A Chat with Uma

On episode 37 of A Chat with Uma, I hit pause on the lived experience & nitty-gritty research and rewind all the way to Psychedelics 101: What exactly counts as a psychedelic? Why do ketamine and MDMA show up in the same conversations as LSD and psilocybin even though they work on totally different receptors? In this deep‑dive I define "mind-manifesting," untangle the three big branches of hallucinogens, give an extra basic che...

On episode 36 of A Chat with Uma, I continue the “Everything You Need to Know About Scientific Research” series by breaking down everything you need to know about peer review and publishing papers! Here, I unpack the journey from raw data to a peer‑reviewed paper—the stage where independent experts test every assumption, statistic, and conclusion before the work can stand as part of the scientific record. You’ll learn why publishin...

On episode 35 of A Chat with Uma, I provide the long‑overdue follow‑up to my 2023 episode “Yes, I’ve Done Psychedelics: From Psychonaut to Researcher!” Two years (and many trips) later, I walk you through how psychedelics have woven themselves into my recovery from OCD, PTSD, and treatment‑resistant depression--and how my relationship to them has evolved. I’m candid about the depression pattern I now recognize: months of slow impro...

On episode 34 of A Chat with Uma, I continue the “Everything You Need to Know About Scientific Research” series by breaking down one of the most misunderstood parts of the scientific process: funding. I explain how labs secure (and often struggle to secure) the money needed to pay salaries, buy equipment, and keep the lights on—and why the competition for grants is more cutthroat than many realize. Along the way, I debunk myths abo...

In episode 33 of A Chat with Uma, I continue with part 2 of my deep dive into how scientists are trained, as part of the “Everything You Need to Know About Scientific Research” series. Picking up where I left off last time, I focus on the PhD as the central—and often most intense—phase of a scientist’s training path toward independence. I explain how researchers progress from dependent trainees to experts in their field, covering e...

On episode 32 of A Chat With Uma, as part of the “Everything You Need to Know About Scientific Research” series, we begin a 2-part overview of the full training pipeline that researchers work through to become independent biomedical research scientists.  I unpack the differences between simply knowing established scientific facts and actively generating new knowledge in a lab setting, showing how hands-on mentorship, repetitive tri...

On episode 31 of A Chat with Uma, I launch my ‘Everything You Need To Know About Scientific Research’ series by sharing an overview of what I aim to cover in the coming episodes within this series, and the personal and professional lenses that bring me to this conversation. I talk through the current crises facing scientific research, how they are affecting research (including me) at this very moment, and why this is relevant to EV...

On episode 30 of 'A Chat with Uma', a follow-up to last week’s episode, I continue my mental health update from the past 2 years, sharing what recovery has truly looked like—from OCD and PTSD treatment to navigating depressive episodes and breakthroughs with my eating disorder. I open up about the impact of psilocybin in interrupting my depression and how my ERP progress has finally moved the needle on my Y-BOCS scores. I also shar...

On episode 29 of 'A Chat with Uma,' I share an in-depth update on my mental health journey, picking up from where I left off two years ago. I talk through the challenges and growth I’ve experienced in lacking OCD & PTSD treatment while completing my master’s, navigating a cross-country move, and starting my PhD program. I share honestly about living with ongoing severe OCD, PTSD, and depression while navigating the complexities...

On episode 28 of 'A Chat with Uma,' I return to the podcast after a year-long hiatus to launch its next era! In this raw, unfiltered, tell-all episode (in true Uma fashion, of course), I talk us through the wild year that led to my unexpected hiatus, my PhD journey, the unexpected adjustment of navigating this new chapter, and the paralyzing fears that kept me from picking the mic back up up again. I open up about perfectio...

On episode 27 of A Chat with Uma, I share my full experience of developing a fully independent research project inspired by my lived experience as a patient. I share the full story of how this project was born, and how this idea developed into a full research project that has resulted in presentations, awards, published abstracts, acceptance into Ph.D programs, and an upcoming publication. I discuss the experience of forging my own...

On episode 26 of A Chat with Uma, I dedicate a full episode to OCD awareness, in honor of OCD Awareness Week 2023. I provide a full primer on OCD 101 - all about what OCD is NOT, and what it IS. I share my full OCD story of onset, symptoms, misdiagnosis, delayed treatment, incorrect treatment, and what evidence-based treatment has looked like. I speak at length about my non-linear path within treatment, normalizing the coexistence ...

On episode 25 of A Chat with Uma, I share my full journey of applying for graduate school as a non-traditional student with a very divergent & complicated academic + personal history. I share my experience in full detail of applying for clinical psychology Ph.D programs earlier on in my academic journey, and how + why I ultimately chose to pursue my masters in neuroscience. I discuss how vastly different my experience was as a ...

On episode 24 of A Chat with Uma, I share a comprehensive overview of my experience and journey as a non-traditional question - informed and shaped by the many questions from listeners & this community on this topic! I first operationally define the concept of a non-traditional student, sharing the various contributing factors that give rise to holding this identity. I share my full timeline and trajectory as a non-traditional ...

On episode 23 of A Chat with Uma, I provide an honest and unfiltered life update in light of many recent major life changes. I share openly and honestly about the difficulties I faced in moving to Wisconsin, and all that has transpired in this adjustment period. I speak about the struggles that contributed to my experience, as well as the steps I took to work through them. I talk through my most recent psychedelic experience and it...

On episode 22 of A Chat with Uma, I speak with Dr. Elizabeth Berry! Elizabeth Berry, Ph.D is a neuroscientist, addiction researcher, science communicator, artist, and digital creator. Dr. Berry just received her Ph.D in Cell Biology with a specialization in neuroscience from New York Medical College this past May. For her dissertation project, she focused on opioid addiction and the impact it has on specific neurons in the brain ca...

On episode 21 of A Chat with Uma, I speak with Kimberley Quinlan, LMFT! Kimberley is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and public speaker who is the host of Your Anxiety Toolkit podcast, founder of CBT School, and owner of Kimberley Quinlan (A Marriage and Family Therapy Corporation) in Los Angeles, CA.  She is passionate about the treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder and related disorders, Eating Disorders and ...

On episode 20 of A Chat with Uma, I recap my experience at the International OCD Foundation (IOCDF)'s 28th Annual OCD Conference & the 8th Annual IOCDF Research Symposium. I provide my key research takeaways from the perspective of an OCD neuroscientist & researcher with lived experience of OCD - about many important topics including psychedelics, ketamine, OCD genes, advanced epigenetic aging, comorbid OCD & PTSD +...

On episode 19 of A Chat with Uma, I discuss my experience and history as a disabled person, in honor of Disability Pride Month. This is a raw episode, sharing my history with physical, psychiatric, and cognitive disabilities - both lifelong and more recently developed. I share my unfiltered experiences of discrimination, stigma, ableism, and the repercussions of these chronic experiences. I speak at length about the realities of di...