MOTHER-podcast with Karina Vazirova – Details, episodes & analysis

What if we could map where trauma is stored in the body?

Meet Tracy Bale, the president of the International Brain Research Organization (IBRO) and a leading neuroscientist exploring the connection between the brain, body, environment, and mental health. She is the Anschutz Foundation Endowed Chair in Women's Integrated Mental and Physical Health Research, Director for InterGenerational Stress and Health and the Director for Sex Differences Research in the Department of Psychiatry in the School of Medicine at the University of Colorado. In this episode, we dive into whether women experience stress differently and discuss emerging scientific research that could change how we approach mental health.

More from MOTHER:

Subscribe to the newsletter: themotherverse.substack.com

Want to create some magic together? Reach out to us: forms.gle/zfKWVCbw1ERKUgKB8

Follow Tracy:

The Bale Lab - https://www.balethompsonltp.org/bale/research

Bluesky - https://bsky.app/profile/thebalelab.bsky.social

(00:00) Intro

(02:40) The science of stress

(07:55) Biology of a stress response

(11:15) Stress vs trauma

(14:40) Women experience stress differently

(22:40) Generational and transgenerational trauma

(31:05) The biological mechanisms of the mind-body connection

(36:30) The potential of psychedelics

(48:00) Lessons about life, nature, universe

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You can see how much society values women's health by the magnitude of the crisis in maternity care.

Meet Leah Hazard, a practising midwife, activist, award-winning author, and mother of 2 daughters. Her book Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began is a vital investigation of the body’s most miraculous and misunderstood organ. From smart tampons to womb transplants, trans healthcare to reproductive justice, she explores how the uterus affects us all as individuals and as a society. In this episode, we unpack why the health of mothers, midwives, and maternity systems tells us everything about the health of society at large. 

More from MOTHER:

Subscribe to the newsletter: themotherverse.substack.com

Want to create some magic together? Reach out to us: forms.gle/zfKWVCbw1ERKUgKB8

Follow Leah:

Website - leahhazard.co.uk

Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began - amazon.co.uk/Womb-Inside-Story-Gripping-Statesman/dp/0349015805

Bluesky - bsky.app/profile/leahhazard.bsky.social

Instagram - instagram.com/leahhazard

Substack - leahhazard.substack.com

(00:00) Intro

(01:10) The role of midwives in society

(11:40) The difference between a midwife and a doula

(13:00) What happens during labour

(17:45) Uterus as a muscle

(22:00) Birth Plans vs. Birth Preferences

(26:30) Artificial wombs

(35:40) Organoid placentas and endometrium

(38:00) The uterine microbiome

(43:40) Lessons about life, nature and the universe

(45:10) Leah’s Next Book: Birth Wars

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Is there a link between female sexuality, creativity and power?

Meet Sophie Cohen, the founder of a cult underground erotic theatre company House of Vixens, a film director, an ex-stripper, and a sex coach who helps people discover their sexuality and eroticism. This show is about pushing the boundaries of the female experience. To do that, we have to look in the shadows. And that is exactly where female sexuality lives today. This episode is not really about sex. It is about how our sexuality interplays with our sense of inner confidence, creativity, and even health.

Enjoy!

Want to become a MOTHER-sponsor and create some magic together? Reach out to us: https://shorturl.at/0RHLM

(00:00) Intro

(01:21) What is eroticism?

(03:10) What are the key barriers for women to experience sexuality fully?

(04:50) Is there a connection between sexuality and inner confidence?

(06:00) Sophie's creative work: House of Vixens, film and live performances

(11:29) How does sexuality interplay with creativity?

(13:30) What's the difference between a kink and a fetish?

(17:20) How female sexuality and preferences change throughout life

(25:00) Myth or true: Does our monthly cycle influence arousal?

