Finding Genius Podcast

In the world of diabetes, Khambatta and Barbaro are teaching something that no one else is, and it's working. In this episode, you will learn: What it means to be insulin resistant, and how insulin resistance develops in the body How refined sugar differs from natural sugar in terms of the mechanisms by which they are metabolized and promote insulin secretion in the body Nutrition facts and the best diet for type 1 diabetes (and why it's not what you've been told) How even a small amount of oil can immediately and negatively impact a person who has diabetes "Am I a freak of nature?" That was the one question Khambatta had for his professors while in graduate school for nutritional biochemistry. He'd been diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at the age of 22, put on insulin, and told to adhere to a low-carb diet. Over time, his blood glucose levels rose, he needed an increasing amount of insulin, and the symptoms of type 1 diabetes hadn't subsided; he knew something wasn't right with the prescribed treatment. After conducting his own research on his condition and trying to determine why the recommended treatment didn't seem to be working, he came upon a nutrition professional who advised him to transition to a low-fat, plant-based, whole-foods diet. The result? After one week, Khambatta cut his insulin use by 40% while at the same time consuming six times the amount of carbs that the doctor recommended. Determined to figure out how this was possible—and whether other people with diabetes could benefit in the same way—Khambatta dove deeper into the research on diabetes and discovered a whole collection of papers that described precisely what he was experiencing. Since then, he and Barbaro (who had a very similar experience with type 1 diabetes) have taught thousands of people how to follow in their footsteps by transitioning to a low-fat, whole-foods, plant-based diet. Together, Khambatta and Barbaro have founded Mastering Diabetes, a program that aims to translate the true science of insulin resistance for the people who need it most. "This carbohydrate-insulin model that the diabetes world operates off of—that the more carbohydrates you eat the more insulin you need, and/or the more carbohydrates you eat the fatter you get and the harder your pancreas has to work—that whole story is convoluted and is correct only in very specific situations," explains Khambatta. Tune in to hear the full conversation, and check out the book, Mastering Diabetes: The Revolutionary Method to Reverse Insulin Resistance Permanently in Type 1, Type 1.5, Type 2, Prediabetes, and Gestational Diabetes. Learn more at https://www.masteringdiabetes.org/. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Leigh Rothschild has been inventing and filing for new patents since his teenage years and now has at least 130 patents to his name, mostly technology patents, with about 200 more pending approval. In this podcast he discusses his own entrepreneurship development and today's patent process. He discusses How to monetize patents as well as application logistics such as the difference between non provisional and provisional patents, Legislation over the past decade or so that has devalued the patent market and resulting challenges, and Practical ways to protect your patents and keep in mind beyond the importance of entrepreneurship. In addition to putting his entrepreneurship skills to use through inventions like the technology at the center of Qmage, Inc., Leigh Rothschild also founded a firm called Patent Asset Management. He discusses his years as an inventor and the vast accumulation of patent knowledge he has accumulated in the meantime. He offers listeners solid information about the process of patent applications and how to make the most of your patents. For example, he explains the three ways he's been able to monetize patents: by selling patents to companies around the world, like Apple; by starting businesses that utilize his patents; and by looking for potential licensees for his current patents—in other words, finding people using and/or infringing on them—and getting them to license and pay for them. This last effort extended into him setting up an organization with lawyers and staff to monitor his patents and their uses and licenses and to advise others on making their entrepreneurship ideas a patented reality. He explains the logistics of patent filing for listeners as well as various legislation that has made it easier for others to target and challenge patents. He feels that the U.S. is in fact one of the most patent-unfriendly countries in the world due to legislation in the past few years as well as a Supreme Court case that allowed federal circuit courts to void patents if they think they were given unfairly. He describes ways to work with these challenges and how congress needs legislation to reframe these provisions in a more suitable way. For more, see his company's website at patentmgmt.com and email him at leigh@patentmngmt.com. