Clinician's Roundtable

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD Guest: Richard Ransohoff, MD Cortical demyelination now appears to be an important pathologic substrate for functional deficits in MS and PML yet the pathology differs from that in the white matter. What is our current understanding? Dr. Richard Ransohoff, the Director of the Neuroinflammation Research Center at the Lerner Research Institue of the Cleveland Clinic joins host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss his work in this exciting branch of neurology.

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD Guest: Gary Small, MD Dr Gary Small is Professor of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences and the Parlow-Solomon Professor on Aging at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA. He is a leading expert on memory and aging, joining host Dr. Leslie Lundt to discuss his latest book, The Longevity Bible.

Host: Leslie P. Lundt, MD Guest: Gary Small, MD What are the greatest challenges as we age? Will healthcare and lifestyle improve concurrently? In one of the first conferences of its kind, the UCLA Center on Aging presented a one-day symposium featuring a discussion among national academic and industry leaders about the interface between new technology and aging. Host Dr. Leslie Lundt examines this intersection with Dr. Gary Small, director of the UCLA Center on Aging, and a leading expert on memory and aging.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Robert Pearl, MD Study after study shows physicians’ prescribing trends are influenced by the drug industry, from sales reps dropping off brochures to sponsoring a catered lunch. How can physicians manage the heavy influence of the drug industry? Dr. Robert Pearl, executive director and CEO of the Permanente Medical Group, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen how the nation's largest physician group educates its doctors about brand name prescriptions.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Robert Pearl, MD When it comes to an integrated health care system, Kaiser Permanente has been at the forefront. Dr. Robert Pearl, executive director and CEO of the Permanente Medical Group, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen how integration among doctors and health care facilities——coordinating care at all levels——can improve the quality of medical care.

Host: Bruce Japsen Guest: Robert Pearl, MD The implementation of the electronic medical record is something many doctors are still thinking about as something on their to-do lists. But there are some medical groups like The Permanente Medical Group of Kaiser Permanente that have been ahead of the curve for years, if not decades. Dr. Robert Pearl, The Permanente Medical Group's executive director and CEO, tells the Chicago Tribune's Bruce Japsen how the nation's largest medical group's investments in this technology have helped them improve quality of medical care and service to patients.

Host: Shira Johnson, MD Guest: Charles van der Horst, MD Join host Dr. Shira Johnson as she interviews HIV researcher at the University of North Carolina, Dr. Charles van der Horst, about his passion for running. This physician-runner brings the spirit of intense competition from his work in obtaining AIDS funding to qualifying for the Boston Marathon.

Host: Shira Johnson, MD Guest: Charles van der Horst, MD Host Dr. Shira Johnson speaks with Dr. Charles van der Horst about his upbringings as an HIV/AIDS specialist and the directions of HIV research today. Dr van der Horst has been involved in HIV research for 27 years and speaks on his concerns within this field along with current trends and funding in 2008. He also talks about his important work in Malawi and South Africa designing and implementing clinical trials for HIV treatment and prevention.

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Guest: Christina M. Puchalski, MD How can we address the formless notion of spirituality in the exam room? Moving beyond religion, Dr. Christina Puchalski, internist, and Director of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality in Health, and Associate Professor of Medicine and Health Sciences at George Washington University speaks with your host, Dr. Michael Greenberg in addressing for some patients the elements that lay closest to the heart.

Host: Michael Greenberg, MD Guest: Christina M. Puchalski, MD What place does spirituality have in the practice of medicine? To what extent should it be incorporated in medical school while first being exposed to treating patients of varying spiritualities? Host Dr. Michael Greenberg addresses these and other questions with Dr. Christina Puchalski, the founding director of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health, and an associate professor in the departments of medicine and health care sciences at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences.