The Vitals

In this episode of The Vitals,  Drs. Helen He and Nicholas Brownstone discuss what really happens to your skin during colder months—and how to protect it using science-based strategies, not skincare hype.  

From increased water loss and dryness to flare-ups of eczema, acne, and irritation, winter presents unique challenges for our skin. In this conversation, we explore:  

• Why winter causes increased dryness and sensitivity 
• The essentials of an effective, dermatologist-approved skincare routine 
• How to support and repair your skin barrier 
• Common winter skincare mistakes, including long showers 
• When cosmetic dermatology, lasers, and injectables fit into overall skin health 
• Why sunscreen is still critical—even in winter 
• How aging, lifestyle, and environment all intersect with skin health 

Learn more about Mount Sinai’s Dermatology practices: https://www.mountsinai.org/care/dermatology

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

Follow the Mount Sinai Podcast Network on Instagram at @mountsinaipodcasts, and on Facebook under the Mount Sinai Podcast Network!  

If this episode inspired you, please consider supporting the Mount Sinai Health System. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on philanthropy to advance compassionate patient care, groundbreaking research, and medical education. Your generosity helps make conversations like this possible—and fuels the work behind them. To learn more or make a gift, visit give.mountsinai.org. 

Dr. Michelle Cespedes, infectious disease expert and interim System Chief of the Division of Infectious Disease at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.  

Dr. Cespedes shares the latest advancements in HIV prevention, treatment, and research—and why there’s renewed hope in the global fight against HIV/AIDS. In this conversation, we explore: 

- Breakthroughs in HIV prevention and care 
- How research is shaping inclusive strategies for high-risk and underrepresented populations 
- The role of community, equity, and access in ending the HIV epidemic 
- How far we may be from eradicating the virus 

Learn more about Dr. Michelle Cespedes.

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

Follow the Mount Sinai Podcast Network on Instagram at @mountsinaipodcasts, and on Facebook under the Mount Sinai Podcast Network!  

If this episode inspired you, please consider supporting the Mount Sinai Health System. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on philanthropy to advance compassionate patient care, groundbreaking research, and medical education. Your generosity helps make conversations like this possible—and fuels the work behind them. To learn more or make a gift, visit give.mountsinai.org. 

If shorter days, colder weather, and early sunsets leave you feeling sluggish, unmotivated, or just not yourself, you’re not alone. Millions experience winter blues — and for some, it’s part of a diagnosable, treatable form of depression. Dr. James Murrough helps us understand: 

Leslie also opens up about her own experience with seasonal mood changes, making this an honest, practical, and deeply relatable conversation. 

Whether you’re struggling with SAD, curious about prevention, or helping someone you love, this episode gives you real, actionable tools backed by science. 

👍 To get help for Seasonal Affective Disorder or get evaluated for depression, visit The Depression and Anxiety Center for Discovery and Treatment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: https://icahn.mssm.edu/research/depression-anxiety-center

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

Follow the Mount Sinai Podcast Network on Instagram at @mountsinaipodcasts, and on Facebook under the Mount Sinai Podcast Network!  

If this episode inspired you, please consider supporting the Mount Sinai Health System. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on philanthropy to advance compassionate patient care, groundbreaking research, and medical education. Your generosity helps make conversations like this possible—and fuels the work behind them. To learn more or make a gift, visit give.mountsinai.org. 

Allergies are on the rise around the world—but why? In this episode of The Vitals, host Leslie Schlachter, PA-C sits down with two of Mount Sinai’s leading experts, Drs. Monica Kraft and Scott Sicherer, to break down what’s really driving the increase in allergic diseases, how to understand the difference between allergies and intolerances, and what the latest science reveals about prevention, treatment, and long-term management. 

From early food introduction to biologics, from the atopic march to socioeconomic barriers in care, this conversation covers the full spectrum of what patients and families need to know about allergies and asthma today. 

