Dementia Researcher Vodcast

Around 80% of women worldwide will become mothers, and pregnancy triggers the largest hormonal shift the body will ever experience. So what does it do to the brain, and does any of it last?
In this episode of XXplored, host Dr Laura Stankeviciute, University of Gothenburg is joined by Dr Magdalena Martínez-García, Scientific Director of Maternal Health at the Ann S. Bowers Women's Brain Health Initiative, University of California Santa Barbara, and Dr Laura Pritschet, an NIH funded postdoctoral scholar at the University of Pennsylvania who leads the Maternal Brain Mapping Project.
They get into the hormonal cascade that drives the whole process, what those widely reported grey matter reductions actually mean, and how one volunteer scanned 26 times from IVF to two years postpartum filled in the gap between before and after. They also take on baby brain, whether repeat pregnancies stack up in the brain, what the UK Biobank data hints at for later life dementia risk, the near total absence of miscarriage and stillbirth from this research, and where postpartum care falls short. Both guests are living through matrescence themselves while studying it, and they talk openly about what that has been like.
Key takeaways
Pregnancy brings hormone surges into the hundreds and thousandfold, far beyond anything seen across the menstrual cycle, and sensitivity to those shifts matters more than the absolute levels.
Grey matter reductions across pregnancy are among the most replicable findings in neuroscience, and larger reductions are linked to stronger postpartum bonding rather than damage.
Follow-up work found some of those changes still present six years after birth, suggesting they may be long-lasting or permanent.
A second pregnancy produces the same pattern of change but less pronounced, and UK Biobank data suggests a trace of parity in the brain that levels off around four or five births.
Baby brain gets reframed rather than dismissed: subjective reports are real, objective differences are slight and temporary, and increased cognitive load may carry later advantages.
Miscarriage, stillbirth and abortion are almost entirely missing from maternal brain research, and both guests believe those women would be among the most motivated participants.
Research now treats the perinatal period as a neurological transition, but healthcare has not caught up, with a single six week check standing in for what should be ongoing postpartum care.

--
A transcript of this show, links and show notes and profile on all our guests are available on our website at https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk.
If you prefer to watch rather than listen, you will find a video version of this podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and on our website.
Leave us a tip:
https://dementia-researcher.captivate.fm/support
Follow us on social media:
https://www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/
https://www.facebook.com/Dementia.Researcher/
https://www.twitter.com/demrescommunity
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dementia-researcher
https://bsky.app/profile/dementiaresearcher.bsky.social

Download and Register with our Community App:
https://www.onelink.to/dementiaresearcher
We gratefully acknowledge the support of our funders: Alzheimer’s Association, Race Against Dementia, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
The views and opinions expressed by guests in this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the producers, funders, or sponsors.
Subscribe to our sister show 'Dementia Researcher The Blogs':
https://podfollow.com/dementia-researcher-blogs

In this episode, we share highlights from the fourth day of the 2026 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC).
Adam Smith chats with Dr Niying Li, Assistant Professor at the University of Georgia; Dr Natasha Anita, a Research Fellow at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital; and Lillian Morgado, Research Coordinator at Georgia State University.
The AAIC brings together researchers from all areas of research to share their work, theories and breakthroughs while exploring opportunities to accelerate work and elevate careers.
Key topics
The practical barriers to delivering new anti-amyloid treatments
Rural and international inequalities in access to diagnosis and care
What p-tau217 could tell us about future cognitive decline
Promising results from new tau-targeting therapies
Behavioural and personality changes as possible early signs of neurodegeneration
Women’s brain health, inflammation and Alzheimer’s risk
The ethical and legal questions surrounding biomarker disclosure
Why research must include more countries and underrepresented populations

Find out more about the conference at https://aaic.alz.org/ and on social media with #AAIC26
--
A transcript of this show, links and show notes and profile on all our guests are available on our website at https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk.
If you prefer to watch rather than listen, you will find a video version of this podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and on our website.
Leave us a tip:
https://dementia-researcher.captivate.fm/support
Follow us on social media:
https://www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/
https://www.facebook.com/Dementia.Researcher/
https://www.twitter.com/demrescommunity
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dementia-researcher
https://bsky.app/profile/dementiaresearcher.bsky.social

Download and Register with our Community App:
https://www.onelink.to/dementiaresearcher
We gratefully acknowledge the support of our funders: Alzheimer’s Association, Race Against Dementia, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
The views and opinions expressed by guests in this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the producers, funders, or sponsors.
Subscribe to our sister show 'Dementia Researcher The Blogs':
https://podfollow.com/dementia-researcher-blogs

