support us and reach out!
https://smoothbrainsociety.com
https://www.patreon.com/SmoothBrainSociety

Instagram: @thesmoothbrainsociety
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Twitter/X:  @SmoothBrainSoc
Facebook: @thesmoothbrainsociety
Merch and all other links: Linktree
email: thesmoothbrainsociety@gmail.com