Health Professional Radio - Podcast

America is addicted to...being addicted, and during the pandemic, COVID has accelerated the addictive mindset.  Dr. Donna Marks, licensed psychotherapist, addiction counselor and author of the breakthrough book "Exit The Maze" discusses her approach to treating addiction and shares her own journey as a former addict. Dr. Donna Marks has developed a breakthrough treatment approach to addiction, one that offers long-term relief and help to America’s addicted – whether one suffers from drug, alcohol, eating, gambling, shopping, smoking, or sex addiction. She is an educator and licensed psychotherapist and addictions counselor who has worked with over 6,000 patients over the past three decades. A speaker, author, and educator, Dr. Marks often discusses her own struggle with addiction brought her to a worldwide search for healing. She was once a single mom, high school dropout who overcame her challenges and addictions. She became licensed as a Mental Health Counselor in 1987. In 1989, she earned a Doctorate

Enveric Biosciences recently announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to acquire MagicMed Industries, a pharmaceutical drug discovery and development platform focused on new-generation psychedelic molecular compounds and derivatives.With this acquisition, Enveric will expand and complement its pipeline of naturally occurring cannabinoid compounds with a robust portfolio of psychedelic-derived molecules. Enveric aims to move into the clinic with novel cannabinoid and psychedelic-derived therapies to improve standard of care and serve unmet needs across multiple indications including oncology and CNS, such as PTSD. Upon closing, Dr. Joseph Tucker will be appointed Enveric Biosciences CEO and David Johnson as Executive Chairman. #EnvericBiosciences #Cannabinoids #Psychedelics Dr. Joseph Tucker is a seasoned executive who has built several publicly traded biotechnology companies. Dr. Tucker was a founder and Chief Executive Officer of Stem Cell Therapeutics, which he took public on the TSX (TSX: SSS).

Ed Fairburn, artist and one of the millions who has lived with migraine, discusses his unique art form using maps as portraits to show the complexities of migraine. He is joined by neurologist and headache specialist Dr. Lauren Natbody who discusses the impact of migraine and the emerging understanding of the brain/gut connection.  They talk about a new educational program called "Reroute Migraine Relief", which aims to raise awareness of the complexities of migraines. Ed Fairburn is an English artist, based in Dorset, UK, known for his evocative portraits, which produce complex human features from the apparently random patterns found in mundane topographical maps. Ed manipulates paper maps to construct other forms through a process he calls topopointillism; a direct combination of topography and pointillism. Recently commissioned by Impel NeuroPharma, Ed brings his personal experience with migraine to Reroute Migraine Relief, an initiative that aims to raise awareness of the complexities of migraine, in

Dr. Joan Merrill, MD, Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, Arthritis & Clinical Immunology Research Program, US, discusses new Phase 3 data presented during the annual European Congress of Rheumatology (EULAR 2021) on anifrolumab that showed significant improvements in rash and arthritis in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Anifrolumab’s application in SLE is under review by regulatory authorities in the US, EU and Japan, with decisions anticipated in the second half of 2021. Dr. Merrill received her medical training at Cornell University Medical College, New York, followed by an internship and residency at St. Luke’s/Roosevelt Hospital Center, a fellowship in rheumatology at NYU Medical Center, and a basic research fellowship at Columbia University.As the Lupus Foundation of America’s Chief Advisor for Clinical Development, Dr. Merrill has made numerous enduring contributions to the field of lupus. As a clinical researcher, Dr. Merrill is a major leader in lupus trial design, innovating

Dr. Robert Keenan, Adjunct Clinical Professor at Duke University School of Medicine discusses gout, how serious gout can be if left unmanaged which can lead to long-term issues like bone erosion and joint damage; and what it means to have uncontrolled gout, (meaning it can't be controlled with treatment) which can lead to issues like chronic kidney disease, diabetes, and heart disease.  He talks about how stigma around the condition often prevents people from getting help because they think they are to blame for poor food choices but factors like genetics and preexisting conditions play a much larger role.  #GoutAwareness Dr. Robert Keenan is an Adjunct Clinical Professor at Duke University School of Medicine and spent the last 11 years with Duke University Health System in roles that included Vice Chief for Clinical Affairs for the Division of Rheumatology, Associate Chief Medical Officer of the Patient Revenue Management Organization for the Duke Health System, founding Director of the Gout and Crystal

