Both Sides of the Stethoscope

In this episode, Colby and Alin explore the rapidly evolving world of xenotransplantation and what it could mean for patients facing long transplant waitlists. From genetically modified pig organs to early clinical experiences, they discuss the science driving this field forward, the ethical and immunologic challenges that remain, and whether xenotransplantation may serve as a bridge—or an alterna...

In this episode Alin and Colby discuss the recent New York Times Article titled "A Push for More Organ Transplants is Putting Donors at Risk". What did the article get right? What did it get wrong? Is what's written in the article believable or are some things sensationalized? We break it all down for you from two people with intimate knowledge of this process. 

In this reflective episode of Both Sides of the Stethoscope , Colby and Alin dive into the powerful lessons learned not just from being patients—but from caring for them. As both physicians and former patients, they share the moments that reshaped how they practice medicine: the times they felt truly seen, the words that stuck with them, and the everyday acts of humanity that left a lasting impact...

In this episode of  Both Sides of the Stethoscope , we delve into the critical topic of vaccinations for immunocompromised individuals. Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, an infectious disease specialist at UCSF, joins us to discuss measles outbreaks, herd immunity, titers and more! Resources & Further Reading: CDC Guidance on COVID-19 Vaccination for Immunocompromised Individuals:  ( CDC ) CDC's 2025 ...

In this episode Alin and Colby have a discussion with Dr. Ken Sutha, pediatric nephrologist and 2X kidney transplant recipient, and Dr. Silke Niederhaus, abdominal transplant surgeon and 2X kidney transplant recipient. They discuss the organ allocation process, taking donor call, and why organs are accepted for transplant or rejected. This great conversation shines some light on just how nuanced t...

In this episode Dr. Ken Sutha returns to discuss the process of getting listed for transplant. We had previously gotten a listener email asking about this process so we are finally going to discuss it. All three of us have seen the process from the patient side but Ken and Colby now have to get their patients listed as physicians. This is a really fun episode and gives a unique and deeper look int...

Happy Heart Month! Welcome back to the podcast. In this episode Alin and Colby discuss all things cardiovascular health. Alin asks Colby all the common questions they both encounter and Colby does some teaching about medical terminology and how to prevent future heart disease. Take a listen and reach out to us if you have any more questions about the topic. Email: bothsidesofthestethoscope@gmail.c...

In this episode Alin and Colby chat with Dr. Ali Haider. You may know him from his social media accounts as @YourHeartDoc. They discuss Dr. Haider's career path into interventional cardiology and dive into what made him start producing medical education on social media and how to combat and avoid medical misinformation on the internet.

In this episode Alin and Colby have a discussion with Alison Conklin. Alison is a hypertrophic cardiomyopathy patient and heart transplant recipient who recently created and magazine called Bonus Days, dedicated to sharing stories of transplant and those dealing with chronic illness. Since Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy was the cause of Alison's need for a heart transplant, Colby takes this oppo...

In this episode Colby and Alin speak with Dr. Brittany Clayborne PsyD. Brittany has overcome peripartum cardiomyopathy, heart transplantation and stage 4 lymphoma while at the say time getting her doctorate in psychology and starting a non profit called Brittany Speaks. She now faces a tougher challenge in dealing with her son's need for a heart transplant. In light of this the two of them to...

Macey Levan, PhD, JD is a donation/transplant advocate (a living donor!!!), associate professor, and the Director for Transplant Applied Research Qualitative Core at NYU. She knows everything policy-related with organ donation and transplantation, and is heavily involved in OPTN. In this episode we discuss how Macey got involved in this type of work, the policies in the USA surrounding organ donat...

Pediatric Cardiac Surgeon Dr. Thomas Maxey joins Alin and Colby to discuss his career path into the world of pediatric heart surgery. Discussions include pediatric heart transplant, congenital heart disease, transition of care from child to adult, and speaking to children and parents at the bedside. 

In this episode Alin and Colby have a discussion with Sara Siquerios. Sara is the caregiver of all caregivers, as she cares for three children all of whom have had heart transplants. Sara's three children were all diagnosed with restrictive cardiomyopathy and required heart transplants before the age of three. Sara shares their family's incredible story, how she handled having three chil...

