Science News Launches “The Deep End,” A New Podcast Exploring Treatment-Resistant Depression
Neuroscience journalist Laura Sanders will host the series made possible by PRX, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund
Washington D.C., Feb. 3, 2025 – Science News today announced that the 104-year-old news organization is launching its first podcast, The Deep End. Demystifying depression, piquing curiosity about brain science, and inviting wonder about how our brains create our minds, host and veteran neuroscience reporter Laura Sanders will also share the stories of people helping to test deep brain stimulation, a cutting edge treatment.
An audio trailer is available now. The podcast begins Monday, February 10 with new weekly episodes on Mondays. The series is available free on-demand via all major podcast listening destinations––including Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Amazon Music––through Peabody Award-winning public media organization PRX’s podcast distribution platform.
On the The Deep End, listeners will meet Jon Nelson, who lives in a picturesque small town northeast of Philadelphia. He’s a dad, a husband and works in marketing. On the outside, Jon and his family lived a charmed life. But inside, Jon was in a private hell, fighting severe, treatment-resistant depression.
Jon is part of the mental health crisis raging within the United States right now, with depression rates at an all time high. And mental health care is expensive and hard to find, leaving many people suffering. In the first season of The Deep End, Science News is inviting listeners into Jon’s world and the lives of other people who represent the 2.8 million people in the United States who live each day with this type of relentless depression. These people have tried every medication, therapy, and treatment available and found no relief – many have contemplated or attempted suicide.
Through her reporting, Laura provides a thorough exploration of deep brain stimulation, which relies on permanent wires implanted into very specific regions of a patient’s brain in an attempt to change the electrical signals there and eliminate their suffering.
“Science News is proud to have our first podcast be dedicated to exploring this critical issue. Our hope is that through ‘The Deep End,’ we can spark meaningful conversations on the need for more effective treatments for depression and to reduce the stigma around depression,” said Nancy Shute, Science News Editor in Chief. “I’m thrilled that we can share this extraordinary work with podcast lovers worldwide.”
With empathy and rich storytelling, Laura draws on over a decade of reporting to take listeners into the science of the brain, the ethics of brain implants and questions of identity, of what makes a person who they are. And, above all, she shares a story of hope – for Jon, his family and the millions of people struggling around the world.
This podcast was produced with support from PRX, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, and the Burroughs Wellcome Fund.
About Science News
Science News has been covering the latest discoveries in science, technology and medicine since 1921, and is published by the Society for Science. It offers readers award-winning news and features, commentary, multimedia and access to our deep archive. Concise, current and comprehensive, the magazine provides an approachable overview of all fields and applications of science and technology.
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Contact:
Gayle Kansagor/ Chief Communications & Marketing Officer, Society for Science, publisher of Science News/ gkansagor@societyforscience.org
David Cotrone / Director of Public Relations and Communications, PRX / david.cotrone@prx.org