The Dr. Raj Podcast

Today's Episode Dr Raj and Victoria Sampson discuss the roles of sound editing and film throughout her life, starting from childhood. She breaks down audio and film industry lingo including ADR, mixing, and foley into common language in relation to her own experiences in the entertainment industry.  Today’s Guest  Victoria Sampson is an Emmy Award-winning producer, writer, director, film & sound e...

Today's Episode Dr Raj talks with Lilly Rocha about her past work in Silicon Valley, her life in London, and a life-changing health scare at age 37. They discuss how these life events all led to her current work as an advocate for Latinx culinary professionals and women’s cardiac health awareness.  Today’s Guest  Lilly Rocha is the current CEO of Latino Restaurant Association, an 800+ member natio...

Today's Episode Mina Dasgupta is Dr. Raj’s oldest daughter, at nine-years-old. Today’s episode was inspired by an idea that Mina had about giving advice to other families and loved ones on how to talk about autism through compassion and communication. More specifically, they discuss their experience growing together with Mina's younger brother, Aiden, who has autism. In addition, Dr. Raj interview...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj talks with Dr. Eva Khondaker about her background in beauty pageants, and how her pageant past has influenced her current role as a medical professional. Being a first-generation Bangladeshi immigrant, she discusses the ways that pageantry can positively impact women around the world in following their dreams.  Today's Guest Dr. Eva Khondaker is a recent medical school grad...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj talks with Dr. Tom Summerfelt about his role in Feeding America’s mission to ensure equitable access to nutritious food for all. They discuss the factors regarding food insecurity and what we can do at both local and federal levels.  Today's Guest As the Chief Research Officer, Tom Summerfelt, Ph. D., leads the development and execution of Feeding America’s strategic resear...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj talks with Steven Fruci about all things coffee-related. They discuss coffee terminology, how to keep your coffee fresh, and the question: Is there really a right or wrong way to drink coffee?  Today's Guest An expert in all things espresso, Steven Fruci is a business school graduate, an accomplished musician, and a co-host of the coffee podcast Bean There, Done That based...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj talks with Monique Powell from ska band Save Ferris. They discuss their shared love of the genre, her journey from ballet to opera to punk rock, and the importance of mental health advocacy in the creative community.  Today's Guest Monique Powell was classically trained from the age of 11 with a passion for punk at the age of 9. While her first love was ballet, she knew she...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj talks with Dr. Kien Vuu about his mission to help people discover healthy lifestyles on the path to longevity and peak performance. They discuss his personal experiences dealing with chronic disease, and finding one’s authentic sense of self through the "Thrive State" at the intersection of physical, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing.  Today's Guest Dr. Kien Vuu is one of...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj talks with Dr. Justin Braverman about the different types of bariatric surgeries and how they help patients overcome weight-related diseases, as well as common misconceptions about weight-loss surgery.  Today's Guest Dr. Braverman is the Director of Bariatric Surgery at PIH Health in Whitter, CA. Becoming a doctor was always what Dr. Braverman wanted to do. When asked why D...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj talks with Dr. Gabriel Zada about his journey to Neurological Surgery, types of pituitary tumors, as well their diagnoses and treatments for each type.    Today's Guest Dr. Gabriel Zada is a neurosurgeon and professor of neurological surgery, otolaryngology , and internal medicine at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. He is a director of the USC Brain Tumor Center and co-d...

Today's Guest Mia Finnegan is an internationally respected wellness and leadership expert and speaker. She is a wife, mother of 3, transformation coach, teacher, and mentor. She and her husband Ritch own and operate Finnegan Wellness, LLC a multifaceted company that specializes in health and wellness accountability coaching and transforming people worldwide spiritually, mentally, and physically. S...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj talks with Candace Cable about her life and journey after becoming disabled from a spinal cord injury early in her life. She talks about advocating for disabled persons, the history of disability rights in the United States, and her motivation and influence to become an athlete.   Today's Guest Candace is an active native Angeleno who sustained a spinal cord injury in a car...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj talks with fitness star Rosa Acosta about how to get started working out and how to find a routine and schedule that works with your life.   Today's Guest For those who are into fitness and modeling Rose Acosta needs no introduction. The bold and beautiful Dominican wears many hats; she is a dancer, fitness guide, model, reality show star, and actress all squeezed into one....

