Progress, Potential, and Possibilities Podcast / Show

Send us Fan Mail Dr Yu Shrike Zhang PhD is Assistant Professor at Harvard Medical School and Associate Bioengineer at Brigham and Women's Hospital Dr. Zhang's research interests include symbiotic tissue engineering, 3D bio-printing, organ-on-a-chip technology, biomaterials, regenerative engineering, bioanalysis, nanomedicine, and biology. His scientific contributions have been recognized by over 40 regional, national and international awards. He has been invited to deliver more than 110 lectures worldwide, and has served as reviewer for more than 500 manuscripts for as many as 50 journals. Dr. Zhang is serving as Editor-in-Chief for Microphysiological Systems, and is Associate Editor for Bio-Design and Manufacturing, Nano Select, Aggregate, and Essays in Biochemistry. He is also on the Editorial Board of Biofabrication, Bioprinting, Advanced Healthcare Materials, Discover Materials, BMC Biomedical Engineering, Materials Today Bio, and Chinese Chemical Letters, the Editorial Advisory Board of Heliyon and Biomicrofluidics, the International Advisory Board of Advanced NanoBiomed Research and Advanced Materials Technologies, and the Advisory Panel of Nanotechnology. Dr. Zhang has his PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology / Emory, his M.S. in Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, and his B.Eng. in Biomedical Engineering Southeast University in China. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Today we are going to discuss the topic drug enforcement from a very interesting technological angle. Brian Drake, is the Director of Artificial Intelligence for the Defense Intelligence Agency's (DIA) Directorate of Science and Technology. Mr. Drake works with the DIA’s Future Capabilities and Innovation Office, and he also leads an initiative to test the effectiveness of different applications of artificial intelligence at solving various mission problems, including using AI to combat the opioid crisis with a DIA program known as SABLE SPEAR. Previous to this role Brian was a Senior Intelligence Analyst and Branch Chief in the DIA’s Americas and Transregional Threats Center (ATTC) and prior to joining ATTC, Mr. Drake was a Management Analyst with DIA's Chief of Staff. For DIA's intelligence analysis mission, he has worked worldwide targets in narcotics, emerging and disruptive technologies, and weapons of mass destruction. Mr. Drake was stationed in the Pentagon as an Intelligence Briefer in the Executive Support Office, served on the Information Review Task Force, and has led several interagency technical and counterterrorism intelligence teams. Prior to his time in DIA, Mr. Drake was a management consultant at Deloitte and Toffler Associates where he served commercial clients in various industries and government clients at the ODNI, FBI, CIA, NSA, and the US State Department. Apart from his government service, Brian is the President and CEO of the Defense Intelligence Memorial Foundation; a scholarship fund for the children of fallen defense intelligence officers. He is a graduate of Mercer University and earned a Master’s degree in Strategic Studies from Georgetown University. Support the show

Send us Fan MailThe Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development (https://www.humandevelopment.va/it.html​) was established at the Vatican, by the Holy Father, Pope Francis, in 2016, and deals with a range of issues concerning migrants, refugees and victims of slave trade, human trafficking, justice and peace, the progress of peoples, the promotion and protection of dignity and human rights, disarmament and armed conflicts, as well as their tragic consequences on civilians and the natural environment. Since 1st of January 2017, the Dicastery has been created merging the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the Pontifical Council Cor Unum, the Pontifical Council for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People, and the Pontifical Council for Health Care Workers. The Dicastery includes the Commission for Charity, the Commission for Ecology and the Commission for Health Care Workers, each operating according to its norms. Cardinal Dr. Michael Czerny, S.J. serves as Under-Secretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. Cardinal Dr. Czerny entered the Society of Jesus in English Canada in 1963, and was ordained in 1973. He did graduate studies at the University of Chicago in an inter-disciplinary program in humanities, social thought and theology and earned the doctorate in 1978. Dr. Czerny was the founding director of the Jesuit Centre for Social Faith and Justice, Toronto (1979 – 1989). After the 1989 assassination of the Jesuits at the Central American University (UCA) in San Salvador, he became Director of its Human Rights Institute (1990 – 1991) and Vice-Rector of the UCA (1991). For 11 years Dr. Czerny served as Secretary for Social Justice at the Jesuit General Curia, Rome (1992 – 2002). In 2002, he founded the African Jesuit AIDS Network (AJAN), which assists Jesuits to respond to the HIV/AIDS pandemic; he directed AJAN for 8 years. From 2010-2016, Fr. Czerny worked with Cardinal Peter Turkson, President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, as his advisor or counselor. From 1 January 2017 he has served as Under-Secretary of the Migrants and Refugees Section of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. On October 4, 2019, Fr. Czerny was consecrated titular archbishop of Benevento by Pope Francis, who on October 5 created him cardinal deacon of St. Michael the Archangel.Support the show

