Join us for an evening of stories about science that is not talked about enough, from mental health to infertility. Spend the evening with 5 stories that need to be heard, at Caveat, NYC!
Hosted by Diana Li and Paula Croxson at Caveat NYC. Doors at 6:30pm. Show starts at 7:00pm.
In person and livestreamed. Early bird tickets available until until January 19, 7:00pm.
Stories by:
Denise Cai, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Neuroscience at Mount Sinai, which is ironic since her last science class was high school biology. Her two biggest regrets are not trying out for the cheerleading team and not starting antidepressants sooner. Both helped shape her path toward understanding how our past experiences guide who we become. She studies how the brain organizes and integrates experiences so memories can inform future choices, and how this process changes with trauma or aging. Denise co-developed open source Miniscopes, (tiny head-mounted microscopes) that let researchers watch neurons interact in real time. Using these tools, her lab has shown that memory systems are not tidy photo albums. They are more like chaotic group chats that constantly link, relink, and reshape our identities. Denise is passionate about fostering curiosity, creativity, and community. She believes that real scientific breakthroughs arise when diverse perspectives are welcomed and empowered. She still suspects she would have made a great cheerleader.
Dr Zakia Ghafari is an author, consultant, and captivating storyteller. An immigrant from Afghanistan, she weaves powerful narratives of resilience, womanhood, and reinvention. Blending science and soul, she inspires audiences to embrace change, celebrate strength, and transform life’s challenges into fuel for a vibrant, empowered future.
Clare McCormack, PhD, is an assistant professor in Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Her research focuses on women's mental health in pregnancy and the peripartum, and challenges the "mommy brain" construct. She takes an interdisciplinary approach to understanding interactions between brain, biology, and the environment in shaping adaptation to parenthood. Her recent work is among the first to use brain MRI during pregnancy to examine neuroplasticity at the transition to parenthood and its implications for maternal and infant health.
Dr. Kibby McMahon is a licensed clinical psychologist, researcher, and digital health entrepreneur who’s obsessed with the emotional complexities of relationships. She earned her BA from Columbia University and her PhD in clinical psychology from Duke University, where her NIMH-funded research focused on how regulating our own emotions helps us connect more deeply with others. She has held research and clinical roles at Duke University Medical Center, Columbia University, Weill Cornell Hospital, and the Max Planck Institute. Dr. Kibby is a family caregiver and breast cancer survivor- experiences that reshaped how she understands vulnerability, resilience, and what it means to care for others while holding yourself together. These threads came together when she co-founded KulaMind, a digital mental health company that supports loved ones of people with mental illness through evidence-based skills, coaching, and AI-powered tools. She also hosts the podcast "A Little Help for Our Friends," which explores the invisible emotional labor of loving someone who is struggling with mental health or addiction. She lives in New York with her tornado of a son, a fluff of a dog, and a partner-in-crime husband.
Annie Tan is an educator, activist, writer and storyteller from Manhattan's Chinatown. Annie’s work has been featured in Huffington Post, New Republic, PBS’ Asian Americans, RISK! and twice on The Moth Radio Hour on NPR. Annie is writing a memoir about connecting with her immigrant parents despite not sharing a common fluent language. Find more at annietan.com.
More storytellers to be announced soon…!