Vision care must be a core part of the concept that “health is wealth.”  Dr. Mark Ruchman, Chief Medical Officer at Versant Health, a managed vision care and benefits company, discusses the social and financial impact of eye disease; everyday steps people can take to protect their eye health; the most common eye diseases and their financial costs; and how telemedicine is being integrated into treatment plans. Mark Ruchman, M.D. is a board certified, fellowship-trained ophthalmologist and ophthalmic plastic surgeon in Waterbury, CT. He has over forty years’ experience as a practicing ophthalmologist and over thirty years’ experience in managed eye care including policy development, technology assessment, quality improvement and utilization management. Since 2018, Dr. Ruchman has served as the Chief Medical Officer of Versant Health, a managed vision care and benefits company. His work has appeared in several peer-reviewed manuscripts since 1974 and he also regularly contributes thought leadership pieces i

Returning guest, Dr. Jeffrey Stark, M.D., Head of U.S. Medical Immunology at UCB discusses the new, ICD-10 sub-category, M45.A for non-radiographic axial spondyloarthritis (nr-axSpA), a chronic inflammatory condition affecting the spine and sacroiliac joint, and the importance of this development for physicians, patients, and their families.  The new sub-category will be effective for diagnoses starting October 1, 2021. Jeffrey Stark, MD, is the Head of Medical Immunology at UCB and is board-certified in both rheumatology and internal medicine. After completing training at Vanderbilt University and Emory University, he spent several years in full-time rheumatology practice in both private and academic clinical settings. In subsequent industry medical affairs roles, Dr. Stark has focused on medical education, advocacy, data generation, and highlighting the unmet needs of patients with immunologic diseases. In addition to his role at UCB, Dr. Stark serves as a board member of the American College of Rheuma

Cataracts are the most common cause of vision loss globally. Dr. Carlos Martinez, Ophthalmologist at Eye Physicians of Long Beach, CA, discusses cataract risk factors, signs, symptoms and treatment options available. He talks about why he feels it is imperative for Latinos to be aware of risk factors and learn about the latest cataract lens options available. In his experience, Latino patients are more likely to develop severe cataracts earlier in life than other groups of people and are unfamiliar with cataract surgery, one of the most common and safest procedures to get. #Cataracts #CataractAwareness Dr. Carlos Martinez is a highly respected and accomplished Ophthalmologist, as well as one of the leading physicians and surgeons in Southern California. In addition to having earned numerous honors and awards, he is a fellow of the American Academy of Ophthalmology, The American Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgery, The California Medical Association, The International Society of Refractive Surgery and t

40 Years of HIV and AIDS: Incredible advancements have been made in the way we treat and manage HIV compared to the earliest days of the crisis, but there are still significant barriers preventing us from ending this epidemic. Returning guest, Dr. Kimberly Smith, Head of Research & Development for ViiV Healthcare discusses the research and innovation that is changing how HIV will be treated in the future, the current issues that still impact the HIV community, and the barriers that are preventing us from ending the HIV epidemic. As a physician and researcher dedicated to ending the HIV epidemic, Kimberly Smith has made it her life’s work to answer the unmet needs of those living with HIV. She began her career at the start of the HIV crisis as a clinician in Chicago, Illinois at Rush University Medical Center, where she focused on addressing the gender and racial disparities that are endemic to the HIV community. Her foundation on the frontlines of HIV care has guided her patient-focused approach to innova

Zach Shemtob, based in New York, was among the first wave of people to be infected with COVID-19, but it wasn’t until a year later that he was finally able to confirm the diagnosis. Initially, Zach and his husband, David Lat, both experienced flu-like symptoms. Zach’s symptoms eventually subsided; however, David was hospitalized at NYU Langone Hospital for 17 days with COVID and suffered lung scarring and now has heart issues. Zach was never able to find out if he had COVID because tests were in such short supply and he kept testing negative with the antibody tests. While David slowly recovered, Zach wondered about his own diagnosis. Finally, Zach was able to determine he had COVID-19 through T-Detect™ COVID, the first and only clinical T cell-based test for patients to confirm recent or past COVID-19 infection. They now share the year long journey to the COVID diagnosis and how it impacted their family including their 3-year-old son and how they had to advocate for themselves in order to get a diagnosis. The

