Bridging Synapses

In this episode of Bridging Synapses, Alison sits down with Nenad Bach, a Croatian-American musician and founder of PingPongParkinson, a nonprofit using table tennis as a tool for neurological rehabilitation. He shares the story of how a simple paddle and ball became a global movement for connection, movement, and hope.Nenad walks us through the work of launching PingPongParkinson chapters around the world and how the team adapts their approach to fit different cultures from country to country. He explains how his two worlds, art and advocacy, feed into each other, and his vision for PingPongParkinson and the field of Parkinson's research in the years to come.Guest: Nenad Bach

In this episode of Bridging Synapses, join Alison as she interviews Simon Körösi, CEO of Geras Solutions and Minnesmottagningen in Sweden. He discusses how a digital memory clinic operates, how he integrates family input into patient care, and the advantages of Sweden’s publicly reimbursed healthcare system. He also shares what keeps him hopeful in cognitive care, including emerging artificial intelligence technologies and blood biomarkers for Alzheimer’s disease.I det här avsnittet av Bridging Synapses får du följa med Alison när hon intervjuar Simon Körösi, VD för Geras Solutions och Minnesmottagningen i Sverige. Han diskuterar hur en digital minnesklinik fungerar, hur han integrerar familjens inflytande i patientvården och fördelarna med Sveriges offentligt ersatta sjukvårdssystem. Han delar också med sig av vad som gör honom hoppfull inom kognitiv vård, inklusive nya artificiella intelligenstekniker och blodbiomarkörer för Alzheimers sjukdom.Guest: Simon Körösi, MD

On today's episode of Bridging Synapses, Alison interviews Per Klemming of Hands2Ocean, a Stockholm-based nonprofit working to restore Sweden’s seabeds and waterways through volunteer-led dive cleanups. As a dive leader and rope puller, Per helps plan and guide operations that remove underwater debris such as batteries and tires. He shares how he became involved, what these cleanups look like in practice, the new community initiatives Hands2Ocean is launching to expand its impact, and more.I dagens avsnitt av Bridging Synapses intervjuar Alison Per Klemming från Hands2Ocean, en Stockholmsbaserad ideell organisation som arbetar för att återställa Sveriges havsbotten och vattenvägar genom volontärledda dykstädningar. Som dykledare och repdragare hjälper Per till att planera och vägleda operationer som tar bort undervattensskräp som batterier och däck. Han delar med sig av hur han blev involverad, hur dessa städningar ser ut i praktiken, de nya samhällsinitiativ som Hands2Ocean lanserar för att öka sin effekt, och mer.Guest: Per Klemming

In this episode of Bridging Synapses, Alison speaks with Sarah, a former clinical psychiatric rehabilitation professor at San Diego State University and an advocate for patients affected by electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). After undergoing 116 rounds of ECT, Sarah has dedicated her career to advancing transparency, ethical standards, and informed consent in psychiatry. Their conversation explores the personal and systemic implications of ECT, from memory loss and misdiagnosis to the future of patient-centered reform.Guest: Sarah Hancock, MS

Join Alison as she speaks with Yusuke, a pharmaceutical sciences student at The University of Tokyo. He shares insights into academic culture and school traditions, reflects on the rigor and expectations of scientific training in Japan, and discusses opportunities for cross-cultural learning at UTokyo. Yusuke also speaks about his aspirations to pursue a PhD and the global perspectives shaping his career goals.東京大学薬学部の学生、悠介さんとアリソンさんが語る対談をご覧ください。悠介さんは、大学の文化や伝統について洞察を共有し、日本における科学教育の厳しさと期待について振り返り、東京大学における異文化学習の機会について語ります。また、博士号取得への夢や、キャリア目標を形作るグローバルな視点についても語ります。Guest: Yusuke Kobayashi (小林裕介)

In this episode of Bridging Synapses, join Alison as she sits down with Sean the Science Kid, a ten-year-old science enthusiast and aspiring neurocardiosurgeon. With more than 1.5 million followers, Sean is dedicated to sharing his love of science with a global audience. Listen as he dives into topics like quantum physics, reflects on what he considers the most urgent scientific challenge of our time, and more!Guest: Sean the Science Kid

Today's guest on Bridging Synapses is Noah Rasheta, a Buddhist teacher, lay minister, author, and host of the podcast Secular Buddhism. Through his work, Noah takes a non-religious approach to explaining core Buddhist tenets and practices. Listen as he shares the inspiration behind the podcast, addresses common misconceptions about Buddhism, and explores practical ways to integrate mindfulness into daily life.Guest: Noah Rasheta

Join Alison Chan as she speaks with Dr. Nancy Rappaport, an attending child and adolescent psychiatrist at Cambridge Health Alliance and an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, about the intersection of psychiatry and education. Dr. Rappaport shares insights from teaching undergraduates, medical students, and residents, from collaborating with educators in local schools to better understand and support students with complex needs, and more.Guest: Nancy Rappaport, MD

In this episode of Bridging Synapses, join Alison as she explores the nuances of global healthcare response systems. Dr. Chu Chung Ming, a respiratory medicine specialist based in Hong Kong, brings a firsthand perspective to these complexities, sharing his experiences working across both the public and private healthcare sectors. Listen as he compares global healthcare models, including Hong Kong and the UK, and reflects on key differences between the 2003 SARS outbreak and the recent COVID-19 pandemic.喺呢集《橋接突觸》入面，同 Alison 一齊探索全球醫療保健應變系統嘅細節。香港呼吸醫學專科醫生朱頌明醫生，為呢啲複雜嘅問題帶嚟第一手嘅觀點，分享佢喺公共同私人醫療界工作嘅經驗。聽佢比較全球嘅醫療模式，包括香港同英國，同埋反思 2003 年嘅 SARS 爆發同最近嘅 COVID-19 大流行之間嘅關鍵分別。Guest: Chu Chung Ming (朱頌明醫生), MD, MSc

Emergency medicine is a uniquely diverse medical field, both in skill and scope. It demands keen attention to detail, quick decision-making, and adaptability, while serving patients across all races, ages, and socioeconomic and insurance backgrounds. This episode of Bridging Synapses features an interview with Dr. James (Jim) Murrett, an emergency medicine physician affiliated with Cambridge Health Alliance. He reflects on his unconventional path to discovering a passion for emergency medicine, the challenges and rewards of working in such a fast-paced clinical environment, and his advice for aspiring physicians.How does his time practicing in Boston compare with his time in Philadelphia? How did COVID-19 reshape the emergency department? And what changes does he believe are most urgently needed in U.S. medical policy? Join Alison as she explores these questions and more.Guest: James (Jim) Murrett, MD