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Let's Talk About Women

Franziska Weinmar

How do hormonal fluctuations shape the brain and mental health across the lifespan? What happens during puberty, pregnancy and perimenopause? And how can new insights into hormonal transitions change the way we understand and support women’s health?


On Let’s Talk About Women, neuroscientist Dr. Franziska Weinmar talks with leading researchers from around the world about women’s mental and brain health, where hormones, brain and mind meet. From hormonal contraception and PMDD to the parental brain, sleep, stress and the menopausal transition - each episode takes you from the background through the state of the art to what comes next, with perspectives from neuroscience, psychology, biology and medicine.

Alongside these in-depth topic episodes, the podcast also puts the spotlight on early-career researchers: the next generation of scientists, their work, and their paths into science.

Evidence-based, warm and curious. For researchers, clinicians and everyone who wants to learn more about women’s brain and mental health.


About your host: Franziska is a neuroscientist of women’s mental health and psychoneuroendocrinology and a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Tübingen. She founded the podcast in 2023 during her PhD in the International Research Training Group (IRTG) 2804 (Tübingen × Uppsala).


Feedback, guest ideas or questions? Write to me: franziska.weinmar@med.uni-tuebingen.de

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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  • 21 episodes
  • monthly
  • Avg 50 min
  • English

Episodes 21

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  • #31
    February 26 · 51 min

    Let's Talk With Young Researchers: Iris Hamers

    Let’s Talk WITH Young Researchers: Welcome to our podcast sideline, in which we give the word to young researchers in the field of women’s mental health! In this episode, meet Iris Hamers, PhD researcher at the University Medical Center Groningen. In her PhD, Iris investigates sex differences in mental health disorders and treatment, with a particular focus on schizophrenia and psychosis, and an expanding interest to other mental health disorders. Her work sits at the intersection of gonadal hormones, pharmacokinetics, and clinical neuroscience, aiming to better understand how biological sex influences symptom prevalence and treatment response. Iris’ PhD combines research within a randomized controlled trial on early discontinuation of antipsychotics and large-scale population research on women’s mental health across the lifespan, using nationwide registry data from the Netherlands. In this episode, we discuss key lifespan patterns in mental healthcare, sex-specific vulnerabilities, and what these findings may mean for women’s mental health research and clinical practice. Beyond her scientific work, Iris reflects on her PhD experience and the importance of supportive research communities in women’s mental health. She also shares insights into co-founding the Sex and Gender in Health Research Roundtable, an initiative that has grown into community of young researchers. Wrapping up, Iris answers our renowned closing section — the “Three Burning Questions”: Who is your science crush? What did you not know or expect before starting a PhD? What do you enjoy most about your work as a PhD researcher? Are you interested in the Sex and Gender in Health Research Roundtable? Find them on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sex-and-gender-in-health-research-roundtable/ ... and sign-up here: https://forms.gle/pLqosyHTgeHsqkUbA Do you want to get in touch with Iris? Reach out to: i.m.h.hamers@umcg.nl ... or find her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/i-hamers/ https://umcgresearch.org/w/i-m-h-hamers Here you can learn more about the clinical trail on the early-discontinuation of antipsychotics: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hamlett-ophelia-consortium/ ... as well as first results we discussed: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2839607 Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar Editing: Franziska Weinmar Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.com Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #29
    Dec 18, 2025 · 57 min

    Let's Talk With Young Researchers: Livia Ruehr

    Let's Talk WITH Young Researchers: Welcome to our podcast sideline, in which we give the word to young researchers in the field of women's mental health! In this episode, meet Livia Ruehr, PhD researcher in the Cognitive Neuroendocrinology Group at the Max-Planck-Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences in Leipzig, who is supervised by Prof. Dr. Julia Sacher. In her research, Livia focuses on understanding how hormonal fluctuations influence the brain across female transition phases - for example, the menstrual cycle - where she investigates both structural and functional connectivity changes. From conducting a systematic review to diving into complex longitudinal analyses on functional connectivity across the menstrual cycle, this episode is packed with research at the frontier of our field. Beyond her scientific work, Livia also opens up about her PhD experience, including the insecurities she faced at the beginning and how her mindset evolved throughout the journey. As a member of the Max Planck School of Cognition, Livia discusses the benefits of a structured PhD program and the value of being part of a diverse cohort of fellow PhD students. Wrapping up, Livia answers our renowned closing section - the “Three Burning Questions.": Who is your science crush? What did you not know/expect before starting a PhD? What do you enjoy most about your work as a PhD researcher? Do you want to get in touch with Livia? Reach out to: ruehr@cbs.mpg.de ... or find her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liviaruehr/ https://www.cbs.mpg.de/mitarbeitende/ruehr https://cognition.maxplanckschools.org/doktoranden/livia-ruehr Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar Editing: Franziska Weinmar Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.com Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #27
    Oct 16, 2025 · 45 min

