Enhancing Focus Through Cognitive Neuroscience w/ Dr. Julie Fratantoni | EP33

In this episode of Habit Chess, I chat with a scientist on building a better brain. Julie Fratantoni, PhD is a cognitive neuroscientist who specializes in creating content and tools that help people become proactive about their brain health. She makes neuroscience approachable and regularly shares brain tips on *Good Morning Texas* and has been featured in publications such as Poosh, Real Simple and Well + Good.

She leads the user experience and training content creation for The BrainHealth® Project—a ten-year, longitudinal research study seeking to define, measure, and improve brain health and performance across the lifespan. She leverages behavioral science to facilitate the adoption of brain healthy habits and for the development and design of the online BrainHealth dashboard and mobile app where participants access assessments (BrainHealth Index), coaching and training.

Dr. Fratantoni heads up different research initiatives on topics including women's brain health, hormone replacement therapy and sleep. She also leads the Kindness Enterprise, a research and translational program seeking to uncover and harness the brain’s capacity for kindness, empathy and compassion as critical components of overall brain health and well-being.

She received her PhD in cognitive neuroscience from The University of Texas at Dallas and is also a licensed speech language pathologist, and trained in biofeedback and mindfulness techniques. Her clinical work has focused on facilitating high performance brain training for corporate executives, veterans, athletes, and young adults.

📝 Show Notes:

00:00 - Introduction and Overview
08:54 - Challenges in Prioritizing Sleep and Hydration
18:30 - Day-to-Day Neuroscience
24:13 - Understanding the Stages of Sleep
31:13- Using Sleep to Influence Focus
38:00 - Neuroplasticity and Everyday Life
46:13 - Modern Challenges for Brain Health
57:07 - Leveraging Mental Models for Success

💡 Sound Bites:

- "Scientific discoveries are great, but if they stay in journals that nobody reads, then it doesn't benefit anyone."
- "Water's not exciting. Everyone knows you're supposed to drink water. It doesn't mean that we drink water, but... it's really easily overlooked."
- "People don't feel optimal, but that's quote normal for them. And so they're satisfied with that."
- "Using sleep to influence focus and problem-solving is possible by doing a brain dump before bed and allowing your brain to work on it while you sleep."
- "Parasocial relationships provide a sense of connection and learning, but it's important to remember that they are curated and not a substitute for real-life relationships."

📩 Connect with Dr. Julie Fratantoni:

Website: www.drjuliefratantoni.com

Newsletter Better Brain: https://drjuliefratantoni.substack.com/

Instagram: @drjuliefratantoni

TikTok: @drjuliefratantoni

LinkedIn: Julie Fratantoni, PhD

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