We sit down with Dr. Erin Beeston, a Research Associate at the University of Manchester, to discuss her uniquely winding career path. Erin takes us through her journey from history of science and industrial heritage, which includes her PhD on the world's oldest railway station, to her current, impactful work researching health inequalities for the autism community. We dive into what "autism-informed" care actually looks like, why sensory and executive function barriers in healthcare are so significant, and how lived experience shapes her collaborative research approach. Erin also shares insights into her work on Parkinson’s, the importance of co-production in research, and how we might bridge the gap between healthcare systems and the needs of neurodivergent patients.

Dr: Erin Beeston: https://research.manchester.ac.uk/en/persons/erin-beeston/

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Do police officers drink more than the general population? How does racial discrimination affect mental health? And what can large-scale data tell us about health inequalities?

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Patsy Irizar from Liverpool John Moores University to explore two seemingly different but deeply connected areas of research: alcohol use and mental health in the police and military, and the impact of racial discrimination on psychological wellbeing.

Dr. Irizar shares her journey, discussing her groundbreaking PhD work examining alcohol use among UK police officers and the culture surrounding drinking in policing. We unpack findings from a dataset of 40,000 officers, challenge stereotypes about the “hard-drinking cop,” and explore the complex relationship between alcohol and mental health.

The conversation then turns to health inequalities, where Patsy explains how the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted long-standing racial disparities in health outcomes. We discuss how discrimination can become biologically and psychologically embedded, why social determinants matter, and what researchers are learning from the largest survey of minoritized ethnic groups conducted in the UK.

Along the way, we talk about:

• Why people use alcohol to cope with mental health difficulties
• The changing drinking culture within UK policing
• The “sick quitter” hypothesis
• Trauma, occupational stress, and mental health
• COVID-19 and ethnic health inequalities
• Structural and institutional racism
• How discrimination affects mental health over time
• Improving mental health services and treatment pathways
• The role of research in creating meaningful social change

Whether you're interested in psychology, public health, policing, addiction research, or social inequality, this episode offers a fascinating look at how our environments shape mental health.

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https://smoothbrainsociety.com
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email: thesmoothbrainsociety@gmail.com

What happens inside a child's brain when they're told not to touch something… and immediately reach for it anyway?

In this episode we sit down with developmental neuroscientist Dr. Abigail Fiske from Lancaster University to explore how self-control develops in infancy and early childhood.

Dr. Fisk studies executive functions, which are the mental skills that help us focus, regulate behaviour, and resist impulses. Using child friendly brain-imaging technology (FNIRS) and longitudinal research, she follows children from infancy through early childhood to understand how these critical abilities emerge and develop.

We discuss:

• Why toddlers struggle with self-control
• What executive functions actually are
• How inhibitory control develops in the brain
• Measuring brain activity in babies using non-invasive neuroimaging
• The role of the prefrontal cortex in early development
• Lessons from the classroom that inspired Dr. Fisk's research career
• Why the first five years of life are so important
• Early intervention, education, and the future of child development research

Whether you're a parent, educator, psychology enthusiast, or simply curious about how the brain develops, this conversation offers fascinating insights into the science behind self-control and learning.

Support the show

Support us and reach out!
https://smoothbrainsociety.com
https://www.patreon.com/SmoothBrainSociety

Instagram: @thesmoothbrainsociety
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Twitter/X: @SmoothBrainSoc
Facebook: @thesmoothbrainsociety
Merch and all other links: Linktree
email: thesmoothbrainsociety@gmail.com