Shows
The External Medicine PodcastBen Strong, MD: Teleradiology and Medical MalpracticeIn this episode, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Ben Strong, MD about teleradiology and medical malpractice. They discuss RadNet’s database on major misses and lawsuits as well as how tort law varies state-by-state.Who is Ben Strong?Dr. Strong is the Chief Medical Officer at vRad and head clinical content creator and curator of vRad Radiology Education. Dr. Strong is an AIRP Lecturer and a contributor to vRad’s popular free radiology educational content.Support the showFollow us at @ExMedPod Subscribe to our Youtube channelC...2025-02-171h 23The External Medicine PodcastSteven Hollon, PhD: An Evolutionary Perspective on DepressionIn this episode, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Steven Hollon, PhD about the evolutionary roots of unipolar depression, its prevalence, as well as current treatment options. They discuss Aaron Beck, the father of cognitive therapy (CBT), before diving into the potential adaptive origins of depression, rumination, and how cognitive behavior therapy works. Finally, they touch on whether combining CBT and medication actually decreases relapse rates more than CBT or medication alone.Who is Steven Hollon?Steven Hollon, PhD, is a psychologist and researcher at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Hollon’s research focuses on the...2025-01-281h 04The External Medicine PodcastEliot Siegel, MD: Pioneer in Radiology and TheragnosticsIn this episode, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Eliot Siegel, MD about developing the first filmless healthcare enterprise at the Baltimore, VA in 1993 which revolutionized the practice of medicine. They discuss the challenges of this innovation, including the costs of computing, the difficulties of imaging compression and data management. They touch on theragnostics, a novel subspecialty in nuclear medicine, which utilizes molecular treatments to target cancer.Who is Eliot Siegel?Dr. Eliot Siegel is a Professor of Radiology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. He is a prolific author and...2024-07-241h 20The External Medicine PodcastMarc Gosselin, MD: Overdiagnosis, Critical Thinking, Burnout, and Other Topics in RadiologyIn this episode, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Marc Gosselin, MD about his journey to radiology, being a radiology program director, dealing with burnout, transitioning from academics to private practice, and overdiagnosis in radiology. They discuss in situ thrombosis versus pulmonary emboli, whether medical evidence should have an expiration date, and why physicians should admit fault when they are wrong.Who is Marc Gosselin?Dr. Marc Gosselin is the head of cardiopulmonary imaging at Vision radiology, a retired full professor at Oregon Health and Science University. Previously, Dr. Gosselin was a program director of the...2024-03-051h 20The External Medicine PodcastHussam Alkaissi, MD: Solving Difficult Medical CasesIn this episode, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Hussam Alkaissi, MD about his journey in medicine, experience with populations with high consanguinity, and uncovering of rare diseases. They touch on several unusual cases Hussam has solved including one of CHILD syndrome, homocystinuria, and acute hypercalcemia.Who is Hussam Alkaissi?Dr. Hussam Alkaissi is an Endocrinology Clinical Fellow at the NIH/NIDDK. He has an interest in diabetes, glucose metabolism, insulin signaling, and insulin resistance.References:Hussam's TwitterHussam's Academic WorksNature paper on link between EBV and Multiple Sclerosis G...2024-01-191h 19The External Medicine PodcastBryan Carmody, MD: Physician Shortages, Resident Unionization, and the OB/GYN ERAS DivorceIn this episode, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Bryan Carmody, MD, about physician shortages, resident unionization, and the OB/GYN ERAS divorce. They discuss the recent changes to legislation in Tennessee which allows international medical graduates to bypass the US residency system. They also touch on the Weisman versus Barnes Jewish Hospital court case.If you missed the initial episode with Bryan Carmody Episode #6, be sure to check that out.Who is Bryan Carmody?Dr. Bryan Carmody is a pediatric nephrologist at Eastern Virginia Medical School. He has...2023-10-311h 01The External Medicine PodcastJoann Elmore, MD: Mammography Guidelines and Other ControversiesIn this episode, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Joann Elmore, MD, about screening mammography. Dr. Elmore shares insights on the USPSTF's new draft mammography recommendations, which lowers the breast cancer screening age from 50 to 40. They discuss the difference in American and European call back rates for biopsy and whether mammography screening programs have substantially improved breast cancer mortality rates or if improvements are primarily due to enhanced treatment methods. They also touch on the potential for AI to transform radiology and pathology.Who is Joann Elmore?Joann G. Elmore is as a...2023-10-0239 minThe