02/09/2024

Friends of Franz Podcast S3 E10: The Way to a Man's Brain Is Through His Stomach with Neuroscientist Dr. Aya Osman

Over the past few years, the health and wellness space has been flooded with the concept of the "gut microbiome," or the ecosystem of microorganisms in our stomachs. Probiotics, which have become prominent on social media, are said to strengthen this bacterial community and can result in benefits like improved nutrient absorption, skin inflammation, and even mental acuity. However, this connection of the gut to the mental sphere has actually been shown in research as the "gut-brain axis" (GBA). In fact, according to a 2015 journal from the Annals of Gastroenterology, a bidirectional relationship between our gut and our brain has been shown to influence our responses to anxiety, stress, and even functions of memory through interactions with the central nervous system.

We are joined today by behavioral neuroscientist, toxicologist, neuropharmacologist, and international fashion model Dr. Aya Osman. She received her Ph.D. in Toxicology and Neuropharmacology from the University of Surrey, where she investigated the development of brain opioid and oxytocin receptor systems in response to early-life dietary manipulation. Dr. Osman worked as a Toxicologist at the Centre for Radiation, Chemical, and Environmental Hazards for the governmental body Public Health England. Dr. Osman completed her postdoctoral research fellowship at the Friedman Brain Institute and the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, where she now serves as an Assistant Professor, focusing on the role of gut microbiome changes in brain development and the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric disorders.