Welcome back to The Marian Flaxman Network Podcast, a podcast dedicated to reintroducing personal narratives into critical public health topics.

On today's episode, a conversation about consumer product safety with "professional myth buster" Keith Rhoades.

When Keith was a kid, he knew that he either wanted to be an astronaut, or a product safety professional. Grounded here on earth, he has thrown himself into an exciting and productive career in product safety. With a degree in engineering, he landed his first job in the realm of toy safety, and found a career that captured his interest, his skills, and his desire to make the world a safer place.

Keith is the founder of the Global Injury Research Collaborative (https://www.globalirc.org), a non-profit dedicated to injury prevention through education, outreach, and research activities. As a platform, GIRC enables medical professionals to anonymously report relevant details of injuries that occur in their patients, which supports injury prevention research.

Keith is also one of the minds behind a mentorship program for future consumer product safety professionals, run by ICPHSO, or the International Consumer Product Health and Safety Organization (https://icphso.org/). Through this program, Keith has establish relationships with colleges across the country, finding students who are passionate about design, engineering, safety, and public health, and connecting them with the consumer product safety industry. It was through this mentorship program that Marian and Keith first connected, and realized their shared passion for promoting health and safety.

Connect with Keith on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithrhoades/

Connect with Marian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marian-flaxman/

Follow Marian on Instagram- @marianff

Learn more about our sponsor- https://www.informedsolutionsconsulting.com

Welcome back to The Marian Flaxman Network Podcast. On today's episode, a conversation with author and researcher, Dr. Ian Myles, MD, MPH. Dr. Myles runs a lab at NIH where he investigates the link between environmental contaminants, the skin microbiome, and eczema. He is a trained allergist and immunologist, who also has a fascination with the nervous system, and during this conversation he details many of the ways that those two systems connect and overlap. Additionally, he discusses the many issues that he sees with the field of population genetics research. This type of research has become a favorite of the media, who splash headlines that seem to connect genetics with all sorts of attributes, from intellect to food preferences. However, this type of research often lacks the basic scientific controls expected of all other research, and shades uncomfortably close to racist and eugenicist tropes about genetic pre-determinism. In this conversation, Marian and Dr. Myles discuss his book, Gattaca Has Fallen, dive into some especially troubling examples of this type of "research", and highlight the ethical issues with funding this field.

For more information on Dr Ian Myles, visit https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/ian-myles-md-mph

To purchase his book, Gattaca Has Fallen, go to https://amzn.to/44Nafhe

Follow Marian on Instagram @marianff

Connect with Marian on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marian-flaxman/

Learn more about the work of our sponsor www.informedsolutionsconsulting.com

Welcome back to The Marian Flaxman Network Podcast. Today's episode is a quick introduction to "food as medicine". Have you heard this phrase circulating in the news, across social media, or on previous episodes of this podcast? What does it mean? Who does it impact? Why is Marian so passionate about this topic? The answers to these questions, and much more, can be found within this brief episode.

On May 9th and 10th, Marian is co-chairing the first ever Food as Medicine Conference at Georgetown University School of Medicine, with a special focus on the role of fermented foods, and the microbiome. The event is free of charge, and can be accessed online. Click here to register!

Connect with Marian on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/marian-flaxman/

Follow Marian on Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/marianff/

Learn more about our sponsor- www.informedsolutionsconsulting.com

Welcome back to The Marian Flaxman Network Podcast! On today's episode, a conversation with Taylor Winkleman, MPH, DVM. Dr. Winkleman is a military veteran, and a doctor of veterinary medicine. She is passionate about making the world a better place, and she achieves this mission through a wide variety of personal and professional means. As a consultant, she works for organizations such as the WHO, developing policies that promote global health. As a professor, she teaches students how to write and advocate for evidence-based policies. As a mentor, she supports and nurtures the next generation of scientists, policy makers, and leaders. She is also a gifted public speaker, who shares her wisdom and knowledge so eloquently throughout this conversation. There is something for everyone in this episode, and if you're wondering what to do next in your life- this one is especially for you.