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Dr. Nick West, Chief Medical Officer and Divisional Vice President of Global Medical Affairs, Abbott Vascular at Abbot joins the show to discuss his research on coronary microvascular dysfunction (CMD). In this episode, you'll discover: Where your heart receives its blood supply, and how the answer could lead to a potentially lethal underlying condition affecting almost half of those who suffer from angina (chest pain caused by reduced blood flow to the heart) In what way a temperature sensor plays a critical role in the diagnosis of microvasculature malfunction What could explain why many patients continue to suffer from chest pain even after the placement of a cardiac stent or cardiac bypass surgery About 90% of the heart's blood supply is delivered by the coronary microvasculature, which is composed of tiny vessels 10 to 50 microns in diameter. This leaves just 10% of the blood supply to the three main, large arteries of the heart. Surprisingly, much of the focus in the field of research on coronary health and disease has revolved around the large arteries, and overlooked the importance of the heart's microvasculature. The vessels that make up the coronary microvasculature are too small to be detected on coronary angiogram. Dr West explains how this could account for the fact that about 50% of the patients who end up in a cardiac catheter lab with a presumptive diagnosis of angina don't walk away with a surgical recommendation. In other words, if the typical narrowing of the larger coronary vessels can't be identified, then a patient will be told not to worry, and that a surgical procedure (such as a stent or bypass) isn't necessary. In reality, it's possible that many of these patients suffer from microvascular dysfunction. With the real problem flying under the radar, these patients are left with no way to get better. As a result, they suffer poor quality of life, present recurrently to ERs and specialists, undergo extensive testing to no avail, and are at higher risk of heart attack and death. Dr. West wants to know how microvascular dysfunction can be diagnosed, and whether a treatment can be developed. Essential to diagnosing it is a tool called a pressure wire, which is used to measure the pressure gradient across the coronary artery. There are several on the market, but none like the one Dr. West has helped develop; it has a temperature sensor, which allows for thermodilution tests to be performed. This test measures the time it takes for a room-temperature bolus of saline to reach the temperature sensor on the pressure wire from the top of the coronary artery. The tighter the microvascular circulation, the longer it will take for the bolus to reach the sensor. Tune in to hear Dr. West explain all of this and more. Find further information and read the white paper at https://www.cardiovascular.abbott/us/en/campaigns/beyond-intervention.html. Dr. West's blog: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ugcPost-6683355388731027456-BgEu/ that announces the launch of Coroventis. The full report and announcement of the recently launched "Beyond Intervention" global research. New Research Finds Physicians and Patients Point to Emerging Technology and Data as Central to Closing Treatment Gaps and Improving Vascular Health New research found physicians and patients agree that there are widening gaps in vascular disease treatment[ii] 55% of physicians from nine countries around the globe say the shortage of time to spend with each patient is the biggest challenge to improving the patient experience and delivering better outcomes 72% of patients want more personalized care More than 80% of physicians and more than 90% of hospital administrators agree that advances in diagnostic and treatment technologies have led to tangible improvements in patient care Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Amy Waterman directs the Transplant Research and Education Center at UCLA. She works with patients navigating any disease of the kidney and helps educate them on corresponding choices, from dialysis treatment to getting on a transplant list. She discusses How the general process works as a patient enters their center, from considering treatment options to seeking a donor, What the statistics are in the donor-transplant relationship and the range of donor options, and How the physical process works for transplantation and what are risk factors compared to the dialysis process. In addition to directing the Transplant Center, Amy D. Waterman is a Professor in Residence at the University of California in Los Angeles in the division of nephrology. She's a psychologist with an expertise on managing patient behavior toward healthy goals. At the center, she works alongside nephrologists and other professionals to guide patents through choices and the complicated process of facing kidney disease. She researches and tests methods that might help educate and engage patients and evaluates how to work more effectively with providers. She describes for listeners the process a patient moves through, from typical questions they have to choices they can make, and for those that need a transplant, how to enter into searches for a donation from family members to strangers to someone who has passed away. She adds that there is a donor contingent called non-directed donors. These are strangers who step forward and offer a kidney as a living donor. In fact, over 6,000 living people donate a kidney each year. Dr. Waterman also describes the physical process of donation, what might be in the works for kidney disease cures, and how she became involved with this important work in the first place. Find out more about her work at exploretransplant.org or explorelivingdonation.org. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Dr. Pamela Smith is Director of Medical Education at the American Academy of Anti-Aging. She shares insight on her areas of expertise: thyroid disease, and female hormones. Tune in to learn: Why it's not sufficient to only check thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in order to assess optimal thyroid function Why only two (rather than all three) types of estrogen are replaced when a woman has low levels Which hormone could be considered the "master precursor" of hormones, and which could be considered the conductor of the hormonal symphony in the body Many women hear the word 'estrogen' and immediately associate it with negative health consequences. The truth is that estrogen has over 400 important functions in a woman's body, affecting everything from hearing and blood sugar levels, to blood pressure and memory. Dr. Smith explains the three types of estrogen in the body, what sort