Progress, Potential, and Possibilities Podcast / Show

Send us Fan MailDr. Julie Fratantoni is a cognitive neuroscientist at the Center for BrainHealth (https://brainhealth.utdallas.edu/), part of the University of Texas at Dallas. At the center, Dr. Fratantoni is the Head of Operations for a landmark research study called The BrainHealth Project, which is all about teaching people strategies for how to maximize their brain performance, and it’s her focus to educate and train individuals to operate at their highest capacity, reduce stress, achieve their goals, and be the best version of themselves. Dr. Fratantoni also leads the center’s Kindness Enterprise, a research and translational program seeking to uncover and harness the brain’s capacity for kindness, empathy, and compassion as critical components of overall brain health and well-being. Dr. Fratantoni is also a licensed Speech Language Pathologist, board certified in biofeedback, and trained in mindfulness and breathing techniques. Dr. Fratantoni has a PhD Communication Sciences and Disorders, and an MS in Communication Disorders from The University of Texas at Dallas and a BS Speech Language and Hearing Sciences from University of Arizona.Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Jamie L. Wells, MD, FAAP, is an Adjunct Professor at Drexel University’s School of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Health Systems, where she has been involved in helping to spearhead the nation's first-degree program focused on pediatric engineering, innovation, and medical advancement. She just co-authored an article in the journal Artificial Organs on this newly emerging applied science. Dr. Wells is an award-winning Board-certified pediatrician with many years of experience caring for patients. With her BA with Honors from Yale, and her MD from Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia, PA, where she was President of the Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society, she has served as a Clinical Instructor/Attending at NYU Langone, Mt. Sinai-Beth Israel and St. Vincent's Medical Centers in Manhattan. Dr. Wells also serves as Director of the Research Science Institute (RSI), at the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE), a non-profit, 501(c)(3) organization, collaboratively sponsored with MIT which brings together top U.S. and international high school students for an intensive, six-week summer program that provides students with the opportunity to conduct original, cutting-edge research. Dr. Wells is on the leadership council of the Wistar Institute (the USA's first independent biomedical research facility and certified cancer center), an Ambassador in Healthcare for the Global Blockchain Business Council, was a grant reviewer for the Susan G. Komen Community Grants Program, judged both the local, district and world robotics championships for Dean Kamen’s F.I.R.S.T. (For Inspiration & Recognition of Science & Technology) nonprofit and is the President and Founder of the Yale Alumni Health Network (YAHN). Dr. Wells has a proven track record of success in communications on various platforms (e.g. BBC, Reuters TV, Fox News Channel, Discovery Health), routinely appearing as a medical expert and has published over 400 articles as director of medicine for an educational advocacy nonprofit. Dr. Wells has broad ranging interests in patient safety and optimizing care delivery, bioethics, public health and policy, science communications, med-tech innovation, diagnosis and management of disease, identifying healthcare trends, bridging interdisciplinary knowledge gaps to prevent medical error and expedite discovery, thought integration of clinical practice and biomedical engineering approaches with an emphasis on patient-centered design, debunking medical myths and pediatrics. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Jacob Walthour, Jr. is the CEO and Co-Founder of the investment firm Blueprint Capital Advisors, which offers investment advisory and portfolio management services, managing $1.2 billion of clients wealth. Mr. Walthour has over 30 years of experience in capital markets, traditional and alternative asset management. Prior to founding Blueprint, Mr. Walthour served as Vice Chairman of Product and Business Development at the investment management division of Cowen & Company, also serving on the firm’s Management Committee. Previously, Mr. Walthour served as Managing Director of Cliffwater LLC, a leading provider of alternatives consulting, serving on the firm’s Investment Committee and responsible for client consulting. Prior to joining Cliffwater, Mr. Walthour was a Partner and Managing Director at Citadel Investment Group where he managed the firm’s North American distribution effort. Mr. Walthour received his BA cum laude from the Nelson Rockefeller School at the State University of New York at Albany. Mr. Walthour serves on several