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

Complex neuroscience.
Made simple.
For professionals.

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

Dr Sarah McKay Neuroscientist & Science Communicator

I’m an Oxford University-educated neuroscientist, author, speaker and director of The Neuroscience Academy suite of online professional training programs in brain health and applied neuroscience.

I live on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, Australia, where I write, teach, swim in the ocean year-round, and run programs that translate brain science into practical tools and accessible stories for health and helping professionals around the world.

My first book, The Women's Brain Book: The Neuroscience of Health, Hormones and Happiness was published in 2018, with a second edition update in 2025.

My second book, Baby Brain: The Surprising Neuroscience of How Pregnancy and Motherhood Sculpt Our Brains and Change Our Minds (for the better) was published in April 2023.

My third book Brain Health For Dummies will was published by the iconic yellow and black "For Dummies" brand in 2025.

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Work with me.

Read my books

Book me to speak

Training courses

Cover of Dr Sarah McKay's book, Baby Brain: The surprising neuroscience of how pregnancy and motherhood sculpt our brains and change our minds (for the better), mocked up inside an iPad frame.

c. Baby Brain: The surprising neuroscience of how pregnancy and motherhood sculpt our brains and change our minds (for the better)

Around 85% of women become mothers. And most agree that pregnancy and parenthood profoundly change us physically, psychologically, socially and spiritually.

Neuroscientists now believe becoming a mother (a process called matrescence) is a significant neurological transition.

Sadly, mothers’ minds and brains are mainly absent from popular pregnancy books and social media posts... unless that is, there’s a discussion about what could go badly wrong: baby blues, postnatal depression or ditzy ‘baby brain’. It’s as if mothers should expect to lose their minds.

In this book you'll learn the upside of pregnancy and parenting on your brain, and about the new neurobiology of 'mumnesia', nesting, maternal instinct, empathy, attachment, social support, anxiety and sleep.

Baby Brain will change your mind about baby brain!

buy MY BOOKS

d. Keynote Speaker

I am an experienced keynote speaker presenting to audiences including TikTok-Australia, EY, Vogue, Winona School, Business Chicks, CalmBirth and the Resolution Institute.

My talks explore the neurobiology of uncertainty, brain-to-brain synchrony and trust, and the practical application of neuroscience in leadership, HR, and health.

I also have a special interest on women's brain health, covering how the brain changes during puberty, pregnancy, and menopause.

For professional audiences, I provide actionable tools and strategies for clinics, classrooms, and corporations. For general audiences, I translate complex brain science into relatable, engaging stories.

I offer tailored keynotes, workshops, book talks and engaging Q&A sessions, delivered either in person or virtually, to meet the specific needs of your audience.

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.

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.

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.

e. Free Micro Training in Neuroscience.

Perfect for people too busy for extensive (and expensive) courses.

This free micro-training in applied neuroscience is quick, entertaining, and immediately applicable.

Learn one 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 neuroscience.

Maximum impact with minimal time investment!

Dr. McKay is a vivacious and entertaining guide into the fascinating world of brain science.

- John Mekrut, The Balanced Brain.

f. The Women's Brain Book:

The Neuroscience of Health, Hormones and Happiness

As women, understanding how your brain is sculpted by many factors — including genes and hormones, life experiences, society and culture, thoughts, feelings, and personal beliefs — is key to better health and well-being.

The story begins in the womb and takes a fascinating, informative, and truly eye-opening journey through infancy and girlhood, puberty and the menstrual cycle, the teenage years, mental health, pregnancy and motherhood, menopause, and finally, into old age.

Learn exactly what happens inside your brain and body as you move through all of the important phases of your lives and the unique — and often misunderstood — effects of female biology and hormones.

Fully revised 2nd edition due 2025!

Due to the rapid pace (it was a long time coming!) of women's brain health research, a comprehensive updated 2nd edition of The Women's Brain Book will be released in July 2025.

READ MY BOOKs

Cover of Dr Sarah McKay's book, The Women's Brain Book: The Neuroscience of Health, Hormones and Happiness, mocked up inside an iPad frame. This was Dr Sarah McKay’s first book on women’s brain health, with an updated second edition coming in 2025 for an up to date exploration of women’s neurobiology.

g. Sarah's TEDx talk: 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.