Road to Resilience

As the number of coronavirus patients in New York City continues to climb, Brendan Carr , MD, Chair of Emergency Medicine for the Mount Sinai Health System, talks about the tough decisions he’s facing, and how he’s coping with enormous pressure to save lives. COVID-19 Facts and Resources from the Mount Sinai Health System: https://www.mountsinai.org/about/preparedness/coronavirus Check out more ep...

In April 1989, Trisha Meili was attacked while jogging in New York's Central Park. The case of the "Central Park Jogger" made headlines and sparked a national conversation about race and the criminal justice system. But behind the media frenzy lay another story—Trisha's. On this episode, Ms. Meili talks about how focusing on the present moment and returning to running helped he...

Transgender activist Mahogany Phillips walked away from a successful career as a male model to focus on her transition. Later, she helped win low-income New Yorkers the right to gender-affirming surgery. In this interview, she talks about bullies, gender dysphoria, and how surgery has helped her feel comfortable and safe in her body. Ms. Phillips received care from Jess Ting, MD, Surgical Director...

On September 11, 2001, Lauren Manning suffered burns on over 80 percent of her body and lost hundreds of colleagues at the World Trade Center. Facing near-certain death, she found a determination to live that would carry her through a long recovery and turn her into a national symbol of resilience. In this special interview, she talks about how pity and pain fueled her will to heal and offers advi...

Environmentalist Karenna Gore goes beyond carbon emissions to the root causes of climate change and talks about how framing the crisis as a moral issue can help us adapt and mitigate its worst effects. Ms. Gore is Director of the Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary.  Check out more episodes of Road to Resilience —as well as guest pictures, transcripts, and more— on the Mount Sina...

NFL legend Curtis Martin went from a latchkey kid in a violent neighborhood to a Hall of Famer and celebrated philanthropist. His unlikely rise was powered by faith, hard work, and near superhuman discipline. In this interview, he talks about facing fears, practicing values, and the near-death experience that changed everything. For more resilience tips, visit our website : https://www.mountsinai....

Road to Resilience producers Jon Earle, Katie Ullman, and Nicci Hudson reflect on episodes from the past year and share the moments that stuck with us the most. What were your favorite resilience moments? Email us at podcasts@mountsinai.org . Check out more episodes of Road to Resilience —as well as guest pictures, transcripts, and more— on the Mount Sinai website . Road to Resilience brings you s...

Oncologist Gabriel Sara, MD, is a maniac about the truth. Whether delivering a tough diagnosis, or sharing his feelings with colleagues, he refuses to sugarcoat. It's a lesson he learned as a medical intern in war-torn Beirut, where the truth was a matter of life and death, and over the years it's become central to his practice. On this episode, Dr. Sara talks about how he uses radical h...

When writer Marisa Bardach Ramel was a teenager, her mother, Sally, was diagnosed with terminal cancer. Amid the sadness and uncertainty that followed, they made an extraordinary decision to write a memoir together. Now, almost 20 years later, The Goodbye Diaries: A Mother-Daughter Memoir , has at last been published. On this episode, Marisa talks about how cancer strained and ultimately strengthe...

Parenting trends come and go—remember “tiger” moms?—but the challenge of raising resilient kids remains as critical as ever. How can we make sure our children respond to stress in a healthy way? And how do we support our kids without becoming “snowplow” parents? Aliza Pressman, PhD, a developmental psychologist and co-founding Director of The Mount Sinai Parenting Center , makes the case for “auth...

Learning to overcome your fears is a key stepping stone to becoming resilient. But it’s easier said than done. Fear memories—from agonizing missteps to traumatic experiences—have a way of haunting us. On this special Halloween episode, Mount Sinai neuroscientist Anthony Lacagnina, PhD, takes us inside the brain to understand why. Dr. Lacagnina’s work helps explain why fear memories are so tenaciou...

George flees anti-gay violence in his native Ghana and seeks asylum in the United States. This is the story of what happens next. Featuring Elizabeth Singer, MD, MPH, director of the Mount Sinai Human Rights Program . The program provides medical evaluations to support the claims of victims of human rights abuses who are seeking asylum in the United States. The American Friends Service Committee (...

A new study has found that optimists have a substantially reduced risk of cardiovascular events and premature death compared to pessimists. Lead author Alan Rozanski , MD, explains why optimists are healthier than pessimists, what optimism really means, and how to start seeing the glass half-full. Dr. Rozanski is a cardiologist at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s and a professor of medicine at the Icahn Sch...

