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The Plasticity Podcast

The Plasticity Podcast

Written by: Santina Duarte
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About this listen

The Plasticity Podcast explores how the brain reshapes itself when life throws something new our way. Hosted by Santina Duarte, a neuroscience graduate student, the show follows her personal journey of moving across the country to living alone for the first time, all while unpacking the science of how we learn and adapt to new situations.

Each episode blends real-life experiences with current hot topics in neuroscience research like neuroplasticity, reward learning, stress, and mental health. Here we dive deep into the latest neuroscience research, breaking it down in a way that’s approachable and engaging, all while highlighting the realities of independence, graduate school, and navigating adulthood.

The result is a podcast that is equal parts science communication, personal narrative, and exploration of what it really means to grow — both as a person and at a cellular level in the brain.

Santina Duarte
Biological Sciences Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Natural Medicine vs. Western Science — Or Is That the Wrong Question?
    Mar 2 2026

    Hi, it's me, that girl that you met at a bar, hoping to learn about natural health and ended up being held hostage by her after as she went on and on about her own research, Santina. After attending an event that was openly critical of alternative and traditional medicine, I’m diving into the bigger question: who gets to decide what counts as “real” medicine? In this episode, I explore the tension between Western science and natural health, the plant origins of modern pharmaceuticals, Indigenous knowledge systems, the neuroscience of placebo, and why culture and context matter more than we think. This isn’t anti-science — it’s a conversation about humility, integration, and building a future of medicine that’s both evidence-based and culturally intelligent.

    As per usual, I release a new episode every Monday at 7:00 am EST. You can find me on all podcast platforms and on Instagram at @theplasticitypodcast. Thank you so much for another week of listening, and I like everyone else, am really hoping that punch the monkey gets the love he deserves (im releasing this a week late so this statement may be dated, hopefully for the better).

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    Not Yet Known
  • Everyone Else Is Smarter Than Me (Apparently): A conversation about imposture syndrome
    Feb 23 2026

    Hi, it's me, Santina, a 20-something-year-old woman who forcibly took you away from your cat parents and brought you into a tiny, cold apartment, and you kind of like it because she gives you churus. This week, we're talking impostor syndrome because oh boy do I (and most people I know) have it. Imposture syndrome is everywhere in academia, but it’s rarely talked about honestly. In this episode, we explore why so many capable scientists feel like they don’t belong—and how competitive systems, peer review, and chronic evaluation wire the brain for self-doubt.

    As per usual, I release a new episode every Monday at 7:00 am EST. You can find me on all podcast platforms and on Instagram at @theplasticitypodcast. Thank you so much for another week of listening, and remember that as the horrors persist, so do you!

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    32 mins
  • Your Paper vs. Three Strangers on the Internet; the process of publish or perish
    Feb 16 2026

    Hi, its me, Santina, that girl in your class who shows up just to work and pay 0 attention to the lecture itself. In this episode, we break down how peer review works, why it exists, and how decisions get made behind the scenes. From editors to reviewers to revisions, we unpack the process that shapes what science gets published—and what never sees the light of day. It's publish or perish, baby, and we are in the thick of it.

    As per usual, I release a new episode every Monday at 7:00 am EST. You can find me on all podcast platforms and on Instagram at @theplasticitypodcast. Thank you so much for another week of listening, and maybe this week incorporate some fibre in your diet instead of watching people torture sims on TikTok, that is a good place to begin, I think.

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    48 mins
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