Photo of Dr Sarah McKay, wearing a purple shirt with her arms crossed, smiling at the camera. Surrounding her are the words neuroscientist, author, speaker, mum of boys, and lover of the sea.

I explain the brain

Clear, evidence-based neuroscience to help you understand yourself, support other people and make better decisions.

For women, professionals and organisations.

About Dr Sarah McKay, neuroscientist, author, and brain health expert

Dr Sarah McKay: Neuroscientist, Author & Science Communicator

Your brain shapes how you feel, learn, work, adapt and age. But neuroscience is often buried in jargon, reduced to a catchy myth or stretched well beyond what the research can actually tell us.

I translate the science into clear, useful ideas for women, professionals and organisations.

You might be here to understand changes in your own brain, support clients or students, train professionally in applied neuroscience, or find a speaker who can make complex science genuinely engaging

LEARN MORE ABOUT SARAH

How to work with me:

I want to understand my own brain
Books and Apps for women’s brain health, midlife, hormones, sleep, stress and ageing.

I use neuroscience in my work
Professional training for coaches, therapists, educators, health practitioners and leaders.

I’m planning an event
Keynotes and workshops that make complex neuroscience useful and engaging.

books

app

courses

SPEAKING

c. The Women's Brain Book:

The Neuroscience of Health, Hormones and Happiness

A clear, science-backed guide to the female brain across the lifespan, from infancy and puberty to menstrual cycles, mental health, pregnancy, menopause and ageing.

This fully revised second edition explains how biology, hormones, life experience, culture, stress, relationships and ageing shape women’s brain health.

If you’ve ever wanted a better explanation than “it’s just your hormones,” start here.

READ MY BOOKs

d. Keynote Speaker

I explain the brain in a way audiences remember.

As a neuroscientist, author and science communicator, I deliver keynotes and workshops that translate complex brain science into clear, useful ideas for real life, work, health and leadership.

I speak on women’s brain health, hormones, brain change across the lifespan, healthy ageing, stress, uncertainty, trust, behaviour change and the practical application of neuroscience in organisations.

Past audiences include TikTok Australia, EY, Vogue, Winona School, Business Chicks, CalmBirth and the Resolution Institute.

I offer tailored keynotes, workshops, book talks and Q&A sessions for conferences, corporate events, schools, retreats, professional development days and media events.

Book me to speak

“I have known Sarah since we were graduate students. She was always an extremely sharp thinker about science; she liked to challenge things but with an openness to possibility. It's hard to maintain sharp-edged curiosity without becoming cynical. Sarah did that as a graduate student, and she does that now.”

- Professor Andrew Huberman, Huberman Lab Podcast.

"Dr Sarah McKay presented to our professional board strategy day on the dynamics of how trust is established. The session was greatly interesting and highly informative, weaving neuroscience in with real-world examples relatable by all and certainly not without its humour. ”

- Nina Maher, Ernst & Young.

Photograph of Dr Sarah McKay on stage speaking about neuroscience and brain health in front of a blue background.

Photograph of Dr Sarah McKay speaking about the practical application of brain science for Business Chicks.

Photograph of neuroscientist and science communicator Dr Sarah McKay on stage giving a tailored presentation about brain science to a wide audience in front of a lightbulb background.

Screenshot taken from Vogue Australia with Dr Sarah McKay and other women on a couch on stage. They are discussing brain-to-brain synchronicity and the importance of face-to-face connections in an increasingly digital world.

Photograph of neuroscientist Dr Sarah McKay as a keynote speaker translating brain science to a wider audience with actionable strategies, tools, and insights.

e. The Ultimate Guide to the Female Brain:

How to Boost Mood, Energy, & Focus

I joined Mel Robbins to reveal the 3 factors that shape brain development, how female and male brains differ, and what’s really happening during PMS, pregnancy, and menopause.

Find out more here

Mockup image of Dr Sarah McKay's free micro training in neuroscience and brain health inside a computer. It shows one of the ten email lessons teaching applied neuroscience topics, this one on neuroplasticity and how to use this mechanism of brain change to change behaviour.

f. Free Micro-Training in Brain science.

Built for smart, busy people who want clear neuroscience without committing to a full course.

In 10 short email lessons, Dr Sarah McKay explains the brain science behind stress, habits, motivation, emotions, relationships and change, in plain language you can actually use.

You'll be taught one simple neuroscience concept every day including:

The interplay between emotions and thinking.
The importance of social connection and brain health.
Creating and breaking habits.
Neuroplasticity and behaviour change in adulthood.
Using visualisation to master skills and emotions.
Effective goal-setting, even when you're burned out.

Quickly upskill in basic brain science. Get maximum impact with minimal time investment!

Dr Sarah McKay is a brilliant neuroscientist and author. She earned her Master of Science and doctorate in neuroscience at the University of Oxford, the number-one-ranked university in the world. The entire world! She is an expert in how the female brain works in every stage of life, from utero to puberty, periods, sex, pregnancy, menopause, hormone replacement therapy, and dementia.

- Mel Robbins. The Mel Robbins Podcast.

g. Sarah's TEDx talk: On the Neurobiology of Afternoon Naps!

Dr Sarah McKay's TEDx Talk, Indulge Your Neurobiology, has received over 31,000 views.

h. View Sarah's ABC Catalyst TV documentary Living Longer: Brain.

In this episode of the ABC's flagship science show, Catalyst, Sarah travels to San Francisco where the worlds of technology and biology collide and explores some of the more out-there anti-aging science, including one doctor’s work on the holy grail of aging medicine.