the NUANCE // a community health podcast.

Dr. Steven Lasee is a toxicologist with expertise in risk assessment, chemical fate and transport, exposure, and the Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) chemical group. Dr. Lasee has advised and worked with several state and federal government agencies including the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection on projects surrounding PFAS and PFAS contamination. Dr. Lasee has given several presentations on PFAS exposure to the EPA and at national Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry conferences. Dr. Lasee’s focus is on understanding human and environmental exposure to toxicants. This has been accomplished by focusing on exposure and how chemicals move through the environment.

Dr. Marc Milstein, a scientist specializing in brain health, provides actionable tips for a healthier brain. Topics include factors and steps to prevent Alzheimer's, the link between neurological diseases and mental health, debunking misinformation, and the role of gut health in optimal brain health.

Gregory Scott Brown, M.D.,  is a board-certified psychiatrist, a contributing columnist for Men's Health magazine, and an affiliate faculty member at the University of Texas Dell Medical School. His first book, The Self-Healing Mind: An Essential Five-Step Practice for Overcoming Anxiety and Depression, and Revitalizing Your Life was published in June 2022 for Harper Wave. Dr. Brown believes we can work together to fight mental health stigma by having open and honest conversations about mental health. He is an advocate for evidence-based integrative care that includes incorporating exercise, mindfulness, meditation, and nutrition with standard-of-care treatments for mental illness. Dr. Brown completed a fellowship in integrative medicine at the Academy of Integrative Health and Medicine, specialty training in general psychiatry at the University of Texas Dell Medical School, and received an M.D. from the McGovern Medical School in Houston. Prior to his transition to medicine, Dr. Brown studied music at The Juilliard School in New York. Follow Dr. Brown on social media @gregorysbrownmd. ------ Today, we talk about the state of mental health today and how he has seen it change during his practice. We  talk about the 5 pillars of self care. We discuss the importance of purpose, balance, and contentment. Dr. Brown’s book The Self-Healing Mind is such an important read, giving us tools to help prevent and address our anxiety and depression on a daily basis.

Rob Hopkins is a cofounderTransition Network, and the author of The Transition Handbook, and most recently, From What Is to What If: unleashing the power of imagination to create the future we want. He hosts the wonderful podcast series ‘From What If to What Next‘ which invites listeners to send in their “what if” questions and then explores how to make them a reality.   In 2012, he was voted one of the Independent’s top 100 environmentalists and was on Nesta and the Observer’s list of Britain’s 50 New Radicals. Rob is an inspiring speaker, who has spoken at TEDGlobal and three TEDx events. His ideas and perspective on imagination are crucial today in order to solve our most pressing issues, like climate change. He is thoughtful, open-minded, and imaginative.  He blogs at transtionnetwork.org and robhopkins.net and tweets at @robintransition. Follow us on TikTok @medicineexplained and IG @medicine.explained. If you want to search our entire library of video explainers - go to our Youtube @MedicineExplained

Christopher Palmer, MD received his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine. He did his internship and psychiatry residency at McLean Hospital, Massachusetts General Hospital, and Harvard Medical School. He is currently the Director of the Department of Postgraduate and Continuing Education at McLean Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.For the past 25 years, he has been an academic physician with administrative, research, educational, and clinical roles.Dr. Palmer has been involved in psychiatric research for over 23 years. He has served as a research physician in the Behavioral Psychopharmacology Research Laboratory and the Sleep Research Laboratory, both at McLean Hospital, where he worked with teams pursuing wide-ranging research in the areas of addiction and sleep.Most recently, his research interests have turned to the areas of metabolism, metabolic disorders, and their connection to mental disorders. Interestingly, the connections are widespread and span across numerous mental and metabolic disorders. He is focused on combining and understanding epidemiological data, basic science research, and clinical studies in order to better understand what role metabolism plays in mental illness.Link to Dr. Palmer's book: https://www.chrispalmermd.com/

Dr. Rose Goldman, MD, MPH is Associate Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and Associate Professor of Environmental Health at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She is the founding Chief of Occupational; Environmental Medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance, and currently Director of Faculty Affairs for the Department of Medicine. Her career has combined clinical occupational and environmental medicine (focus on toxicology) with public health and education, and has authored numerous publications.

Dr. Scott Stoll is the co-founder of The Plantrician Project, The International Journal of Disease Reversal and Prevention, and the Regenerative Health Institute, a unique collaborative project with the Rodale Institute that integrates a regenerative vision for human health, agriculture, and the environment. He is a member of the Google FoodLab, serves on the advisory board at Whole Foods for their healthcare clinics and served as a member of the Whole Foods Scientific and Medical Advisory Board. Every year, Dr. Stoll hosts the very popular one week health immersion, Dr. Stoll’s Total Health Immersion and helps attendees restore and optimize their health, overcome addictions, and develop a sustainable regenerative lifestyle. Dr. Stoll has authored several books, scientific articles, and featured in numerous documentaries. As well as being a published author and member of the 1994 Olympic Bobsled Team, he is a highly sought-after international speaker. https://plantricianproject.org/

Greg Dalton founded Climate One at The Commonwealth Club in 2007 after traveling to the Russian Arctic on a global warming symposium with climate scientists and journalists. Today Climate One produces a weekly radio show broadcast on public stations in California and across the country in addition to a podcast that is heard around the world. Greg also hosts a monthly TV show on KRCB TV 22 on Comcast and DirecTV. Climate One is the only regular talk show that engages high-level leaders from business, policy, advocacy and academic circles in a conversation about building sustainable economies, resilient communities and a healthier future.

Ellen Vora, MD is a board-certified psychiatrist, acupuncturist, and yoga teacher, and she is the author of The Anatomy of Anxiety. She takes a functional medicine approach to mental health—considering the whole person and addressing imbalance at the root. Dr. Vora received her B.A. from Yale University and her M.D. from Columbia University. We speak about the root causes of mental health and some interventions that we can take to prevent anxiety. We talk about the nuance of psychiatric medication and the holistic approach she takes to mental health. We talk about the mind body connection and how the mind is always informing physical health and our physical health from things like diet, toxicants, or sleep can affect our mental health.

Dr. Yuria Celidwen, PhD is a native of Indigenous Nahua and Maya descent, born in Chiapas, Mexico. She received a Ph.D. and focuses on the intersection of Indigenous studies, cultural psychology, and contemplative science. From her work, she is uncovering Indigenous contemplative practices from the world, and finding their place in contemplative studies. She works at the United Nations to support international humanitarian efforts for the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. Her specific concentration is the advancement of Indigenous peoples’ rights and the rights of the Earth. She also teaches Indigenous epistemologies and spirituality and her work pioneered the Indigenous contemplative experience within contemplative studies. Medicine Explained is 501(3)(c) organization dedicated to increasing health literacy - by meeting people where they're at on social media and podcasts. It's run by Dr. Daniel Villavecer MD, MS and Dr. Amanda d'Almeida MD, MPH. Please contact us if you would like to help us continue to produce free educational content for everyone.