GW Integrative Medicine

Sleep is essential for good health, according to the National Institutes of Health. Not getting enough uninterrupted sleep negatively affects a person’s attention, learning and memory, and physical health. We talk about the science of sleep with Vivek Jain, MD, DABSM, Associate Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care & Sleep Medicine at GW and Director of GW Center for Sl...

Today on the pod we have Najma Khorrami, MPH, a global and public health professional and the founder of Gratitude Circle, an award-winning lifestyle platform and app. Gratitude Circle featuring a social media app and gratitude hotline to thank healthcare providers, especially those who were on the frontlines of the COVID pandemic. The platform is meant to amplify the best instincts in human natur...

Today, we discuss some Vitamin D studies that have received a lot of attention from the media. We have with us Adrian “Fritz” Gombart, PhD, principal investigator from the Linus Pauling Institute and a professor in the Department of Biochemistry and Biophysics at Oregon State University. Dr. Gombart’s research focuses on understanding how vitamin D status influences how well the immune system work...

Today on the pod we have Joshua S. Yamamoto, MD, FAAC, a cardiologist, former cardiology consultant to the attending physician for the U.S. Congress, and co-author of “You Can Prevent a Stroke" with his spouse, Kristin E. Thomas, MD. “You Can Prevent a Stroke” focuses on a landmark approach to navigating the natural aging process to prevent the heart and brain from failing. The book gives us insig...

Today, we talk about the food matrix, ultra-processed food, and preventive nutrition with Anthony Fardet, PhD, a senior research scientist with the National Institute for Agricultural Research in France and the author of "Stop ultra-processed foods! Let's Eat True!" His main research interest is the link between the food matrix, food processing, and health potential within the context of sustainab...

Increasing evidence indicates a key role for the oral microbiome in autoimmune diseases. We learn about the importance of the oral microbiome and systemic health from Bonnie Feldman, DDS, MBA, Chief Collaboration Officer, DrBonnie360/Your Immunity Connection. With her unique experiences as a healthcare provider, researcher, analyst, scientist, and patient, Dr. Feldman bridges diverse industries an...

Group Medical Visits (GMVs) are a great way for healthcare providers expand their ability to deliver quality care to patients, especially the underserved. Through the use of GMVs, underserved patients can have access to a range of Integrative Health modalities and patient-centered health education in a “high touch” interactive environment. Patients also experience a sense of community and social c...

This episode of the GW Integrative Medicine podcast highlights a presentation on "Addressing the Elephant in the Room: Shame and Sentinel Emotional Events in Health Professions Learners" by Will Bynum, MD, Associate Professor in Family Medicine and Community Health, Duke University School of Medicine, and founder of The Shame Conversation project. Dr. Bynum used personal narrative, audience respon...

Rewind! We talk about Energy Work and the autonomic nervous system with Mara Benner, a Certified Energy Medicine Practitioner, Reiki Master, founder of Four Directions Wellness, and Spiritual Director at the GW Center for Integrative Medicine. Mara has more than 30 years in the health care and aging fields. She began her career majoring in gerontology and working at various times in hospitals, nur...

Reproductive Psychiatry is an emergent specialty within medicine that focuses on women's mental health. Lucy Hutner, MD, an internationally recognized expert in women's mental health, gave a lecture centered around postpartum depression and anxiety that was titled "Skills to Support Women’s Well-being: Effectively Discussing and Assessing Mood Without Judgment" as part of the GW Resiliency & Well-...

Today's guest is Andrew Heyman, MD, Fellowship Director, Integrative Medicine Programs (INTM), at the GW School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Founding medical director of the INTM Programs, Dr. Heyman is an expert on stress response and neuroendocrine system. We discuss the physiologic stress response, evaluate the impact of cortisol on nervous and immune system, examine common illnesses in the...

Today's guest is Jed Fahey, ScD, a leader in healthspan extension (chemoprotection). Most of his work has focused on sulforaphane, a compound found most abundantly in cruciferous veggies and particularly in sprouted broccoli seeds. Dr. Fahey is a nutritional biochemist with broad training and extensive background in plant physiology, human nutrition, phytochemistry and nutritional biochemistry. He...