External Medicine PodcastDan Morgan, MD: Diagnostic Stewardship, Medical Overuse, and Contact PrecautionsIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview infectious diseases physician and epidemiologist Dan Morgan, MD, about infection prevention, diagnostic stewardship, diagnostic reasoning, and medical overuse. They discuss regional differences in medical use and delve into a cluster-randomized controlled trial of contact precautions in ICU patients to evaluate whether this prevents C. Diff, MRSA, and VRE. They also touch on AI's potential role in clinical decision support, and the question of how to improve clinician statistical reasoning.Who is Dan Morgan?Dan Morgan, MD, MS is a physician and epidemiologist at University...2023-06-271h 03The External Medicine PodcastRobin Hanson, PhD: Healthcare Signaling, the Conspicuous Caring Hypothesis, and Prediction Markets in MedicineIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Robin Hanson, PhD, about healthcare and medicine. They discuss three randomized controlled trials on the population-wide benefits of medicine (RAND health insurance experiment, Oregon Health Insurance Experiment, and the Karnataka Hospital Insurance Experiment), which do not demonstrate benefit for more medical care. They talk about the conspicuous caring hypothesis put forward in Robin's book The Elephant in the Brain. Other topics discussed include end-of-life care, medicine as something Sacred, and prediction markets in medicine.Who is Robin Hanson?Robin Hanson, PhD, is an associate...2023-06-121h 24The External Medicine PodcastSimon Whitney, MD, JD: Unethical Research, Unintended Consequences, and the Critical Need for IRB ReformIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Simon Whitney, MD, JD, about his book From Oversight to Overkill. They discuss the history of Institutional Review Boards (IRBs), including ethically questionable experiments such as Chester Southam's cancer cell injections, the Willowbrook experiment, as well as the US Public Health Service Syphilis Study (AKA Tuskegee experiment). They then discuss Peter Buxton, Henry Beecher, James Shannon, and the congressional oversight of federally funded research. Finally, they touch on the ISIS-2 study, Pronovost's checklist, OHRP's crackdown in the late 1990s, and discuss whether research is too safe, IRB infallibility, autonomy in...2023-05-241h 18The External Medicine PodcastJohn Ayers, PhD: ChatGPT and the Future of MedicineIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview John Ayers, PhD about ChatGPT and its potential to revolutionize the practice of medicine. We delve into his recent JAMA internal medicine study, which evaluated ChatGPT answers to questions posed on the subreddit r/AskDocs. We also touch on responses to his article discussed on a recent Sensible Medicine Podcast. Finally, we discuss Dr. Ayer's previous work on e-cigarettes, cannabis, and the sociology of suicide.Who is John Ayers?John Ayers, PhD is a computational epidemiologist who uses big data to study public health...2023-05-121h 19The External Medicine PodcastAndrew Foy, MD: Critical Appraisal, Austrian Economics, and Medical Conservatism vs Medical LiberalismIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Andrew Foy, MD, about evidence-based medicine, applying Guideline-Directed Medical Therapy (GDMT) to hospitalized patients, and evaluating aggressive versus conservative blood pressure goals in patients with comorbitidies. They discuss Dr. Foy's article on Hayek, critical appraisal of the medical literature, medical conservatism, and his skepticism around Coronary Computed Tomography Angiography as compared to Functional Stress Testing in patients with coronary artery disease. Finally, they touch on alternative visions of medical practice, content expertise in COVID, as well as statins as a potential cause of diabetes.Who is Parker...2023-04-231h 07The External Medicine PodcastParker Rogers: How FDA Deregulation Promotes Medical Device Innovation & SafetyIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Parker Rogers about his recent job-market paper "Regulating the Innovators: Approval Costs and Innovation in Medical Technologies" which examines the impact of FDA regulation on innovation, market structure, and product safety. They discuss the FDA's medical device risk classification and his analysis of down-classification events (from higher to lower risk categories), which shows deregulation has a positive impact on innovation, firms producing devices, as well as product safety. They also touch on the value of regulation versus litigation, legal liability exposure of small versus large firms, and the European Medicine...2023-03-201h 06The External Medicine PodcastRoss Levine, MD, PhD: Deep Dive on Acute Myeloid LeukemiaIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Ross Levine, MD, PhD about Acute Myeloid Leukemia and its treatment. They discuss the different types of leukemias, the history of AML treatment, including chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation. They touch on Graft vs Host Disease, treatment