Blog Posts

The surprising science of how gratitude, optimism, and mindfulness directly impact your cardiovascular health By Jess Wight | 23 September, 2026 “We needed to get out to the world some of these findings and the importance of us as cardiologists and healthcare providers, to really focus not only on things like blood pressure, cholesterol and diabetes but actually on the patient's psychological health.” Glenn Levine, master clinician and professor of medicine, discussing his pu

How a substance that increases anxiety may also protect the brain from stress By Jess Wight | 11 September 2026 “Caffeine is the most widely used mood-altering drug in the world… people often see coffee, tea, and soft drinks simply as beverages rather than vehicles for a psychoactive drug” Roland Griffiths, PhD, professor in psychiatry and neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, describing how caffeine is culturally disguised “Caffeine makes you anx

Shifting the focus from neurotransmitters to neurogenesis By Jess Wight | 04 September 2026 “Without the ability to create new neurons, people with depression may not have the resilience to effectively adapt to the environment.” Maura Dupont, Professor of Psychiatry and Director of the Quantitative Brain Biology Institute, discussing how neurogenesis may be involved in depression For decades, scientists have worked to understand what changes in the brain when someone develops

How paying attention to an itch may change the immune response beneath it By Jess Wight | August 27, 2026 “I’ve studied humans for more than 20 years, and this was the most striking effect I’ve ever seen.” Dr. Liron Rozenkrantz, assistant professor at the university’s Azrieli Faculty of Medicine, and supervisor of the Nature study published this week, discussing the exciting new research When you feel an itch, most often your first instinct is to ignore it; you know you ought

A New $1M Investment is Striking the Right Chord for Healthcare By Jess Wight | July 23, 2026 "Music connects you to a part of yourself that's well, and that's true no matter what patient population we're working with. Music remains, no matter the challenges a person is facing." Music Therapist *Lorrie Kubicek, Co-Director of the Katherine A. Gallagher Integrated Therapies Program at Harvard-affiliated Mass General Cancer Center, discussing the transformative effects of music

How the Overdose Prevention Society’s new day center is carrying forward Trey Helton’s vision of dignity, safety, and mental health care By Jess Wight | July 14, 2026 “He went above and beyond, he always was like, ‘This is not a job, this is me helping my friends.’ And he would do it day and night. And everybody loved him; he was the best friend to everybody” Executive director and founder of the OPS, Sarah Blyth, expressing the way Trey Helton left a lasting impact on his co

New research combining Traditional Chinese Medicine with cutting-edge deep transcranial stimulation unlocks a powerful new synergy By Jess Wight | June 30, 2026 “People need to change their attitudes about brain aging… It's not just a downhill course." Dr. Fotuhi, a professor at Johns Hopkins and a dementia expert discussing public opinions on cognitive decline As we age, it is normal to experience a natural decline in cognition. Many adults slowly notice that they can’t ke

The Neuroscience Behind Why the Type of Break Your Teenager Takes During Finals Matters More Than You Think By Jess Wight | June 24, 2026 “Exercise is one of the most effective ways to improve brain health.” Neuroscientist Jennifer Heisz at McMaster University in Hamilton, Canada, discussing the role of exercise in supporting learning and brain health. We often think that any downtime is good downtime. When a teenager is overwhelmed with homework, exam stress, and pressure to

Algorithms and Empathy – the World is Hiring a New Wave of Therapists, and They’re All Robots By Jess Wight | June 16, 2026 “Sometimes I cried really hard during the process… and it listened and just we figured out a lot of feelings… after a few months, when I go to school I felt a difference. Like wow. Like my body’s belongs to me… I really felt so liberated” Sheng, 17, China, describing their deep connection with an AI Chatbot for support There is no denying that Artifici