Neurosalience #S6E2 with Charlotte Wiesmann - Inferring white matter connections through developmental milestones
"AI is really bad at perspective taking…"Dr. Charlotte Grosse Wiesmann is a cognitive neuroscientist exploring how the human social brain takes shape in early life. She is a Professor at the University of Technology Nuremberg and directs the Research Group on Social Brain Development at the Max Planck Institute in Leipzig. Her research blends developmental psychology, brain imaging, and computational modeling to uncover how infants begin to infer other people’s beliefs, intentions and mental states. In this conversation, Dr. Wiesmann unpacks how children’s brains develop the capacity for social understanding and theory of mind. Drawing on developmental psychology and neuroimaging, she reveals how the brain transforms as children first succeed on false-belief tasks, a fleeting yet powerful window into the emergence of the social mind. Within this context, the conversation explores white matter maturation, environmental influences, and brain plasticity, offering fresh insights into how studying infant development can inform the future of AI. Join the conversation to discover how early brain development is reshaping our understanding of our social minds.We hope you enjoy this episode!Chapters:00:00 - A Journey from Physics to Neuroscience14:25 - Neural Bases of Early Childhood Theory of Mind21:58 - False Belief Task and Theory of Mind25:11 - Attention Schema for Consciousness27:14 - Primary Areas Involved in Theory of Mind31:24 - Impact of Neuro Deficits on Social Cognition33:57 - Role of Environment and Timing on Social Cognition37:11 - Implicit and Explicit Mechanisms of Social Development45:02 - Social Cognition Across Species47:37 - Connecting Neural Code to Social Cognition49:56 - Temporal Progression in Theory of Mind Tasks54:54 - Future Research Directions in Understanding Social Cognition01:00:08 - Infant Learning Inspires AI Development01:04:50 - Advice for Aspiring ScientistsWorks mentioned:14:31 - White matter maturation is associated with the emergence of Theory of Mind in early childhood37:20 - Two systems for thinking about others’ thoughts in the developing brain49:50 - Timing matters: disentangling the neurocognitive sequence of mentalizingEpisode producers:Xuqian Michelle Li, Karthik Sama
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1:08:51
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1:08:51
Neurosalience #S6E1 - Highlights of season 5 and looking ahead to season 6
"I really enjoy good conversations..."In this episode, we look back at the highlights from last season and share some fun insights from our audience metrics. We’re celebrating six years of Neurosalience, and we’re excited for the incredible guests and topics coming up this season.We hope you enjoy this episode!Chapters:00:00 - Introduction to season 601:43 - Highlights from season 507:55 - Reflections on the podcast's impact20:36 - Discussion on the DIANA paper retraction27:21 - Upcoming guests and topics32:04 - Innovations for season 6Episode producer:Xuqian Michelle Li
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36:25
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36:25
Neurosalience #S5E15 [Season Final] - OHBM 2025 Live Podcast
Early career researchers give their perspectives on being an academic today. With Arshiya Sangchooli, Natasha L. Taylor, Ashlea Segal, Stefano Moia, Jiajia Yang, and Peter Bandettini Episode ProducersOmer Faruk GulbanXuqian Michelle Li
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57:43
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57:43
Neurosalience #S5E14 with Rosanna Olsen - The hippocampus, aging, memory, and discovery
Peter Bandettini interviews Dr. Rosanna Olsen, a senior scientist at the Rotman Research Institute and the University of Toronto. She is pioneering what we know about human memory and its associated structures, primarily focusing on the hippocampus, the role it plays, and how it changes with age and neurological diseases. Her work has shed light on how the hippocampus facilitates the flexible binding and comparison of new and existing information. She has also shown how visual exploration reveals memory processes, and has uncovered promising early dementia biomarkers based on measures of visual exploration and hippocampus. Dr. Olsen is also a leader in education. She is co-lead of the Research Training Center in Toronto, disseminating essential knowledge and skills to younger scientists, and is chair-elect of the OHBM education committee. She is also the leader of a consortium organized to reach a consensus on hippocampus segmentation. Lastly she's an avid and accomplished runner, having run the Boston Marathon, as well as many others.We hope you enjoy the conversation! Episode ProducersOmer Faruk GulbanXuqian Michelle Li
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1:25:12
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1:25:12
Neurosalience #S5E13 - OHBM 2025 preview
This OHBM preview podcast offers an in-depth look at how the OHBM Annual Meeting is organized, along with reflections on the unique character of the meeting and the broader OHBM community. Peter Bandettini hosts Jean Chen, Marta Garrido, and Lena Oestreich, with Kevin Sitek serving as co-host. Michael Breakspear joins the discussion in the final 20 minutes. The conversation covers both logistical and thematic aspects of the meeting, providing valuable context for attendees and those interested in the field.Episode ProducersXuqian Michelle LiKarthik Sama
The Neurosalience podcast is supported by the Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM). Dr. Peter Bandettini interviews neuroscientists who measure, map, and model brain function and structure and delves into latest advancements, challenges, controversies, and controversies. He engages young and old and strives to add insight and perspective wherever the conversation goes.
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