Imagine a liquid biopsy test whose results would allow physicians to evaluate chemotherapy for every patient in real time.  Richard Brand, CFO of DiaCarta, Inc., a translational genomics and personalized diagnostics company, discusses a recent data publication in "Nature Scientific Reports" that validates their cell-free DNA biomarker detection pre-treatment (chemotherapy) can predict how much treatment a patient needs. Their QuantiDNA™ cfDNA test, studied in this paper, is used to quantify the total amount of cfDNA directly from a plasma sample while the patient is undergoing cancer therapy. #DiaCarta #LiquidBiopsyTest Richard Brand is the Chief Financial Officer at DiaCarta Inc., a company delivering precision diagnostics. In his previous role, he helped raise $86 million as CFO for a private diagnostics company, Laboratory for Advanced Medicine, Inc.  Over 2 years, helped generate 2x return and best performing biotech IPO for most of 2017 as CFO.  Managed one-third of an institutional invest

Dr. Neil Skolnik, MD, Professor of Family And Community Medicine At The Sidney Kimmel Medical College Of Thomas Jefferson University discusses chronic kidney disease (CKD), risk factors, diagnosis and a new way to treat CKD. #CKD #ChronicKidneyDisease Dr. Neil Skolnik, MD, is an academic family physician who sees patients and teaches residents and medical students in the family medicine residency program at Abington Jefferson Health in Abington, Pennsylvania. He is a Professor of Family and Community Medicine at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University and Associate Director of the Family Medicine Residency Program at Abington Jefferson Health. Dr. Skolnik has written and edited 5 books:  On the Ledge: A Doctor’s Stories From the Inner City; Essential Practice Guidelines for Primary Care; Essential Infectious Disease Topics for Primary Care; Sexually Transmitted Diseases for Primary Care; and Electronic Medical Records: A Practical Guide for Primary Care. He was the series editor

Dr. Rachel Kuperman, MD, CEO and Founder of Eysz, a medtech/AI startup, discusses the company's AI-enabled Epilepsy Management Platform that they are building that uses passive eye movements to detect and track seizures and neurocognitive side effects in order to help get patients on the right medication sooner.  She also talks about their equity crowdfunding offering through the Bioverge Portal that enables the epilepsy community the opportunity to receive equity in Eysz in return for investing in the further development of the platform. #Eysz #EpilepticSeizures Neurologist with dual certification in epilepsy and neurology with over 10 years’ experience directing the clinical epilepsy and research programs at UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital, Oakland

Dr. Randy Brown, MD, Global Senior Director of Respiratory Medicine for Teva Pharmaceuticals, discusses symptoms and tips for managing asthma during allergy season. He talks about the best ways to communicate asthma symptoms during a telehealth appointment, and how technology such as Teva's Digihaler® family of inhalers can help inform treatment decisions and improve communication with a healthcare professional. #Asthma #Allergy #TevaPharmaceuticals Dr. Randall Brown is global senior director of respiratory medicine for Teva Pharmaceuticals. Retiring as director of asthma & COPD programs at the University of Michigan’s Center for Managing Chronic Disease, for 15 years he has maintained professorship appointments at the University’s School of Public Health. Dr. Brown received BA and MD degrees from the University of Michigan, and received his Master of Public Health degree from Harvard University. He conducted a Pediatrics residency at Boston University; and, Dr. Brown graduated from clinical fellowship in

Dr. Esther Davis, a Research Fellow in Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital discusses her recent research "Echocardiographic markers of myocardial dysfunction in spontaneous coronary artery dissection", which was recently presented at the 2021 American College of Cardiology's annual scientific meeting. Dr. Davis examined the transthoracic echocardiographic and angiographic features in patients with angiographically confirmed spontaneous coronary artery dissection (SCAD), an increasingly recognized cause of myocardial infarction, particularly in young females. #ACC21 Dr. Davis graduated from the Univ of Western Australia Fac of Med Dentistry and Health Sciences in 2009. She works in Boston, MA at Massachusetts General Hospital and specializes in Cardiovascular Disease and Internal Medicine.

