39 GEN - a Yo San University podcast

In this episode of the Yo San University 39GEN podcast, host Emily Von Urff sits down with clinician-scientist and acupuncturist Dr. Lisa Taylor-Swanson to explore the powerful intersection of systems thinking, feminism, and East Asian medicine in midlife women’s healthcare. As an "academic unicorn" with 17 years of private practice and a PhD from the University of Washington, Dr. Taylor...

In this episode of the 39GEN  podcast, host Emily sits down with Dr. Andrea Thorpe, acupuncturist, herbalist, and newly appointed faculty member at Yo San University. Andrea shares profound insights from her decades-long journey in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), explaining why it is fundamentally a healing art rather than just a set of clinical protocols. She dives deep into the clinical real...

In this episode of the 39GEN Podcast, Emily sits down with Dr. Anisa Kassim, Chief Academic Officer at Yo San University, to explore her journey through the global healthcare landscape. From serving in Afghani refugee camps and working as a fellow at the CDC to becoming an acupuncturist with a specialty in pediatrics, Anisa shares her unique perspective on why every TCM practitioner is, at their c...

In this special edition of the Yo San University 39GEN Podcast, Emily sits down with CSOMA board members Dr. Julie Tran, Dr. Ra Adcock, and Dr. Robert Hoffman for a deep dive into the ‘perfect storm’ hitting acupuncture schools in 2026. This episode explores the critical impact of the RISE Act and the impending end of Grad Plus loans on July 1st, alongside the controversial California bill AB 2668...

This episode features Dr. Robert Hoffman, President and CEO of Yo San University, in conversation with host 39GEN Emily. Dr. Hoffman shares his remarkable transition from a high-stakes, 30-year career in the music industry—where he worked as a producer and engineer for icons like Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Quincy Jones—to becoming a leader in the field of Chinese medicine. He discusses ho...

Acupuncturist Nicole Lange joins Sean to dive deep into trauma, fertility, and what real whole-person care looks like in practice. Nicole shares her early path into TCM, how personal experiences led her to specialize in reproductive health and trauma, and why she structures care around a 25 percent troubleshoot, 75 percent cultivate-wellness ratio. The two unpack somatic healing, Stephen Porges’s...

Your 39GEN host Sean sits down with veteran clinician and teacher Dr. Jake Fratkin, who has spent 45 years in East Asian medicine. Jake traces his path from 1970s apprenticeships in Chicago with Dr. In-yeon Moon and herbal pharmacy work with fellow YSU colleague Dr. Lau, to translating and co-teaching with Dr. Guo Zhengong, and a life-changing year of hospital training in Beijing. He explains the...

In this episode of the Yo San University 39 Gen Podcast, Sean Trace sits down with Edward Sullivan, Dean of the InfiniChi Medical Qigong Institute and longtime faculty member at Yo San University. Drawing from over 25 years of teaching and decades of clinical practice, Edward shares his journey into Qigong and the profound lessons he has learned about cultivating and working with Qi. From understa...

In this episode of the Yo San University 39Gen Podcast, host Sean Trace sits down with Dr. Aram Akopyan, a medical doctor, licensed acupuncturist, and global advocate for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Dr. Akopyan shares his unique journey from computer science executive to Yo San graduate, TCM practitioner, and eventually MD, offering a rare perspective on how Eastern and Western medicine ca...

In this episode of the Yo San University 39 Gen Podcast, Sean Trace sits down with Johan Hausen, co-founder of Purple Cloud Institute and founder of Purple Cloud Press. A TCM practitioner, martial artist, Taoist, and publisher, Johan shares his fascinating journey from training with the German national Taekwondo team to studying Shaolin Kung Fu and Daoist philosophy in China. The conversation expl...

In this heartfelt and insightful episode of the Yo San University 39Gen Podcast, host Sean Trace sits down with Dr. Joe Sanfilippo, a renowned reproductive endocrinologist from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Together, they explore the evolution of fertility treatment, from home births in the 1970s to today's advanced IVF technologies and AI-driven lab work. Dr. Sanfilippo sh...

In this profound episode of the 39Gen Podcast, we sit down with Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallée, visiting faculty at Yo San University and recipient of the 2019 Blount Distinguished Speaker Award at YSU. Elisabeth is a scholar and practitioner immersed in the classical Chinese medical and philosophical traditions for over 50 years.  She shares her journey from Western academia into the heart of anci...