Send us Fan Mail The National Security Innovation Network (NSIN) is a United States Department of Defense (DoD) program office, under the Defense Innovation Unit, that seeks to create new communities of innovators to solve national security problems. NSIN partners with national research universities and the venture community to reinvigorate civil-military technology collaboration. As opposed to making investments in specific technologies, government R&D programs, or startups, NSIN focuses on human capital innovation, specifically developing and enabling innovators and human-centered networks. NSIN provides tools, training, and access to DoD assets that enable entrepreneurs and intrapreneurs to develop and commercialize high potential products in the national interest. Morgan Plummer is the Managing Director of the National Security Innovation Network at the U.S. Department of Defense. Prior to his appointment as Managing Director, Morgan served as the Senior Advisor to the Director of the NSIN and was a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at National Defense University in Washington, D.C. Prior to joining NSIN, Morgan served as a senior defense official in the Obama Administration, departing in April 2016 as the Senior Advisor to the Undersecretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness. As the senior public policy advisor and principal deputy to the Department’s chief human resources officer, Morgan helped oversee a bold set of sweeping and progressive reforms, including the full integration of women into ground combat units, the repeal of the ban against open transgender service and Secretary of Defense Ash Carter’s signature set of civilian, and military personnel policy reforms, collectively referred to as the “Force of the Future” initiative. Before his role at Personnel and Readiness, Morgan served as the Special Assistant and Deputy Chief of the Staff to the Under Secretary of the US Army. While there, he focused on strategic planning, improving the organizational design of the Army’s headquarters and refining its business processes. Morgan joined the Obama Administration after almost 12 years on active duty in the United States Army, where he served in a variety of command and staff assignments and completed multiple combat tours. Morgan has received numerous meritorious service and achievement medals, been decorated for valor and received the Office of the Secretary of Defense Medal for Exceptional Public Service. In addition to his military and civilian awards, Morgan holds a BS degrees from Michigan State University (Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement Administration) and a masters Georgetown University (Policy Management). He also serves as the Executive Director of the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum (DEF), a non-profit dedicated to enabling a culture of innovation in the US national security community. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail The 711th Human Performance Wing, under the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory leads the development, integration, and delivery of Airman-centric research, education, and consultation enabling the U.S. Air Force to achieve responsive and effective global vigilance, global reach, and global power now and in the future. It’s comprised of the United States Air Force School of Aerospace Medicine and the Airman Systems Directorate, whose science and technology competencies include Training, Adaptive Warfighter Interfaces, Bioeffects, Bioengineering, and Aerospace and Operational Medicine. The Individualized Neural Learning System, or iNeuraLS, is a new augmented learning platform that will enable rapid learning by closed-loop modulation of cognitive states during skill acquisition. Essentially, the AFRL team seeks to develop a capability that will give Airmen the ability to rapidly acquire knowledge and skills on the fly through direct brain interfaces with the help of neurotechnologies. And we have not 1, but 2 fascinating guests on the show with us today: Dr. Nathaniel Bridges serves as the Neural Interfaces Team Lead within the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Cognitive Neuroscience Section. In this role, he and his team seek to find and enable ways to link the human brain/nervous system with technology in a manner that will benefit the Air Force. This in part relies on testing and evaluating current and emerging Brain Machine/Computer Interface technologies for the Air