(27:40) Pelvic floor nerve endings and the range of a female orgasm

(34:00) Religion and sexuality

(35:50) How female sexuality shaped history

(37:20) Sophie's plans for the future

Links:

Sophie's Website (with info about upcoming experiences, film, and coaching) - https://thesophiecohen.com/

Sophie's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/thesophiecohen/

House of Vixens - houseofvixens.com (follow @houseofvixens_official on Instagram)

Mandrake Salon by Sophie Cohen, at the Mandrake Hotel in London - https://www.themandrake.com/mandrake-salon

The RedRoom (film) - https://filmfreeway.com/TheRedRoom817

Books Sophie mentioned:

"My Secret Garden: Women’s Sexual Fantasies" by Nancy Friday

"A Curious History of Sex" by Kate Lister

"Licentious Worlds: Sex and Exploitation in Global Empires" by Julie Peakman

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Can menstrual blood become the ultimate biohacking tool for women?

Meet Dr. Sara Naseri, the co-founder and CEO of Qvin. This year Qvin got FDA approval for the first even diagnostic menstrual pad, proving that menstrual blood has tremendous medical utility. Today, women in the US can already order the Q-pad to test their blood glucose levels. This is just the beginning. Qvin is already working on more biomarkers and insights, including cervical cancer screening.

Enjoy!

Want to become a MOTHER-sponsor and create some magic together? Reach out to us: https://shorturl.at/0RHLM

(0:00) Intro

(4:40) How a forensic investigation led to breakthrough research on menstrual blood

(6:10) What’s inside period blood and why it matters

(7:36) The presence of stem cells in the endometrium

(8:58) Insights we can gain from analyzing menstrual blood

(10:30) Using menstrual blood to detect cervical cancer

(12:30) How the Q-pad works and conditions it can diagnose

(16:50) Making healthcare more accessible around the world through menstrual blood analysis

(18:10) How menstrual blood is changing our understanding of female biology

(22:37) The presence of inflammation markers in menstrual blood

(24:00) Menstrual blood’s role in diagnosing endometriosis

(26:57) The stigma around menstrual blood in the scientific community

(30:10) Menstrual blood as a biohacking tool for women

(31:50) How environmental factors affect menstrual blood and women's health

(32:58) The potential of menstrual blood to reveal nutritional deficiencies and hormonal imbalances

(36:00) The future of menstrual blood research and women's health

Links:

Qvin - https://qvin.com/ and @weareqvin on socials

Sara's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/naseri/

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Could ovaries hold the keys to our health and longevity? The organs orchestrating life are driving far more than fertility. A groundbreaking wave of scientific research into ovarian function could revolutionize our approach to medicine.

Jennifer Garrison has a PhD in neuroscience, is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity & Equality ("GCRLE") and is an Assistant Professor at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. She is pioneering a new movement to advance science focused on ovarian ageing. Her research lab studies mind-body communication, particularly how age-related changes in the chemical conversation between ovaries and the brain may lead to accelerated decline in females.

Enjoy!

Want to become a MOTHER-sponsor and create some magic together? Reach out to us: https://shorturl.at/0RHLM

(0:00) Intro

(1:18) What does "longevity" really mean?

(2:04) Do women and men age differently?

(6:13) What roles do hormones play in our body?

(10:09) What is "ovarian ageing" and why does it matter?

(13:58) What are the big questions in female ageing research?

(17:41) What can female biology teach us about the universe?

(21:45) Is there a link between PCOS, endometriosis, and menopause?

(26:17) How has Jennifer’s thinking evolved over time?

(26:47) Are biological "ageing clocks" ready for prime time?

(31:24) Could there be new hormones yet to be discovered?

(33:18) How different are female and male brains?

(36:01) Jennifer's plans for the future

Links:

Jennifer's Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drjennifergarrison/

Jennifer's Twitter: https://x.com/jenngarrison

Productive Health (renamed from "Global Consortium for Reproductive Longevity & Equality"): https://productivehealth.org

Garrison Lab at the Buck Institute: https://www.buckinstitute.org/lab/garrison-lab/

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Our bodies are a byproduct of millions of years of evolution. MOTHER-nature, as the most iterative technologist, has orchestrated the female form - from the menstrual cycles to orgasms, from pregnancies to menopause. But, how? Why did our biology evolve to be exactly the way it is today?

Deena Emera, PhD is an evolutionary geneticist, author, educator and senior scientist at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging. In her latest hit book "A Brief History of the Female Body" she draws on her vast expertise as a biologist, her experience as a mother of four children, and her love of teaching to look far into our evolutionary past, illuminating how and, more importantly, why the female form has transformed over millions of years and its effects on women's health.

