The Impact of Acceptance on Our Brains with Dr. Tommy Wood
Despite practicing medicine for 20 years, I’ve never met a pediatric neuroscientist... until now.
Dr. Tommy Wood teaches pediatrics and neuroscience at the University of Washington. He’s researching early determinants of brain injury and their impact on brain health, in addition to developing accessible and equitable methods of tracking health performance and longevity in pro athletes and the general population.
In this episode of the Words of Love podcast, you’ll find out some of the impact of his research on the brain (and the body). You’ll hear about how environmental factors, others’ behavior, video games, and even your ancestors’ lives can affect your development in the present.
1:06 - The Face of Acceptance at Pride
9:44 - How a baby’s societal environment impacts their brain development
16:10 - How we’ve normalized socioeconomic disparities in modern society
20:10 - Two ways Dr. Wood conducts research in his field
22:34 - Epigenetics and its impact on human development
27:10 - What to do when someone you know shifts their identity
36:30 - How the way you treat others impacts them biochemically and physiologically
41:00 - The real effect of playing video games on your brain
49:00 - Parallels between what surgeons and athletes have to do for peak performance
56:10 - What Dr. Wood wants to do in the future (and why he doesn’t have a five or 10-year plan)
About Dr. Tommy Wood
Dr. Tommy Wood is a Research Assistant Professor at the University of Washington, where his research includes the physiological and metabolic responses to brain injury and their long-term effects on brain health, as well as developing easily accessible methods with which to track human health, performance, and longevity. In addition to his academic work, Tommy has coached athletes in a dozen sports, from weekend warriors to Olympians and world champions.