Life Effects

In this episode, we investigate the deep connections between mental health and physical health. For years, a large faction of the medical community neglected this link, and patients who suffered mental distress had to do it alone. Why have taboos around mental health persisted? And what does the future look like as we probe the innate relationship between mental and physical health? To answer these questions, host Sara Ivry is joined by Heather Von St. James, a cancer survivor and patient advocate, and Dr. Neha Chaudhary who co-founded Brainstorm: The Stanford Laboratory for Brain Health Innovation and Entrepreneurship.  The individual(s) who have written and created the content in and whose images appear in the articles, profiles, podcasts and videos from the Life Effects program may have been paid by Teva Pharmaceuticals for their contributions.  This content represents the opinions of the contributor and does not necessarily reflect those of Teva Pharmaceuticals. Similarly, Teva Pharmaceuticals d

From pacemakers that help control abnormal heart rhythms to apps that monitor everything from oxygen to sugar levels, technology’s role in patients’ lives and health care generally is continuing to expand. In this episode, we look at how innovations in telehealth, wearable tech, and artificial intelligence are changing patients’ experiences and healthcare in general.  Host Sara Ivry is joined by Glenda Rouland, a patient who feels empowered by technology after being diagnosed with Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis (IPF), a chronic lung disease with no known cure. Jessilyn Dunn, a medical researcher and post-doctoral fellow at Stanford University School of Medicine, also joins the conversation. Jessilyn’s research focuses on biosensors, electronic medical records, and wearable devices. The individual(s) who have written and created the content in and whose images appear in the articles, profiles, podcasts and videos from the Life Effects program may have been paid by Teva Pharmaceuticals for their contributio

In this episode, we look at the millennial generation’s unique relationship with health. From chat rooms to social media to wearable tech, millennials are used to having boundless information just a click away. So how does their post-internet world connect to millennials’ tendency of taking health matters into their own hands? To answer these questions, host Sara Ivry is joined by a Stephen Fiskell, a millennial patient, and Dr. Gol Golshani, a millennial doctor specializing in internal medicine. Over the past few years, Stephen has taken a radical—and creative—approach to improving his health by tracking everything from his eating habit to his sleep. Doctor Gol Golshani also joins the conversation. As a millennial herself, Dr. Golshani has a multifaceted understanding of how her generation views their own health and engages with the healthcare system.  NPS-US-NP-00378 NOVEMBER 2018 The individual(s) who have written and created the content in and whose images appear in the articles, profiles, podcasts a

In this episode, we enter the world of caregivers: the relatives and close friends who step up when sick family members need support. Often, it’s a full-time job, so it's not surprising that these caregivers can end up neglecting their own health. Host Sara Ivry discusses this dilemma with guests Kate Schrock and Dr. Sandy Butler. In a rapid turn of events, Kate Schrock became a single mom raising a newborn and the primary caregiver to her ailing mother. Sara and Kate are also joined by Dr. Sandy Butler, a professor in the School of Social Work and a Resident Scholar at the Center on Aging at the University of Maine. Her primary focus is the health needs and social welfare experiences of low-income women. The individual(s) who have written and created the content in and whose images appear in the articles, profiles, podcasts and videos from the Life Effects program may have been paid by Teva Pharmaceuticals for their contributions. This content represents the opinions of the contributor and does not necessari

More than half of Americans are currently living with one or more serious, preventable, chronic diseases. These rates are expected to increase significantly over the next two decades. In this episode of Life Effects, host Sara Ivry talks to Gabriel Cortez, a San Francisco-based educator and poet who is one of many young people actively working against the rise of Type 2 diabetes in his community. Dr. Mercedes Carnathon, Vice Chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Northwestern University, also joins the conversation. Together, they look at Type 2 diabetes from multiple angles, including Gabriel’s first-hand experience watching the chronic disease infiltrate his family and the broader role that social determinants (culture, socio-economic status, stress, stigmas, etc.) play in who develops the disease and how it’s managed. The individual(s) who have written and created the content in and whose images appear in the articles, profiles, podcasts and videos from the Life Effects program may have been pa

Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live to be 100? How about 150? Life-extending technology may not be accessible today, but is it possible that something as simple as exercise could reverse the aging process right now?In this episode, we explore the aging process on a personal and scientific level. Host Sara Ivry talks to Katherine Beiers who, at age 86, regularly runs road races and recently finished her fourteenth marathon. Dr. Roberta Gottlieb, head of the Gottlieb Laboratory at Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles also joins the conversation. She is investigating the relationship between our cells and longevity, with a focus on the phenomenon of “autophagy” (cells reviving themselves).The individual(s) who have written and created the content in and whose images appear in the articles, profiles, podcasts and videos from the Life Effects program may have been paid by Teva Pharmaceuticals for their contributions.  This content represents the opinions of the contributor and does not necess

Life Effects is a podcast about patients’ experiences and the factors that shape them, now and in the future. In Season 2, host Sara Ivry brings patients and experts together for inspiring and informative conversations about health conditions and trends. Together, they look at what patients are experiencing now and map out what the future might hold.

Depression often plays a starring role in the entertainment world, although some representations of the condition are more truthful and helpful than others. In Episode 3 of Life Effects, guest John Moe talks about how Depression is portrayed in the pop culture – both good and bad – and discusses how his personal podcast contributes to the conversation. 

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that of the 43.4 million Americans who live with a mental illness, 16 million have depression. But how do you know if you’re one of them? And if you are, what does "depression" even mean? In Episode 1 of Life Effects, guest Dr. Jonathan Rottenberg describes how he learned to process his own depression, and explains what he’s discovered about the nuts and bolts of the condition after years of psychological research.