Dr. Wendy Suzuki: Boost Attention & Memory with Science-Based Tools | Huberman Lab Podcast #73

My guest is Dr. Wendy Suzuki, Ph.D., Professor of Neural Science and Psychology and (soon) Dean of New York University, whose research focuses on memory, attention, brain plasticity and simple, daily habits that can be leveraged to improve learning, focus, memory and cognitive ability. We discuss the role of cardiovascular exercise, weight training, deliberate cold exposure, meditation, verbal affirmations, sleep, and other behavioral practices for enhancing learning, mood and stress management, and increasing attention span. Dr. Suzuki shares the mechanisms by which these practices change our brain in order to improve cognitive function fast and reduce age-related cognitive decline.

#HubermanLab #Memory

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Timestamps
00:00:00 Dr. Wendy Suzuki, Learning & Memory
00:02:50 AG1 (Athletic Greens), InsideTracker, Blinkist
00:07:27 How Memories Form
00:10:14 Hippocampus: Memory, Association & Imagination
00:16:20 Encoding Long-Term Memory
00:18:48 One-Trial Memory
00:21:56 Tool: Foundational Habits to Enhance Brain Performance
00:30:39 Exercise & Improved Memory, Making a “Big, Fat, Fluffy Hippocampus”
00:39:35 Cardiovascular Exercise, BDNF (Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor)
00:48:48 Neurogenesis (New Neuron Production) in Adults
00:51:50 Effects of Exercise on Memory
00:56:31 Tool: Timing Daily Exercise, Cortisol
01:00:02 Age-Related Memory Loss, Daily Exercise
01:05:33 Tool: Exercise Protocol for Improving Cognition
01:12:17 Anticipating Exercise, Daily Habits & Behaviors
01:17:09 “Every Drop of Sweat Counts” – Exercise & Cognitive Function
01:20:58 Positive Affirmations & Mood
01:27:28 Meditation & Cognitive Performance
01:32:27 How Meditation Works, Focusing on the Present
01:37:14 Tool: Strategies to Increase Attention
01:42:50 Zero-Cost Support, YouTube Feedback, Spotify & Apple Reviews, Sponsors, Patreon, Momentous Supplements, Instagram, Twitter, Neural Network Newsletter

The Huberman Lab Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast or materials linked from this podcast is at the user’s own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Users should not disregard or delay in obtaining medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions.

[TheFrogEnjoyer]

The fact this podcast exists is such blessing for everyone wanting to improve their life

[hankalorinczova]

*Dear Dr Andrew Huberman...*
I wanted to write you that you have already created over 165 hours of Neuroscience on your channel altogether. That's almost a week of science. I really love when the quality and quanity connect together, that's such a great and fundamental predisposition for being a genius and extremelly unique in our civilization and its past, present and future.
*Thank you so much!*

[bhavikpatel]

Would anyone be interested in a newsletter that summarizes each podcast Huberman puts out?

[micahanderson]

Things we remember:
1. Novelty
2. Repetition
3. Association
4. Emotional Resonance

[pankajsunal]

THANKS FOR THIS PODCAST
My Learnings
1. Properties that make things memorable
1. Novelity
2. Repetition
3. Association
4. Emotional Resonance
2. HIPPOCAMPUS :- the part of brain mainly responsible for creating new memory.
3. Exercise has very good for the overall development of prefrontal cortex and hippocampus.
4. Exercising early in the morning is the key.
5. Things that can help in increasing attention span
1.Exercise
2. Meditation
3. Sleep

[karenscookingkorner]

My dad is 82, he still works full time.
His mind is sharp as a tack. His health is outstanding. I attribute this to his moving and using his mind every single day 😊 He’s my inspiration and this episode confirms the protocol!!

[faraway]

I want a "big, fat, fluffy hippocampus" too!!! I vote to have Dr. Suzuki back for another podcast on the benefits of cold therapy, exercise, and tea meditation for people with MS. 😁

[basmajghamdi]

This lady is wonderful! I love how easy her words are for anyone who wants to understand her science! Respect to both of you guys thanks for a beautiful conversation ❤️

[Overcome]

Thank you so much for reawakening my desire for learning, Andrew. There's a long story behind this little comment that I'm leaving here, but I just wanna let you know that because of you and people like you, people like me can turn their lives around for the better.
For everyone else remember, it's never too late to start learning again.