corporate boards including Parkview Capital Credit, Inc., Transportation Demand Management LLC. and chaired Ebony Media Holdings through its recent sale. He has also served, or is currently serving, on the boards of several non-profit and philanthropic organizations including the Investment Committee for $7 billion Margaret A. Cargill Philanthropy, the Investment Subcommittee of the Girl Scouts of the United States of America, as a Director of the Robert F. Kennedy Center for Human Rights, Trustee for the New York Foundation for the Arts, Director of New York Cares and Trustee of the ECLC School for children and adults with learning disabilities. Mr. Walthour has been a frequent speaker at pension, hedge fund, and alternative investment conferences, and has been featured on CNBC and contributed to a variety of articles in Vanity Fair, The Wall Street Journal, Institutional Investor Alpha, and Bloomberg. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Colonel (Ret) Rosendo “Ross” Guieb, is the Executive Director of the new $200-million George H.W. Bush Combat Development Complex (BCDC) on the Rellis Campus at Texas A&M University. The BCDC was developed to support the Army’s desire for a faster procurement process, hoping to take advantage of technology advances at the rates enjoyed by the commercial and private sectors. The BCDC will include the largest enclosed-tube test facility in the U.S. for hypersonic and laser technologies and expansive laboratories and outdoor test grounds for evaluating experimental ground and air vehicles. Colonel Guieb recently retired from the U.S. Army after serving 29 years and most recently had served as a senior member and executive officer to General John M. Murray, the first commanding general of the Army Futures Command (AFC) which leads transformation of Army modernization in order to provide future war fighters with the concepts, capabilities and organizational structures they need to dominate a future battlefield. Colonel Guieb served two tours of duty in Iraq and one in Afghanistan in addition to a brigade command at Fort Hood, TX and multiple deployments in Honduras and Panama. He also worked at the Pentagon, where he was executive officer to then-under-secretary of the Army Ryan McCarthy, who also served as the 24th secretary of the Army. Colonel Guieb has a bachelors in international relations and affairs, and multiple master degrees including in education, national security policy, and business administration. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Morten Scheibye-Knudsen is an Associate Professor at the Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, and at the Center for Healthy Aging (CEHA), at the University of Copenhagen. Dr. Scheibye-Knudsen did his MD at the University of Copenhagen and worked briefly as a physician in Denmark and Greenland before turning to science. He did his post-doctoral fellowship at Vilhelm Bohr’s lab at the National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, USA, where he utilized state-of-the art approaches to understand how DNA damage contributes to aging, discovering that neurodegeneration in several premature aging diseases is partly caused by hyperactivation of a DNA damage responsive enzyme called polyADP-ribose polymerase 1 (PARP1). This activation leads to loss of vital metabolites such as Nicotinamide Adenine Dinucleotide (NAD+) and acetyl-CoA. Importantly, this discovery facilitated the realization that we can intervene in the aging process by inhibiting PARP1, augmenting NAD+ levels and increasing acetyl-CoA. In his own lab Dr. Scheibye-Knudsen continues to focus on understanding aging by combining machine learning based approaches with wet-lab analyses with the goal of developing interventions for age-associated diseases and perhaps aging itself. Dr. Scheibye-Knudsen is Chief Editor, Frontiers in Aging, and an Advisory Board Member of the Longevity Vision Fund and Molecule Protocol. Support the show

Send us Fan MailDr. Jonathan Chernoff, MD, PhD, is Senior Vice President, Deputy Director, and Chief Scientific Officer, at Fox Chase Cancer Center (https://www.foxchase.org/) where he coordinates and charts the future course of research for the organization. The Hospital of Fox Chase Cancer Center and its affiliates (collectively “Fox Chase Cancer Center”), a member of the Temple University Health System, is one of the leading cancer research and treatment centers in the United States. Founded in 1904 in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first cancer hospitals, Fox Chase was also among the first institutions to be designated a National Cancer Institute Comprehensive Cancer Center in 1974. Dr. Chernoff joined the staff in 1991 as an associate member and was promoted to member with tenure in 1996. In 2002 he was promoted to be a senior member in Fox Chase Cancer Center's Basic Science division, the equivalent of a full professor in