Your Brain On... Vascular Dementia
Your Brain On
Most people think dementia starts with memory loss. But for millions, it actually begins decades earlier: in the blood vessels. Long before someone forgets a name or misses an appointment, the brain is being quietly damaged by high blood pressure, cholesterol imbalance, poor sleep, inflammation, and chronic stress, day after day, year after year. This kind of damage doesn't look dramatic. There's no big stroke, no clear warning sign. It happens slowly and silently, which is why it's so often missed until it's too late. But here’s the good news: vascular dementia is one of the most...
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Your Brain On... Cold Plunges
Your Brain On
Cold plunges are everywhere, and the way people talk about them, you’d think they’re a miracle cure for your brain, body, and soul. But in an age of algorithm-fueled evangelism, when a ritual becomes this ubiquitous and loud, we have to ask: how much of the buzz is backed by science… and how much is just marketing? In this episode, we explore the neuroscience of cold exposure: what’s real, what’s overstated, and why this “discomfort” has become a billion-dollar industry. We discuss: Why cold plunges went viral, and how wellness movements often devolve into identity-driven...
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Your Brain On... Cheese
Your Brain On
Around the start of 2026, a study sparked viral headlines claiming that cheese could reduce dementia risk. But... nutrition science almost never works like this. One study can’t “prove” a food is protective or harmful, and viral health claims often miss the most important details of research: how the data was gathered, what was actually measured, what variables were controlled for, and what it means in real life. In this episode, we unpack what the ‘viral cheese study’ (PMID: 41406402) actually found, what it DOESN’T mean, and why critical thinking around nutrition headlines...
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Your Brain On... Chemotherapy
Your Brain On
Chemotherapy saves lives. But for millions, it also comes with side effects of cognitive fog, memory lapses, slowed thinking, and emotional flattening. In the past, ‘chemo brain’ has sometimes been dismissed as anecdotal. But, as science has evolved, we’ve come to understand the very real shifts in attention, memory, processing speed, and emotional regulation underpinning the impairment. In this episode, we break down what’s happening in the brain during treatment, why these changes arise, and how healthier lifestyle choices can support our recovery. In this episode, we explore: •...
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Your Brain On... Parkinson’s (2025)
Your Brain On
From 18th century London to the promise of a global cure: the 200-year history of Parkinson’s disease. To mark the release of our ‘Ask the MD’ conversation with The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, and to welcome a new influx of listeners, we’re sharing one of our very first episodes, first aired in August 2024. Watch our full ‘Ask the MD’ interview, focused on lifestyle strategies for boosting brain health, on the foundation’s website: Parkinson’s, a neurodegenerative disorder most commonly characterized by tremors and other motor symptoms, is so...
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Your Brain On... Eating Meat
Your Brain On
Carnivorous diets have been woven into our history for millennia, but, with nutrition science advancing at an unprecedented pace over the past century... do we really still need to be eating meat? We live in a time of rising chronic disease, new longevity research, and a growing awareness of how our food choices shape our brain and our planet. We’re also constantly exposed to ‘nutrition tribalism’: social media communicators and influencers building identities (and livelihoods) around polarizing dietary debates. It’s a lot to navigate. So, we’re cutting straight to the data in this...
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Your Brain On... Nutrition (with Dr. Walter Willett)
Your Brain On
Everyone eats. It’s the one thing we all have in common. And yet, nutrition has become one of the most confusing, divisive, and misunderstood sciences in modern life. Low-fat. High-fat. Keto. Vegan. Paleo. Superfoods. For every study, there’s a headline that seems to say the opposite. In this episode, we turn to one of the most trusted voices in nutrition research to cut through the noise: Dr. Walter Willett, MD, DrPH. Dr. Willett, Professor of Epidemiology and Nutrition at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, has spent more than four decades studying how what we eat affects our...
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Your Brain On... Autism
Your Brain On
Autism isn’t new, but our understanding of it has changed dramatically. It’s now recognized as a broad neurodevelopmental spectrum that shapes how millions of people perceive, process, and interact with the world. In this episode, we explore what autism is AND isn’t, from its earliest signs in infancy to its deep genetic roots, and why misinformation about it continues to spread. We speak with three remarkable experts leading the field in early detection, genetics, and public education: DR. AMI KLIN, PhD, Director of the Marcus Autism Center at Emory University and a pioneer in early...
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Your Brain On... Diabetes
Your Brain On
Behind the staggering statistics on global diabetes prevalence are millions of individuals with different stories, struggles, and solutions. In this episode, we explore how diabetes affects your brain, body, and cognition, and how it can be prevented, managed, and (in many cases) reversed. We share some powerful personal stories from the clinic, bust some persistent food myths, and learn why diabetes is as much a neurological emergency as a metabolic one. Plus, we speak to three leading experts who are changing the way we treat diabetes: BRENDA DAVIS, RD: renowned dietitian and global...
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Your Brain On... Alzheimer’s (Mythbusting Special)
Your Brain On
Alzheimer’s disease is constantly surrounded by myths and misinformation. Let’s set the record straight. In this episode, we bust through the most persistent Alzheimer’s myths, with facts based on decades of clinical experience and cutting-edge research. Myths include: • “Alzheimer’s is inevitable in old age” • “It’s all genetic, and there’s nothing you can do” • “There’s no cure, so diagnosis is useless” • “Supplements and vitamins can prevent or cure Alzheimer’s” • “Statins and vaccines cause Alzheimer’s” Plus many others. We also share our...
info_outlineAutism isn’t new, but our understanding of it has changed dramatically.
It’s now recognized as a broad neurodevelopmental spectrum that shapes how millions of people perceive, process, and interact with the world.
In this episode, we explore what autism is AND isn’t, from its earliest signs in infancy to its deep genetic roots, and why misinformation about it continues to spread.