of symptoms can arise when there is a hormonal imbalance between progesterone and estrogen, the best way to measure most hormones in the body, and what to test for in order to get the entire picture of a patient's thyroid health. She also shares her personal experience with low progesterone, tells anecdotal stories of patients she's been able to help, and discusses more broadly the importance and role of hormones in the body—whether female or male. "We want people to live to be 100, but more importantly, we want people to live to be a healthy 100 years of age." She explains that by running the right tests to get to the root of a problem, anti-aging medicine can lead people to the treatment they need. In addition, preventative medicine through good lifestyle choices and the right balance of all hormones in the body can slow aging, reverse or slow the progression of diseases, and ultimately enhance our quality and length of life. For more information on these topics, check out the following books authored by Dr. Smith: -What You Must Know About Thyroid Disease -What You Must Know About Women's Hormones. Feel free to email your questions to faafm63@yahoo.com. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Academic gastrologist Professor Stefan Schreiber is both a clinician and researcher exploring inflammatory bowel disease treatment. In this podcast, he discusses Why a patient may experience inflammatory bowel disease symptoms long before they present with classic indications for an inflammatory bowel disease diagnosis, What statistical relevance human genetics and genomics play in predicting the disease occurrence and other efforts to explore inflammatory bowel disease causes, and How scientists are working to identify predictive biomarkers and other early indicators and challenges to these investigations. Stefan Schreiber is professor of medicine and a director of the Clinic for Internal Medicine at Kiel Campus of the University Hospital Schleswig-Holstein. He also leads the Translational Inflammation Research group in the Institute of Clinical Molecular Biology at the university. He helps listeners understand the two main phenotypes of inflammatory bowel disease pathology, namely ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Early indications that an individual may suffer from a form of IBD are lacking, and he along with many other researchers are trying to change this. Understanding both what causes IBD along with who is most likely to get it are key in battling a disease that has major day-to-day implications. He describes challenges to these studies. For example, while 30% of the population have the variant that indicates risk, only 0.5% suffer a lifetime prevalence of bowel disease. So the genetics and genomics impact factor doesn't present helpful odds for predicative purposes. However, many longitudinal studies are underway to get better information, and he describes the basics of their approach and agenda. He says that if they can follow enough patients traveling from health to a manifestation of disease to find new early indicators, that would help a great deal, but these studies have to progress much further along still. He advises listeners on how doctors understand the disease differently now, as less autoimmune and more a defense problem, which indicates microbiome and barrier development. He also discusses how relatively new IBD is and why this makes identifying environmental correlations difficult. For more, see his informational page at the university, ikmb.uni-kiel.de/people/scientists/stefan-schreiber, as well as the page for the Translational Inflammation Research group, ikmb.uni-kiel.de/research/translational-inflammation-research-0 . Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Associate professor and researcher at the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, Bethanie Almroth, joins the show to discuss her research and expertise in ecotoxicology and microplastics pollution. In this episode, you will learn: Roughly how many chemicals are in plastic packaging materials, and under what conditions they could leach out and cause ecotoxicological or adverse human health effects What kinds of plastic materials are being found on beaches and other spaces in the environment in very significant amounts, and what it is about these materials that makes them likely to end up in the environment What are nurdles aka "mermaid tears" and what role do they play in ecotoxicology and environmental health and safety For the past nine years or so, Almroth's work has revolved around microplastics and the effects of plastic pollution on animal and environmental health. She describes her research as having two main tracks: #1 What happens when fish are exposed to microplastics? How do the chemicals in these materials affect their health? #2 Where and how are microplastics released into the environment and how do they travel through food chains? How do we approach the problem of plastic in the environment from a broad, social perspective? "Plastic is not one thing; plastic is many things," says Almroth. The market is dominated by a number of different types of polymers, which are the same polymers found in the environment. According to a report published early this year from China, 350,000 chemicals are registered for sale on the global market. In her own work, Almroth has helped show that there are approximately 1,000 toxic chemicals contained in plastic packaging materials that most of us interact with on a daily basis. Almroth shares what she believes are the most compelling unanswered questions in the field of microplastics pollution and research. Tune in for all the details, and learn more by visiting https://www.gu.se/om-universitetet/hitta-person/bethaniecarney-almroth. