The Anti-Doping Podcast

Dr. Peter Van de Vliet is CEO of the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organizations (iNADO). In this episode, he discusses iNADO's work bringing together national and regional anti-doping organizations to exchange knowledge and advance clean sport globally. We also cover some of iNADO's recent initiatives, including advancing the Declaration of Guiding Principles for the Future of Anti-Doping through a series of webinars, the Clean Sport in Action Forum, efforts to ensure operational independence of anti-doping organizations, and more.

Dr. Morten Hostrup is a human physiologist who leads a research group in the Department of Clinical Physiology and Nuclear Medicine at Bispebjerg University Hospital in Copenhagen. In our interview, we discuss some of his recent research related to anti-doping and the physiological effects of different banned substances. In particular, he shared results from studies on the effects of the beta-2 agonists clenbuterol and salbutamol on health and performance. Dr. Hostrup also discussed a newly launched project on the long-term effects of the glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist semaglutide.

Stephen Starks is an Arbitrator in Sports and Commercial Panels for the American Arbitration Association, Head of Business Affairs and General Counsel for the sports and entertainment company Dude Perfect, a member of the Board of Directors of the U.S. Anti-doping Agency (USADA), and a new member of the PCC's Board of Governors representing USADA. In this episode, we discussed his career in sports and entertainment, his contributions to anti-doping, his leadership roles at the PCC and USADA, preparations for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and more.

Dr. Aaron Baggish is a Professor of Sport Science at the University of Lausanne and a Sports Cardiologist at the University of Lausanne and Lausanne University Hospital. He is also a Medical Committee Member and Physician for World Rowing, a Cardiology Consultant for the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee, National Teams Cardiologist for the U.S. Soccer Federation, and he is the Founder and former Director of the Cardiovascular Performance Program at Massachusetts General Hospital. In our interview, he discussed the negative effects of using steroids and other performance-enhancing drugs on cardiovascular health, his sports cardiology research, and his experiences advising athletes on their cardiovascular health.

Dr. Bastien Krumm is a researcher at the University of Lausanne and a member of the Center of Research and Expertise in Anti-Doping Sciences (REDs). In our inerview, he shares more about his career and research at the intersection of exercise physiology and anti-doping. Dr. Krumm discussed plasma volume fluctuations, how this can impact interpretation of the Athlete Biological Passport, and his recent research using a machine learning approach to estimate plasma volume for anti-doping analyses.

Dr. Kara Lynch is a Professor in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF). She is also Co-Director of the Core Clinical Laboratory at San Francisco General Hospital overseeing Chemistry and Toxicology, and she is Director of Chemistry at UCSF Children's Hospital Oakland. In this episode Dr. Lynch discusses her career, the impacts of her prior PCC-funded work, and an innovative new research project focused on applying a novel high-resolution mass spectrometry approach to detect small molecule doping agents in anti-doping analysis.

Adam Nelson is an Olympic gold and silver medalist, a three-time Olympian, and a World Champion representing Team USA in shot put. Adam is also a member of the Board of Directors of the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC). In this episode, he shares stories and insights from his athletic career, the circumstances surrounding his 2004 Olympic medal, his experiences as an athlete in the global anti-doping system, and his anti-doping advocacy efforts.

Dr. Caroline Rickards is a Professor in the Department of Physiology and Anatomy at the University of North Texas Health Science Center in Fort Worth. In this episode, she discusses how anti-doping researchers can better communicate the work to various audiences. We cover common science communication challenges, strategies for improving science communication skills, how scientists can prepare themselves to take advantage of research dissemination opportunities, and the changing landscape of science communication.

Brett Clothier is Head of Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU), and in this episode, he shares more about his career in sport integrity and the work that he and the team at AIU are doing to help protect clean sport. We discuss some of the biggest challenges the sport of athletics (track and field) is currently facing, AIU's efforts to address these issues, how AIU engages with stakeholders across the sport landscape to cultivate a culture of integrity, and AIU's role in major sporting events, including the recent London Marathon where Sebastian Sawe's record-breaking performance made headlines alongside his voluntary commitment to a strict anti-doping testing protocol.

Dr. Sara Amalie Solheim is a former PCC Fellow, and she is currently a Researcher and Athlete Passport Management Unit (APMU) Manager at the Norwegian Doping Control Laboratory and Nordic APMU. In this episode, Sara discusses her career path, her work a the Norwegian Doping control Lab, and her PCC-funded Fellowship research projects. These projects examined the potential confounding effects of non-analytical factors like cold shipment of blood samples, low energy availability, acute resistance training, and the menstrual cycle on biomarkers in the steroid and endocrine modules of the Athlete Biological Passport.