after relapse, and open questions in leukemia, including future trials, and further investigation of ven/aza (Azacitidine/venetoclax).Who is Ross Levine?Dr. Ross Levine of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Dr. Levine studies hematologic malignancies and is a world-renowned expert on myeloproliferative neoplasms and acute...2023-03-1345 minThe External Medicine PodcastAdam J Brown, MD: History of Rheumatology, The Black Death, and Why You Shouldn't Inject Uric Acid Crystals into Your KneeIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Adam J Brown, MD about the field of Rheumatology, autoimmune diseases, and his podcast Rheuminations. They discuss the history of gout, plaquenil, the relationship between infectious diseases and rheumatologic conditions, the inflammasome, autoinflammatory disorders, vasculitis, fibromyalgia, Covid, and much more.Who is Adam J Brown?Dr. Adam J. Brown is a Rheumatologist at the Cleveland Clinic. Dr. Brown is the author of the book Rheumatology Made Ridiculously Simple. He is also the host of the Healio podcast Rheuminations, which focuses on autoimmunity, rare diseases...2023-02-271h 00The External Medicine PodcastSaloni Dattani: Peer Review, Division of Labor in Science, and the Genetics of Psychiatric DisordersIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Saloni Dattani about the genetics of psychiatric disorders and how to improve science. They discuss the lack of division of labor in academia, the history of peer review, ways to improve peer review, human challenge trials, and much more.Who is Saloni Dattani?Saloni Dattani is a PhD student at King’s College London. She is the founding editor of the online magazine Works in Progress. She is also an editor at Stripe Press and a researcher at Our World in Data. 2023-01-291h 11The External Medicine PodcastPolly Matzinger, PhD: Dangerous Ideas in ImmunologyIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Polly Matzinger, PhD, about her model of immunology, which she calls 'The Danger Model'. They discuss how The Danger Model helps explain aspects of immunology ignored by the self/non-self model, including why mothers don't reject their fetuses, autoimmune diseases, organ transplant rejection, cancer surveillance, allergy and more.Who is Polly Matzinger?Polly Matzinger received her PhD in Biology from UCSD before completing a postdoc at Cambridge. She then worked at the Basel Institute for Immunology before moving to the NIH, where she was a section head...2023-01-031h 34The External Medicine PodcastDerek Lowe, PhD: A Medicinal Chemist's Thoughts on Drug Discovery and the Future of PharmaIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Derek Lowe, PhD, about drug discovery, clinical trials, drug patents, Alzheimer’s disease, the FDA, and his blog “In The Pipeline”. They discuss the potential role for machine learning in pharmaceutical development, whether Big Pharma spends excessively on marketing, and much much more. Who is Derek Lowe?Derek Lowe, PhD, is a medicinal chemist who works in preclinical drug discovery. He received a PhD in organic chemistry from Duke University and completed a Humboldt Fellowship in Germany for his post-doc. His blog about the pharmac...2022-12-051h 05The External Medicine PodcastJean Hébert, PhD: Aging, Brain Plasticity, and Replacing the NeocortexIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Jean Hébert, PhD about aging, brain plasticity, and progressive neocortical replacement. They discuss one hallmark of aging—extracellular matrix damage—as well as how tissue replacement is a possible solution to aging. In addition, they explore the practicalities of progressive neocortex replacement, dopaminergic neuron transplants in Parkinson's patients, and Professor Hébert's work on stroke.Who is Jean Hébert?Jean Hebert, PhD, is a Professor of Neuroscience and Genetics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine where he focuses on age-related brain degener...2022-11-1945 minThe External Medicine PodcastPaul Offit, MD: The Cost of Medical Innovation, DDT and Malaria, and Bivalent Covid-19 BoostersIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Paul Offit, MD about his book You Bet Your Life, how banning DDT caused increased deaths from malaria, and the data regarding the bivalent booster as of October 2022. They discuss the human price paid for medical advances, sins of commission versus sins of omission, which populations should get bivalent boosters, short versus long incubation period viruses, and vaccine-related myocarditis.Who is Paul Offit?Dr. Offit is the Director of the Vaccine Education Center and an attending in the Division of Infectious Diseases at the...2022-10-2958 minThe External Medicine PodcastCarl Schneider, JD: Patient Decision-Making, Questioning Informed Consent, and Why IRBs Should Be AbolishedIn this colorful conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin speak with Carl Schneider, JD about informed consent and the problematic nature of IRBs. We discuss the difficulties of patient education and whether patients actually want medical knowledge