This is Your Brain on Hormones

Jun 19, 2026 · 39 min

AI recap

Do hormones really reshape your brain each month?

This preview, based only on the show notes, follows Molly Webster as she investigates whether menstrual cycles change the brain and what that might mean more broadly. The episode appears to connect self-experimentation, neuroscience, PTSD, and a biological take on self-care.

Based on the published show notes, this episode is a reported investigation into a big, personal-sounding question: does the menstrual cycle change the brain each month, and if so, how? Host and senior correspondent Molly Webster seems to use that question as the entry point into a wider look at sex hormones, brain science, and the chemical forces shaping everyday life. The notes suggest this is not limited to female biology alone. The reporting apparently brings in both females and males, along with self-experimentation inspired by intensive neuroscience study designs. The cited research includes the Jacobs lab projects 28andMe, 28andOC, and 28andHe, which hints that listeners interested in how scientists actually study hormonal variation may find plenty to dig into. The episode also appears to widen from basic brain science into lived consequences, including PTSD, before landing on what the notes call a “new twist on self-care.” Without giving away more than the description does, that framing suggests a practical or reflective ending rather than a purely academic one. If you like science stories that start with a relatable question and expand into larger ideas about the body, behavior, and identity, this sounds like a strong pick. If you’re especially interested in neuroscience, sex differences research, or how biological rhythms may influence experience, the notes point to a thoughtful, research-grounded listen.

About this episode

After reading something that said her menstrual cycle changes her brain each month, Senior Correspondent Molly Webster goes on a reporting mission to see if that’s true, and, if so, how. This journey into sex hormones and the brain involves females and males, and exacting self-experimentation. It gets into PTSD, and ends with a new twist on self-care (hint: it’s biological). And, it starts to reveal a sneaky truth: that each one of us is at the mercy of a crashing sea of chemicals inside of us – those things we call hormones. Special thanks to Emily Jacobs, <a href="https://www.pennlinc.io/team/laura-pritschet" rel="noopener noreferrer">Laura Pritschet</a>, Pavel Shapturenka, and Dr. Catherine Woolley. EPISODE CREDITS: Hosted by - Molly Webster Reported by - Molly Webster Produced by - Mona Madgavkar with help from - Molly Webster Fact-checking by - Diane A. Kelly EPISODE CITATIONS: Articles - **The experiments we feature in this episode are called: 28andMe, 28andOC, and 28andHe, all of which took place at Emily Jacobs lab at the University of California, Santa Barbara.** <ul> <li><a href="https://jacobs.psych.ucsb.edu/research/28-and-me" rel="noopener noreferrer">The 28 Project</a> (https://zpr.io/CSx6MnwZjRvp), background from the Jacobs lab</li> </ul> For more on how much variability there is between female and male animals, check out this “groundbreaking” study, referenced by Emily Jacobs in our episode <ul> <li><a href="https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3008499/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sex Bias in Neuroscience and Biomedical Research</a>(<a href="https://zpr.io/ZRgKZzdNejUA" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://zpr.io/ZRgKZzdNejUA</a>), by Beery AK, Zucker I., Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2011</li> </ul> Dr. Catherine Woolley has revolutionized the field of neuroscience and sex hormones, here’s more about her work … <ul> <li><a href="https://www.the-scientist.com/sex-differences-in-the-brain-get-down-to-the-molecular-level-73768" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sex Differences in the Brain Get Down to the Molecular Level Sex</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/UNCLE9J782N5" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://zpr.io/UNCLE9J782N5</a>), by Stephanie DeMarco, PhD, The <a href="http://scientist.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">Scientist.com</a></li> <li><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1528-1157.1998.tb02601.x" rel="noopener noreferrer">Hormonal Effects on the Brain</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/DvNM9EkXdtGG" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://zpr.io/DvNM9EkXdtGG</a>), by Woolley, C.S. and Schwartzkroin, P.A. Epilepsia</li> </ul> Data sets - <ul> <li><a href="http://openneuro.org/datasets/ds002674/versions/1.0.6" rel="noopener noreferrer">28andMe and 28andOC</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/hbXVNTVp2Q7j" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://zpr.io/hbXVNTVp2Q7j</a>):</li> <li><a href="https://openneuro.org/datasets/ds005115/versions/1.2.0" rel="noopener noreferrer">28andHe</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/sZXhfMbMwKb7" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://zpr.io/sZXhfMbMwKb7</a>)</li> </ul> Audio - In the episode, we mention Dr. Russ Poldrack and the Midnight Scan Club, as inspo for self-experimentation <ul> <li><a href="https://www.sciencefriday.com/segments/the-midnight-scan-club/" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Midnight Scan Club</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/CLBhNQSxK844" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://zpr.io/CLBhNQSxK844</a>), by Science Friday. </li> </ul> Signup for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. <a href="https://radiolab.org/newsletter" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sign up</a> (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)! Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of <a href="http://members.radiolab.org" rel="noopener noreferrer">The Lab</a> (https://members.radiolab.org/) today. Follow our show on <a href="http://instagram.com/radiolab" rel="noopener noreferrer">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/radiolab" rel="noopener noreferrer">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://facebook.com/radiolab" rel="noopener noreferrer">Facebook</a> @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing <a href="mailto:radiolab@wnyc.org" rel="noopener noreferrer">radiolab@wnyc.org</a>. Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Simons Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.