In this episode, Stanley Perlman shares insights from his impressive career studying coronaviruses—both the common and more deadly ones, like MERS and SARS. In comparing preceding coronaviruses with SARS-CoV-2, Stanley discusses how other coronaviruses can aid our current understanding of, and be used to infer about, COVID-19. He also gives his thoughts on durable immunity, therapeutic strategies, and future outbreak preparedness. We discuss: His background and early work with coronaviruses [2:4...
Jun 29, 2020•2 hr 44 min•Ep. 117
Back by very popular demand for a special AMA episode, ketosis expert Dom D’Agostino joins Bob Kaplan, Peter’s Head of Research, to address many lingering questions about the ketogenic diet, exogenous ketones, and exercise for overall health. Dom also shares valuable insights from his personal experience with training, supplements, intermittent fasting, and other nutritional strategies to optimize his own health and performance. If you’re not a subscriber and listening on a podcast player, you’l...
Jun 22, 2020•28 min•Ep. 116
In this episode, David Watkins, professor of pathology at George Washington University, shares how insights from his HIV and Zika virus research could apply to SARS-CoV-2 protection strategies. David introduces monoclonal antibodies as an intervention to prevent and treat COVID-19 infection, and also discusses how they could be used as a hedge to vaccine development. Additionally, David’s immunology tutorial explains the innate and adaptive immune systems and their differentiated responses to vi...
Jun 15, 2020•2 hr 38 min•Ep. 115
In this episode, Eileen White, Chief Scientific Officer at the Rutgers Cancer Institute, describes the fundamental role of autophagy in the maintenance of health and prevention of neurodegeneration, cancer, and other diseases. She also goes into detail about the paradoxical finding that autophagy may benefit an existing cancer cell and help it to survive—a discovery leading to new possibilities in cancer therapy. We also discuss fasting (and molecules that induce autophagy) and the critical need...
Jun 08, 2020•2 hr 59 min•Ep. 114
In this episode, I sit down with my daughter to discuss the brutal death of George Floyd, and the aftermath we are watching unfold. Though I have no expertise in race relations, law enforcement, or police brutality, I do have some knowledge in the training of physicians, and it is that training of doctors that I’ve been thinking about lately as it may offer one small insight into this crisis. In this very short discussion, we speak about three types of errors in medicine (and medical training), ...
Jun 03, 2020•22 min•Ep. 113
Ned David is the co-founder of Unity Biotechnology, a company developing senolytic medicines—molecules that target and destroy senescent cells in the human body. In this episode, Ned explains the science of cellular senescence and how it impacts the aging process. Ned discusses how senolytics may delay, prevent, treat, or even reverse age-related diseases, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, and neurodegenerative disease. As a serial entrepreneur, Ned also provides advice on how to transfo...
Jun 01, 2020•2 hr 16 min•Ep. 112
In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter explains his framework for understanding what lab tests can (and cannot) inform us as it pertains to overall longevity, with a specific focus on atherosclerosis, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and the physical body. Additionally, Peter shares details into two patient case studies around cardiovascular disease, including how the lab results influenced his diagnosis and treatment plan for the patients. Once again, Bob Kaplan, Peter’s head of research, w...
May 18, 2020•17 min•Ep. 111
In this episode, Lew Cantley, Professor of cancer biology and Director of the Sandra and Edward Meyer Cancer Center at Weill Cornell Medical College in NYC, walks us through his amazing discovery of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and the implications for the care of patients with cancer. He explains various combinations of therapies being tested and used, including the possibility of pairing prescriptive nutritional therapies to increase the efficacy of drugs like PI3K inhibitors. Lew also exp...
May 11, 2020•2 hr 11 min•Ep. 110
In this episode, professional archer, John Dudley, shares the many insights he’s gleaned through the process of not only becoming an elite competitor of archery but also an exceptional teacher. John describes how his desire for improvement has cultivated a sheer love of practice, and how pursuing mastery helped put into context how archery is an amazing model system for life. Additionally, John discusses the often misunderstood nature of hunting, but also makes the case as to why one should cons...
