Dr. Kara Fitzgerald | New Frontiers in Functional Medicine, Longevity, Epigenetics

Practitioners, if specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs) aren't already on your radar, you'll be a convert by the end of this New Frontiers episode. In functional medicine, we excel at addressing inflammation through nutrition and lifestyle. However, brilliant researchers like Dr. Charles Serhan from Harvard have shown us that resolving inflammation requires a two-phase approach. We need...

What if we could actually identify and even correct significant autism risk factors in utero, before a baby is born? This is the promise of the game-changing research of Dr. Janine LaSalle, epigeneticist extraordinaire from UC Davis. With autism rates continuing to increase at alarming rates (the latest data from the CDC, released in 2023, is 1 in 36 children in the US, an increase from the prior...

Addressing adverse food reactions goes way beyond simply cutting out the culprits, so I’m thrilled to have Dr. Tom Fabian join us again on New Frontiers to highlight the interventions that will move the needle for our patients. We explore the mechanisms through which specific strains can either exacerbate or alleviate both immune-mediated and non-immune-mediated food reactions, and discuss the fas...

Dr. Elisa Song is one of those clinicians that I could just keep talking to! She's a respected colleague and pioneer in pediatric functional medicine with so many practical tips for navigating childhood illness and health. Need to get your kiddo/patient through a blood draw they don't want to do? Or get your picky eater to take their supplement? Dr. Song has the answers. I appreciate her candor as...

Even as we prioritize natural interventions in functional medicine, GLP-1 agonist drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic offer sometimes life-changing support for those who have long struggled with resistant overweight/obesity and high blood sugar. However, there are side effects, including the risk of substantial muscle loss and sagging, aged skin ("Ozempic face" as it's indelicately known). It's a con...

Dr. Sandison confesses that when she first heard Dr. Dale Bredesen talk about his work reversing cognitive decline and Alzheimer's disease she was skeptical. But when she started to apply the Bredesen principles in her clinical work and saw just how meaningful the improvements were to patients' symptoms and quality of life, as she puts it: "...how do I do anything else with my life, but basically...

Get ready for a deep dive into the world of cellular senescence and its implications for aging. Dr. Greg Kelly joins me on New Frontiers to explain the science behind targeting this Hallmark of Aging and share natural compounds and activities that target cellular senescence. I am particularly excited for you to hear his thoughts around dosing and cyclical timing of exposure to senolytic compounds,...

I'm excited to welcome Dr. Barry Sears, the renowned creator of the Zone Diet and a pillar in our field. Dr. Sears has not only authored bestsellers but has also made incredibly important contributions to clinical practice which we still rely on today: He is, for instance, the scientist who put the use of the AA:EPA ratio on the map. Dr. Sears provides elegant and accessible explanations of the un...

Gear up for an enlightening dive with Dr. Tara Harding, a vanguard in the realm of women’s health and fertility. Renowned for her exceptional work as a family nurse practitioner and fertility coach, Dr. Harding brings a wealth of knowledge from her battle against infertility and medical gaslighting, all while breaking barriers and fostering a supportive community for those navigating the complex j...

Fellow clinicians, get ready for a mind-blowing conversation with Dr. Nathan Price, Chief Scientific Officer of Thorne HealthTech and author of The Age of Scientific Wellness. Imagine harnessing AI to predict outcomes of our functional interventions (diet, supplements, lifestyle) by implementing a “digital twin” model that is populated with all of your patient’s bio data. And being able to test th...

It was a career-defining (and perhaps life changing) moment when Dr. Vittorio Sebastiano, a reproductive biologist by training, realized that because we are able to create life, that same body of information could be harnessed to create youth - that is, radically reverse our biological aging process to a younger time point without losing cellular identity. In 2014, he and his lab began unpacking t...

Aging itself stands as the paramount driver of disease. As functional practitioners, the question arises: How can we assess biological age to make precise corrections that foster both healthspan and lifespan? Enter the era of omics, where metabolomics emerges as an exceptional tool with transformative potential. I'm thrilled to welcome back Dr. Betsy Redmond, longtime friend and the senior educati...

Working in healthcare brings a unique set of challenges and stressors. But the truth is that any of us can get to burnout through challenging circumstances of work or study. And the consequences can range from severe to devastating. Burnout still hasn't been fully understood or recognized by the medical profession and other industries - there is still no official diagnosis classification. Along wi...