a university. A molecular oncologist as well as a board-certified medical oncologist, Dr. Chernoff has a special interest in factors that control cell growth and movement, including oncogenes and anticancer or tumor-suppressor genes, and has made fundamental contributions in this research. Dr. Chernoff earned his MD and his PhD in biochemistry in 1984 at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York City. He completed his residency in internal medicine at the University Health Center of Pittsburgh and a clinical fellowship in medical oncology at Johns Hopkins Oncology Center. He then held a postdoctoral fellowship in cellular and developmental biology at Harvard University before coming to Fox Chase. In recognition of his national reputation in molecular oncology and biochemistry, Dr. Chernoff also holds the Stanley P. Reimann Chair in Oncology.Support the show

Send us Fan MailNora Super is the Senior Director of the Milken Institute Center for the Future of Aging (CFA) (https://milkeninstitute.org/centers/c...) and the Executive Director of the Milken Institute Alliance to Improve Dementia Care (https://milkeninstitute.org/centers/c...). Mr. Super provides strategic direction for the two primary focus areas of CFA: Financial Wellness and Healthy Longevity, and oversees data-driven research, meaningful policy initiatives, and impactful convenings around the world. Launched in 2020, the Alliance to Improve Dementia Care seeks to transform and improve the complex health and long-term care systems that people at risk for and living with dementia must navigate. Ms. Super studied political science at Tulane University and completed her master’s degree in public administration, with a concentration in health policy, at George Washington University, and is a respected thought leader, frequent speaker, and prolific writer on healthy longevity and the economic and social impact of global population aging. In 2019, she authored two major reports: “Reducing the Cost and Risk of Dementia: Recommendations to Improve Brain Health and Decrease Disparities” and “Age-Forward Cities for 2030.” Before joining the Milken Institute, Ms. Super held several key leadership roles in the public and private sectors. In 2014, President Barack Obama appointed Ms. Super Executive Director of the White House Conference on Aging, where she received wide recognition for her nationwide efforts to improve the lives of older Americans. In 2015, Ms. Super was recognized as one of America’s top 50 “Influencers in Aging” by PBS Next Avenue and was the Honoree for Outstanding Service to Medicare Beneficiaries by the Medicare Rights Center. Ms. Super has also held leadership roles at the US Department of Health and Human Services, AARP, Kaiser Permanente, and the National Association of Area Agencies on Aging. Ms. Super serves on several boards, including the Long-Term Quality Alliance, the Brain Health Partnership Advisory Board, the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Advisory Committee on Improving Care Delivery for Individuals with Serious Illness, the Better Medicare Alliance Beneficiary Education Technical Advisory Council, the Brookings Institution and Kellogg School of Management Retirement Security Advisory Board, Columbia University Medical Center’s Health and Aging Policy Fellows Program Steering Committee, Retirement Income Institute’s Scholars Advisory Group, and Gerontological Society of America’s Policy and Aging Report Editorial Board and Reframing Aging Initiative Advisory Board.Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Donna Butts is the Executive Director of Generations United, an organization with a mission to improve the lives of children, youth, and older people through intergenerational collaboration, public policies, and programs for the enduring benefit of all, a position she has held since 1997. For more than 30 years, Ms. Butts has worked tirelessly to promote the well-being of children, youth and older adults through nonprofit organizations across the country and around the world. She began her career in her home state of Oregon as a youth worker with the YWCA, where she worked one-on-one with teens and saw the positive effects of intergenerational programs firsthand. Ms. Butts has held leadership positions with Covenant House, a New York-based international youth serving organization, and the National 4-H Council. She served as the Executive Director for the National Organization on Adolescent Pregnancy, Parenting and Prevention before taking the helm of Generations United. An internationally sought-after speaker, author and advocate, Ms. Butts frequently speaks on intergenerational connections, grandparents raising grandchildren and policies effective across the lifespan. Her commentary has appeared in the New York Times, the Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor and the Wall Street Journal. She has been interviewed