May 04, 2020•2 hr 17 min•Ep. 109
In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter explains some observations he’s noticed since switching to a 3-day fasting cycle from the longer fasts, the various things he’s measuring, and some helpful tips for getting through a prolonged fast. He also discusses the role of exogenous ketones in fasting and ketogenic diets as well as their impact on autophagy, specifically. Finally, Peter provides some practical advice for those looking to fit exercise for longevity into their busy life. Once ag...
Apr 21, 2020•16 min•Ep. 108
n this episode, John Barry, historian and author of The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History, describes what happened with the 1918 Spanish flu pandemic, including where it likely originated, how and why it spread, and what may have accounted for the occurrence of three separate waves of the virus, each with different rates of infection and mortality. While the current coronavirus pandemic pales in comparison to the devastation of the Spanish flu, John highlights a num...
Apr 17, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 107
In this episode, infectious disease and pandemic preparedness expert, Amesh Adalja, M.D., puts the current pandemic into context against previous coronaviruses as well as past influenza pandemics. Amesh also provides his interpretation of the evolving metrics which have contributed to big variations in modeling predictions, whether this will be a seasonally recurring virus, and perhaps most importantly—how we can be better prepared for the inevitable future novel virus. Finally, Amesh explains w...
Apr 13, 2020•44 min•Ep. 106
In this episode, psychiatrist Paul Conti, M.D. discusses the impact of the fear and uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic and the resulting stress, anxiety, and trauma it may impart on the population. Paul examines how this situation has highlighted the challenges we face at the societal level as well as the individual level, and stresses the importance of seeking absolute truth above personal truth and taking action as individuals as a means to combat many of these pervasive problems. W...
Apr 10, 2020•1 hr 27 min•Ep. 105
In this episode, Peter sits down with his daughter to answer questions from her and other kids about COVID-19. We discuss: What is a virus? [1:45]; How did this version of coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) start? [4:30]; How does COVID-19 compare to SARS and MERS (previous coronaviruses)? [6:00]; Will COVID-19 come back again after we resolve the current issue? [7:15]; When will kids go back to school? [7:45]; How has the US surpassed China in total cases, and how could we have been better prepared for t...
Apr 08, 2020•34 min•Ep. 104
In this episode, originally recorded to be the 100th episode of The Drive, Peter discusses topics that he has changed his mind about since starting the podcast as a result of preparing for interviews as well as from the actual conversations. Peter also reviews some of his favorite moments from the first 99 episodes, shares what books he’s currently reading, and much more. Initially scheduled to be released as episode 100, this was delayed due to recent podcasts covering COVID-19. We discuss: Def...
Apr 06, 2020•1 hr 17 min•Ep. 103
In this episode, Michael Osterholm, Director of the Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy at the University of Minnesota and author of Deadliest Enemy: Our War Against Killer Germs, provides an overview on the COVID-19 pandemic in regards to what has happened to date, what we’ve learned about how the disease spreads, and his optimism and pessimism about what potentially lies ahead. Michael gives his take on the true case fatality rate, why it differs around the world, and which under...
Mar 31, 2020•1 hr 22 min•Ep. 102
Ryan Holiday, bestselling author and author of Daily Stoic, discusses practical ways to find stillness and apply the insights of stoic philosophy in the midst of COVID-19 chaos . Ryan discusses the importance of taking back a feeling of control, the benefits of structure and routine, and the idea of being prepared for anything. We discuss: Using times of adversity to evaluate and reflect how you’ve set up and prioritized your life [2:30]; What insights might the famous stoics provide amidst this...
Mar 27, 2020•1 hr 23 min•Ep. 101
In this episode, Sam Harris, neuroscientist, author, and host of the Making Sense Podcast, joins Peter to discuss this unprecedented coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. The discussion includes the important distinction between COVID-19 and influenza, the impact on the economy, the dire situation in New York, and the challenge of creating a safe and effective vaccine. Additionally, Sam brings insights from his extensive meditation practice to help those struggling with stress, anxiety, and fear in thi...
