GW Integrative Medicine

Julie Wendt, MS, LDN, CNS, adjunct instructor, Integrative Medicine Programs, Department of Clinical Research and Leadership, GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences, recently gave a talk on staying hydrated as the temps and humidity rise to summertime highs. As Licensed Dietician Nutritionist (LDN), Julie is a highly trained food and nutrition expert. LDNs and Registered Dietitian Nutritionists (...

Today, we discuss the new book “Heal Faster: Unlock Your Body's Rapid Recovery Reflex” with author Victoria Maizes, MD, an internationally recognized physician, author, and pioneering leader in the field of Integrative Medicine. Drawing on forty years of medical experience and cutting-edge research, Dr. Maizes shows that complete recovery is possible for a wide range of conditions when you know ho...

The Baby Boom generation pioneered the counterculture movement of the 1960s so it's not so surprising that 50 years later they are using compounds like psilocybin and LSD with the goal to improve their overall quality of life. ​Today, we get into all of the above with Abbie Rosner, the author of the forthcoming book “Psychedelics and the Counterculture of Aging.” She researches and writes about ho...

Boy howdy do we have something to talk about with our favorite medical cannabis subject matter expert today! On April 23, 2026, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) signed an order reclassifying (rescheduling) state-licensed medical marijuana and FDA-approved marijuana products from Schedule I to Schedule III of the Controlled Substances Act). Let’s ge...

When we think about loneliness, we don’t associate it with risks comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day. But a growing body of research shows that loneliness significantly impairs physical and mental health. Loneliness is linked to a 29 percent higher risk of heart disease, a 32 percent increased risk of stroke, accelerated cognitive decline, and increased mortality. Chronic, profound lon...

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control & Prevention reports that preventing adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) like abuse, neglect, household dysfunction could reduce the number of adults with depression by as much as 44%. ACEs are critical to identify and understand because they are highly common that cause lasting toxic stress that fundamentally changes brain development and health outcomes acro...

A new study by a GW-led research team suggests gut bacteria may be linked to memory decline in mild cognitive impairment, or MCI, and some dementia diseases. Published in Alzheimer's & Dementia: The Journal of the Alzheimer's Association, the scoping review is shedding light on the growing evidence that gut microbiome imbalances—known as dysbiosis—may play a key role in the development and progres...

The USDA and HHS just released new Dietary Guidelines for Americans. We dig into the new guidelines with Dr. Leigh Frame, our favorite nutrition scientist, co-host of the pod, and co-director of the Frame-Corr Lab here at George Washington University School of Medicine & Health Sciences. An Associate Professor in the departments of Clinical Research & Leadership and Physician Assistant Studies, Le...

We talk with Peter Grinspoon, MD—an internationally renowned expert on medical cannabis, drug policy, and addiction—about the U.S. Congress recriminalizing most hemp-derived products. The measure is set to take effect one year from enactment — around November 12, 2026. Dr. Grinspoon is a primary care physician and cannabis specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital and an Instructor in Medicine...

Dr. Stephanie Venn-Watson, who co-discovered the C15 essential fatty acid, returns to the podcast to discuss her new book “The Longevity Nutrient: The Unexpected Fat That Holds the Key to Healthy Aging.” In The Longevity Nutrient, She unveils the science behind the first essential fatty acid to be discovered in nearly a hundred years. Research on this ingredient shows that is may be crucial for co...

Chris Palmer, author of "Achieving a Good Death: A Practical Guide to the End of Life, gave a wellness talk on Swedish death cleaning, or "döstädning" during the GW Office of Integrative Medicine & Health's A Mindfulness Experience. Swedish death cleaning is a trend resulting from the Swedish cultural tradition of decluttering and organizing one's life before passing away. Chris is also an activis...

An estimated three million Americans use cannabis for medical purposes, primarily for chronic pain, muscle spasms, anxiety, nausea, seizures, and other conditions. Yet, most healthcare practitioners and students in the health professions report feeling unprepared to counsel patients or integrate cannabis into care. Currently, standardized education on the therapeutic use of medical cannabis remain...

Research has shown that diets high in ultraprocessed foods are linked to more than 30 health conditions, according to an umbrella review of meta-analyses that was published in The British Medical Journal. Meanwhile, more exposure to ultraprocessed foods was associated with a higher risk of dying from any cause. Ultraprocessed foods now account for nearly 60% of U.S. adults’ calorie consumption. Am...