in order to guide their decision-making. We discuss the onerousness of IRB regulation, event licensing, the costs of inhibiting knowledge generation, as well as the paternalism of IRBs. We cover how "protections" for vulnerable groups counterintuitively harms these groups by preventing both the generation of knowledge and the development of treatments. Professor Schneider argues that IRBs should be abolished and the system...2022-10-162h 07The External Medicine PodcastAdam Cifu, MD: On Ending Medical Reversals and Reimagining Medical EducationIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin speak with Adam Cifu, MD, about how to improve medical education, the importance of evidence-based medicine, and medical reversals. We discuss his collaboration with Vinay Prasad, MD, why we should swap the order of medical school curricula, and landmark trials that changed his clinical practice .Who is Adam Cifu?Adam Cifu a general internist and professor of medicine at the University of Chicago. He is a clinical educator, a podcast host, and the author of over 100-peer reviewed articles as well as two books: Ending Medical Reversal...2022-09-241h 02The External Medicine PodcastSekar Kathiresan, MD: Pioneering Single Dose Medications to Cure Cardiovascular DiseaseIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin speak with Sekar Kathiresan, MD, about using gene editing medications to treat cardiovascular disease. We discuss Dr. Kathiresan’s company Verve Therapeutics, which has pioneered a lipid nanoparticle delivery system of a CRISPR-based gene editing technology. We delve into the pathophysiology of cardiovascular disease, the role played by LDL and the LDL receptor in atherosclerosis, the genetics underlying monogenic and polygenic risk for myocardial infarction, CRISPR and the future of gene editing technologies, and Verve’s ongoing phase I trial of a PCSK9 gene editing medication (VERVE-101) in humans. Who i...2022-09-061h 09The External Medicine PodcastJoel Topf, MD: Acute Kidney Injury, Contrast-Associated Nephropathy, and Precious Bodily FluidsIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin speak with Joel Topf, MD, about contrast-associated nephropathy. We discuss Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), the value of creatinine as a marker for AKI, how to evaluate volume status, the evidence around contrast-induced/contrast-associated nephropathy, recommendations on fluids to prevent AKI in patients with Chronic Kidney Disease, and comparing venous and arterial contrast with respect to the risk of AKI.Who is Joel Topf?Dr. Topf is a clinical nephrologist in Detroit, who is a partner and medical director at St Clair Nephrology and an assistant...2022-08-071h 07The External Medicine PodcastJohn Cochrane, PhD: The Economics of Affordable HealthcareIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin speak with Professor John Cochrane about the economics of the American healthcare system. We discuss the lack of clarity around US healthcare pricing, as well as how employer-sponsored health insurance and the persistence of massive cross subsidies contribute to dysfunction in the US healthcare market. Professor Cochrane argues that the best way to solve these problems is to simplify regulation and remove regulatory hurdles which prevent innovative entrants from improving healthcare and making it more affordable.Who is John Cochrane?Professor John Cochrane is an...2022-07-191h 01The External Medicine PodcastChristy Chapin, PhD: Bad Incentives, the AMA, and How US Healthcare Became DysfunctionalIn this conversation, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin speak with Professor Christy Chapin, who is an Associate Professor of History at University of Maryland Baltimore County. We discuss how the American insurance company-based model of healthcare developed in the first half of the 20th century. Specifically, we explore the role of some of the major actors who created the fragmentary and expensive US healthcare landscape: the American Medical Association (AMA), Blue Cross and Blue Shield, as well as private insurance companies. Prefer video? Watch the interview on Youtube.In this episode, Professor Chapin defines what sh...2022-07-081h 20The External Medicine PodcastJason Ryan, MD: Physician Entrepreneurship, Boards and Beyond, and How to Improve Medical EducationIn this conversation, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Dr. Jason Ryan, the creator of Boards and Beyond. We discuss how he started Boards and Beyond, what aspects of medical education are in need of reform, and why he is bullish on med ed entrepreneurship. In this episode, we cover Dr. Ryan's background, his roots in chemical engineering, and how he decided on internal medicine and cardiology. We delve into how Dr. Ryan started Boards and Beyond, as his first entrepreneurial venture in 2014. He discusses why and how he began the medical education company, how he i...2022-06-0749 minThe External Medicine PodcastRick Johnson, MD: Fructose, Metabolic Syndrome, and Bipolar DisorderIn this conversation, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Rick