In this episode Alin and Colby have a discussion with Tyler Chavez, a heart transplant recipient and surgical physician assistant. They discuss Tyler's incredible story of beating cancer as a child, his acute onset heart failure that saw him operating while getting IV medication infusions and discuss about the role of a physician assistant and the path to that career. Tyler Chavez is a Certif...

In this episode Alin and Colby sit down and chat with Dr. Anu Lala. They discuss dealing with a diagnosis of heart failure, the approach to changing the narrative to heart function not failure, and patient advocacy. Dr. Lala also turns the tables and interviews Alin and Colby about how they dealt with being told their diagnosis and their resilience in the face of adversity.  Dr. Anuradha Lala-Trin...

In this episode Alin and Colby have an insightful conversation with Dr. Philip Adamson. Phil Adamson is Divisional Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for the Heart Failure Division at Abbott. In this capacity, Dr. Adamson is responsible for global development of Abbott’s heart failure formulary spanning cardiac resynchronization therapy to the CardioMEMS HF system. They discuss the different...

In this episode Alin and Colby have an in depth conversation with two transplant pharmacists. Mary Chandran and Adina Petrosan teach us about the medications that are the mainstay of transplant medicine. We discuss the needs for these meds, side effects, medication compliance, and much more.  You can contact Mary at Mary. Chandran@unchealth.unc.edu You can contact Adina at Adina. Petrosan@mountsin...

In this episode we have a riveting discussion with Dr. Jon Friedman the Chief Medical Officer of Transplant Genomics. Dr. Friedman, joined Transplant Genomics as Chief Medical Officer in February 2022 after 22 years with Optum/United Health Group. Dr. Friedman is a Fellow of the American Society of Transplantation and received an AST Distinguished Service Award for his efforts in breaking down fin...

In this episode we pick right back up with our interview with Matt. In part 2 we discuss being a professional patient, new fears that come with having a transplant and parenthood and navigating the healthcare system.    Email: bothsidesofthestethoscope@gmail.com Instagram: @bothsidesofthestethoscope   Twitter: @bsotsthethoscope  

In part 1 of this 2 part episode we talk with Matt Brady. Matt is 31 year post heart transplant that he received due to a viral illness at the age of 7. In this first part we discuss what led to his transplant, how he dealt with a transplant at such a young age, and setbacks he has had a long this 31 year journey. Tune in next week for part 2 of the interview!   Email: bothsidesofthestethoscope@gm...

In this episode Alin and Colby have an open and honest discussion with Laura Reff. Laura is the mom of Alin's heart donor Lucy. Tune in to hear about Lucy's story and legacy, being a donor family, the relationship between Alin and Lucy's family post transplant and much, much more! 

In this episode Alin and Colby have a discussion with rheumatologist Dr. Brittany Panico. They discuss everything from post transplant concerns in the field of rheumatology, auto-immune diseases, and the amazing but also dreaded medication prednisone. They also give some tips on how to try and prevent future complications! 

In this episode Alin and Colby  welcome on Dr. Rohan Goswami. Dr. Goswami is an advanced heart failure and transplant cardiologist at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville Florida. He specializes in the use of AI in the field of heart transplantation and the use of mechanical support systems as a bridge to recovery or a bridge to heart transplantation. This episodes discussions on both of those topics a...

In this episode Alin and Colby have a enlightening discussion with Lisa Anderson, Ph. D. the CEO of a company called Paragonix. Paragonix Technologies is a leading developer, manufacturer, and service provider in the organ transplant industry, establishing a novel approach to preservation that represents a significant improvement over the traditional standard of care. This allowed for great insigh...

In this episode Alin and Colby interview Dr. Rishi Kumar. Dr. Kumar is a cardiac anesthesiologist and a cardiovascular intensivist. Listen for a great discussion about what happens in the OR during cardiothoracic cases, the process of organ transplant, where the future of transplant is headed, and what it is like to use Instagram for medical education to 155K followers!