In the eighth episode of this season, we are joined by Professor Gina Rippon, Emeritus Professor of cognitive neuroimaging at the Aston Brain Centre in Birmingham. Gina was the president of the British Association of Cognitive Neuroscience in 2015 and has also sat at the editorial board of the International Journal of Psychophysiology.
Gina’s research focuses on developmental disorder including dyslexia and autism, as well as the misuse of neuroscience techniques leading to gender stereotyping.
Her book, “The Gendered Brain”, investigates the role of life experiences and biology in brain development, and challenges the idea that there are 2 sorts of brains, namely male and female, and offers a refreshing outlook on brain development while challenging some of the biggest misconceptions in neuroscience.
In today’s episode, we discuss brain imaging techniques, the difference between sex and gender, the history of the gendered brain and the myths around it as well as how differences between the female and male brain are based on factors, such as behaviour, ability, temperament and personality.
Topics covered include:
- What is the brain?
- The history of the gendered brain and the myths around it
- White vs grey matter
- How to define sex vs gender
- The meaning of neuroplasticity and why video games are good for your brain development
Find out more about Gina’s work:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ginarippon1
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gina-rippon-33287819/?originalSubdomain=uk
Resources mentioned in this episode:
Gina’s Book: The Gendered Brain: The New Neuroscience That Shatters the Myth of the Female Brain
The Elevat(Her) Podcast 