The Back Story

Gut health is our topic as we welcome Dr. Carolyn Newberry. Dr. Newberry is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medical College and Attending Physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. She is a clinical gastroenterologist with advanced training in nutrition and obesity sciences. Together we cover:   (3:30) ICHANGE (Innovative Center for Health and Nut...

Is aging just a natural process? We look at aging from a different perspective with Dr. Mark Lachs, Distinguished Professor of Medicine at the Weill Cornell Medical College and Co-Chief of Geriatrics and Palliative Medicine. Dr. Lachs is also the Director of Geriatrics for The New York Presbyterian Health Care System and together we cover: (2:27) what actually happens to your body as you age, (5:2...

How can massage therapy improve your health? This episode looks at how medical massage therapy can help achieve better outcomes. We are pleased to welcome  Norma Dray, who is part of the Integrative Health and Wellbeing Center at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medicine. Norma is a licensed New York massage therapist, board-certified for therapeutic massage and body work. We cover: (1:58) what...

What could be keeping you from a better night of sleep? Our guest is Dr. Ana Krieger, Chief of Sleep Neurology in the Department of Neurology and the Director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at Weill Cornell. Dr. Krieger is also Professor of Clinical Medicine in the Departments of Medicine, Neurology and Genetic Medicine and board-certified by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. She helps us...

As children begin to return to school, many parents are concerned about keeping their kids safe with the surge in COVID-19 cases. This episode focuses on how we can keep our children safe as the school year begins and what we need to know about children under 12 and COVID-19. On this matter, we turn to the expertise of Dr. Sherry Huang, Pediatrician, Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics and...

Eye wellness is our focus with our guest Dr. Ashley Brissette. Dr. Brissette is double board certified by both the American Board of Ophthalmology and the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons and specializes in cataract surgery, laser vision correction, dry eyes and eye exams at Weill Cornell Medicine.   We cover:     (3:35) protecting your eyes from the sun and what to look for when buying su...

This episode looks at diet as lifestyle medicine. We focus on vegan and plant-based diets, including the benefits and misinformation surrounding both. Dr. Sumeet Bahl joins us as he has performed research at Emory University Mind-Body program, is a plant-based physician emphasizing lifestyle change through diet and exercise, and is a Vascular and Interventional Radiologist at the Brooklyn Hospital...

We cover the benefits of natural supplements with Dr. Vandana Sood, Assistant Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Sood specializes in both Sports Medicine and Spine Care and our discussion covers: (2:06) the benefits of natural supplements and the love affair with curcumin and turmeric, (5:40) joint pain and glucosamine and chondroitin, (9:43) when steroid injection...

Cardiovascular disease is the No. 1 killer of women and the focus of this episode. We welcome Dr. Nivee Amin, Associate Director for Consultative Cardiology and Director of the Women's Heart Program and Preventative Cardiology at Weill Cornell Medicine NewYork Presbyterian.   We cover:   (4:53) Heart disease as the number one killer of women and knowing your numbers, (7:58) groups of women wh...

Dr. Said Ibrahim is the Inaugural Senior Associate Dean for Diversity and Inclusion, Professor of Population Health Sciences at Weill Cornell Medicine, and an NIH funded clinical investigator, focusing on unequal health care access and quality among underserved communities. He joins us for a discussion on diversity in healthcare and how it impacts care outcomes and delivery of care. We also cover:...

As more Americans begin to feel more comfortable relaxing restrictions and mandates related to COVID-19, we take an in-depth and accurate look at where we stand in the fight against the virus. This episode we welcome Dr. Priya Nori to give us an expert perspective. Dr. Priya Nori is an Associate Professor of Medicine and Orthopedic Surgery at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. She serves as...

We continue our look at the COVID-19 vaccination effort as we welcome Dr. Susana Morales, Associate Professor of Clinical Medicine and Vice Chair for Diversity for the Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine. With Dr. Morales, we explore why some people are reluctant to get vaccinated, as well as: (2:27) Why it's important to get vaccinated, (8:06) COVID-19 vaccines and DNA, (10:33)...

We welcome Dr. Jonathan Avery, Associate Professor of Clinical Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, as we explore the stigma associated with substance use and abuse.  We also cover: (2:32) The opioid crisis and what we've learned from it, (8:10) what motivational interviewing is and why it's effective for those dealing with addiction, (12:38) the COVID-...