Johnson, MD, about how his views on fructose metabolism have evolved over the past decade. If you haven’t checked out Episode 9 with Dr. Johnson, check that out for more background.In this episode, Dr. Rick Johnson talks about endogenous fructose metabolism, the thrifty gene hypothesis, fat as a source of metabolic water, dehydration and how it stimulates fat production, as well as the relationship between uric acid and bipolar disorder. He also talks about how alcohol-induced liver disease is actually mediated by fructose. Finally, he arg...2022-05-1657 minThe External Medicine PodcastNikhil Krishnan: Healthtech Startups, Dank Memes, and Zero to One in HealthcareIn this conversation, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Nikhil Krishnan about his healthcare newsletter (OutofPocket), why he’s optimistic about healthcare startups, and what he’s learned from investing in health tech companies. He talks about his preferred business models and gives advice to healthcare entrepreneurs on the zero-to-one phase of startups. They also discuss direct-to-physician and direct-to-consumer advertising of pharmaceuticals, digital therapeutics, unbundling of the hospital, and touch on medical education.Who is Nikhil Krishnan?Nikhil Krishnan is a prolific blogger and masterful meme-maker who writes about healthcare. He’s the au...2022-05-051h 02The External Medicine PodcastRobert Montgomery, MD: Immunology, Pig Organs, and the Future of TransplantationIn this episode, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Robert Montgomery, MD, DPhil, about his background, family history of cardiomyopathy, as well as his work in immunology and transplantation. They discuss the 3 types of organ rejection, how to manage and prevent rejection, porcine endogenous viruses, as well as Dr. Montgomery's work on xenotransplantation. This podcast was recorded on February 4th, 2022.Who is Robert Montgomery?Dr. Robert Montgomery is a Professor of Surgery and the chair of the Department of Surgery at NYU Langone as well as the director of the NYU Langone...2022-04-2852 minThe External Medicine PodcastBen White, MD: Radiology, Medical Education, and BloggingIn this episode, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Ben White about his background and reasons for selecting radiology. They discuss ways to improve radiology residency training and medical school education. They briefly touch on physician shortages, Dr. White’s blogging at BenWhite.com, and his nano-fiction project (Nanoism).Who is Ben White?Dr. Ben White is a practicing neuroradiologist and an Associate Program Director at Baylor University Medical Center. Dr. White obtained his Medical Degree from University of Texas Medical School at San Antonio before completing a radiology residency and neuroradiology fe...2022-04-231h 02The External Medicine PodcastMichael Levin, PhD: Limb Regeneration, Bioelectricity, and Why Neurons Aren’t SpecialIn this exciting episode, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Professor Michael Levin about bioelectricity, the electrical potentials that cells use to communicate with one another. Professor Levin argues that bioelectricity is the software of cellular communication and is the medium through which we can control top-down modular programs for cancer prevention, limb regeneration, and birth defect repair. This interview covers how he co-created Xenobots; how somatic cells function like neurons; how his work incorporates insights from Karl Friston on collective intelligence and the free energy principle; and his dream of building an anatomic compiler, a theoretical biological-design...2022-02-241h 18The External Medicine PodcastDaniel Burka: How to Design Successful and User-friendly Healthcare ApplicationsIn this episode, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Daniel Burka about his work at Resolve to Save Lives and the project Simple.org, a hypertension reduction application. They discuss the importance of iterative building processes that trial various ideas and then quantifiably measure success. Daniel Burka stresses the importance of understanding the goals of all users--physicians, patients, public healthcare experts--when designing successful healthcare applications.Who is Daniel Burka?Daniel Burka is the director of product and design at Resolve To Save Lives, where he works on the web-based, open-source hypertension reduction...2022-01-261h 12The External Medicine PodcastStephan Guyenet, PhD: GLP-1, Semaglutide, and the Big Future of Weight Loss TherapiesIn this interview, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Stephan Guyenet, PhD, about Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) and Semaglutide. They discuss GLP-1’s mechanisms of action, Anthony Sclafoni’s experiments on food reinforcement and nutrient receptors in the small intestines. Finally, they touch on some exciting new weight loss drugs that may replace semaglutide and potentially even bariatric surgery.Who is Stephan Guyenet?Dr. Stephan Guyenet received his PhD in Neurobiology and Behavior from the University