Force and investigating the impact of various neuromodulation technologies on cognitive performance. Dr. Bridges has his PhD. in Biomedical Engineering, from Drexel University, in Philadelphia, PA USA. Dr. Gaurav Sharma, a member of the scientific and professional cadre of senior executives, is the Senior Scientist for Cognitive Neuroscience, 711th Human Performance Wing. He serves as the principal scientific authority and independent researcher in the field of cognitive neuroscience and is in charge of initiating, planning, coordinating, evaluating and conducting research and development that increases the Air Force capabilities relative to this critical technological area. Dr. Sharma has his PhD. in Mechanical Engineering, from Northeastern University, in Boston, MA, USA. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Dr. Bruce Greyson is the Chester Carlson Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry and Neurobehavioral Sciences at the University of Virginia (UVA), the Former Director of UVA's Division of Perceptual Studies, and has been widely acknowledged the father of research in the area of near-death experiences (NDE). He was previously on the medical faculty at the University of Michigan and the University of Connecticut, where he was Clinical Chief of Psychiatry. Dr. Greyson has consulted with the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and has addressed symposia on NDE, and the broader theme of consciousness, at wide range of venues from the United Nations, to an audience with the Dalai Lama. He has earned awards for his medical research and was elected a Distinguished Life Fellow of the American Psychiatric Association, the highest honor bestowed by that organization. Dr. Greyson’s interest in near-death experiences began just a few months after graduating from medical school, with a fascinating case of an unconscious patient in the emergency room who stunned him the next morning with an account of leaving her body. That event challenged his beliefs about the mind and the brain, and ultimately led him on a journey to study near-death experiences scientifically, leading to more than a hundred publications in medical journals. Dr. Greyson co-founded the International Association for Near-Death Studies (IANDS), an organization to support and promote research into these experiences, and for 27 years edited the Journal of Near-Death Studies, the only scholarly journal dedicated to near-death research. Through his research, he has discovered common and universal themes in near-death experiences that go beyond neurophysiological or cultural interpretations, as well as patterns of consistent aftereffects on individuals’ attitudes, beliefs, values, and personalities. Dr. Greyson is the author of "After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal About Life and Beyond", as well as co-author of "Irreducible Mind", and co-editor of "The Handbook of Near-Death Experiences". Support the show

Send us Fan Mail The Marcus Institute of Integrative Health was established in Philadelphia in 2017 by Thomas Jefferson University and Jefferson Health, and a multi-million $$$ grant from the Marcus Foundation (headed by it’s Chairman, Bernie Marcus, Co-Founder of The Home Depot) to expand the research, education and clinical care profile of Jefferson’s integrative medicine program, and to set the international standard of excellence in evidence-based, patient-centered integrative care. The institute features a novel curriculum focusing on the clinical applications of integrative medicine with an emphasis on functional biochemistry, nutrient-based therapies, mind-body neuroscience, novel mechanisms of healing and emerging therapies. Dr. Daniel Monti, MD, MBA is the Founding Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Marcus Institute of Integrative Health - Jefferson Health. He is also Professor and Founding Chair of the historic, first-ever Department of Integrative Medicine and Nutritional Sciences, Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University. Dr. Monti received his MD from The State University of New York at Buffalo School of Medicine. His Postdoctoral work was in the Research Scholars Program, Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior, at Jefferson Medical College. Dr. Monti works closely with his colleagues in the institute and department to continuously expand, refine, and define Integrative Medicine at Jefferson, including innovative clinical programs of excellence, cutting edge medical education, and world-class research. Dr. Monti has dozens of journal publications, international presentations, and media appearances. He's also an accomplished author with books including: "Integrative Psychiatry and Brain Health" (Weil Integrative Medicine Library) and "The Great Life Makeover: Weight, Mood, and Sex". His newest book, "Tapestry of Health: Weaving Wellness into Your Life Through the New Science of Integrative Medicine", which was co-written with Dr. Anthony J. Bazzan, was just released in August 2020. Support the show