Today, we discuss ketamine and mental health with integrative psychiatrist Scott Shannon, MD, one of the world’s leading experts on the therapeutic use of psychedelics in psychotherapy. In 2010, Scott is the founded the Wholeness Center, the largest integrative mental health center in the U.S. In 2019, he helped launch the Psychedelic Research and Training Institute or PRATI. This visionary instit...

Today on the pod we discuss whole-person leadership and reimagining Integrative Medicine through a health equity lens with Scarlet Kali Soriano, MD, an internationally recognized expert on Integrative Medicine, health equity, and community-based health. Dr. Soriano is the executive director of the Leadership Program in Health and Well-Being for the Duke University Health System, where she leads a...

Note: This episode was recorded before the passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025. Today, we discuss poverty, the social detriments of health, and safety net programs in the U.S. with Robert Greenstein, founder and former president of the D.C.-based think tank Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). He is also a Visiting Fellow – Economic Studies, The Hamilton Project, at the Bro...

Today, we talk about Fitness Psychology with leading experts in the field -- Katy Bowman and Diana Hill, PhD, authors of “I Know I Should Exercise, But... 44 Reasons We Don't Move and How to Get Over Them.” The book is that it offers a toolkit of psychological tips and strategies that not only help get your body more movement, but can be applied to other areas of your life as well. Katy is a biome...

Friend of the pod Aly Cohen, MD, one of the world’s leading experts on environmental health, returns to GW Integrative Medicine to chat about her new book “DETOXIFY: The Everyday Toxins Harming Your Immune System and How to Defend Against Them.” Dr. Cohen is a clinician researcher and tripled board certified in internal medicine, rheumatology, and integrative medicine. She is also an author/collab...

This is the podcast’s 100th episode! (Give or take an ICYMI episode.) We are coming full circle with today’s guest—John Pan, MD ’70, RESD ’74, the Father of Integrative Medicine at the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS), the Office’s founding medical director, and the founder of the GW Center for Integrative Medicine. Sitting in are co-hosts Dr. Leigh Frame, Dr. Misha Kogan, and Janett...

Thank you for joining the GW Resiliency and Well-being Center (R&W Center) for a Women's Well-being Lecture Series discussion on "Debunking Nutrition Myths for Women’s Well-being & Aging: An Expert Panel." The experts are Julie Wendt, MS, LDN, CNS, adjunct instructor, Department of Clinical Research and Leadership, GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences (SMHS); Lara Williams, MD, MSHS`20, FACOG,...

Today, we get all up in our fascia and how it shapes overall health with licensed Occupational Therapist Nyle MacFarlane, founder of Blue Nyle Therapy in Silver Spring, Maryland. Nyle has over 2 decades of experience in the field of somatics, a field of study that focuses on the body's internal physical experiences and perceptions, and how it relates to movement and bodywork. Nyle's training inclu...

The cosmetics and grooming products industry is like the wild wild West. Until recently, the regulatory system failed to keep consumers safe from toxicants that likely increase their offspring’s “risks of cancer, fertility issues, neurological deficits, and immune dysfunction.” And then came the Modernization of Cosmetics Regulation Act of 2022, or MoCRA. Today, we talk about MoCRA with subject ma...

Today, we talk about generational trauma and healing with Aliza Scharf-Bendov, LCSW, MSW, psychotherapist, family therapist, and nondual Kabbalistic healer. Over the past 17 years, Aliza has done extensive work with parents and families addressing a variety of challenges, including adjustment to life transitions, mood and behavioral challenges, adoption, single parenting, co-parenting and coping w...

We talk about Traditional Chinese Medicine and nutrition with Ellen Goldsmith, MSOM, LAc, a nationally board certified, licensed acupuncturist, Chinese herbalist, and co-author of “Nutritional Healing with Chinese Medicine.” She specializes in Chinese dietetics and its application in a Western clinical setting. Ellen’s integrative body centered and intuitive approach to care is grounded in decades...

In the summer of 2024, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released a Hemp Plant Reference Material to help labs accurately measure the amount of THC, CBD, toxic elements and other compounds in cannabis products. It will also help producers and state regulators ensure that cannabis products are safe to use and accurately labeled. Today, we’re going to talk about NIST's Hemp P...