Expert Videos
One of my favorite storytelling mediums is video. My collaborative on-screen projects aim to synthesize complex scientific information into digestible, yet comprehensive content. From scriptwriting to execution, I have partnered with Headspace on numerous projects. Each project has been designed to share science intimately, breaking down concepts and reconstructing them into clear, impactful messages that can be applied in everyday life. Read more about my work with Headspace below!
Headspace
Headspace, one of the world’s leading meditation apps, boasts over 2 million paid subscribers in over 190 countries. Its mission is simple: improve your health and happiness through guided meditation, and add more mindfulness to your life.
Music on My Mind with John Legend
A video series hosted by John Legend for Headspace
My musical awakening came in my 20s after discovering London’s most legendary music venue, Plastic People. While completing my Ph.D. and working part-time at the venue, I received another kind of education - one from the vinyl played by some of the best selectors on the planet. In 2018, I decided to combine my love of music with my love of science, creating Sound Science, a radio show and podcast exploring how music impacts our brains and affects our lives presented by Dublab radio.
Given my passion for music and the brain, you can imagine how thrilled I am to feature in ‘Music on My Mind’ – a new series made with Headspace and hosted by John Legend. In the series, I explain how music affects the brain, including how it can help improve memory, boost performance and relieve stress. We explore all this and more by conducting music-related research, demonstrations and having conversations.
Episode 4: Stress
Can music reduce stress and anxiety? In this episode of Music on my Mind with John Legend and Headspace, John and I investigate how music can change the way we react to scary or stressful situations. Explorations include how a firefighter uses music to cope with life-or-death situations, defining cognitive regulation, and a virtual reality nightmare simulation.
Episode 5: Fitness
Why do we love listening to music when we work out? Can music impact your performance when it comes to sports? In this episode of Music on my Mind with John Legend and Headspace, John and neuroscience researcher Dr. Yewande Pearse discuss the science behind your pump-up tracks. Explorations include an interview with Olympian and WNBA Washington Mystics forward Elena Delle Donne, grip strength, and finding the ideal BPM.
Episode 6: Memory
Can music improve your memory? In this episode of Music on My Mind with John Legend and Headspace, John and cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Yewande Pearse discuss the ways music impacts your ability to create and retain memories in both your working memory and your episodic memory. Explorations include an interview with a music therapist, music and Alzheimer's, and dual coding theory.
The Wake Up
Designed to help members start their day on a mindful note, Headspace’s The Wake Up focuses on five key elements: meditation, sleeping, moving, eating, and playing. Refreshed daily, it features short episodes that are meant to complement a member’s meditation practice.
I had the very cool opportunity to speak in several videos for The Wake Up. Check out the videos below of me explaining how the physical and mental effects can stress have on our minds and bodies, how the brain responds to meditation practices, and the impact of exercise on our brain architecture.