In this episode, we share highlights from the third day of the 2026 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC).
Adam Smith chats with Cari Randa-Beaulieu, Provincial Coordinator, Knowledge Mobilization at the Alzheimer Society of British Columbia and Yukon; and Abrar AbuHamdia, a PhD candidate at Hamad Bin Khalifa University in Qatar.
The AAIC brings together researchers from all areas of research to share their work, theories and breakthroughs while exploring opportunities to accelerate work and elevate careers.
Key topics
Alzheimer's disease subtypes and precision medicine
Biomarkers and diagnostic accuracy in dementia
Microglia and neuroinflammation therapies
Global efforts in brain health promotion
Co-design and lived experience in research

Find out more about the conference at https://aaic.alz.org/ and on social media with #AAIC26
Note: We apologise for issues with the sound quality in the first part of this recording.--
A transcript of this show, links and show notes and profile on all our guests are available on our website at https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk.
If you prefer to watch rather than listen, you will find a video version of this podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and on our website.
Leave us a tip:
https://dementia-researcher.captivate.fm/support
Follow us on social media:
https://www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/
https://www.facebook.com/Dementia.Researcher/
https://www.twitter.com/demrescommunity
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dementia-researcher
https://bsky.app/profile/dementiaresearcher.bsky.social

Download and Register with our Community App:
https://www.onelink.to/dementiaresearcher
We gratefully acknowledge the support of our funders: Alzheimer’s Association, Race Against Dementia, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
The views and opinions expressed by guests in this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the producers, funders, or sponsors.
Subscribe to our sister show 'Dementia Researcher The Blogs':
https://podfollow.com/dementia-researcher-blogs

In this episode, we share highlights from the second day of the 2026 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC).
Adam Smith chats with Nathania from Universitas Airlangga in Indonesia, Dr Arezoo Talebzadeh from Ghent University in Belgium, and Dr Suelyn Koerich from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
The AAIC brings together researchers from all areas of research to share their work, theories and breakthroughs while exploring opportunities to accelerate work and elevate careers.
Key topics
Anti-amyloid immunotherapies and personalized medicine
Cultural sensitivity in dementia assessment
The role of environment and architecture in dementia care
Neuroinflammation and neuroprotective factors
Biomarker validation and minimally invasive testing
Impact of social determinants on dementia risk
Soundscape and sensory health in dementia management

Find out more about the conference at https://aaic.alz.org/ and on social media with #AAIC26
--
A transcript of this show, links and show notes and profile on all our guests are available on our website at https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk.
If you prefer to watch rather than listen, you will find a video version of this podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and on our website.
Leave us a tip:
https://dementia-researcher.captivate.fm/support
Follow us on social media:
https://www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/
https://www.facebook.com/Dementia.Researcher/
https://www.twitter.com/demrescommunity
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dementia-researcher
https://bsky.app/profile/dementiaresearcher.bsky.social

Download and Register with our Community App:
https://www.onelink.to/dementiaresearcher
We gratefully acknowledge the support of our funders: Alzheimer’s Association, Race Against Dementia, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
The views and opinions expressed by guests in this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the producers, funders, or sponsors.
Subscribe to our sister show 'Dementia Researcher The Blogs':
https://podfollow.com/dementia-researcher-blogs

In this episode, we share highlights from the first day of the 2026 Alzheimer’s Association International Conference (AAIC).
Adam Smith chats with Sarah Graef from Rush University Medical Center and Muthia Huda Islami from the National Brain Centre Hospital Mahar Mardjono in Jakarta.
The AAIC brings together researchers from all areas of research to share their work, theories and breakthroughs while exploring opportunities to accelerate work and elevate careers.
Key topics
Biomarkers for Alzheimer's disease
Genetic epidemiology in diverse populations
Lifestyle interventions and dementia prevention
Innovative drug delivery methods for neurodegenerative diseases
Global research collaborations and underrepresented populations

Find out more about the conference at https://aaic.alz.org/ and on social media with #AAIC26
--
A transcript of this show, links and show notes and profile on all our guests are available on our website at https://www.dementiaresearcher.nihr.ac.uk.
If you prefer to watch rather than listen, you will find a video version of this podcast on Apple Podcasts, YouTube, and on our website.
Leave us a tip:
https://dementia-researcher.captivate.fm/support
Follow us on social media:
https://www.instagram.com/dementia_researcher/
https://www.facebook.com/Dementia.Researcher/
https://www.twitter.com/demrescommunity
https://www.linkedin.com/company/dementia-researcher
https://bsky.app/profile/dementiaresearcher.bsky.social

Download and Register with our Community App:
https://www.onelink.to/dementiaresearcher
We gratefully acknowledge the support of our funders: Alzheimer’s Association, Race Against Dementia, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Alzheimer’s Society, and the National Institute for Health and Care Research.
The views and opinions expressed by guests in this podcast are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of the producers, funders, or sponsors.
Subscribe to our sister show 'Dementia Researcher The Blogs':
https://podfollow.com/dementia-researcher-blogs