The Vets First podcast is a research-based podcast that focuses on the VA healthcare system and its patients. Instead of being just another research podcast, the Vets First podcast was created with a primary focus on the Veterans and their stories. The hosts, Levi Sowers PhD, and Brandon Rea work to bridge the gap between the state-of-the-art research being performed at Veterans Affairs and the Veterans themselves in an easy-to-understand manner. Importantly, Levi and Brandon want to assist researchers around the country to better understand the needs of Veterans. In this podcast you will hear interviews from Veterans with specific conditions and then hear from VA funded researchers who are studying those very topics as well as other highlighted services the VA provides.
The Department of Veterans Affairs does not endorse or officially sanction any entities that may be discussed in this podcast, nor any media, products or services they may provide.
Season 4 episode 3: How to talk about suicide in Veterans. An interview with Jennifer Van Tiem and Nicole Johnson
Jennifer Van Tiem and Nicole Johnson share their research on how to discuss suicide with veterans, highlighting the importance of effective communication and dispelling mental health stigmas.
9 Apr 2024
Louis Kolling: From the Army to Science, How an Army Veteran found a career in science
Content warning: This episode contains conversations on addiction and self-harm.
In this episode of the Vets First Podcast, our host Levi Sowers tackles his first solo interview as Brandon takes time away to focus on his education. Join us as Levi speaks with our guest, Louis Kolling.
Louis Kolling has a PhD in molecular biophysics and is also a US Army veteran, having served from 2006 to 2012 as a sergeant during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Kolling currently conducts research as a postdoctoral scientist at the University of Iowa department of Neuroscience and Pharmacology. Recreationally, he is also powerlifter with four national and eleven state records.
Kolling’s unique perspective is the highlight of this episode. As both a veteran in need of the VA’s services and a researcher working to tackle problems those like him could face, Kolling is uniquely poised to be a perfect guest for the Vets First Podcast.
This interview centers around Louis’s personal history with enlisting in the military at a young age and searching for a purpose within its ranks and within the world of higher education. Kolling explains how his experiences led to struggles with alcohol dependency and depression and how, like many veterans, he was hesitant to seek help from the VA at a time when its services were undergoing major changes. Kolling explains the stigma that veterans face when confronting mental health issues and how his experiences have taught him how to help other veterans face their own hesitations.
12 Jan 2024
A Discussion with Neil Andrews From the Migraine Science Collaborative
In this episode of the Vets First Podcast, Dr. Levi Sowers and Brandon Rea are joined by Neil Andrews for a collaborative interview.
Niel Andrews is the executive editor and science journalist for the Migraine Science Collaborative, which serves as an online platform dedicated to a wide array of migraine-related research in pursuit of their mission statement, “To accelerate research advances in migraine and headache diseases.” Andrews explains how they aim to bridge the gap between complex scientific findings and a wider audience, ensuring that their content is accessible and informative for both experts and non-experts alike.
With a twist on our usual format, Neil Andrews conducts the first half of the interview and questions our hosts on the origins of the Vets First Podcast, which was created with a similar goal in communicating complex scientific issues to veterans and to better understand the issues they face. Levi and Brandon reflect on their interactions with veterans and the strength and resiliency of dealing with unseen diseases like migraines. Our hosts explain how, in contrast to other areas of pain research, migraine research has seen continued innovations. Despite this, they emphasize the need for more scientists dedicated to the field.
In the second half of the interview, Brandon and Levi question Neil Andrews about his life as a science journalist and the challenges faced by the Migraine Science Collaborative. Having shared similar experiences in their pursuits of communicating research, the trio discusses the difficulties in conveying intricate scientific methodologies and techniques to non-specialists but emphasizes the importance of making these studies more accessible and understandable.
Overall, the episode offers a look into the complexities of migraine research, the challenges of communicating basic science, and the collaborative efforts aimed at advancing understanding and treatment for individuals affected by migraines.
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
4.5 / 5
21 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
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