To learn more about cutting-edge allergy and immunology research or to support the work that advances patient care, visit the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute:  

👉: https://icahn.mssm.edu/research/jaffe 

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

Follow the Mount Sinai Podcast Network on Instagram at @mountsinaipodcasts, and on Facebook under the Mount Sinai Podcast Network!  

If this episode inspired you, please consider supporting the Mount Sinai Health System. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on philanthropy to advance compassionate patient care, groundbreaking research, and medical education. Your generosity helps make conversations like this possible—and fuels the work behind them. To learn more or make a gift, visit give.mountsinai.org. 

On this episode of The Vitals, we dive deep into one of the most compelling topics in global health today: autism. We welcome two leading experts from the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai: 

• Dr. Joseph D. Buxbaum – Professor of Psychiatry, Genetics & Genomic Sciences, and Neuroscience; Director of the Seaver Autism Center: https://profiles.mountsinai.org/joseph-d-buxbaum 
• Dr. Avraham (Avi) Reichenberg – Professor of Psychiatry and Preventive Medicine; Director of the Population Research & Environmental Epidemiology Program at Seaver: https://scholars.mssm.edu/en/persons/avraham-reichenberg 

In this episode, Drs. Buxbaum and Reichenberg engage in an insightful conversation covering autism’s genetic architecture, how environmental exposures before and during pregnancy may modulate ASD risk, the real-world implications for families, clinicians, researchers, and the broader community, and what the future may hold for autism care. 

🔗 Learn More & Take Action
👉 Visit the Seaver Autism Center for Research and Treatment: https://icahn.mssm.edu/research/seaver 

Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell on Youtube so you never miss an episode of The Vitals: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt 

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

Follow the Mount Sinai Podcast Network on Instagram at @mountsinaipodcasts, and on Facebook under the Mount Sinai Podcast Network!  

If this episode inspired you, please consider supporting the Mount Sinai Health System. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on philanthropy to advance compassionate patient care, groundbreaking research, and medical education. Your generosity helps make conversations like this possible—and fuels the work behind them. To learn more or make a gift, visit give.mountsinai.org. 

RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) isn’t new—but the conversation (and the tools) have changed. In this episode of Vitals, host Leslie Schlachter sits down with Dr. Jennifer Duchon and Dr. Sean Liu to break down: how RSV spreads, why babies are at higher risk, what to watch for, why antibiotics don’t help, when oxygen is essential, and much more.

Learn more about our panelists:
Dr. Sean Liu: https://mshs.co/3WjBtsn
Dr. Jennifer Duchon: https://mshs.co/4nKWrMW

Explore Mount Sinai Podcasts: https://mshs.co/3VY4auw

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

Follow the Mount Sinai Podcast Network on Instagram at @mountsinaipodcasts, and on Facebook under the Mount Sinai Podcast Network!  

If this episode inspired you, please consider supporting the Mount Sinai Health System. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on philanthropy to advance compassionate patient care, groundbreaking research, and medical education. Your generosity helps make conversations like this possible—and fuels the work behind them. To learn more or make a gift, visit give.mountsinai.org. 

As families prepare to head back to school, pediatric experts Dr. Jennifer Duchon and Dr. Meredith Grossman from the Mount Sinai Health System join The Vitals host Leslie Schlachter for a timely conversation on how to set kids up for a healthy, successful school year. From getting back into a learning mindset to essential immunizations, nutrition, and even backpack safety, this episode covers everything parents need to know for a confident return to the classroom.

Drs. Duchon and Grossman also discuss how to handle common school-year illnesses, offer tips for easing anxiety, and explain why preventive care is crucial to keeping children safe and thriving throughout the year.

👶 Make an appointment at Mount Sinai Kravis Children’s Hospital:
https://www.mountsinai.org/patient-care/service-areas/children

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

Follow the Mount Sinai Podcast Network on Instagram at @mountsinaipodcasts, and on Facebook under the Mount Sinai Podcast Network!  

