In this episode, Tolu sits down with Dr. Margaret Steele - psychiatrist, certified physician executive, and former Dean of the Faculty of Medicine at Memorial University of Newfoundland. Dr. Steele's path to psychiatry wasn't a straight line: she studied microbiology, considered actuarial sciences, even explored interior design before finding her way to medicine. Today she holds one of the most decorated careers in Canadian psychiatry.They talk about what it actually means to be a psychiatrist, what leadership in medical education looks like from the inside, and why interprofessional collaboration matters more than most people realize. Dr. Steele also opens up about navigating leadership as a woman in medicine, the emotional weight of this work, and where she thinks the field still has to go - especially for youth mental health.----------------Want to find BrainCore elsewhere on the internet?Website - ⁠thebraincorepodcast.com ⁠Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thebraincorepodcast/⁠Twitter - ⁠https://x.com/thebraincorepod⁠TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thebraincorepodcastEmail - thebraincorepodcast@gmail.comCreative Team:Intro/Outro Graphics Design: Earl Bamidele-PensonIntro/Outro Jingle: Jakim Iretomide Ayo-DavidsonVideography: OluVision Media

Can AI actually be empathetic?

In this episode of BrainCore, host Tolu Faromika is joined by researchers Dariya Ovsyannikova, Leif Anderson, and Zachary Grey to explore one of the biggest questions at the intersection of psychology and technology: can artificial intelligence (AI) provide empathy, and what happens when it does?

The conversation is inspired by Dariya's recent article examining how people perceive empathetic responses from ChatGPT compared to responses from humans, including trained crisis responders. The findings raise important questions about empathy, mental health support, transparency, and the future role of AI in psychological care.Together, we discuss:

• What empathy actually is and why it matters
• Why ChatGPT was rated as more compassionate than human responders
• The ethical implications of AI-generated empathy
• AI therapy chatbots and mental health support tools
• How people are already using AI for emotional support
• The risks, limitations, and concerns surrounding AI in vulnerable populations
• What the future of psychology and AI could look like

Whether you're interested in psychology, mental health, artificial intelligence, or emerging technology, this episode offers a thoughtful discussion about where these worlds are beginning to overlap.----------------Want to find BrainCore elsewhere on the internet?Website - ⁠thebraincorepodcast.com ⁠Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thebraincorepodcast/⁠Twitter - ⁠https://x.com/thebraincorepod⁠TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thebraincorepodcastEmail - thebraincorepodcast@gmail.comCreative Team:Intro/Outro Graphics Design: Earl Bamidele-PensonIntro/Outro Jingle: Jakim Iretomide Ayo-DavidsonVideography: OluVision Media

Most of us don't think about dementia until it affects someone we love. But the research says we should have started much earlier.In this episode of BrainCore, Tolu sits down with Dr. Saskia Sivananthan - neuroscientist, dementia policy leader, and one of Canada's foremost voices on brain health — to unpack what dementia really is, how it differs from Alzheimer's, and what the science actually says about reducing your risk. Yes, even if you already have a diagnosis.They also get into cognitive reserve, why social connection matters more than most people realize, and what a new drug called Lecanemab could mean for the future of dementia treatment.But this conversation goes beyond the science. Dr. Sivananthan speaks honestly about the communities being left out of dementia research and care, what it means to have culturally grounded conversations about brain health, and why an aging population makes all of this more urgent than ever.----------------Want to find BrainCore elsewhere on the internet?Website - ⁠thebraincorepodcast.com ⁠Instagram - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/thebraincorepodcast/⁠Twitter - ⁠https://x.com/thebraincorepod⁠TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@thebraincorepodcastEmail - thebraincorepodcast@gmail.comCreative Team:Intro/Outro Graphics Design: Earl Bamidele-PensonIntro/Outro Jingle: Jakim Iretomide Ayo-DavidsonVideography: OluVision Media