Clinician's Roundtable

In the ongoing global campaign to prevent, treat, and cure HIV and AIDS, there have been countless therapeutic approaches targeting the HIV virus and everything it interacts with on the path to infection. But after decades of relentless infectivity claiming over 25 million lives, what if we could one day simply edit and delete the HIV virus right out of existence?

Joining Dr. Matt Birnholz to discuss a novel research effort to leverage gene editing technology in the fight against HIV is Dr. Kamel Khalili, Professor and Chair of the Department of Neuroscience, Director of the Center for Neuro-virology, and Director of the Comprehensive Neuro-AIDS Center at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

There is a curious American sentiment toward exercise that celebrates the mantra of "no pain, no gain." When exercise isn't followed by soreness, or when a sufficient amount of sweat hasn't been produced, participants are often led to believe that their efforts have been wasted. But is this notion actually valid, and do clinicians benefit their patients in advocating for standard exercise programs by extension? Furthermore, are there any lessons to be learned from physical therapy as a baseline for exercise programming?

From the floors of Omnia Education's Women's Health Annual Visit in New York, Dr. Matt Birnholz speaks with Anne Koller, certified fitness professional and staff member of Aqua Studio, NY. Aqua is the first boutique studio specializing in the unique fitness pursuit of "aquacycling," a high intensity underwater cycling program. The two discuss trends in American exercise preferences at various ages, and how alternative experiences with fitness activities can help reset expectations as to how we define being "in shape."

Vaginal atrophy is a painful and emotionally distressing condition affecting many women, yet many suffer in silence. For those who find traditional treatment options to be ineffective, a vaginoplasty procedure already in use for cosmetic applications has been demonstrated to help counter the most severe symptoms. Join host Dr. Patrice Basanta Henry and Dr. Benita Stephens, Board Certified Ob-Gyn and founder of Ciao Bella Medical Center & Spa in Atlanta, GA, as they discuss the benefits and risks of "vaginal rejuvenation" procedures for symptomatic vaginal atrophy.

Inflammation plays a pivotal role in the development and persistence of many chronic diseases, but only recently has the human microbiome been linked as something more central to inflammatory processes than a passive reservoir. What roles do the gut, microbiome, and gut-brain axis play in chronic disease development, as well as prevention?

From the floors of the A4M Conference in Las Vegas, Dr. Matt Birnholz speaks with James LaValle, founder and CEO of Metabolic Code Enterprises, Inc and a nationally recognized clinical pharmacist, author, and board certified clinical nutritionist. The two discuss expanded understandings of the microbiome's influence on human health and disease, both in the U.S. and worldwide.

From the American Cancer Society, ovarian cancer ranks fifth in cancer deaths among women, accounting for more deaths than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. A woman's risk of getting ovarian cancer during her lifetime is about 1 in 75. Her lifetime chance of dying from ovarian cancer is about 1 in 100. Host Dr. Renee Allen is joined by Dr. Evelyn Reynolds to discuss critical updates in ovarian cancer, specifically dispelling the myth about ovarian cancer being a "silent killer." Dr. Reynolds an Associate Professor and Division Director of Gynecologic Oncology at the Morehouse School of Medicine. She is board-certified in General Obstetrics and Gynecology and also Gynecologic Oncology.

How should clinicians educate patients on recommended timing intervals for receiving pap smears based on updated guidelines? And for those patients who receive a positive HPV test, what counseling strategies and treatment pathways would be most helpful?

Joining Dr. Thomas Wright from Omnia Education's Women's Health Annual Visit in Boston, MA is Dr. Dana Gossett, Division Chief of General Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation and Associate Professor at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.

Recent guidelines have been released on the recommended frequency of conducting pap smears, which has caused considerable debate between health care providers. How should non-gynecologists interpret these guidelines, as well as opposing views from specialists, for best performance of pap smears? And why in the age of DNA testing is this still an important exam? ReachMD host Dr. Renee Allen welcomes Dr. Jocelyn Slaughter-Moore, practicing obstetrician & gynecologist in private practice at Heras Healthcare for Women, to address these and other questions. Dr. Slaughter-Moore is an attending physician at Clearview Regional Medical Center and Eastside Medical Center in Georgia.

It is estimated that 3 to 5% of all couples desiring pregnancy will suffer recurrent pregnancy loss (RPL). What are our current understandings of this unfortunate condition, and how can patients be treated to support successful future pregnancies? Host Dr. Patrice Basanta-Henry discusses the many facets of this clinical issue with Dr Kenan Omurtag, Assistant Professor of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at Washington University School of Medicine in St Louis, Missouri.

What is the role and importance of the Ob-Gyn Oncologist, especially for women diagnosed with pelvic cancers? What are some barriers patients face in seeing an Ob-Gyn Oncoloogist? And how can clinicians better partner with this group of specialists? In this episode, host Dr. Renee Allen explores answers to these questions with guest expert Dr. Evelyn Reynolds, board certified physician in both General Obstetrics & Gynecology and Gynecologic Oncology. She is also an Associate Professor and Division Director of Gynecologic Oncology at the Morehouse School of Medicine.

Standards in cervical cancer detection methods have come a long way in the past 30 years, from cervical cytology to HPV co-testing and HPV primary screening. How did the OB/GYN community get here, and is the direction of current practice standards in sync with clinical preferences nationwide?

Joining Dr. Stephen Cohen to discuss these and other questions at the Women's Health Annual Visit in Houston, TX is Dr. Thomas Cox, former Director of Gynecology and Colposcopy at the University of California-Santa Barbara Health Services Center and Past-President of the American Society of Colposcopy and Cervical Pathology.