Listen in on this GW Women's Well-being Lecture Series talk on "An Integrative Perspective on Women's Hormonal Health" by Lara Williams, MD, MSHS`20, FACOG, IFMCP, FAARM, ABOIM. Download the presentation slides and handouts at https://bit.ly/3KsI0IE. Dr. Williams is an obstetrician and gynecologist and the managing partner of The Oregon Clinic – OBGYN North. She provides a holistic approach to wom...

Nature’s dirty needle. That’s how Lyme disease researchers and physicians refer to the ticks that spread the bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi, throughout the northeastern, mid-Atlantic, and north-central United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that illnesses from mosquito, tick, and flea bites have tripled, with more than 640,000 cases reported during the 13 years fro...

For many people, vitamin C was the first vitamin they had ever heard about – and it is mostly due to one man: Dr. Linus Pauling. His work put vitamin C in the collective unconsciousness, especially for its role in the common cold. Because of Dr. Pauling's efforts, the Linus Pauling Institute (LPI) at Oregon State University now stands as a world leader in the study of micronutrients, phytochemical...

Today, we’re excited to talk to Kara Fitzgerald, ND, a leader in the field of Functional Medicine and author of several textbooks that have become bibles for this specialty. Dr. Fitzgerald recently had a new book published for healthcare consumers, “Younger You: Reverse Your Bio Age and Live Longer, Better.” The book is based on her groundbreaking study on reversing epigenetic age using a diet and...

Today, we talk about taking a whole-health approach to treating pediatric patients with Santisree “Santi” Tanikella, MD, FAAP, ABIHM, ABOIM, who is board certified in both Pediatrics and Integrative Medicine and currently practices General Pediatrics and Pediatric Integrative Medicine in Pennsylvania. She graduated from Drexel University College of Medicine and completed her residency training in...

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some 50 to 70 percent of Americans are vitamin D deficient. This is no bueno because a growing body of evidence shows that the "sunshine vitamin" is essential to your immune system, mood, and more. Today we talk about vitamin D and the immune system with Adrian “Fritz” Gombart, PhD, principal investigator from the Linus Pauling Institute...

Today we’re going to talk about all things vitamin E. And there’s no better person to address that question than the Linus Pauling Institute’s own “goddess” of vitamin E, Dr. Maret Traber. Like me, Dr. Traber is also a professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University. She is also a principal investigator and the Ava Helen Pauling Endowed Professor at the Linu...

All working parents know that “all kids get sick” is the mother of all truisms. But what do doctors and other health care providers do when they or their loved ones come down with a cold, tummy ache, or something more serious? Today, we get to be a fly on the wall for a free-wheeling conversation between physicians Marianna Shimelfarb, MD, who specializes in Integrative Family Medicine, and Mikhai...

A clinical herbalist has training that gives them a more technical and scientific approach to understanding the way herbs work, how the body responds, and what is necessary to support good health. We talk about this and more with Bevin Clare Bevin Clare, MS, RH, CNS, is a clinical herbalist, nutritionist, and Professor and Program Manager of the Master’s of Science in Clinical Herbalism at the Mar...

Even prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, those working in the health care field were found to be more susceptible to depression, anxiety, and job dissatisfaction, which can lead to adverse outcomes for healthcare workers as well as the patients and communities they serve. Some experts increasingly regard suicide as an “occupational hazard” of practicing medicine or nursing. We talk about the Resilienc...

Did you know that zinc reduces inflammation, supports immune system function, and is crucial for your senses of taste and smell? We do Zinc 101 with Emily Ho, PhD, Director of the Linus Pauling Institute and a professor in the College of Public Health and Human Sciences at Oregon State University. GW and LPI is doing a series of podcasts on nutrition topics that will be featured in it's Diet and O...

​Marijuana (cannabis) has been used for thousands of years as a medicine, but it has been illegal in the United States for most of our lives. Almost all states have now legalized its medical use, and many consumers and health professionals are exploring it as an alternative to conventional treatments. There’s substantial evidence that marijuana is a safe and effective treatment for chronic pain, c...

Today, we’re flipping the script to talk about the gut microbiome, nutrition, and overall health with an expert in this evolving field who just happens to be the co-host of this podcast--Leigh Frame, PhD, MHS, Director of Integrative Medicine Programs, Executive Director of the Office of Integrative Medicine and Health, and Associate Director of the Resiliency & Well-being Center, here at GW. A nu...