Think mitochondria is just the “powerhouse of the cell?” Think again

VPM | By Manoush Zomorodi, Sanaz Meshkinpour and Katie Monteleone

Published May 15, 2026 at 12:55 PM EDT

Part 2 of the TED Radio Hour episode “How to feel alive in an exhausting world“

Mitochondria might be the secret to understanding the mind-body connection. Mitochondrial psychobiologist Martin Picard breaks down the science of human energy and shares tips for feeling your best.

About Martin Picard

Martin Picard is a mitochondrial psychobiologist and a professor of behavioral medicine at Columbia University. He is the Columbia University Irving Medical Center director of the Mitochondrial Psychobiology Group, integrating research in mitochondrial biology, bioenergetics and aging science with psychosocial sciences, contemplative practices and mitochondrial medicine. He is the author of the Science and Experience of Energy newsletter and the forthcoming book, ENERGY: The New Science of Vitality, Healing, and Transformation.

This segment of the TED Radio Hour was produced by Katie Monteleone and edited by Sanaz Meshkinpour and Manoush Zomorodi. You can follow us on Facebook @TEDRadioHour and email us at [email protected].

Web Resources

Related TED Talk: The life unfolding inside your cells, revealed in 3D

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Manoush Zomorodi

Manoush Zomorodi is the host of TED Radio Hour. She is a journalist, podcaster and media entrepreneur, and her work reflects her passion for investigating how technology and business are transforming humanity.

Zomorodi is a co-founder of Stable Genius Productions and is the co-host and co-creator of ZigZag, the business podcast about being human. She also created, hosted, and was managing editor of the podcast Note to Self in partnership with WNYC Studios, which was named Best Tech Podcast of 2017 by The Academy of Podcasters.

Prior to her time at WNYC, Zomorodi reported and produced around the world for BBC News and Thomson Reuters, including a few years in Berlin.

She was named one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People in Business for 2018 and has received numerous awards for her work, including The Gracie for Best Radio Host in 2014 and 2018. Her book "Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Creative Self" (2017, St. Martin's Press) and her TED Talk are guides to surviving information overload and the "Attention Economy."

Zomorodi received a bachelor's degree from Georgetown University in English and fine arts. She is half-Persian and half-Swiss but was born in New York City, where she lives with her family.

See stories by Manoush Zomorodi