Dr. Doreen DeFaria Yeh, MD, Associate Director, Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Adult Congenital Heart Disease Program, Co-Director, MGH Cardiovascular Disease and Pregnancy Program, and Program Director, Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship discusses her recent presentation “Strategies for Recruiting and Supporting Cardiology Fellows in Training from Diverse Backgrounds” at the 2021 American College of Cardiology's annual scientific meeting. Featured as part of a larger discussion around cultivating an antiracist culture in cardiovascular medicine, Dr. DeFaria’s timely research aims to increase inclusion within the industry. #ACC21 Dr. DeFaria joined the MGH Cardiology staff in 2010 and served as the Subspecialty Core Educator in Cardiology for the Internal Medicine Residency Program for seven years before assuming the Associate Program Director role of the Cardiovascular Fellowship and now serves at the Program Director of the Cardiovascular Disease Fellowship Program.Doreen is the Associate Director of t

Dr. Ahmed Tawakol, MD, Co-Director, Cardiac MR PET CT Program at Massachusetts General Hospital discusses his recent research, "Alcohol’s Beneficial Effect on Cardiovascular Disease is Partially Mediated Through Modulation of Stress Associated Brain Activity". The study, which was presented at the 2021 American College of Cardiology's annual scientific meeting, seeks to understand how alcohol plays a role in major adverse cardiovascular events. #ACC21 Dr Tawakol graduated from Stanford Medical School and did his Medical Residency and Cardiovascular Diseases Fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital. He subsequently completed training in Nuclear Cardiology at Massachusetts General Hospital, after which he joined the Cardiology Division staff. His clinical focus is in nuclear cardiology and general cardiology, with a special focus on the identification of patients at highest risk for atherothrombotic event. Dr Tawakol's research interest is in imaging of atherosclerosis. His work has focused on developing nove

Dr. David Goldsteen, CEO of VigiLanz, which provides clinical surveillance for hospitals and health systems to improve safety and mitigate risk discusses key survey findings from their third annual survey, revealing hospitals' top patient priorities, benchmarked over time.  He talks about steps health leaders can take to address patient and staff safety - from getting ahead of potential infections and outbreaks, medication errors and antibiotic overuse, to safety events, such as falling.  As COVID numbers continue to decline in most markets and hospital capacities are normalizing, now is the time to reevaluate current processes and procedures that can help mitigate avoidable safety issues. #VigiLanz #ClinicalSurveillance David Goldsteen, MD, is Cofounder, Chairman, and CEO of VigiLanz, a provider of clinical surveillance services and healthcare analytics. Goldsteen has founded and served as a board member of several other firms and spent 20 years practicing emergency medicine, healthcare administrat

Dr. Neal Kassell, founder and chairman of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation, discusses focused ultrasound, a revolutionary, non-invasive, highly disruptive technology approved in the United States to treat essential tremor, tremor-dominant Parkinson’s disease, uterine fibroids, pain from bone metastases, and prostate cancer. The technology is in various stages of research and development around the world for more than 100 diseases and conditions, including ALS, Alzheimer's, hypertension, and tumors of the brain, liver, breast, and pancreas. He talks about how this therapy is poised to impact the way we treat some of our most elusive diseases. Dr. Kassell is the founder and chairman of the Focused Ultrasound Foundation and former Co-Chair of Neurosurgery at the University of Virginia. He has published more than 500 scientific papers and book chapters, and his research has been supported by over $30 million in NIH and industry grants and contracts. A member of numerous medical societies in the United States and

Dr. Daniel Catenacci, MD, director of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Program at the University of Chicago, discusses data from Astellas’ Phase 2 FAST study, which evaluated zolbetuximab, an investigational first-in-class anti-CLDN18.2 monoclonal antibody, in combination with first-line epirubicin, oxaliplatin, and capecitabine (EOX) in patients with advanced gastric cancer.  He discusses efficacy and safety results, as well as patient-reported outcomes (PROs) data from the study. He also shares background on the overall gastric cancer landscape and unmet needs of patients facing this disease. Daniel Catenacci, MD, is an adult gastrointestinal medical oncologist and director of the Gastrointestinal Oncology Program at the University of Chicago. He serves as the assistant director of translational research in the Comprehensive Cancer Center. In addition to his clinical practice, Dr. Catenacci is an active basic and clinical researcher, focusing on the treatment of gastroesophageal (esophagus, gastroesophage