For more information about our guest, Dr. Taylor Winkleman, and her passion for science policy, please visit https://www.thevannevargroup.org

Connect with Dr. Winkleman on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/taylor-winkleman-94a46814/

For more information about our host, Marian, please visit www.marianflaxman.com

Connect with Marian on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/marian-flaxman/

Follow Marian on Instagram- @marianff

For more information about our sponsor, please visit www.informedsolutionsconsulting.com

Welcome back to The Marian Flaxman Network Podcast! On this episode, Marian speaks with Dr. Sona Vasudevan, the Program Director of the Systems Medicine master's program at Georgetown University. They discuss Dr. Vasudevan's background, including her lifelong interest in science, and how her journey through education, research, and life, brought her to the DC area, and to Georgetown. She explains the concept of "Systems Medicine", and how it relates to other popular health topics like "functional" medicine and "precision" medicine. She also shares about her personal passion for nutrition, the microbiome, and traditional practices such as acupuncture and Ayurveda.

Dr. Vasudevan is a wealth of knowledge and wisdom, and she generously shares her thoughts, experiences, and insight throughout this episode, weaving together personal stories with fascinating scientific information. Although many people believe that "personalized medicine" and "public health" are at odds with each other, Marian and Sona discuss the many ways in which these frameworks overlap, and how they can be used to support and benefit each other.

For more information on studying with Dr. Vasudevan and the master's degree in Systems Medicine, please visit https://systemsmedicine.georgetown.edu

If you have any questions or comments for Dr. Vasudevan, you can email her at [email protected]

Follow Marian on Instagram @marianff

Connect with Marian on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/marian-flaxman/

Learn more about the work of our sponsor www.informedsolutionsconsulting.com

Welcome back to the Marian Flaxman Network Podcast!

On today's episode, Marian speaks with political strategist, foreign policy expert, and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of State, Joel Rubin. Joel fell in love with history, politics, and policy at a young age, spending time in the library researching world events while most kids were home watching cartoons. Raised in Pittsburgh, PA, his family had roots in both NYC and Israel, and he saw himself as a global citizen from a young age, and doubled down on this identity when he joined the Peace Corps after college. Joel has since worked in the Obama White House, run for Congress twice, and served on his Town Council. He is also a father of three, and has a loving, bipartisan marriage in which he, a registered Democrat, and his wife, a registered Republican, bring their love and mutual respect into challenging conversations.

In this episode, we talk about many difficult topics- abortion access, the war between Israel and Palestine, freedom and democracy, and the role that stress plays in the bipartisan divide. Joel brings decades of experience and wisdom to critical public health topics, and also shares his own personal experience with the insurance gaps he discovered when he was unexpectedly diagnosed with a brain tumor.

For more information on Joel, please visit www.joelrubin.net

Follow Joel on Social Media - @joelmrubin

For more information on Marian, please visit www.marianflaxman.com

Follow Marian on Instagram - @marianff

Connect with Marian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marian-flaxman/

Learn more about our sponsor- www.informedsolutionsconsulting.com

Welcome back to the Marian Flaxman Network Podcast. What do farmers worry about, and what is the relationship between agricultural policy, nutrition access, and the health of society?

Over the course of this episode, you will hear interviews with three people who work intimately within the food and agriculture space. Heather Sanford is a former full-time farmer, who now works as a consultant and advocate, helping farmers and sustainable food businesses succeed. James Black is the CEO of GivLyfe, a soil microbiome company that helps farmers restore and protect the health of their soil, and the future of their farms. Katherine Carestio is a cattle farmer located in the Finger Lakes region of New York. She and her husband bought land that was overrun with invasive species, and transformed it into a productive farm with the help of ruminant animals and holistic land management. Their farm produces grass-fed beef and partners with other local businesses to improve the food security of their community, while also growing the local economy. These lived-experience experts share their insight alongside their own struggles and concerns, and also discuss the farm bill, or the bulk of legislation that allocates funding and other resources to farmers in the United States. Citing numerous sources, Marian discusses issues with the farm bill, including how it fails to support the needs of the growing "food as medicine" movement, and what might be done to rethink and reform it. Finally, Marian and her guests share their thoughts on what the average citizen can do to support the future of farms, food, and health in America.

For a list of references used in today's episode, please see the extended show notes, found here.