Today's Episode Dr. Raj talks with Tina Camiling about financial planning tools and how to optimize your taxes and maximize your retirement accounts.   Today's Guest Tina has been in the financial services and life insurance industry since 1991. Her experience, coupled with her dedication to quality service, has helped her build a reputation focused on customer care. She is a consistent million do...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj talks with Dr. Monish Aron about screening for prostate cancer and available treatment options.   Today's Guest Dr. Monish Aron is an expert in robotic and laparoscopic surgery for malignant and benign conditions of the prostate, kidney, bladder, adrenal gland, and the ureter. He trained in urology at premier institutions in India, Australia, and the United States. Dr. Aron...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj talks with Brittany Santiago from "Love and Life After Lockup" about her journey and how she overcame addiction and turned her life around to become successful.   Today's Guest Addiction is real and it does not discriminate. Anyone could fall deep into it and become an addict. While others escape its grasp, not many can say the same thing. There are so many people out there...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj talks with Dr. Diana Yu about why she went into interventional pulmonology, what COPD is, and advanced measures that can be taken such as total lung volume reduction surgery, lung transplants, as well as noninvasive procedures.   Today's Guest Dr. Diana Yu is an interventional pulmonologist and clinical assistant professor of medicine at the Keck School of Medicine of Unive...

Today's Episode Today Dr. Raj talks with Dr. Sonia Batra about skin cancer because May is Skin Cancer Awareness month. They cover a variety of topics such as the different types of skin cancer, treatments available, and of course prevention methods such as sunscreen.   Today's Guest Dr. Sonia Batra is double board certified in both Dermatology and Dermatological Surgery and founded her own practic...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj talks with Sarah DeAngelo, a jewelry maker based in Colorado, about gemstones and how they can help treat certain conditions and improve your life.   Today's Guest Sarah DeAngelo creates hand fabricated jewelry that reflects ancient techniques and natural elements of nature. She uses traditional metalsmithing techniques such as forging, salt piercing, soldering, repoussé, a...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj sits down with Dr. Kami Hoss to discuss his new book, If Your Mouth Could Talk, Orthodontics, and how he has taken initiative to make going to the dentist less intimidating with his practice, The Super Dentists.   Today's Guest Both artist and scientist, Dr. Kami Hoss is a modern-day Renaissance man: a classical composer and musician, a renowned orthodontist, and an entrepr...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj talks with Dr. Irene Kang about breast cancer and various treatments. Today's Guest Dr. Irene Kang is a medical oncologist at USC specializing in breast cancer. Her practice philosophy is to partner with her patients to achieve their best outcomes. Some of her academic work focuses on health care disparities, supportive care studies, and early phase clinical trials. Links G...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj interviews his wife, Dr. Michelle Koolaee, a rheumatologist at PIH Health about the different types of arthritis such as rheumatoid and osteoarthritis as well as the diagnostic approach to both and briefly discusses treatment options. Today's Guest Dr. Koolaee is double board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology. She completed her internal medicine residency at C...

Today's Episode Dr. Raj meets with coach Jasmine Moezzi: a triathlete, an ironman certified coach, a certified nutritionist, and volunteer with KEEN (Kids Enjoy Exercise Now). About Coach Jasmine Coach Jasmine has always cared most about two things in life: creating community and helping others to the best of her ability. Growing up in the South Bay as a competitive figure skater and tennis player...

Today's Episode Today Dr. Raj meets with Brian Smith, a professional stuntman and entertainer. Brian's links: Gymnastikids Gymnastikids on Instagram TNT Dunk Squad About Dr. Raj Dr Raj is a quadruple board certified physician and associate professor at the University of Southern California. He was a co-host on the TNT series Chasing the Cure with Ann Curry, a regular on the TV Show The Doctors for...

Today's Guest Dr. Bon Ku is a director of the Health Design Lab at Thomas Jefferson University where he created the first Design Thinking program at a medical school. He is the associate Dean for Health and Design, host of the Design Lab podcast, and a practicing Emergency Physician. His work towards redesigning Healthcare has been featured in The New York Times CNBC architecture digest and Fast C...