    Let's Talk With Young Researchers: Romina Garcia de leon

    Let's Talk WITH Young Researchers: our podcast sideline in which we give the word to young researchers in the field of women's mental health! In this episode, meet Romina Garcia de leon, PhD researcher at the Institute of Medical Sciences at the University of Toronto and part of the Laboratory of Behavioural Neuroendocrinology at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Toronto, where she works under the supervision of the one-and-only Dr. Liisa Galea. We discuss Romina's preclinical research on the heterogeneity of peripartum depression and the role hormones and immune signaling play - including in treatment. Romina also speaks openly about the challenges of pursuing a PhD, but also about what she loves about it. At the end of the podcast, Romina answers our renowned "3 burning questions": Who is your science crush? What did you not know/expect before starting a PhD? What do you enjoy most about your work as a PhD researcher? Do you want to get in touch with Romina? Reach out to: Romina.Garcia@camh.ca ... or find her here: https://www.galealab.com/rominagarcia https://womenshealthresearchcluster.com/profile/romina-garcia-de-leon/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/romina-garcia-de-leon-7b2976149/ Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar Editing: Franziska Weinmar Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.com Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #24
    Apr 17, 2025 · 53 min

    Let's Talk With Young Researchers: Zoé Bürger

    Let's Talk WITH Young Researchers: our podcast sideline in which we give the word to young researchers in the field of women's mental health! In this episode, meet Zoé Bürger, PhD researcher in the Women's Mental Health and Brain Function lab in Tübingen, where she has been working with Prof. Birgit Derntl. We talk about Zoé's research on hormonal contraception, specifically the hormonal IUD, and stress. Besides, Zoé shares her PhD journey over the past years, how she faced challenges, and found her "village". In the end of the podcast, Zoé answers our famous quick "3 Burning Questions": Who is your science crush? What did you not know/expect before starting a PhD? What do you enjoy most about your work as a PhD researcher? Do you want to get in touch with Zoé? Reach out to: Zoe.Buerger@med.uni-tuebingen.de ... or find her on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoebuerger/ Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar Editing: Franziska Weinmar Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.com Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #20
    Dec 19, 2024 · 47 min

    Let's Talk With Young Researchers: Hanna Wierenga

    Let's Talk WITH Young Researchers: our podcast sideline in which we give the word to young researchers in the field of women's mental health! In this episode, meet Hanna Wierenga, PhD Candidate in the IRTG2804, who is working with Prof. Pia Schober (Tübingen) and Prof. Alkistis Skalkidou (Uppsala) on gender identity and ideologies and mental health, specifically during and after pregnancy. We talk about Hanna's PhD projects and journey so far, how she deals with setbacks and that a PhD is like detective work. In the end of the podcast, Hanna answers our quick "3 Burning Questions": Who is your science crush? What did you not know/expect before starting a PhD? What do you enjoy most about your work as a PhD researcher? Do you want to get in touch with Hanna Wierenga? Reach out to: hanna.wierenga@uu.se Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar at Recording Studio Blasenhus, Uppsala University Editing: Franziska Weinmar Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.com Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  • #17
    Jul 18, 2024 · 42 min

    Let's Talk With Young Researchers: Gloria Matte Bon

    Let's Talk WITH Young Researchers: our new podcast sideline in which we give the word to young researchers in the field of women's mental health! We kick-off with our very own Gloria Matte Bon, PhD Candidate in the IRTG2804, who is working with Prof. Tobias Kaufmann, applying computational models to investigate sex differences in brain structure, with particular focus on hormonal transition periods and women’s mental health. We end this podcast by introducing a new closing category and Gloria is the first one to answer our "3 Burning Questions": Who is your science crush? What did you not know/expect before starting a PhD? What do you enjoy most about your work as a PhD researcher? Gloria's hot-off-the-press-paper: Modeling brain sex in the limbic system as phenotype for female-prevalent mental disorders (Matte Bon, Kraft, Comasco, Derntl, & Kaufmann, 2024). https://bsd.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13293-024-00615-1 Sound recording: Franziska Weinmar with the equipment of the IRTG2804 Editing: Franziska Weinmar Do you have any feedback, suggestions, or questions? Get in touch with us: irtg2804.podcast@gmail.com Are you intrigued by this topic and want to be kept updated? Follow us on twitter: @irtg2804 or instagram: @irtg2804 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Showing 1–20 of 21 episodes