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Postdoctoral researcher and medical bioinformatician, Irina Chelysheva, is a member of the Oxford Vaccine Group. Today, she discusses her work and knowledge regarding vaccine research and development. Press play to discover: How the use of next-generation sequencing technology could be used for developing more efficacious vaccines How the transcriptome of a cell differs from the translatome of a cell, and what type of information is conferred by sequencing each What changes with age in terms of the immune response to vaccines (and why certain vaccinations are scheduled at very specific ages) Chelysheva begins by shedding light on what it means to be a bioinformatician and the important role of bioinformatics in science and research. She also explains how next-generation sequencing can be applied to the area of vaccine research and development. For example, a person's human leukocyte antigen (HLA) system could play a role in how effectively a vaccine works for them. Sequencing allows you to see the mutations, HLA, and gene expression by performing RNA/ transcriptome sequencing. It also allows you to distinguish between groups of people who have specific genes or pathways activated and groups of people who do not, which can have implications for how a person will react to a vaccine. Chelysheva also talks about the normal immune response to vaccination and overreactions by the immune system in response to vaccination, and shares the details and findings of her work on vaccines and genetic sequencing. One of the main questions she aims to answer is why T cells might be produced by one organism but not another organism after vaccination. In addition, she discusses why some vaccines fail to work, why they are challenging to develop, her take on a COVID-19 vaccine, Oxford Nanopore Technologies, and more. Check out https://www.ovg.ox.ac.uk/team/irina-chelysheva for more. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Rickettsia characteristics include parasitic behaviors but they are not worms or protozoa. Rather, they are bacteria and are therefore prokaryotes. The rickettsia family consists of obligatory intracellular bacteria that are transmitted by arthropod vectors. In other words, they need to be inside living cells to stay alive. Dr. Walker explains to listeners How rickettsia diseases interact with the immune system in a variety of ways, Why their lack of motility outside of living cells makes rickettsia treatment challenging, and How the typhus group of rickettsia has affected history and how Dr. Walker hopes to develop a vaccine. David H. Walker, MD, is a professor in the Department of Pathology and is the Carmage and Martha Walls Distinguished University Chair in Tropical Diseases and Executive Director of the University of Texas MB Center for Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease. He describes various rickettsia causes and symptoms, from the Orientia tsutsugamushi bacteria transmitted by chiggers to others transmitted by lice and ticks. He explains the means by which scientists determined their inability to live outside of cells and how they are able to observe their invasion and infection with light microscopy. Their pathogenic effect is widespread, and Dr. Walker describes their effects on World War II and the Vietnam War through the lice vector and typhus spread. Rickettsia symptoms and attacks on the immune system vary greatly and he describes several examples in the two main groups of typhus and spotted fever rickettsia. For example, Rocky Mountain spotted fever bacteria are secreted from the saliva of the tick when it bites. The bacteria is then taken into the skin through phagocytic cells, spreads to the lymphatic cells, and drains into the blood stream and infects the endothelium cells all over the body. Dr. Walker has worked with rickettsia for 47 years and his particular focus now is on vaccine research and effective rickettsia treatment. For more, see his web page at the University of Texas Medical Branch, utmb.edu/pathology/faculty-directory/david-h-walker-md, and search his name in research systems for publications. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Dr. Fong Mun Yik has spent the past 10 years working on a malarial parasite that has started infecting humans—the monkey malarial parasite Plasmodium knowlesi. He explains Why this type of malaria cross-over was very rare until the past few decades, How its parasitic infection symptoms mimic the human malarial parasite, P. malariae, and Why a combination of this malaria parasite life cycle and monkey population numbers and habits make it hard to combat. Dr. Fong Mun Yik is a professor in the Department of Parasitology under the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Malaya. He's been working with this parasite that was previously only prevalent in a few species of monkeys as its reservoir host; however, occasions where humans have been infected have been on the rise in the last decade or so. Still transmitted by mosquito, as is the case with all malarial types of parasitic diseases, this cross-infection with monkeys is most likely due to the increased proximity of humans and the long-tailed macaque monkey species in Malaysia. He explains that this monkey malaria, for the past 100 years, has been considered to only infect three monkey species, including the long-tailed macaque. It was therefore not on the list of concerns for human parasitic diseases until recently. Human malaria infections from P. malariae had been eliminated in Malaysia due to programs from the government that controlled the environment. However, he explains that it is all but impossible to eliminate these monkey populations. He explains efforts to control the mosquito population instead as well as efforts to develop a vaccine based on genetic sequencing efforts. For more, see research gate and pub med for his journal articles. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK