Do police officers drink more than the general population? How does racial discrimination affect mental health? And what can large-scale data tell us about health inequalities?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Patsy Irizar from Liverpool John Moores University to explore two seemingly different but deeply connected areas of research: alcohol use and mental health in the police and military, and the impact of racial discrimination on psychological wellbeing.

Dr. Irizar shares her journey, discussing her groundbreaking PhD work examining alcohol use among UK police officers and the culture surrounding drinking in policing. We unpack findings from a dataset of 40,000 officers, challenge stereotypes about the “hard-drinking cop,” and explore the complex relationship between alcohol and mental health.

The conversation then turns to health inequalities, where Patsy explains how the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted long-standing racial disparities in health outcomes. We discuss how discrimination can become biologically and psychologically embedded, why social determinants matter, and what researchers are learning from the largest survey of minoritized ethnic groups conducted in the UK.

Along the way, we talk about:

• Why people use alcohol to cope with mental health difficulties
• The changing drinking culture within UK policing
• The “sick quitter” hypothesis
• Trauma, occupational stress, and mental health
• COVID-19 and ethnic health inequalities
• Structural and institutional racism
• How discrimination affects mental health over time
• Improving mental health services and treatment pathways
• The role of research in creating meaningful social change

Whether you're interested in psychology, public health, policing, addiction research, or social inequality, this episode offers a fascinating look at how our environments shape mental health.

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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 Fiske 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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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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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

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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/

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The episode explores men's mental, sexual, and reproductive health, challenging stereotypes and examining how masculinity influences health behaviors and decisions. Guest Associate Professor Gareth Terry, shares insights from his research on mens identities and how they intersect with things like reproductive health, disabilities, and the social construction of masculinity. We discuss the nuances of the child-free movement, societal perceptions of masculinity, and innovative research ideas in disability and neurodivergence. With the help of questions from our followers, Gareth Terry explores societal pressures, gender dynamics, and future research directions, offering insights into social constructs and personal identities.

https://www.massey.ac.nz/massey/expertise/profile.cfm?stref=775822

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Dr. Melanie Altemus of Massey University, New Zealand, explores the complex psychology behind volunteer tourism, including motivations, moral implications, and the impact of the 'white savior' complex. She shares insights from her research on how volunteerism can sometimes do more harm than good and discusses the importance of understanding the underlying psychological traits involved. Dr. Melanie Altemus shares her groundbreaking research on international volunteer tourism, exploring motivations, moral judgments, and community impacts in Fiji and beyond. Discover surprising findings about privilege, cultural exchange, and the true effects of volunteer work.

Dr. Altemus' Thesis:
https://openaccess.wgtn.ac.nz/articles/thesis/Stories_of_Saviourism_Examining_the_Moral_Negotiations_in_Volunteer_Tourism/30586076?file=61733902

Support the show

Support us and reach out!
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Instagram: @thesmoothbrainsociety
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Merch and all other links: Linktree
email: thesmoothbrainsociety@gmail.com