the NUANCE by Medicine Explained.

Shilpi Chhotray (@shilpichhotray) she/her is a globally recognized communicator on the plastic pollution crisis with an expertise in strategic communications, organizing, and narrative change.  Currently she is the co-founder and executive director of People over Plastic, a BIPOC-led media platform dedicated to uplifting the intersectional stories behind environmental racism. People over Plastic devlops platforms and safe spaces for frontline leaders to share their lived experiences in an unfiltered context. You can hear Shilpi as the host of PoP's podcast series. Previously, Shilpi served as the Break Free From Plastic Global Communications Lead. Due to her experience on the issue and role as a media liaison, Shilpi is often a go-to source for journalists including the NY Times, NPR, Rolling Stone, BBC, Reuters, and Al Jazeera. Shilpi regularly speaks on plastic pollution, climate change, and intersectionality including Environmental Grantmakers Association, Grounded, and Bioneers. Throughout her career, Shilpi has worked for a number of environmental organizations including the Environmental Defense Fund and Mission Blue/Sylvia Earle Alliance where she guest authored for National Geographic.

Maya Shetreat, MD is a neurologist, herbalist, urban farmer, and author of The Dirt Cure. She has been featured in the New York Times, The Telegraph, NPR, Sky News, The Dr. Oz Show and more. Dr. Maya is the founder of the Terrain Institute, where she teaches earth-based programs for transformational healing, including training programs for psychedelic-assisted approaches. For many years, she works and studies with indigenous communities and healers from around the world, and is a lifelong student of ethnobotany, plant healing, and the sacred.

Dr. Renée Lertzman is a pioneer and leader at the intersection of psychology, climate and environment. She applies psychosocial insights to drive engagement and action on ecological issues.  She presented a Ted Talk titled “How to turn climate anxiety into action”, which has received over 2 million views. Dr. Lertzman founded Project Inside Out, a unique platform, online tool, and resource hub that brings together changemakers, activists, and clinical psychologists to drive sustainable behavior change for our planet. Dr. Lertzman translates psychology and social science best practices into tools, resources and guidance that unleash the potential for creativity and courage. She guides companies and organizations in strengthening engagement campaigns and boosting their ability to connect with stakeholders to inspire action, ingenuity and resilience in facing one of the biggest challenges of our time.

Lisa Patel MD, MESc received her undergraduate degree in Biological Sciences from Stanford University. After college, she worked in Egypt, Brazil, and India on international development projects with community-based organizations and non-profits, focusing on conservation and development efforts. She then obtained her Master's in Environmental Sciences from the Yale School of the Environment and went on to be a Presidential Management Fellow for the Environmental Protection Agency, coordinating the US Government's efforts on clean air and safe drink ing water projects in South Asia in collaboration with the World Health Organization. Realizing the critical and inextricable links between children's health and environmental issues, she obtained her medical degree from Johns Hopkins University and completed her residency in pediatrics at UCSF. She co-founded the Climate and Health task force for AAP-CA1, and sits on the Executive Committee for the AAP's national Council on Environmental Health. She is currently the Executive Director for the Medical Society Consortium on Climate and Health and maintains a clinical practice as a pediatric hospitalist caring for newborns, premature infants, and children requiring hospitalization.

Dr. Sasha Hamdani is a Board Certified psychiatrist and ADHD specialist. In addition to her private practice, she has a robust social media following across multiple platforms where she provides accessible and accurate information about ADHD. She has been featured in Forbes, Washington Post, and Cosmopolitan and is currently launching a global mental health campaign through Maybelline. Her first book about self-care and mental health will be released this Winter through Simon and Schuster.

Akil Palanisamy, MD, is a Harvard-trained physician who practices integrative medicine, blending his conventional medical expertise with holistic approaches including functional medicine and Ayurveda. “Dr. Akil” attended Harvard University and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Arts in biochemical sciences. He earned an MD from the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and completed family medicine residency training at Stanford University. He then graduated from a fellowship in integrative medicine with Dr. Andrew Weil at the University of Arizona, and received certification in mind-body medicine from the Georgetown University Center. Dr. Akil is the Department Chair for Integrative Medicine at the Sutter Health Institute for Health and Healing (IHH). He also serves as IHH Physician Director for Community Education and leads their educational initiatives and programs. Dr. Akil has been a consultant with the Medical Board of California for many years.  A widely known speaker and educator, he is the author of “The Tiger Protocol” (his latest book) and “The Paleovedic Diet: A Complete Program to Burn Fat, Increase Energy, and Reverse Disease”.  As he has done for two-plus decades, Dr. Akil sees patients and conducts clinical research studies in the San Francisco Bay Area. In his free time, he enjoys playing tennis, traveling, and spending time with his wife and daughter.

Dr. Steven Lasee is a toxicologist with expertise in risk assessment, chemical fate and transport, exposure, and the Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) chemical group. Dr. Lasee has advised and worked with several state and federal government agencies including the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection on projects surrounding PFAS and PFAS contamination. Dr. Lasee has given several presentations on PFAS exposure to the EPA and at national Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry conferences. Dr. Lasee’s focus is on understanding human and environmental exposure to toxicants. This has been accomplished by focusing on exposure and how chemicals move through the environment.

Dr. David Wiss became a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) in 2013 and founded Nutrition in Recovery, a group practice of RDNs specializing in the treatment of eating and substance use disorders. He earned his Ph.D. in Public Health with a minor in Health Psychology from UCLA by investigating links between adverse childhood experiences and mental health outcomes among socially disadvantaged men. Dr. Wiss can be your nutrition and health consultant, functional medicine practitioner, recovery coach, or simply provide psychoeducation related to his areas of expertise. Learn more about the intersection of nutrition and mental health using his new app called Wise Mind Nutrition, and follow him on Instagram @wisemindnutrition

Dr. Marc Milstein, a scientist specializing in brain health, provides actionable tips for a healthier brain. Topics include factors and steps to prevent Alzheimer's, the link between neurological diseases and mental health, debunking misinformation, and the role of gut health in optimal brain health.

Dr. Anthony Gustin DC, MS is a former sports rehab clinician turned entrepreneur, author, podcaster, investor, and amateur farmer. He’s currently working on some new projects to help save our food system and scale regenerative agriculture. He last founded Perfect Keto (acquired) to help people with metabolic dysfunction & Equip Foods to provide people with whole food nutrition supplementation. He continues to explore how to live like a human on my podcast The Natural State Podcast and authors his newsletter The Feed. Listen to more episodes:  https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-nuance-podcast/id1586205682 https://open.spotify.com/show/7rvh79JbMtJJqX39KoKOv6