Enjoy!

Want to become a MOTHER-sponsor and create some magic together? Reach out to us: https://shorturl.at/0RHLM

(0:00) Intro

(01:10) Unexpected benefits of knowing our evolutionary biology

(04:40) Mother-child conflict during and after pregnancy

(15:43) Evolutionary purpose of the menstrual cycle

(18:32) The endometrium as an embryo sensor

(23:42) How studying the endometrium can help cure cancer

(25:22) Female orgasm from the evolutionary perspective

(33:02) Menopause as a rare evolutionary trait

(38:12) Delaying menopause: current state of the art and goals

(42:06) Reproductive choice

(44:16) The dynamic between biological and technological evolution

(47:34) Current tensions between females and males

Links:

Deena's book "A Brief History of the Female Body" - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brief-History-Female-Body-Evolutionary-ebook/dp/B0BB8SCVDQ

Deena's Boston Globe article "Reproductive choice is at the core of being a female mammal" - https://www.bostonglobe.com/2022/07/20/opinion/reproductive-choice-is-core-being-female-mammal/

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Could psychedelics start a new era in women's holistic health?

Dr. Grace Blest-Hopley is a Neuroscientist with 10 years of experience researching cannabis, cannabinoids, and psychedelics. She is the founder of Hystelica - the first research organisation in the world focused on understanding women's biology for safe and effective psychedelic use. Grace currently serves as the Chief Scientific Officer at NWPharma Tech and is also the Research Director at Heroic Hearts Project, a charity connecting military veterans with mental trauma to psychedelic therapy options: ayahuasca, psilocybin, and ketamine.

In this episode, you'll hear about the incredible potential of psychedelics in women's health.

Enjoy!

Want to become a MOTHER-sponsor and create some magic together? Reach out to us: https://shorturl.at/0RHLM

(0:00) Intro

(01:16) What is a psychedelic?

(02:33) Why is it important to study psychedelics for women separately?

(11:24) Safety of psychedelic use for women

(13:50) Hystelica's research into psychedelics for women

(15:42) Microdosing and menopause

(19:32) Anti-inflammatory properties of psychedelics

(21:31) Evidence that women process trauma differently

(23:59) The exact mechanism between trauma and disease

(28:44) Neuroscientist's definition of trauma

(31:11) Women in combat and PTSD

(33:52) How indigenous women use of psychedelics

(36:39) Big goal in psychedelics for women's health: Big Data

(38:56) How can anyone participate in Hystelica's research?

Links:

Grace's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-blest-hopley-msc-akc

Hystelica - https://www.hystelica.com/

Hystelica's Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/wearehystelica/

Heroic Hearts - https://www.heroicheartsuk.com/

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How does the female body respond to space?

Dr. Shawna Pandya is a scientist-astronaut candidate with Project PoSSUM, physician, aquanaut, speaker, martial artist, advanced diver, skydiver, pilot-in-training, VP Immersive Medicine with Luxsonic Technologies and Fellow of the Explorers’ Club. She is also the Director of the PosSUM Space Medicine Group and Chief Instructor of the PoSSUM Operational Space Medicine Group. Shawna holds degrees in neuroscience (BSc Hons. Neuroscience, University of Alberta), space (MSc Space Studies, International Space University), entrepreneurship (Graduate Studies Program, Singularity University) and medicine (MD, University of Alberta), and is currently completing a fellowship in Wilderness Medicine (Academy of Wilderness Medicine).

Today, women constitute approximately 12% of all astronauts. How has being in space affected their menstrual cycles, reproductive health, ovarian longevity, bone density, and hormones?

This is important to think about now, because as Shawna put it: "We are going to space for humanity so we need to do it with all of humanity."

A shared and visionary goal within the space industry is for humans to live and thrive across multiple planets. Human ingenuity is incredible so if someone is dreaming about it, it will eventually happen. And when it does - will we be able to reproduce in space? What will just thinking about it teach us about life and pregnancy? Scientists and entrepreneurs are already looking for answers while you are reading this sentence! From figuring out how to have intercourse in space to exploring whether it is possible to conceive a baby out there.

This spaceship is launching. Join me and Shawna in this episode to get on it ;)

(00:00) Intro

(01:25) What does it feel like to be in space?

(04:15) Why are humans travelling into space? What is the goal?

(07:58) The golden age of commercial space travel is now!

(10:26) How do female astronauts experience space travel?

(12:17) Is it too early to care about female health in space?

(15:58) What happens to the human body in space?

(25:48) Can humans reproduce in space?

(35:41) What's your take on artificial wombs?

(38:10) What's the effect of space travel on ovarian reserve?

(42:27) What's the effect on menopause and perimenopause?

(44:39) Could there be health benefits of going into space?

(46:24) Doing innovative science experiments in space

(49:06) 3D printing in space

(50:28) Women's health research in the space environment

(53:13) Key ethical health considerations about the future of space exploration

(54:27) Shawna's plans for 2024 and closing thoughts

Links:

Shawna's Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnapandya

Shawna's Twitter - https://twitter.com/shawnapandya

Shawna" Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/shawnapandya

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What if we could delay the age of menopause?

Staša Stanković, PhD is a geneticist and bioinformatician with a PhD in Reproductive Genomics from the University of Cambridge. She focuses on deciphering genetic architecture of reproductive ageing and fertility, and their link to health outcomes in women. This work led to the discovery of genetic signals that influence the age women begin menopause and the first evidence of the ability to, through gene manipulation, extend reproductive lifespan and improve fertility in mice, thus paving the path towards first genetic test for the prediction of menopause time and next-generation therapeutics for ovary-centric disorders in humans.

(00:00) Stasa's early experiences with womanhood

(03:32) Intro to genomics in women's health

(05:33) Historical neglect in women's health research

(07:51) Delaying motherhood vs. female biology

(09:39) Redefining menopause as "reproductive ageing"

(13:54) The difference between reproductive ageing in men v. women

(14:39) Menopausal timing variation and early menopause

(16:54) How the age of menopause can help fertility planning

(19:30) How reproductive age relates to our longevity and health

(23:02) Epigenetic factors that influence menopause timing

(24:49) Mother's diet during pregnancy can influence the menopause timing of the baby

(26:46) How genomic medicine is revolutionizing reproductive ageing

(30:08) Insights from DNA analysis of 200,000 women

(39:45) How ancestry can influence menopausal timing

(42:52) Can we delay menopause today?

(46:15) Using CRISPR technology to delay menopause in mice

(48:49) The goal of delaying menopause

(59:23) Why should we "mess" with our biology?

Links:

Staša's Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stasa-stankovic-93723a137

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Are we entering a new dawn of sexual liberation?

Aella is a model, camgirl, escort and internet personality. She has been one of the highest-earning models on OnlyFans, making up to $100,000/month. But what makes her a truly fascinating human is her highly analytical, curious and creative mind. Aella realised that no one was asking questions about sexual preferences in a systemic way. So she taught herself data science and created The Big Kink Survey which went viral online and has been filled out by over 1 Million people. The survey is now the most comprehensive dataset on fetishes, kinks, and sexual preferences.

Naturally, I was curious: What are women into according to the survey results? Turns out, there are fascinating patterns!

In this episode, Aella explained that fetishes are actually on a spectrum, just like sexual preferences. She talked about her "How to Be Good in Bed" blog series for men, her view on the future of the sex profession, the pros and cons of OnlyFans, her hot take on feminism, artificial wombs, psychedelics and much much more. 

(00:00) Intro

(01:12) The Big Kink Survey

(01:28) Understanding fetishes

(03:48) Women's fetishes

(12:08) Women's preference for violent porn

(16;51) Aella's sex parties

(18:51) Sexuality and creativity

(19:53) Aella's experience with social shame

(25:30) Spirituality

(30:32) OnlyFans trends

(32:20) Non-nude cam girls

(33:02) Male group psychology on OnlyFans

(34:04) Sex work and safety

(34:54) Escorting

(36:36) Aella's "Date Me" application form

(42:46) How Aella got into sex research

(43;59) New exciting survey Aella is working on

(48:03) Artificial Wombs and Feminism

Links:

Aella's Website - www.knowingless.com

Blog & Research - https://aella.substack.com/

To take the The Big Kink Survey - https://www.guidedtrack.com/programs/u4m797m/run

Twitter - www.twitter.com/aellagirl

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