on the TODAY Show, National Public Radio and ABC News, and was invited by the United Nations to sit on four expert panels most recently on intergenerational solidarity and social cohesion in preparation for the 2014 20th anniversary of the International Year or the Family. In 2004, Ms. Butts was honored with the National Council on Aging’s Jack Ossofsky for Leadership, Creativity, and Innovation in Programs and Services for Older Persons. She served as a 2005 delegate to the White House Conference on Aging. A respected author, she has written countless articles, chapters and publications regarding the welfare of children, youth and older adults. Ms. Butts received her undergraduate degree from Marylhurst College and is a graduate of Stanford University’s Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders. She is a former chair of the board of the International Consortium of Intergenerational Programmes (ICIP) and serves on the board of the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships. She was recognized three years in a row (2012, 2013 and 2014) by The Nonprofit Times as one of the Top 50 most powerful and influential nonprofit executives in the nation. In 2015, Ms. Butts was named one of the Top 50 Influencers in Aging by Next Avenue. Under her leadership, Generations United received the 2015 Eisner Prize for Excellence in Intergenerational Advocacy. Recently she was honored with one of the 2017 International Federation for Family Development Awards. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail According to the U.S. National Survey on Drug Use and Health, an estimated 20 million American adults battled a full-fledged substance use disorder in 2017. Drug abuse and addiction cost American society more than $740 billion annually in lost workplace productivity, healthcare expenses, and crime-related costs. Mr. Dan Addario spent 3 decades with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA), rising to the role of Special Agent in Charge, the highest-ranking field agent for the DEA under five presidents, heading up anti-drug operations in 13 countries throughout South American, South East Asia, as well as in the U.S. Dan started his career in Philadelphia as one of the nation’s first narcotics undercover agents in 1954 and was involved in the capture of some of the world’s most notorious drug lords, and was even on scene when Panamanian strongman Manuel Noriega was captured by US forces. Dan's list of accomplishments consists of, but is not limited to: - A cultivation of the U.S. strategic relationship with the Panamanian leader, Manuel Noriega, who at the time, was head of police in Panama and fighting the war on drugs with the U.S. , - The chase and capture Auguste Joseph Ricord, the French-Corsican heroin trafficker and one of the founding members of the French Connection, immortalized in the 1970s Gene Hackman movie, - Infiltrating the center of the “Golden Triangle” opium empire of Burmese opium king Khun Sa, - The major drug bust, round up and arrest of dozens of Hell’s Angels, including their head Sonny Barger - The destruction of a dozen of drug guru Timothy Leary’s LSD labs - The drug arrest Ray Charles - Working with special counsel Robert Mueller, Frank Sinatra, and Watergate figures including John Dean and Gordon Liddy Sadly, in 1993 the very scourge he was battling came home and was responsible for taking the life of his son Daniel due to opiate addiction. After he retired from the DEA, Mr. Addario spent some time in the news business working for a San Francisco news station. He has recently published a book entitled "Chasing the Dragon: How to Win the War on Drugs" where is recounts his long history and experience as well as puts forth a range of new ideas as the drug war continues in this millennium. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Brian Kennedy is Distinguished Professor, Department of Biochemistry and Physiology, Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore (NUS), Director of National University Health System (NUHS) Centre for Healthy Ageing, Singapore, Professor, Buck Institute for Research on Ageing, Adjunct Professor, Leonard Davis School of Gerontology, USC, and Affiliate Faculty, Department of Biochemistry, University of Washington. With a Ph.D. in Biology from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), research in the Kennedy lab is directed at understanding the biology of ageing and translating research discoveries into new ways of delaying, detecting, preventing and treating human ageing and associated diseases. Current research projects in Dr. Kennedy's lab include systems biology strategies to understand ageing and murine longevity studies and disease models. Dr. Kennedy has published over 80 manuscripts in prestigious journals including Cell, Nature, Science, Genes & Development, and PNAS and serves as a Co-Editor-In-Chief at Aging Cell. Support the show