Medspectives is a series featuring conversations with health professionals from diverse backgrounds around the world, with the goal of understanding their unique viewpoints in social topics, common issues they see in the field, and anecdotes that have defined their career life. Medspectives is currently dedicated to covering the viewpoints and opinions of healthcare workers around the world in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the struggles they are facing. Hosted by Arvind Rajan.
PFAS - The Harmful "Forever Chemical" in Our Every Day Lives, with Dr. Jamie DeWitt, Toxicologist.
Today we're joined by one of my past professors, Dr. Jamie Dewitt, a toxicologist who has a focus on a particular group of environmental contaminants called PFAS. Consisting of more than 5,000 substances, per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances are found in all kinds of commercial products, including nonstick cookware, waterproof jackets, firefighting foams, food packaging, and more. However, studies have shown that PFAS is considered a "forever chemical" meaning it can take thousands of years to breakdown. This can cause it to buildup in the body, and there are studies that show that these substances are associated with reproductive harm, developmental effects, increased risk of certain cancers, and decreased immune function. Dr. DeWitt's research focuses on studying the effects of PFAS on the immune system. Dr. DeWitt also has extensive experience in increasing public awareness about PFAS. She's testified to Congress multiple times, and she even provided guidance in the creation of the PFAS episode of the John Oliver's Last Week Tonight. Dr. DeWitt truly is an expert in the field, and she talks about the fascinating history of PFAS, what it's like to testify in front of Congress as a scientist, and what we can do on an individual level to address PFAS contamination.
You can find more information about PFAS and what you can do to stay safe here: https://pfas-exchange.org/ (https://pfas-exchange.org/)
11 Oct 2021
The Nefarious History of the Opioid Crisis and A New Drug Platform to Address It with Dr. Mike Presti, SafeRx
I know it's been about a month since our last episode, but we're back with a super interesting talk about one of the biggest problems in medicine right now: the opioid crisis. Opioids, like hydrocodone and oxycodone, are used to treat patients with severe pain, whether it be post-surgery, cancer-related pain, and other similar instances. However, they trigger the release of endorphins, the brain's way of making you feel good, and this sensation can be highly addictive, leading to abuse of these drugs. Opioid abuse affects countless people across the world and costs the US hundreds of billions of dollars in costs associated with healthcare, criminal justice, and the foster system. One particularly dangerous type of abuse is consuming alcohol with opioids, which can cause respiratory distress, and ultimately death relatively quickly. While patients are advised not to take alcohol with opioids, 30-80 percent of them still do, and it is this issue that our guest Dr. Mike Presti hopes to address. Dr. Presti is a Mayo-clinic trained neurologist and CEO of SafeRx, a company using its unique alcohol-resistant opioids platform to reduce the risk of prescription opioid overdose. I don't want to give away too much in this intro, but I think this simple drug concept has the potential to revolutionize the field and prevent alcohol-related opioid abuse. It is currently in its early stages, and if you'd like to learn more or potentially be a part of the company, check it out at investinsaferx.com (http://investinsaferx.com/)
16 Aug 2021
Power Outage During Open Surgery & Witnessing Suicide w/ Tyler Owens
In today's podcast, Tyler and I share stories from our short yet eventful time in medicine over the last couple of years.
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