# EPI 249: Ben Rein, PhD - Author of "Why Brains Need Friends - The Neuroscience Of Social Connection". Strategies For Improving Your Social Life To Maximize Benefits To Your Health.

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/peak-performance-life-podcast-72032/epi-249-ben-rein-phd-author-of-why-brains-need-friends-the-neuroscience-of-social-connection-strategies-for-improving-your-social-life-to-maximize-benefits-to-your-health
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/peak-performance-life-podcast-72032/epi-249-ben-rein-phd-author-of-why-brains-need-friends-the-neuroscience-of-social-connection-strategies-for-improving-your-social-life-to-maximize-benefits-to-your-health.md
Podcast: [Peak Performance Life Podcast](https://stenobird.com/podcast/peak-performance-life-podcast-72032)
Published: 2026-04-28T16:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://peakperformancelife.libsyn.com/epi-249-ben-rein-phd-author-of-why-brains-need-friends-the-neuroscience-of-social-connection-strategies-for-improving-your-social-life-to-maximize-benefits-to-your-health
Audio file: https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/peakperformancelife/EPI_249_Ben_Rein_PhD_-_Author_of_Why_Brains_Need_Friends_-_The_Neuroscience_Of_Social_Connection._Strategies_For_Improving_Your_Social_Life_To_Maximize_Benefits_To_Your_Health..mp3?dest-id=766312
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Duration seconds: 3244

## Resource

Show notes: (0:00) Intro (1:09) Ben Rein's path into neuroscience, autism, and empathy research (6:46) A science-based take on manifestation, belief, and action (11:45) Why social connection matters for happiness and long-term health (17:32) Loneliness, stress, and the serious health risks of isolation (24:20) Why older adults may face a major loneliness crisis (28:17) How phones, video calls, and texting change human connection (34:58) Easy ways to upgrade everyday interactions (41:30) Why helping other people can improve your own well-being (45:49) Mental health, behavior change, therapy, and medication (49:50) Where to find Ben and his resources (51:13) Outro Who is Ben Rein? Ben Rein, PhD, is an award-winning neuroscientist, author, and science communicator whose research focuses on social behavior, including empathy, autism, MDMA, and the ways digital interaction affects the brain. He earned his PhD in neuroscience from SUNY Buffalo in 2021, where he studied how autism-linked gene changes affect brain function, and later completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University, where he explored the neural basis of empathy. He currently serves as Chief Science Officer of the Mind Science Foundation, is an Adjunct Lecturer at Stanford University, and a Clinical Assistant Professor at SUNY Buffalo. Rein has published more than 20 peer-reviewed papers and is widely known for making neuroscience easy to understand for a public audience of more than one million social media followers. Connect with Ben: Website: https://www.benrein.com/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-rein-phd-374605ab/ IG: https://www.instagram.com/dr.benrein/ Grab a copy: https://www.benrein.com/book Links and Resources: Peak Performance Life Peak Performance on Facebook Peak Performance on In…

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