This Dialogues Between Neuroscience and Society lecture was recorded Nov. 15, 2025, at Neuroscience 2025 in San Diego.   Nicolas Quillé, MW, highly credentialed wine professional, presents his framework for understanding wine tasting in the style of Robert Greene's three phases of mastery.

Nicolas Quillé, Master of Wine, is the Chief Winegrowing and Operations Officer for the Crimson Wine Group, where he supervises the farming and winemaking of six estate wineries on the west coast of the United States, including Pine Ridge Winery in Napa Valley, Seghesio Family Vineyards in Sonoma Valley, Chamisal and Malene in San Luis Obispo, Archery Summit in Dundee Hills, Double Canyon in Eastern Washington and Seven Hills Winery in Walla Walla. He has more than 30 years of experience in the wine industry with an emphasis on viticulture, winemaking, quality control, wine business management, wine portfolio management, and mergers and acquisitions. He holds a Master degree in enology from the University of Dijon in Burgundy, a Master degree in sparkling winery management from the University of Reims in Champagne, an MBA from the University of Washington in Seattle, and is a member of the prestigious Institute of Masters of Wine. Nicolas speaks at wine conferences on a regular basis and was recognized in ...

Sex differences in the brain are real, but they’re not what many people think of when they hear about them. This lecture will discuss some of the historical and current controversies surrounding sex differences in the brain; present evidence for different types of brain sex differences with an emphasis on molecular mechanisms of synaptic modulation; and explain the value of studying both sexes to ensure that advances in science and medicine have maximal impact for human health.

This lecture will address the question: Why do we lose cognitive capacity and function as we age? New cellular models of human brain aging have led to a more comprehensive understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underly brain aging.

Classic models likened brain function to neuron networks, like telegraph systems. Emerging evidence, however, suggests higher cognition relies on rhythmic oscillations or "brain waves" at the electric field level.

Long before the advent of modern neurosurgery and psychiatry, indigenous South American societies engaged in complex interventions targeting the brain and mind. From cranial trepanation in the Andes to ayahuasca rituals in the Amazon, these practices reveal a profound empirical knowledge of neuroanatomy, consciousness, and healing, even though these topics had other names. As contemporary science revisits the therapeutic potential of psychedelics and neuroplastic interventions, it is increasingly relevant to examine the roots of these traditions and their possible contributions to modern neuroscience.

The field of neuroscience moves quickly. Every week, new papers push boundaries: AI models that simulate cognitive memory, brain organoids used to uncover mechanisms of neurodevelopmental disorders, or connectomic maps that reveal unseen neuronal communication. These discoveries are exciting—and important—but for those of us still in training, they can also make the pace of our own work feel…slow.

Morgan L. Edwards is a master’s student studying biomedical sciences at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and a stipend researcher of cell and molecular biology at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in the Taylor Lab. He earned his bachelor’s in psychology and journalism from the University of Memphis, where he completed honors research focused on stress and behavior in mouse models. His research interests center on molecular neuroscience, with a focus on cell survival mechanisms, stress signaling, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

In this episode, Stefânia Forner, PhD, and former mentee Elizabeth Andrews reflect on their decade-long journey from mentor and mentee to colleagues and friends.

Megan Hagenauer and Daniela Schiller discuss their paper, “Promoting Open Discussions of Scientific Failure within the Annual Society for Neuroscience Conference,” published in eNeuro, with Editor-in-Chief Christophe Bernard. To see the YouTube channel referenced in this podcast, visit: https://www.youtube.com/@greatscientistsgreatfailur9496/video.