In this thought-provoking episode of the 39Gen Podcast from Yo San University, Dr. Lisa Conboy, medical sociologist, epidemiologist, and instructor at both Harvard Medical School and Yo San University, joins host Sean Trace to explore the intersection of East Asian medicine, research, and complex systems thinking. With over 30 years of experience studying integrative health approaches, Dr. Conboy...

In this powerful episode of the 39Gen Podcast, Sean Trace sits down with Dr. Laura Erlich, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, fertility specialist, doula, and teacher at Yo San University. Dr. Erlich shares her moving journey from theater to bodywork to Chinese medicine, driven by personal loss and a deep calling to heal. They explore the emotional toll of infertility, the importance of nervo...

In this episode of the 39Gen Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Beck Hoehn, a board-certified reproductive health acupuncturist, medical advisor for UVA, and a leading voice in fertility innovation. We explore her journey from underwater photographer to holistic healer, and how she blends Traditional Chinese Medicine with cutting-edge hormone tracking technology. Dr. Hoehn shares powerful insights on pa...

In this compelling episode of the 39Gen Podcast, Sean Trace interviews Allen Tsaur, acupuncturist, translator, and lecturer in the YSU doctoral program, for an in-depth exploration of classical Chinese medicine. Allen shares his journey from engineering to acupuncture, how the ancient texts like the Nei Jing and Shang Han Lun shaped his clinical approach, and why real healing often means letting g...

In this episode of the Yo San University 39Gen Podcast, Sean Trace sits down with Coleen Smith and Whitney Fessler—two leaders in the field of reproductive acupuncture and current board members of ABORM (The American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine). They explore how integrative fertility care is evolving, the role of ABORM in raising standards for acupuncture practitioners, and why collab...

In this profound episode of the 39Gen Podcast, Sean Trace speaks with Dr. Michael Berletich, faculty member at Yo San University, longtime teacher, and accomplished musician. Dr. Berletich shares his unique path from environmental science and Native American healing traditions into the world of Chinese medicine. The conversation explores themes of internal cultivation, symbolic patient language, a...

In this episode of the Yo San University 39 Gen Podcast , host Sean Trace sits down with acupuncturist and Yo San faculty member Daniel Schrier to explore the profound intersections between cultural anthropology, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), and Taoist philosophy. Daniel shares his early exposure to alternative healing, his global studies of traditional medicine in China, Niger, and Fiji, a...

In this episode of the Yo San University 39Gen Podcast , host Sean Trace welcomes acupuncturist, herbalist, and Yo San faculty member Kerri Westhauser to discuss the depth and complexity of Chinese herbal medicine. Kerri shares her journey into the world of herbalism, emphasizing the importance of vigilance in diagnosis and treatment. She explores how herbs interact, the necessity of constantly ad...

In this insightful episode of the Yo San University 39 Gen Podcast, host Sean Trace sits down with Dr. Mazin Al-Khafaji, a world-renowned doctor of Chinese medicine specializing in dermatology and autoimmune diseases. Dr. Al-Khafaji shares his journey into Chinese medicine, his education in China, and his pioneering work in treating inflammatory skin disorders. Dr. Al-Khafaji has taught in the Yo...

In this enlightening episode of the 39Gen Podcast , host Sean Trace welcomes Brandt Stickley, associate professor at the National University of Natural Medicine and a student of the late Dr. Leon Hammer. Brandt also teaches in the YSU DAOM program. Here they dive into the profound depths of Chinese medicine, discussing Shen Hammer pulse diagnosis, classical acupuncture, and the Shang Han Lun'...

In this episode of the Yo San University 39Gen Podcast , Sean Trace welcomes Dr. Natalie Kilheeney, a Doctor of Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine based in South Bend, Indiana. They delve into Dr. Kilheeney’s inspiring journey from an unfulfilling career to becoming a trailblazer in integrative wellness. She shares her experiences of building a thriving practice with two clinic locations, a 10-acre...

In this episode of the Yo San University 39Gen Podcast, Sean Trace is joined by Chinese Medicine Doctor Cass Naumann for an insightful discussion on the transformative potential of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and Medical Qigong. Cass has taught in the Yo San University doctoral program, and was a featured speaker at the 2022 Yo San University Integrative Reproductive Medicine Symposium. In...

Welcome to the Yo San University 39Gen Podcast! In this episode, Sean Trace interviews Albert Vaca, a Yo San University alumnus and principal practitioner at Tao of Wellness in Pasadena. Albert shares his inspiring journey from Tai Chi and Qi development to becoming a seasoned acupuncturist. Sean and Albert dive into the importance of mentorship, the philosophy of flow, and creating a healing spac...