We speak with three remarkable experts leading the field in early detection, genetics, and public education:
DR. AMI KLIN, PhD, Director of the Marcus Autism Center at Emory University and a pioneer in early autism research, whose work shows autism can be identified in babies as young as two months old.
DR. JOSEPH BUXBAUM, PhD, Director of the Seaver Autism Center at Mount Sinai and a global leader in autism genetics, uncovering hundreds of genes linked to the condition.
DR. ANDREA LOVE, immunologist, microbiologist, and founder of ImmunoLogic, known for her clear, evidence-based communication about vaccines, immunity, and autism myths.
Together, we discuss:
• What autism really is, and how the definitions have evolved
• How it develops in infancy (and why early diagnosis can be so critical)
• The powerful genetic evidence behind autism
• The persistence of vaccine myths, and how misinformation spreads
• How technology like eye-tracking can detect autism early
• The rise of “profound autism” and what it means for families
• The future of genetics-based treatments and therapy
Whether you’re autistic yourself, a parent navigating a new diagnosis, or simply seeking understanding, we’re thrilled to share this extensive, in-depth episode with you.
This is... Your Brain On Autism.
SUPPORTED BY: the 2026 NEURO World Retreat. A 5-day journey through science, nature, and community, on the California coastline: https://www.neuroworldretreat.com/
‘Your Brain On’ is hosted by neurologists, scientists, and public health advocates Ayesha and Dean Sherzai.
‘Your Brain On... Autism’ • SEASON 6 • EPISODE 1
LINKS
Dr. Ami Klin at Emory University: https://ctsn.emory.edu/faculty/klin-ami.html
Dr. Ami Klin at Marcus Autism Center: https://www.marcus.org/about-marcus-autism-center/meet-our-leadership/ami-klin
Dr. Joseph Buxbaum at Mount Sinai: https://profiles.icahn.mssm.edu/joseph-d-buxbaum
Dr. Andrea Love’s website: https://www.immunologic.org/
Dr. Andrea Love on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dr.andrealove
REFERENCES
Autism Spectrum Disorder: A Review. JAMA, 2023. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/2800182
Is There a Bias Towards Males in the Diagnosis of Autism? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11065-023-09630-2
Acetaminophen Use During Pregnancy and Children's Risk of Autism, ADHD, and Intellectual Disability. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38592388/
Eye-Tracking–Based Measurement of Social Visual Engagement Compared With Expert Clinical Diagnosis of Autism. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2808996
Rare coding variation provides insight into the genetic architecture and phenotypic context of autism. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-022-01104-0
Rare coding variation illuminates the allelic architecture, risk genes, cellular expression patterns, and phenotypic context of autism. https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2021.12.20.21267194v1
Andrew Wakefield and the fabricated history of the alleged vaccine-autism link. https://geneticliteracyproject.org/2024/04/29/andrew-wakefield-and-the-fabricated-history-of-the-alleged-vaccine-autism-link/
VACCINES & AUTISM
1. Major Cohort Studies
Hviid et al., 2019 – Annals of Internal Medicine
A nationwide study of 657,461 Danish children found no increased risk of autism in vaccinated children compared to unvaccinated peers — even among those with risk factors such as a sibling with autism. Ann Intern Med. 2019;170(8):513–520
Madsen et al., 2002 – New England Journal of Medicine
In 537,303 Danish children, researchers found no difference in autism rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated groups, and no relationship with age, timing, or date of vaccination. NEJM. 2002;347:1477–1482
Jain et al., 2015 – Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA)
A U.S. cohort of 95,727 children — including those with siblings with autism — showed no link between MMR vaccination and autism risk, even in genetically predisposed children. JAMA. 2015;313(15):1534–1540
Madsen et al., 2003 – JAMA
A study of 467,450 Danish children found no relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. JAMA. 2003;290(13):1763–1766
DeStefano et al., 2022 – Vaccine
A retrospective cohort of over 500,000 U.S. children with ASD found no increase in adverse events or worsening of autism-related symptoms following vaccination. Vaccine. 2022;40(16):2391–2398
2. Population-Level Epidemiologic Evidence
Taylor et al., 1999 – The Lancet
One of the earliest large epidemiological studies found autism prevalence was the same in vaccinated and unvaccinated children, and the age of onset was unrelated to the timing of MMR vaccination. Read: Lancet. 1999;353(9169):2026–2029
Institute of Medicine (U.S.) Immunization Safety Review, 2011
A global review of studies from the U.S., Denmark, Sweden, and the U.K. concluded there is no causal relationship between vaccination status and autism, and no plausible biological mechanism linking vaccines (including thimerosal) to ASD. Read: National Academies Press / PubMed 20669467
3. Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses
Taylor et al., 2014 – Vaccine
A comprehensive meta-analysis of 10 studies including over 1.2 million children found no association between vaccination and autism or ASD. Vaccine. 2014;32(29):3623–3629
Maglione et al., 2014 – Pediatrics
Review of 67 high-quality studies covering the full U.S. immunization schedule concluded that vaccines are safe, adverse events are rare, and there is no link to autism, type 1 diabetes, or other chronic conditions. Pediatrics. 2014;134(2):325–337
Parker et al., 2004 – Pediatrics
Systematic review of 10 primary studies examining thimerosal exposure found no relationship between vaccines and ASD. Authors noted that studies showing an association were methodologically flawed or biased, while robust studies consistently showed safety. Pediatrics. 2004;113(6):1904–1910
Offit & Hackett, 2003 – Clinical Infectious Diseases
Review of immunology and epidemiology concluded that claims that vaccines “overwhelm” or “damage” the immune system are not biologically plausible based on how the immune system actually functions. Clin Infect Dis. 2003;46(9):1450–1456