October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. In recognition of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, podcast moderator Lillie Shockney is joined breast surgeon Dr. Hanh-Tam Tran, clinical associate at the Sullivan Breast Center at the Sibley Memorial Hospital, whose clinical research focuses on identifying patients who could avoid having axillary surgery to discuss ductal carcinoma In Situ (DCIS) breast cancer, which accounts for about 20% of breast cancers.  

In this podcast, moderator Lillie Shockney is joined by gynecologist Dr. Wen Shen, who is an associate professor of gynecology and oncology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. She is also the clinical director of the Menopause Consultation service and Co-Director of the Women’s Wellness & Healthy Aging Program. 

We all drink caffeine is some form or another.  When we think of caffeine, we automatically think of coffee.  According to the National Coffee Association: post-Covid coffee consumption is up nearly 14% since January 2021 and 66% of Americans now drink coffee each day, more than any other beverage including tap water.  In this podcast, moderator Dr. Lillie Shockney is joined by addiction researcher Dr. Dustin Lee to discuss the upside and downside of caffeine and some myths surrounding caffeine consumption.   

Moderator Lillie Shockney is joined by medical dermatologist and director of the Johns Hopkins Itch Center, Dr. Shawn Kwatra. They discuss the various causes of chronic itch and the implication of untreated chronic itch.

Heart health is vital! Exercise can play an important role in the conditioning and even improving our hearts.  Moderator Dr. Lillie Shockney is joined by Dr. Kerry Stewart, director of Clinical and Research Exercise Physiology at Johns Hopkins Bayview to discuss the many benefits of regular exercise. 

In the final installment of the three part Journey for Women of Color podcast series, special guest moderator Ava-joye Burnett is joined by Johns Hopkins Medicine endocrinologist Dr. Sudipa Sarkar, who serves as the Director of the Inpatient Diabetes Management Service at Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center.

In this second installment, special guest moderator Ava-joye Burnett sits down with hematologist Dr. Robert Brodsky who serves as professor of medicine and director of the Division of Hematology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His area of clinical expertise is classical hematology and haploidentical bone marrow transplant for sickle cell disease and aplastic anemia.

Did you know that although their overall rate of developing breast cancer is lower than white women, African American women tend to have worse breast cancer outcomes?  Black women seem to be more likely to have what is called triple-negative breast cancer, which accounts for about 10% to 20% of all breast cancer cases. Special guest moderator and reporter Ava-joye Burnett is joined by breast cancer surgeon, Dr. Olutayo Sogunro, who serves as an assistant professor of surgery at The Center for Breast Health at Johns Hopkins Howard County General Hospital. 

Join moderator, Dr. Lillie Shockey as she sits down with ophthalmologist Dr. Meghan Berkenstock from the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute to discuss how an eye examination can be used to diagnose other health conditions.

Probiotics are live bacteria that research suggests may have many health benefits (John Hopkins Medicine, 2022) They can be found in yogurt and other fermented foods, dietary supplements, and beauty products (NIH, 2023).

Moderator Dr. Lillie Shockney is joined by Johns Hopkins clinical dietitian Ashli Greenwald to discuss probiotics.