Eye wellness is our focus with our guest Dr. Ashley Brissette. Dr. Brissette is double board certified by both the American Board of Ophthalmology and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and specializes in cataract surgery, laser vision correction, dry eyes and eye exams at Weill Cornell Medicine.   We cover:     (3:35) protecting your eyes from the sun and what to look for when buying sunglasses, (6:44) understanding cataracts and macular degeneration, (10:22) what screen time does to your vision, (12:21) how effective are blue light blocking glasses, (13:48) the right amount of screen time for children, (16:06) computer vision syndrome, and (21:04) basic care for your eyes.    Learn more about Dr. Brissette here: https://weillcornell.org/ashley-brissette-md-msc-frcsc

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This episode looks at diet as lifestyle medicine. We focus on vegan and plant-based diets, including the benefits and misinformation surrounding both. Dr. Sumeet Bahl joins us as he has performed research at Emory University Mind-Body program, is a plant-based physician emphasizing lifestyle change through diet and exercise, and is a Vascular and Interventional Radiologist at the Brooklyn Hospital Center. 

  Together we cover:   (6:06) Vegan vs. plant-based diets, (13:20) transitioning to a vegan diet, (14:49) getting protein when you're not eating meat, (16:20) the myths of tofu and edamame, (17:36) improving bone density, (20:33) meat substitutes, (21:36) comparing results from plant-based and Mediterranean diets, and (25:13) meditation.   Learn more about Dr. Bahl here: https://www.tbh.org/physician/sumeet-bahl

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We cover the benefits of natural supplements with Dr. Vandana Sood, Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Sood specializes in both Sports Medicine and Spine Care and our discussion covers:

(2:06) the benefits of natural supplements and the love affair with curcumin and turmeric, (5:40) joint pain and glucosamine and chondroitin, (9:43) when steroid injections are necessary, (11:07) who should avoid supplements, (12:33) how weight impacts our joints, and (18:14) anti-inflammatory diets and the Mediterranean Diet.

Learn more about Dr. Sood here: https://weillcornell.org/vandana-sood-md

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Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women and the focus of this episode. We welcome Dr. Nivee Amin, Associate Director for Consultative Cardiology and Director of the Women's Heart Program and Preventative Cardiology at Weill Cornell Medicine NewYork Presbyterian.   We cover:   (4:53) Heart disease as the number one killer of women and knowing your numbers, (7:58) groups of women who are most at risk for heart disease, (9:26) post menopause and heart disease, (13:05) sleep and heart disease, (17:38) how much we should be exercising, (19:59) the one food to watch.   Learn more about Dr. Amin here: https://weillcornell.org/npamin

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Dr. Said Ibrahim is the Inaugural Senior Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Professor of Population Health Sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine, and an NIH funded clinical investigator, focusing on unequal health care access and quality among underserved communities. He joins us for a discussion on diversity in healthcare and how it impacts care outcomes and delivery of care.

We also cover: (7:56) the big difference between health equity and health equality, (12:06) how implicit bias impacts healthcare and Dr. Singh discovers his own implicit bias, (19:32) achieving a diverse healthcare workforce, (27:03) changing how healthcare is delivered, and (30:15) study results and an interesting example of cultural differences. 

Learn more about Dr. Ibrahim here: https://vivo.weill.cornell.edu/display/cwid-sai2009

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As more Americans begin to feel more comfortable relaxing restrictions and mandates related to COVID-19, we take an in-depth and accurate look at where we stand in the fight against the virus. This episode we welcome Dr. Priya Nori to give us an expert perspective. Dr. Priya Nori is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She serves as Medical Director of the Antimicrobial Stewardship Program and outpatient parenteral antibiotic therapy program at Montefiore Health System and is Program Director of the Infectious Diseases fellowship program.

We also cover:

(5:50) How mRNA vaccines work, (11:49) vaccine elitism and the argument for the Johnson and Johnson vaccine, (14:00) how often will we need to get a COVID-19 vaccine, (18:02) COVID-19 in India, (29:46) vaccinating the world, and (33:10) what needs to happen for life to return to normal.

Learn more about Dr. Nori here: https://einsteinmed.org/faculty/13966/priya-nori/

Afya Foundation website: https://afyafoundation.org/

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We continue our look at the COVID-19 vaccination effort as we welcome Dr. Susana Morales, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Vice Chair for Diversity for the Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. With Dr. Morales, we explore why some people are reluctant to get vaccinated, as well as:

(2:27) Why it's important to get vaccinated, (8:06) COVID-19 vaccines and DNA, (10:33) the groups most likely not to get vaccinated, (13:58) the rise of medical misinformation, (21:01) creating and earning trust with community, (24:38) the Weill Cornell Medicine Diversity Center of Excellence, and (28:09) Capstone projects.

Learn more about Dr. Morales here: https://weillcornell.org/srmorales

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We welcome Dr. Jonathan Avery, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, as we explore the stigma associated with substance use and abuse. 

We also cover: (2:32) The opioid crisis and what we've learned from it, (8:10) what motivational interviewing is and why it's effective for those dealing with addiction, (12:38) the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on alcohol consumption, (17:40) what recovery from substance abuse looks like, and (20:46) the role genetics plays in substance abuse.

Learn more about Dr. Avery here: https://weillcornell.org/javery

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We kick off Season 2 of The Back Story with a look at neck pain and how it has become more prevalent as we are working more from home. Our guest is Dr. Dan Riew, Director of Cervical Spine Surgery and Co-Director of Spine Surgery at New York Presbyterian Och Spine Hospital.

We cover: (6:56) what 'tech neck' is and how our devices could be hurting us, (12:41) when it comes to disk degeneration, what's normal aging and what's not?, (19:04) an overview of artificial disk replacement, as well as (22:34) ACDF (Anterior cervical discectomy and fusion) and how it compares to other procedures, and (27:21) preparations you can take before artificial disk replacement.

Learn more about Dr. Riew here: https://weillcornellbrainandspine.org/faculty/k-daniel-riew-md 

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Janet Lau, Certified Registered Dietician and Nutritionist and Certified Holistic Health Coach joins us for a discussion on dieting and the impact the food that we choose to eat has on our body. 

This episode explores: (4:30) how we think about diets and the science behind intermittent fasting, (9:01) food as fuel for your brain and quality vs. quantity of food, (12:31) the connection between diet and inflammation, and (15:39) the year of 100 Egg McMuffins and the threat of processed foods.

Learn more about the Weill Cornell Medicine's Integrative Health and Wellbeing here: https://weillcornell.org/integrative-health-program or by calling 646-697-9358.

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