Mar 24, 2020•2 hr 32 min•Ep. 100
In this episode, Dr. Peter Hotez M.D., Ph.D., Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine Baylor College of Medicine, returns to continue the conversation on COVID-19. Dr. Hotez informs us on how we can gauge the number of infected people, behaviors to reduce the probability of becoming infected, and the inconsistency of hospitalizations among young adults between different countries. Dr. Hotez underscores the continued uncertainty in many virus-related developments, but ends with some poi...
Mar 20, 2020•1 hr 6 min•Ep. 99
Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #47 – Matthew Walker, Ph.D., on sleep – Part I of III: Dangers of poor sleep, Alzheimer’s risk, mental health, memory consolidation, and more . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on...
Mar 17, 2020•10 min
In this episode, Dr. Peter Hotez M.D., Ph.D., Dean for the National School of Tropical Medicine Baylor College of Medicine, shares his expertise on viral disease and how it applies specifically to the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and the virus that causes it (SARS-CoV-2). Dr. Hotez informs us about the current state of disease progression, which has many unknowns, but has thus far been greatly determined by the delayed response time and lack of testing. Moreover, we discuss what we can do on a...
Mar 14, 2020•57 min•Ep. 97
Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #37 – Zubin Damania, M.D.: Revolutionizing healthcare one hilariously inspiring video at a time . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. T he Qualys are short ...
Mar 10, 2020•13 min
In this episode, David Epstein, best-selling author of Range and The Sports Gene, discusses the evidence around the most effective ways to improve long-term performance and learning in our specialties, our sports, our careers, and our lives. David makes a compelling case that a range of experiences and skills are more likely to lead to expert performance compared to early specialization, and offers an in-depth critique of the much-publicized 10,000-Hour Rule. David also provides insights into ou...
Mar 09, 2020•3 hr 37 min•Ep. 96
Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #52 – Ethan Weiss, M.D.: A masterclass in cardiovascular disease and growth hormone – two topics that are surprising interrelated . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on the grid fo...
Mar 03, 2020•10 min
In this episode, Luke Bennett, Medical and Sports Performance Director for Hintsa Performance, explains the ins and outs of Formula 1 with a focus on the behind-the-scenes human element, and what makes it so emotionally, cognitively, and physically demanding for the drivers as well as the many team members. Luke first talks about his fascinating background with the Royal Flying Doctor Service in Australia, which lead to his current position with Hintsa working closely with F1 drivers to improve ...
Mar 02, 2020•2 hr 39 min•Ep. 95
Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #05 – Dom D’Agostino, Ph.D.: ketosis, n=1, exogenous ketones, HBOT, seizures, and cancer . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. T he Qualys are short (i.e., ...
Feb 28, 2020•6 min
In this episode, Mark Hyman, M.D., director of the Cleveland Clinic Center for Functional Medicine and the author of Food Fix, discusses that if we can fix the food system, we can solve many big problems—namely the chronic disease/obesity epidemic, the rising costs of healthcare, as well as the big problems facing the environment. Mark first briefly lays out the health consequences of processed food with a focus on the gut microbiome. From there, Mark discusses the environmental consequences of ...
Feb 24, 2020•2 hr 50 min•Ep. 94
Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #34 – Sam Harris, Ph.D.: The transformative power of mindfulness . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. T he Qualys are short (i.e., “fast”), typically less ...
Feb 21, 2020•9 min
In my first interview with Jason Fried, Jason explained his overall philosophy about work-life balance and how exactly he optimizes for efficiency. For this special follow-up AMA, we've decided to release the full episode to everyone (including non-subscribers), so all can hear Jason answer questions from listeners that dive deeper into topics such as work-life balance, the role of luck versus hard work in success, specifics around Basecamp’s unique process-oriented approach to projects, 4-day w...
Feb 17, 2020•2 hr 8 min•Ep. 93
Today's episode of The Qualys is from podcast #04 – AMA #1: alcohol, best lab tests, wearables, finding the right doc, racing, and more . The Qualys is a subscriber-exclusive podcast, released Tuesday through Friday, and published exclusively on our private, subscriber-only podcast feed. Qualys is short-hand for “qualifying round,” which are typically the fastest laps driven in a race car — done before the race to determine starting position on the grid for race day. T he Qualys are short (i.e.,...
Feb 11, 2020•10 min