Send us Fan MailNeuromodulation is defined as "the alteration of nerve activity through targeted delivery of a stimulus, such as electrical stimulation or chemical agents, to specific neurological sites in the body". It is carried out to normalize – or modulate – nervous tissue function. Neuromodulation is an evolving therapy that can involve a range of electromagnetic stimuli such as a magnetic field, an electric current, or a drug instilled directly in the sub-dural space (i.e. intra-thecal drug delivery). Emerging applications involve targeted introduction of genes or gene regulators and light (optogenetics), but most clinical experience has been with electrical stimulation. Existing and emerging neuromodulation treatments also include application in medication-resistant epilepsy, chronic head pain conditions, and functional therapy ranging from bladder and bowel or respiratory control, to improvement of sensory deficits, such as hearing and vision. Neuromodulation therapy has been investigated for other chronic conditions, such as Alzheimer's disease, depression, chronic pain, and as an adjunctive treatment in recovery from stroke. Dr. Amílcar dos Santos, is a practicing Psychiatrist at the Psychiatry Service of Hospital Vila Franca de Xira, in Lisbon, Portugal, with expertise in Neuromodulation / Neurostimulation, Hospitalization of acute patients, Psychiatric Emergency Service, Outpatient Psychiatry, Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and Psychoeducation for Bipolar Disease. Dr. dos Santos has a Degree in Medicine from the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Lisbon (FMUL) and Post-Graduate in Neuroscience at FMUL. He also interned at the Department of Neurobiology at Duke University, USA, in 2013/14, at the Nicolelis lab, with a focus on studies on brain-machine interfaces, acquiring surgical skills for implanting electrodes in the brain and spinal cord, and has performed a range behavioral research experiments on organisms studying real-time analysis of brain activity, doing respective data analysis techniques, as well as participating in spinal cord stimulation in the treatment / reduction of convulsive activity and in epilepsy. Dr. dos Santos is also a lecturer in Psychiatry at NOVA Medical School, Lisbon. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Spider silk is a protein fiber spun by spiders, which they use to make webs or other structures, which function as sticky nets to catch other animals, or as nests or cocoons to protect their offspring, or to wrap up prey. They can also use their silk to suspend themselves, to float through the air, or to glide away from predators. Each spider and each type of silk has a set of mechanical properties optimized for their biological function, but in particular, their dragline silks, have exceptional mechanical properties. They exhibit a unique combination of high tensile strength and extensibility which enables a silk fiber to absorb a large amount of energy before breaking with this estimated tensile strength several times that of steel. Alex Greenhalgh, is the CEO, Spintex, a spin-out from the University of Oxford, pushing the boundaries of bio-inspired spinning and silk materials to provide much needed solution in sustainable and technical textiles. Alex is a biologist and programmer with a working background in microbiology, clinical trials with a focus on GCP compliance, and silk and protein science where he has been a research assistant in the Oxford Silk Group for the last three-years. His research experience includes characterization of liquid silks and fibres with techniques such as rheology, fluorimetry, calorimetry, electrophoresis and tensile testing. Support the show

Send us Fan Mail Today we are joined by none other than the “Father of Biohacking” himself, bestselling author, award-winning podcast host, and serial entrepreneur, Dave Asprey, Founder & Chairman, of the Bulletproof 360, a high performance coffee and food company, and creator of the widely popular Bulletproof Coffee. He is a three-time New York Times bestselling author, host of the Webby award-winning podcast Bulletproof Radio, and has been featured on the Today show, Fox News, Nightline, CNN, and dozens more. Over the last two decades Dave, has worked with world-renowned doctors, researchers, scientists and global mavericks to uncover the latest, most innovative methods, techniques and products for enhancing mental and physical performance. Dave has personally spent over $2 million taking control of his own biology – pushing the bounds of human possibility all in the name of science, evolution and revolution. He’s also creator of the Bulletproof Diet, Collagen Protein supplements and many more advances in commercial wellness products. Dave’s mission is to empower the entire globe with information and knowledge that unlocks the Super Human in everyone at any age. Dave earned his undergraduate degree in computer information systems from California State University and later earned an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. Support the show