32 A Whole New World

Her Royal Science

In this episode, we speak with Refilwe Mpai, a Neuroscience PhD Candidate at McGill University. During our conversation, Refilwe shares personal anecdotes about her international path to present day, traveling from Botswana to Canada with a brief stint in the United States. We also discuss her ongoing doctoral research, which dives into the neuroanatomical manifestations of child abuse and depression. Specifically, she is interested in the dynamic nature of cerebellar perineuronal nets and how they may be altered in major depressive disorder and early life adversity. Lastly, we chat about Refilwe's growing podcast, Journey Abroad, where she creates space for Africans living in the diaspora to share their life stories. TW/CW for mentions of suicide when discussing Refilwe's doctoral thesis. Episode transcript available here: https://www.herroyalscience.com/post/32-a-whole-new-world