Nobody knows what was in the dust cloud that blanketed Lower Manhattan on September 11, 2001. But we’re increasingly sure about the health consequences, including asthma, PTSD, and cancer. On this episode, a 9/11 health expert and a volunteer responder talk about what it was like to work at Ground Zero, what we know about 9/11-related illnesses, and what their experiences taught them about resilie...

Five kids. Four Grammy nominations. One pear-sized brain tumor. When a life-threatening diagnosis turned comedy writer/director Jeannie Gaffigan’s life upside-down, she and her husband, comedian Jim Gaffigan, turned to faith, family, and of course—humor. Jeannie's new memoir is “When Life Gives You Pears" http://bit.ly/2HqD5KU. Joshua Bederson, MD, Chair for the Department of Neurosurger...

Mount Sinai researchers have published the first large, empirical study examining the mental health of children in immigration detention. Co-authors Craig Katz, MD, and Priscilla Agyeman, MPH, talk about what they found and what it means for all of us. More about the study (http://bit.ly/2yl3swP). The Mount Sinai Human Rights Program (http://bit.ly/2OqPRyL). Dr. Craig Katz (http://bit.ly/2yrHo3r)....

Overwhelmed by grief for patients who had died, an oncology fellow embarks on a self-care journey that leads to unexpected places. Cardinale Smith, MD, PhD, Director of Quality for Cancer Services at the Mount Sinai Health System, shares the ritual she uses to process loss, offers tips on having hard conversations, and reflects on the end of life. // Dr. Smith's profile: (http://bit.ly/2LfeBH...

In this mini-episode, neurologist Stephen Krieger, MD, shares resilience insights he's learned from treating patients with multiple sclerosis. No. 1: View uncertainty as a positive. Listen for more. Dr. Krieger (http://bit.ly/2R4eEX0) is a neurologist at the Corinne Goldsmith Dickinson Center for Multiple Sclerosis at Mount Sinai (http://bit.ly/2wqMcFl). His patients include Elizabeth Jones a...

The science is in: We’re stronger together. Supportive social networks are linked to better health, protection against depression, and even a longer life. On this episode, multiple sclerosis patients Kate Milliken and Elizabeth Jones talk about how their tight-knit MS community has made them more resilient. Kate and Elizabeth met on MyCounterpane.com (now moodify.com), a once-thriving online commu...

Saturday Night Live veteran Darrell Hammond, filmmaker Michelle Esrick, and Mount Sinai psychologist Jacob Ham, PhD, discuss childhood trauma, complex post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and healing. Mr. Hammond's experience with trauma, addiction, and recovery is explored in a new documentary film about the lifelong effects of childhood trauma called Cracked Up, directed and produced by Ms...

An anxious woman’s worst fears come true. A young man grasps for a ladder out of poverty and depression. On this episode, two resilience stories told live by neuroscience PhD students at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Featuring “unsanctioned” breast exams, zebra finches, and DREADDs (Google it!). These stories were performed live at the Studying the Brain storytelling event hosted by...

In 1977, Doug Dieterich contracted a mysterious virus that attacked his liver and left him unable to work. Four decades later, Dr. Dieterich, now Director of the Institute for Liver Medicine at The Mount Sinai Hospital, reflects on his journey from patient to caregiver with the help of an unlikely ally—AIDS activist and “Cockney Rebel” Leigh Blake—and explains why Hepatitis C isn’t the terrifying...

Paralympian Deb Gruen exemplifies the power of optimism. Born with spina bifida, Gruen stayed positive, focused on her strengths, and through hard work became a two-time Paralympic medalist. A graduate of Yale and Georgetown, Gruen is now a successful lawyer in New York City. In this episode, she explains how setting realistic expectations and the power of positivity can help you overcome life’s t...

Rosalind Wright , MD, MPH, Dean of Biomedical Sciences at the Icahn School of Medicine , opens up about her brother's murder, which occurred while she was finishing her residency and caring for a newborn baby. She explains how she used active coping skills to stay resilient during the most challenging and stressful time of her life. Dr. Wright explains how this tragedy prompted her to pursue...

How do you cope with stress? Why do some give up, while others persevere? Listen as med student Jordyn Feingold and resident Benny Laitman, MD, PhD, explain how they cope with everyday stress. Each detail their unique circumstances, including the terrifying experience of performing a first surgery, facing pressure to succeed, and taking on an overwhelming course load. Learn how reframing stressful...