of Washington. Afterward, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the neuroscience of obesity. He is the author of t...2022-01-031h 04The External Medicine PodcastEmily Oster, PhD: Breastfeeding Recommendations, Rising C-section Rates, and Other ControversiesIn this interview, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Brown Economics Professor Emily Oster about the studies behind breastfeeding recommendations, the dramatic increase in the U.S. C-section delivery rate over the last half century, and how she approaches analyzing studies. Who is Emily Oster?Emily Oster is the Royce Family Professor of Teaching Excellence and Professor of Economics at Brown University where she studies health, behavioral, and development economics. She received her PhD from Harvard University and taught at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. She is the author o...2021-12-121h 03The External Medicine PodcastKatherine Flegal, PhD: The Obesity Wars and the Politicization of ScienceIn this interview, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Katherine Flegal about the relationship between BMI and excess mortality. Dr. Flegal's publication of two papers in JAMA led to substantial controversy among obesity researchers. They discuss the data regarding the U-shaped mortality curve, the history of BMI, as well as the politicization of science.Who is Katherine Flegal?Katherine Flegal is an epidemiologist and former senior scientist at the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. She is one of the most cited scientists in the field of obesity epidemiology. After receiving a...2021-11-0957 minThe External Medicine PodcastKarl Friston on Understanding Schizophrenia using the Free Energy PrincipleIn this interview, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Dr. Karl Fristonabout his proposed free energy principle and how it applies to various psychiatric and neurological disorders including schizophrenia, depression, autism, and Parkinson’s. They also touch on the disconnection hypothesis of schizophrenia, how theories of schizophrenia have evolved over the last two centuries, and the relationship between schizophrenia and autism.Who is Karl Friston?Dr. Karl Friston is a professor of neuroscience at University College London and an authority on brain imaging. He is the 20th most-cited living sc...2021-10-211h 15The External Medicine PodcastFructose and Fat Storage: An Evolutionary Perspective with Rick Johnson, MDThis conversation was recorded on June 24th, 2021. In this interview, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Dr. Johnson about fructose and its relationship to fat storage. They discuss uric acid as a cause of kidney inflammation and essential hypertension, how glucose intake can trigger endogenous fructose production, and the relationship between salt and obesity. Finally, they touch on the evolutionary history of uric acid metabolism and the potential role for fructokinase inhibitors in treating metabolic disease.[Listen to our second podcast with Rick Johnson here]Who is Rick Johnson?Dr. J...2021-08-131h 06The External Medicine PodcastMedical Conservatism, Myocarditis, and Physician Advocacy with John Mandrola, MDThis conversation with Dr. John Mandrola was recorded on July 11th, 2021. In this interview, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin speak with Dr. Mandrola about a 2019 article he co-authored entitled The Case for Being a Medical Conservative. They discuss concerns about vaccine-induced myocarditis in children, vaccine mandates, and whether the AMA and other physician organizations should take sides on controversial political issues. Who is John Mandrola?Dr. John Mandrola is a practicing cardiac electrophysiologist and a regular columnist for theheart.org on Medscape. He hosts the fantastic “This Week in Cardiology” podcast and is a blo...2021-07-2553 minThe External Medicine PodcastThe Epigenetics of Aging & Dispelling mRNA Vaccine Myths with Yuri DeiginThis conversation with Yuri Deigin was recorded on June 25th, 2021. In this interview, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin speak with Yuri about aging, which he argues is fundamentally an epigenetic phenomenon. We discuss partial reprogramming using Yamanaka factors, evolutionary explanations of aging, and recent in vivo experiments which suggest that aging is partially reversible. We also touch on mRNA vaccines, specifically to address allegations about the cytotoxicity of the spike protein and concerns about infertility discussed on Bret Weinstein’s Dark Horse Podcast with Steve Kirsch and Robert Malone, MD, recorded on June 11th 2021.Who is Yu...2021-07-1855 minThe External Medicine PodcastThe Case for Medical Education Reform with Bryan Carmody, MDThis conversation with Dr. Bryan Carmody was recorded on June 21st, 2021. In this interview, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin speak with Dr. Carmody about the history of the USMLEs, the value of standardized test scores, and the arms race in the residency admissions process. They touch on conflict of interest in medical