Once Upon an Arc

In this episode, we’re turning back the clock to our earliest days - just after birth. What happens to our brains in this sensitive time of life? More than we ever thought, it turns out. We spoke with Dr. Mercedes Paredes, assistant professor of neurology at UCSF, to learn more about how humans’ brain cells are still moving and changing even after we’re born. As we learn more about the brain’s initial stages, we can better understand its vulnerabilities. Not only that, but we can also figure out how to intervene early on to stave off neurological problems like psychiatric illness or epilepsy.

This episode was written and produced by Stella Belonwu, Rebecca Fang, Deanna Necula, and Ben Mansky. Music in this episode includes “A Day at the Park,” “Fomalhaut,” and “Convergence” by Pictures of the Floating World and “Autowaschanlage Instrumental” by Lobo Loco.

For more on recent developments with the HHS Fetal Tissue Ethics Review Board, see www.washingtonpost.com/health/trump-…aa_story.html.