[cameron]

Only a few minutes in, but her smile radiates so much passion and excitement. I can’t stop smiling myself 😁

[kalu]

What an ebullient and infectious smile. Wendy Suzuki is a joy to listen to. NYU is lucky to have her as a dean. Engaging conversation between two scientists. I am so grateful to scientists that share the latest studies and make them accessible and lively. Studies can get a bit too technical, and challenge (in a good way) my liberal arts leaning brain.

[fayezfamfa]

Im so grateful Dr.Andrew for brining Dr.Wendy to this valuable conversation

[BoloBouncer]

Dr. Huberman, I've been watching your podcast for around 7 months now and have implemented many of the tools and suggestions discussed in each episode. I cannot describe in-depth here the positive lasting changes wrought in my life during that time, from simple things like losing 30 pounds to more nuanced effects like greater depth of clarity and purpose from focused living and less indiscriminate context switching. And while I cannot ascribe all those changes solely to this podcast, its regularity in my routine and consistent quality of actionable material has done much to lift that psychological "karmic" weight that has burdened me for so long.

While I know this is a science-based podcast, it would be disingenuous to say the fundamental changes people make in brain chemistry don't touch what is deeply essential to us all. Whether you call that meaning, soul, spirit, or anything else, just know that your work is renovating the lives of people you may never meet in places you may never see. When Confucius was asked if we could know the affairs of people 100 ages from now, he said that it is possible if we can clearly see what is happening now. And your work directly affects that clarity of vision which allows us to open up to the future and not dwell so heavily on what's been done and can't be changed.

I'm no saint or monk or pure soul and never will be. But I feel now the value of being a little better each day and that's a feeling I've been missing my whole life.

All the best to you and yours. Thanks for the help.

[antonthompson]

That’s not a fake smile 😁 that is an infectious smile by someone who has passion for what she does and loves to talk about it and that is awesome and rare to see 🤟

[claudiacristescu]

I love the energy of this conversation, it's unique. Andrew, thank you for this amazing guest! I have to admit that is the most soft and easy to understand approach that I could ever hear of the relation between brain and physical activity. Bravos!

[SolAlexey]

We moved to the Netherlands a few years ago and I have been amazed to see that most people (of all ages) use bicycle for 80% of their short commute needs (school, work, shop), especially in the morning. Your podcast now explains why Dutch have consistently scored as one of the happiest nations and the best place to live for children. It is like best brain health habits built into the culture.

[patriziadefaveri]

In an Age of "fast-food" information, your 3 hour podcasts are great, in-depth analyses of topics is something we really miss these days, especially online. Dr. Suzuki is amazing. I, too, really love her visualisation of a big, fat, fluffy hippocampus 😀. Thank you both ever so much for all the insights.

[shirintobie-paul]

Thank you Dr. Huberman, team, sponsors and supporters☀️

THANK YOU DR. WENDY SUZUKI! Enthusiasm, eloquence and value fully added! Wow and YES!

[jeleckamip]

I can't thank you enough for choosing to share your knowledge and connections with us to educate and give us the tools to enhance our knowledge and way of living. Thank you!

[_negentropy_]

Many, many, many thanks to Dr. Suzuki for sharing her scholarly wisdom with us. Her wonder and curiosity for memory research is palpable and contagious. This was such a treat. Also, “intensati” sounds like a band of vigilante poets and I can’t wait to be their disciple.

Re: human adult hippocampal neurogenesis: I was indoctrinated into the “definitely yes” camp during grad school, but have since developed a healthy agnosticism toward the debate. I’d love for it to be true, so if anyone out there is familiar with the studies Dr. Suzuki referenced that shows there is indeed hippocampal neurogenesis well into our 9th decade of life, I’d be hugely grateful if you could reply with a principal investigator or partial title. My search results have been unsuccessful. The study listed in the show notes predates these studies. To toss a vat of kerosene onto this fiery debate, a recent study published in Nature provided some pretty compelling evidence that suggests there is no human adult hippocampal neurogenesis (Wiseman, 2022).