education and the rising cost of medical schools among other topics.If you enjoy this episode, please follow us on twitter @ExMedPod and subscribe to our newsletter.Who is Bryan Carmody?Dr. Bryan Carmody is a pediatric nephrologist at...2021-07-021h 08The External Medicine PodcastDiagnostic Reasoning and Medical Overuse with Deborah Korenstein, MDThis conversation was recorded on June 7th, 2021. In this interview, we talk with Deborah Korenstein, MD, about medical overuse and overdiagnosis. We discuss her April 2021 publication in JAMA Internal Medicine, the Accuracy of Practitioner Estimates of Probability of Diagnosis Before and After Testing as well as the diagnostic process, the teachability of diagnostic reasoning, cognitive biases, and other topics.Who is Deborah Korenstein?Dr. Deborah Korenstein is Chief of the General Internal Medicine Service at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Her clinical work focuses on care to adult survivors of...2021-06-181h 04
The Argument'Republicans Are Very, Very Close to Driving Democracy Into a Ditch'The clock is ticking for President Biden. He’s got a choice to make: compromise with Republicans or forgo them to push his agenda through with fellow Democrats. He has emphasized bipartisanship, but we’re now just days away from his self-imposed deadline of Memorial Day to strike a deal with Republicans on his infrastructure package. While negotiations continue, the parties are deadlocked on the size of the bill. It’s perhaps not surprising, given that this month the Senate minority leader, Mitch McConnell, said that “100 percent of our focus is on stopping this new administration.”This week, host...2021-05-2632 minThe External Medicine PodcastThe Invisible Graveyard: A Conversation with Economist Alex TabarrokIn this interview, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Professor Alex Tabarrok about what economists can bring to discussions of the pandemic, the US government’s response to COVID-19, the performance of the FDA and the CDC, regulatory nationalism, the first doses first campaign, and why America should vaccinate the world. This conversation was recorded on May 2nd, 2021. Who is Alex Tabarrok?Professor Alex Tabarrok is the Bartley J. Madden Chair in Economics at the Mercatus Center and a professor of economics at George Mason University. He is the co-author of the pop...2021-05-141h 01The External Medicine PodcastWhen Modern Medicine Goes Too Far: A Discussion with Paul Offit, MDThis conversation was recorded on April 5, 2021. In this interview, Mitch Belkin and Daniel Belkin speak with Dr. Paul Offit about mRNA vaccine technology as well as a number of topics from his book, Overkill: When Modern Medicine Goes Too Far. They discuss the use of antipyretics to treat a fever, the overuse of antibiotics, vitamin D and C, as well as cancer screening. Who is Paul Offit?Dr. Paul Offit is a pediatrician at the University of Pennsylvania specializing in infectious diseases, vaccines, immunology, and virology. He is the co-inventor of the RotaTeq v...2021-04-2655 minThe External Medicine PodcastMetformin and the Biology of Aging with Nir Barzilai, MDIn this episode, Daniel Belkin and Mitch Belkin interview Nir Barzilai, MD, the founding director of the Institute for Aging Research and an expert in the genetics of longevity. Dr. Barzilai is a professor in the departments of Medicine and Genetics at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He is the recipient of numerous awards and grants. He has published over 230 peer-reviewed papers, reviews, and textbook chapters, as well as the book Age Later. In this interview, we discuss the field of gero-therapeutics, the hallmarks of aging, and gender differences in aging. We review his work on...2021-04-1158 min
Into AmericaInto Expanding the Supreme CourtPresident Donald Trump has nominated conservative favorite Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg on the Supreme Court. Democrats are calling on Republicans to follow the precedent they set in 2016, when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell refused to hold confirmation hearings for President Obama’s pick to replace Justice Antonin Scalia when he died eight months before the election. But Republicans likely have the votes to confirm Barrett, and if they succeed, they will have a 6-3 advantage on the Supreme Court. In response, momentum is growing among Democrats around the idea of...2020-09-2924 min
Sustainability In Your EarEarth911 Podcast, August 20, 2018: Sustainability In Your Ear -- Belkin Sustainability Manager Ernie RobertsErnie Roberts, Sustainability Manager for computer accessories maker Belkin, joins Earth911's Evelyn Fielding Lopez and Mitch Ratcliffe. Ernie discusses how the company has reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 37 percent and lowered its employee carbon dioxide footprint with in-house recycling and commuting programs. Belkin was recently recognized as a Sustainability Initiative of the Year by Business Intelligence. Learn how a global company makes planet-friendly changes start and last.2018-08-2019 min