In this episode, we engage in a captivating conversation with Dr. Alberto Espay, a distinguished professor and chair of the James and Joan Gardner Center for Parkinson's Disease at the University of Cincinnati. With over 300 research studies and the author of "Brain Fables: The Hidden History of Neurodegenerative Diseases and a Blueprint to Conquer Them," Dr. Espay not only stands as an accomplished scientist but also as a thought-provoking iconoclast challenging conventional views. Together, we dive into the core question: What is science? Join us as Alberto shares his expertise on neurodegenerative illnesses and imparts valuable insights into the essence of science, offering our listeners a profound understanding of the scientific process and its transformative impact on our relentless pursuit of knowledge.

3:04 – What is clinical research?

12:21 – What advice do you have for people who are living with an illness who see these news stories to kind of separate the wheat from the chaff?

15:54 – Discussing the concepts of diseases, syndromes, and cures

21:08 – Alzheimer’s disease and the “amyloid rabbit hole”

27:13 – Discussing the approval of an ineffective Alzheimer’s drug and failing to falsify the amyloid hypothesis

33:50 – How can we or should we trust science?

40:44 – How do you handle conversations with people you see in clinic who are bringing up different ideas such as trying stem cells?

42:48 – Vaccines and trusting companies who are in charge of the research and with access to peer reviewed content

42:48 – What do you see as the cure for bullshit? What would be your prescription for it? Or how can we improve the symptoms of bullshit?

Dr. Alberto Espay is Professor and Endowed Chair of the James J. and Joan A. Gardner Center for Parkinson’s Disease at the University of Cincinnati. He has published over 300 peer-reviewed research articles and 10 books, including Common Movement Disorders Pitfalls, which received the Highly Commended BMA Medical Book Award in 2013, and Brain Fables, the Hidden History of Neurodegenerative Diseases and a Blueprint to Conquer Them, coauthored with Parkinson patient and advocate Benjamin Stecher, selected by the Association of American Publishers for the PROSE Award honoring the best scholarly work in Neuroscience published in 2020. He has served as Chair of the Movement Disorders Section of the American Academy of Neurology, Associate Editor of the Movement Disorders journal, and on the Executive Committee of the Parkinson Study Group. Among other honors, he has received the Cincinnati Business Courier’s Health Care Hero award, the Spanish Society of Neurology’s Cotzias award, and honorary membership in the Mexican Academy of Neurology. His 2022 TEDx presentation, “Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s: The Solution in Sight,” was selected from more than 12,000 global entries for two 2023 Telly Awards, which honor excellence in video and television across all screens. He currently serves as President of the Pan-American Section of the International Parkinson and Movement Disorders Society and directs the first biomarker study of aging (CCBPstudy.com), designed to match people with neurodegenerative disorders to available therapies from which they are most biologically suitable to benefit, regardless of clinical diagnoses.

You can find Alberto Espay’s book, “Brain Fables: The Hidden History of Neurodegenerative Diseases and a Blueprint to Conquer Them,” on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Brain-Fables-Neurodegenerative-Diseases-Blueprint-ebook/dp/B088T85GMF

TEDx talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7oAoajBlHc

His recommendations for other “books on rethinking brain aging and neurodegeneration” in Shepherd:

In this episode we sit down with Yvonne Rogalski, a speech and language pathology professor, researcher, and survivor of a prolonged battle with chronic pain. Yvonne shares her journey through the healthcare system, highlighting the challenges and frustrations she faced while seeking a hysterectomy for her endometriosis. Yvonne's candid account exposes the struggles she faced and the ultimate decision to undergo a private hysterectomy. We dive into the complexities of navigating chronic pain, the discrimination faced by pain patients, and the need for a more compassionate and understanding approach within the healthcare system.

2:38 – When did you first become a “patient”?

4:58 – Can you talk to your experience with seeing various people and did you feel listened to and trusted?

5:30 – Dynamics of living with pain… What was it like to be a “pain patient”?

13:59 – Story of asking for pain medications during family trip in Athens, Georgia

20:32 – Getting off hormones and discovering Hormone Replacement Therapy

25:00 – Can you tell us about a visit that you had with the doctor where the doctor wanted to talk to your husband Ted about web design?

26:24 – Discussion of power dynamics in the healthcare system between the patient and the doctor

29:00 – Was there any follow-up on the surgeon who made the mistake?

33:00 - If we had a time machine and we could send you back to help Yvonne in 2012, how are things were different? How would you be able to be an advocate for yourself?

38:33 – Are you comfortable with being an assertive and proactive patient?

41:49 – Why did you not get treatment in Canada?

46:21 – How would you define medical bullshit?

Yvonne Rogalski, formerly an associate professor at Ithaca College in the department of Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, contributed significantly to the academic landscape. In her role, she instructed courses encompassing cognitive communication disorders, aphasia, motor speech disorders, and neuroanatomy. Her research pursuits were diverse, focusing on discourse analysis and treatment, alongside exploring memory and cognition within typical aging and populations with acquired communication disorders.

Yvonne has left academia in 2022 and is in the process of writing a collection of creative nonfiction about her medical mishap. She also has a YouTube channel!

Still Life: Comedy, Tragedy, Clipart

https://youtube.com/@still.life.clipart?si=Xd3fmsgIzUUmMFXU

Join us for an enlightening conversation with Timothy Quill, a pioneer in the field of palliative care and a driving force behind the death with dignity movement in the United States. In this episode, we delve into the profound concept of death with dignity, Dr. Quill's personal journey into the world of palliative care, and explore ways you, as our valued listeners, can incorporate these transformative ideas into your own healthcare experiences.

2:00 - Over the course of your career, has medical bullshit gotten any better?
4:02 - What are some tricks and traps that you see people get caught in the system?
5:30 - What do you do when a patient's belief system collides with your medical guidance?
6:47 - Thoughts on miracle cures
9:10 - The power and dangers of medical technology
11:23 - What prompted you to explore palliative care?
16:40 - How have you seen the medical system either support or interfere with people having a good death? How can patients advocate for themselves?
18:46 - What exactly is hospice and when is the right time to consider it?
25:34 - Story of Timothy's patient Diane
34:16 - The ethics behind assisted death
40:33 - "Palliative options of last resort"
45:00 - Advocacy for the death with dignity movement
47:10 - What does a family member do when they find themselves in the role of a decision-maker for a loved in the hospital?
52:50 - The biopsychosocial spiritual model and  discussion of spiritualism
56:30 - What in your thoughts is a prescription for reducing bullshit in the medical system?

Dr. Timothy Quill: https://www.urmc.rochester.edu/people/23067752-timothy-edward-quill