When it comes to mitochondrial health, few nutrients have burst onto the bioenergetics stage with quite the impressive force as the postbiotic rock star Urolithin A (UA). On this New Frontiers episode Dr. Chris Rinsch, co-founder of Amazentis / Timeline, shares the incredible scientific journey of UA's discovery and subsequent unfolding of its many benefits, as confirmed by multiple clinical studi...

Did you know that "bone-eating" osteoclast cells are derived from immune cell precursors and are stimulated by inflammation, just like other immune cells? Or that bone has its own glycocalyx whose health is essential to realize the benefits of exercise for bone? Folks, Dr. Keith McCormick is back on New Frontiers with ever-more juicy pearls like these, and with important updates on bone care for f...

Over 270,000 new cases of breast cancer are diagnosed each year in the US. And while BRCA mutations often get the most press, there are other, potentially more critical factors we can address. Today, Dr. Ruth Hobson joins us to delve into the realm of breast health, shedding light on both modifiable and non-modifiable risk factors, and sharing real-life strategies for supporting our patients. We d...

The epigenetic pioneer, Dr. Randy Jirtle, returns to New Frontiers to share his latest groundbreaking work. And I really do mean groundbreaking. Dr. Jirtle's work in mapping our "imprintome" is literally creating a brand new branch of scientific study that is expected to provide valuable insights and opportunities for epigenetially-targeted therapies, including nutrition and lifestyle. What I so a...

If you're a clinician and finding yourself pressed for time in your practice, you're certainly not alone. A recent survey of over 9,000 US physicians revealed that more than half are experiencing burnout. Fortunately, the field of functional medicine is rapidly evolving, bringing tools that promise to streamline and improve accessibility in our practices. Rupa Health is one such tool. In this epis...

Get ready for an enlightening conversation as I welcome Dr. Izabella Wentz, renowned Thyroid Pharmacist and an accomplished author, to New Frontiers. We’ll talk about her new book and dive into the often underappreciated and enigmatic connection between adrenal dysfunction and hypothyroidism, and how extreme stress can accelerate aging and impact immunity. Dr. Wentz provides invaluable insights in...

In this episode, I have the pleasure of interviewing Mark Newman, the president and founder of Precision Analytical, the company behind the revolutionary DUTCH test. Mark is a true pioneer in the field of hormone testing, and in our conversation, we delve into the latest developments in this rapidly evolving field. We discuss how the DUTCH test has expanded to include additional markers, providing...

Harvard's award-winning Dr. Charles Serhan isn't just an expert on specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators (SPMs), he is the scientist who actually discovered them. His breakthroughs opened up a brand new field of research and clinical application with immense potential. After all, chronic, unresolved inflammation is a contributor or cause of so many conditions. The growing body of research on t...

Vascular health is fundamentally essential to longevity and health span, and that’s why I’m thrilled to be welcoming Dr. Michael Twyman to New Frontiers. Trained as an invasive cardiologist, Dr. Twyman has made the shift to a more preventative approach, moving beyond traditional cath lab results to focus on the health of the 60,000 miles of blood vessels that carry vital blood, oxygen and nutrient...

I’m so happy to be here with Dr. Vincent Pedre to dig into emerging science on the microbiome. Dr. Pedre shares extensive clinical pearls from his vast experience in functional gut health in an approachable and fun way as he drills down on possible causes of the challenging gut epidemic we clinicians see in the increasing numbers of IBS patients walking through our doors. Dr. Pedre and I discuss h...

As we gain insight into microbiome impact on our health, we need accurate tests that tell us not only what and how much is there, but also which metabolites, or post-biotics created that can have downstream effects. So today I’m thrilled to welcome the brilliant Dr. Erika Ebbel Angle, PhD, biochemist, CEO, and co-founder of Ixcela, to discuss their fingerstick gut microbiome test. We’ll discuss th...

Buckle up everybody, because this conversation is a big tour de force of where we are headed in regards to longevity and innovative technology within healthcare. I am joined by my friend, longevity investor and visionary, Sergey Young, to discuss his incredibly important mission of extending healthy lifespans of at least one billion people using technological breakthroughs AND by making longevity...