If this episode inspired you, please consider supporting the Mount Sinai Health System. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on philanthropy to advance compassionate patient care, groundbreaking research, and medical education. Your generosity helps make conversations like this possible—and fuels the work behind them. To learn more or make a gift, visit give.mountsinai.org. 

September is Gynecologic Cancer Awareness Month. In this special episode of The Vitals, Mount Sinai experts Dr. Shari Brasner (Obstetrics & Gynecology) and Dr. Alison Snow (Oncology & Supportive Care) discuss the latest in gynecologic cancer prevention, early detection, treatment options, survivorship, and patient support programs.

They highlight key issues surrounding ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, uterine cancer, vaginal cancer, and vulvar cancer—as well as the emotional, physical, and social impact of these diagnoses on patients and families. The conversation also emphasizes the importance of comprehensive care and the role of support programs in improving quality of life.

👉 Learn more about our panelists:

• Dr. Alison Snow
• Dr. Shari Brasner

💜 Explore Mount Sinai’s Woman to Woman program, offering peer-to-peer mentoring for women in treatment for gynecologic cancers.

📺 Watch more episodes of The Vitals on Youtube here.

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

Follow the Mount Sinai Podcast Network on Instagram at @mountsinaipodcasts, and on Facebook under the Mount Sinai Podcast Network!  

If this episode inspired you, please consider supporting the Mount Sinai Health System. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on philanthropy to advance compassionate patient care, groundbreaking research, and medical education. Your generosity helps make conversations like this possible—and fuels the work behind them. To learn more or make a gift, visit give.mountsinai.org. 

Can alcohol increase the risk of breast cancer? In this episode of The Vitals, Dr. Elisa Port, Chief of Breast Surgery and Director of Mount Sinai’s Dubin Breast Center, breaks down the science, risks, and what every patient should know.

Dr. Port brings her expertise as a nationally recognized breast surgeon and leader in breast cancer research to shed light on what patients, families, and the public need to know about this important connection.

🔗 Visit the Dubin Breast Center: Dubin Breast Center at Mount Sinai

🔗 Watch more episodes of The Vitals: The Vitals YouTube Channel

🔗 Explore Mount Sinai’s other podcast: Road to Resilience

#BreastCancer #AlcoholAndCancer #TheVitalsPodcast #MountSinai #DubinBreastCenter

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

Follow the Mount Sinai Podcast Network on Instagram at @mountsinaipodcasts, and on Facebook under the Mount Sinai Podcast Network!  

If this episode inspired you, please consider supporting the Mount Sinai Health System. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on philanthropy to advance compassionate patient care, groundbreaking research, and medical education. Your generosity helps make conversations like this possible—and fuels the work behind them. To learn more or make a gift, visit give.mountsinai.org. 

Mount Sinai experts explore how cutting-edge technology — from brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) to AI-powered imaging — is transforming neurosurgery and patient care.

Discover how BCIs turn thought into movement, how AI can spot strokes in minutes, and how neuro-navigation helps surgeons operate with unprecedented precision.

Featuring:

• Dr. Joshua Bederson — Chair of Neurosurgery, Mount Sinai Health System
• Dr. Ignacio Saez — Neuroscientist and BCI Researcher, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai 
• Dr. Amish Doshi, Professor of Radiology and Neurosurgery, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
• Leslie Schlachter, PA-C — Chief Physician Assistant, Neurosurgery, Mount Sinai Hospital

🎧 Subscribe to The Vitals and explore more podcast programming from Mount Sinai for expert conversations on the biggest issues in medicine, research, and patient care: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLCT7BA-HcHliU8QIXyuk_74L_uH0gyKGt

Follow the Mount Sinai Podcast Network on Instagram at @mountsinaipodcasts, and on Facebook under the Mount Sinai Podcast Network!  

If this episode inspired you, please consider supporting the Mount Sinai Health System. As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, we rely on philanthropy to advance compassionate patient care, groundbreaking research, and medical education. Your generosity helps make conversations like this possible—and fuels the work behind them. To learn more or make a gift, visit give.mountsinai.org.