We kick off Season 2 of The Back Story with a look at neck pain and how it has become more prevalent as we are working more from home. Our guest is Dr. Dan Riew, Director of Cervical Spine Surgery and Co-Director of Spine Surgery at New York Presbyterian Och Spine Hospital. We cover: (6:56) what 'tech neck' is and how our devices could be hurting us, (12:41) when it comes to disk degener...

Janet Lau, Certified Registered Dietician and Nutritionist and Certified Holistic Health Coach joins us for a discussion on dieting and the impact the food that we choose to eat has on our body.  This episode explores: (4:30) how we think about diets and the science behind intermittent fasting, (9:01) food as fuel for your brain and quality vs. quantity of food, (12:31) the connection between diet...

We welcome Dr. Neel Mehta, Associate Professor of Anesthesiology and Director of Pain Management at Weill Cornell Medicine, as well as Co-Director of the Weill Cornell Center for Comprehensive Spine Care. Dr. Mehta specializes in interventional pain management with a focus on minimally invasive therapies and this episode focuses on how spinal cord stimulation is used as a method of pain management...

We cover the frightening realities of concussions with Dr. Nitin Sethi, Associate Professor of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Sethi, who specializes in epilepsy, concussion and traumatic brain injury, is also the Chief Medical Officer of the New York State Athletic Commission, and a Certified Ringside Physician.    This episode focuses on: (1:17) how a neurologist becomes a ring-side phy...

We welcome Trip Gulick, Professor of Medicine and Chief of the Division of Infectious Disease at Weill Cornell Medicine, for a discussion on all things COVID-19. We cover: (1:32) Why COVID-19 spreads so quickly and what sets this apart from other viruses, (5:20) what we know about COVID-19 that we didn't know at the start of the pandemic, (7:43) health inequities and social factors that creat...

How can we be more mindful about what we eat over the holidays and throughout the year? We chat with Jackie Topol, a Registered Dietician, Culinary Nutritionist, and Specialist in Integrative and Functional Nutrition about: (1:17) LEAP (Lifestyle Eating And Performance) Therapy and how it affects our immune system, (4:42) the benefits and composition of an anti-inflammatory diet, (6:19) emotional...

We focus on the often overlooked issue of pelvic pain with Dr. Sonia Bahlani, a specialist in urological and gynecological pelvic pain disorders, founder of Pelvic Pain Doc in New York City and assistant professor of urology and gynecology at Hofstra Medical Center.  Dr. Singh and Dr. Bahlani cover (2:45) what pelvic pain is, (4:52) what female sexual dysfunction is and how it's both treated...

We welcome Dr. Robert Allan, a clinical psychologist specializing in stress, anger management and pain medicine. Dr. Allan is a clinical assistant professor of psychology in medicine and a psychologist for the Weill Cornell Center for Comprehensive Spine Care and provides his expertise when it comes to: (2:08) the impact of stress on our physical and mental health, (6:40) coping and dealing with p...

Obesity is a major health crisis, resulting in conditions such as hypertension, diabetes and obstructive sleep apnea. Obesity impacts 2 out of every 3 Americans. We welcome Dr. Rekha Kumar, Specialist in Endocrinology and Obesity at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Singh and Dr. Kumar cover (4:43) what you should know when it comes to dieting and which diets are more effective, (9:10) why the quality o...

As legislation decriminalizing marijuana becomes more popular, we explore how medical marijuana is being used to help treat patients. Dr. Josh Weaver, Physician and Assistant Professor of Neurology at NewYork Presbyterian  Weill Cornell Medical Center, guides us through what we currently know about medical marijuana, as well as the role of CBD and THC. You can call 646-962-9776 to schedule an appo...

Sinusitis can cause inflammation in your nose, sinuses and throat. The swelling can often interfere with your ability to exercise and has an impact on your fitness.  We sit down with our very own otolaryngologist (Ear Nose Throat surgeon), Dr. Aaron Pearlman, Associate Professor of Clinical Otorhinolaryngology at Weill Cornell Medicine. Dr. Pearlman is also an attending rhinologist at New York Pre...

How are regenerative medicine and stem cells being used to optimize healing? Dr. Alfred Gellhorn, Associate Professor of Rehabilitation Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and Medical Director of Sports Medicine and Attending at NewYork Presbyterian, explains the latest innovations with stem cell therapy and also the shortcomings.  You can contact Weill Cornell Rehabilitation Medicine by visiting h...