For more information on Heather, please visit https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-sandford/

For more information on James and his work, please visit https://givlyfe.com/

For more information on Katherine and her farm, please visit https://www.backbonefarm.org/ 

For more information on Marian, please visit www.marianflaxman.com

Follow Marian on Instagram- @marianff

Follow the show on Youtube- @TheMarianFlaxmanNetwork

Connect with Marian on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marian-flaxman/

For more information on our sponsor, please visit www.informedsolutionsconsulting.com

Welcome back to The Marian Flaxman Network Podcast. Today, 2/21, is World Kombucha Day, and we are celebrating by wrapping up a three part series of episodes about kombucha, and the people who produce and promote it. Today's conversation is with Hannah Crum, the founder of Kombucha Kamp and Kombucha Brewers International.

Hannah dives into her history with kombucha, explains why she is so passionate about fermented foods, and examines the role that kombucha, and other live-cultured foods, play in public health, including improving digestive health, promoting robust immunity, and boosting mood. Never ones to stick to the small picture, Hannah and Marian zoom out, discussing how we can learn from live-cultured foods, and how we can use our understanding of our co-dependence on microbes to reframe our understanding of ourselves as humans.

For more information on Hannah Crum, and her work, please visit www.kombuchakamp.com

For more information about KBI, the kombucha brewers trade union, please visit www.kombuchabrewers.org

Follow Hannah on Instagram - @kombuchakamp

Follow KBI on Instagram - @kombuchabrewers

For more information on Marian please visit www.marianflaxman.com

Follow Marian on Instagram- @marianff

Connect with Marian on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/marian-flaxman/

For more information on our sponsor please visit www.informedsolutionsconsulting.com

Welcome back to the Marian Flaxman Network Podcast. Keeping with our February theme of kombucha producers leading up to World Kombucha Day on 2/21, today's episode features a conversation with the owner and brewer at Boochy Call Kombucha, Eric Kelchlin.

Eric was an avid beer brewer until he realized that he had developed a dangerous addiction, and needed to quit drinking completely. He got sober, and fell in love with kombucha as a replacement beverage, and hobby. After receiving a ton of positive feedback about the palatability of his brew, Eric decided to take the plunge and open his own kombucha company. He now serves kombucha to his community, selling at farmers markets, through door to door delivery, and his kombucha is on tap at local bars and restaurants.

In this conversation, Marian and Eric tackle many topics that are critical to public health, including access to nutritious foods and the health benefits of fermented foods, mental health, addiction, potential improvements to local food systems, and how public health professionals and healthy food producers could shift their communication strategies so that people feel drawn into health conversations, rather than rejected by them.

For more information on Marian please visit www.marianflaxman.com

Follow Marian on Instagram- @marianff

Connect with Marian on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/marian-flaxman/

For more information on Eric Kelchlin and his company, Boochy Call Kombucha, please visit https://boochycall.com/

Follow Boochy Call on Instagram @boochy_call_kombucha

For more information on our sponsor please visit www.informedsolutionsconsulting.com

Welcome back to The Marian Flaxman Network Podcast. Today Marian speaks with Sid Sharma, one of the three founders of Wild Bay Kombucha. Sid has an amazing story, which took him from studying environmental science and working as an energy analyst, to brewing kombucha in the back room of a juice bar with his friends, and gradually scaling that business to the successful regional company it is today, nine years along their journey. The company is currently going through another growth cycle, adding new products to both their production, and distribution channels.

Sid and Marian talk about kombucha, what it is, how it is produced, and why it can be beneficial to health. They also discuss issues with the food system overall, such as how processed foods are subsidized, and how much of the grocery store is dedicated to nutrient poor, processed foods, rather than fresh, nutrient-dense foods. They talk about the need for both top-down solutions such as policy changes, as well as bottom-up shifts in consumer demand and spending habits. Finally, they spend time discussing the challenges and joys of running and growing a business, and highlight the opportunity for businesses to operate ethically, and promote the wellbeing of society.

For more information on Marian, please visit www.marianflaxman.com

Follow Marian on Instagram- @marianff

Connect with Marian on LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/marian-flaxman/

For more information on Wild Bay Kombucha, please visit https://wildbaykombucha.com

To learn more about how to invest in Wild Bay Kombucha and support their growth, please click here

For more information about our sponsor, please visit www.informedsolutionsconsulting.com