Causes or Cures
Dr. Eeks
"For the Nerds and the Nerd Nots"Causes or Cures is a health podcast hosted by Dr. Eeks—an independent, grassroots show driven by curiosity and a passion for breaking down complex health topics into bite-sized, easy-to-understand insights. Dr. Eeks works as a public health consultant, in the realm of epi/scicomms. She's all about making science relatable and often uses a blue-collar sense of humor to drive the message home.On this podcast, Dr. Eeks talks with experts from around the world (doctors, researchers, public health pros, and more) to dive into the latest hot topics in health and research, all in a down-to-earth kind of way. She also includes people with compelling stories of healing and "characters" because life is too boring and short to leave out characters. ;)DISCLAIMER: Some topics are more controversial than others, so keep in mind that this is information only and not health advice. Dr. Eeks doesn't endorse any of her guests' views, and despite a strict health routine, nor does she endorse any products, supplements, oils, magic socks or potions. If an episode is sponsored by a company she likes, she will say so in the show notes! Causes or Cures is not a "news site." It's about having conversations, and Dr. Eeks is confident that she can have a respectful conversation with anyone, even people who think far differently than she does. (At least that's been her experience at hole-in-the-walls & on the NYC sidewalks.) The point is to not take anything here as Gospel. Sometimes Dr. Eeks' dog Barnaby makes his opinion known, but the good news is that he's a smart dog. Most importantly, she hopes this podcast encourages folks to stay curious, empathic, hopeful, compassionate, honest, open-minded, and engaged. Freedom of discussion is a beautiful thing, delightfully messy, and one that many take for granted.*The views on this podcast do not reflect the views of anyone she contracts with or consults for. You can contact Dr. Eeks through her website, bloomingwellness.com.If you are interested in sponsoring an episode, write erin@bloomingwellness.com.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 21, 2023 • 1h 28min
Decoding Havana Syndrome, a Mystery Illness Targeting the Intelligence Community, with Dr. James Giordano
Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. James Giordano about narrowing in on the cause of Havana Syndrome, a mysterious illness targeting the intelligence community. Havana Syndrome was first identified in 2016, when diplomats and intel officers working in Havana, Cuba began experiencing a mysterious set of symptoms. Dr. Giordano was one of the experts tasked to investigate the cause of Havana Syndrome, and while other reports of Havana Syndrome have occurred in other locations, this podcast will focus on what happened in Havana in 2016. "Dr James Giordano is Pellegrino Center Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Biochemistry, and Chief of the Neuroethics Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC. He is Senior Bioethicist of the Defense Medical Ethics Center, and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences/Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, and is Distinguished Visiting Professor of Brain Science, Health Promotions, and Ethics at the Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Coburg, Germany. He is the author of over 350 peer-reviewed publications, 9 books, and 40 government reports on brain science, ethics, and biosecurity. Dr. Giordano was elected to the European Academy of Science and Arts; is an International Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK); was a Senior Fellow and Task Leader of the EU Human Brain Project; and was an appointed member of the US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections."You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Subscribe to her newsletter here.Support the show
Mar 10, 2023 • 48min
The Unseen Enemy: Navigating the Silent Epidemic of High Blood Pressure, with Dr. Jay Shah
Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Jay Shah about why he believes that high blood pressure is a silent epidemic affecting millions of people. Dr. Shah will first describe what blood pressure is and how we measure it, what high blood pressure is, and why he believes we are experiencing a silent epidemic of high blood pressure. He will also make the case for why we should be continually monitoring blood pressure versus traditional methods of monitoring blood pressure, such as periodic visits to a healthcare provider or taking measurements at home with a blood pressure cuff. He'll explain the technology he is currently working with to do this. Finally, he'll also offer a few lifestyle tips for improving cardiac health. Dr. Shah is a cardiologist who trained at Massachusetts General Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine. He founded and built the cardiovascular services at The Portland Clinic and served as the medical director of the Aortic Disease Program at The Mayo Clinic. He currently serves as the medical director for Aktiia. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Subscribe to her newsletter here.Support the show
Mar 6, 2023 • 53min
WTF!?! How Swearing can Help Manage Physical Pain, with Dr. Nick Washmuth
Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Nick Washmuth about how swearing (cursing, saying "bad" words, dropping "f bombs") can be used to help manage physical pain. He discusses the theories for why swearing helps with physical pain, the evidence for it, specific case studies, and how it might be used in a clinical setting. He also describes if some swear words are "better" than others for managing physical pain and whether or not making up swear words has any benefit. In addition, he'll talk about how swearing might help build a therapeutic alliance and help with physical performance too. Dr Washmuth is a doctor of physical therapy and an Associate Professor at Samford University, School of Health Professions. Disclaimer: If swearing disturbs you, this isn't the podcast for you. If you're fine with it...then let's f'ing go!You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Subscribe to her newsletter here. Support the show
Mar 2, 2023 • 1h 24min
Final Choices: Exploring Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying Law (MAID), with Dr. Madeline Li
Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Madeline Li about Canada's Medical Assistance in Dying Law or MAID. The Parliament of Canada passed MAID in 2016, allowing eligible Canadian adults to request medical assistance in dying. In 2021 the law was revised to allow for more chronic conditions to be included, and now they are in discussions to expand eligibility to those with a diagnosed mental disorder. Dr. Li is a psychiatrist specializing in cancer and palliative care who also has clinical expertise in applying MAID. She has done eligibility assessments for MAID and helped develop the MAID program for the University Health Network in Toronto, Canada.In the podcast, she tells us more about what MAID is, how the original eligibility criteria evolved since 2016, and describes how the law is applied to people who request MAID. She discusses the reasons put forth for expanding MAID to include those with chronic conditions, including mental disorders, and how she personally feels about that. She talks about the key challenges and ethical concerns. Finally, she offers her suggestions for improving MAID to overcome some of the challenges.You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Eeks on Instagram here.Or YoutubeOr Facebook here.Or Twitter.Subscribe to her newsletter here. Support the show
Feb 23, 2023 • 59min
A COVID-19 Vaccine You can Drink?! The Story of QYNDR, with Dr. Kyle Flanigan
Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Kyle Flanigan, CEO and co-founder of US Specialty Formulations about his company's work on creating a COVID-19 vaccine you can swallow. Basically, a vaccine you drink instead of a shot in the arm. He will discuss his company's vaccine platform, called QYNDR, and how it produces oral vaccines. He'll tell us what an oral vaccine is and how it differs from the traditional vaccines we are used to, including differences in immune response, storage, accessibility and scalability. Dr. Flanigan will walk us through how they are testing the vaccine, the funding requirements involved, early results from an early-stage trial in New Zealand, safety concerns, and what's in store for the future.You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Subscribe to her newsletter here. Support the show
Feb 15, 2023 • 57min
The US Army's Holistic Health & Fitness (H2F): Enhancing Soldier Readiness & Lethality, with Col Michael McGurk (Ret)
Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Col Michael McGurk (Ret), Director of Research for the US Army's Center for Initial Military Training, about the Army's Holistic Health and Fitness System, or H2F. Col McGurk was instrumental in the development of the system and directs test implementation, standards and evaluation of H2F components for the US Army. You can read his bio here. In the podcast he will discuss what H2F is, describe its components (physical, mental, sleep, nutritional and spiritual readiness) and link each component to the broader picture of holistic health. He'll explain why there was a need for H2F and relate it to soldier health and readiness. He'll tell us about H2F Human Performance Teams and plans for the Soldier Performance Readiness Center. Col McGurk will also discuss the Army Combat Fitness Test (ACFT), one component of H2F, why it replaced the Army's Physical Fitness Test (APFT), some of its initial challenges, and how the Army is overcoming those challenges. Finally, he'll discuss how they are measuring outcomes and success rates for each of the H2F components, as well as ongoing and future research. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Subscribe to her newsletter here. Support the show
Feb 9, 2023 • 57min
The Price of Insulin: Who is to Blame for the High Cost? With Dr. Karen Van Nuys and Dr. Neeraj Sood
Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Karen Van Nuys and Dr. Neeraj Sood about the pricing of insulin in the United States. It's no secret that insulin is unaffordable for many Americans who need it. This discussion will center around how the price of insulin is set, all the players involved, and who is to blame for the high price of insulin in the US. We will explore who benefits the most from increasing insulin prices, whether or not the Inflation Reduction Act will make a significant difference, and what can practically be done to make insulin more affordable for more Americans. Dr. Van Nuys is the executive director of the Value of Life Sciences Innovation program and a fellow at the USC Schaeffer Center. She is also a research assitant professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy. You can learn more about her work here. Dr. Sood is a professor at the USC Price School of Public Policy with joint appointments at the USC Keck School of Medicine and USC Marshall School of Business. He is also a senior fellow at the USC Schaeffer center and you can learn more about his work here.You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Subcribe to her newsletter here. Thanks for listening! :)Support the show
Jan 29, 2023 • 1h 4min
Vaccine Nation: How America Fell In & Out of Love with Vaccines, with Dr. Elena Conis
Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks sits down with medical historian Dr. Elena Conis, author of Vaccine Nation: America’s Changing Relationship with Immunization. Together they trace how U.S. attitudes toward vaccines (especially from the 1960s onward) have swerved with culture wars, political shifts, scientific discoveries, and biotech breakthroughs. From polio pride to modern pushback, they unpack why public trust rises and falls, how mandates gain or lose traction, and what sparks waves of skepticism.What we coverOrigin story: Why Dr. Conis wrote Vaccine Nation and the flashpoints that drew her in.1960s → today: Civil‑rights activism, women’s liberation, environmentalism, and new tech reshape the vaccine narrative.Trust on a roller coaster: When enthusiasm morphed into doubt, and back again.Mandates & might: The tug‑of‑war between public‑health authority and personal choice.Anti‑vax waves: What ignited them, who rode them, and how they steered policy and science.Science vs. spin: How epidemiology, media, and politics co‑evolved.Dr. Conis is a writer, historian of medicine, and an associate professor at the graduate school of journalism in the department of history at the University of California, Berkley. Previously she was a professor of history at Emory University and an award-winning health columnist for the Los Angeles Times. You can learn more about her here and order her book Vaccine Nation here.You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Subscribe to her newsletter here. Thanks for listening! :) Support the show
Jan 18, 2023 • 50min
Paws for Parkinson's: How Dogs are Trained to Help Detect Parkinson's Disease, with Dr. Mandy Gulla
Send us a textIn this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Mandy Gulla about the PADs for Parkinson's Program, the first program of its kind in North America that teaches dogs how to detect an odor associated with Parkinson's Disease. In the podcast, she will provide an overview of Parkinson's Disease, talk about a dog's sense of smell and how good it is, and discuss when they first discovered an odor associated with Parkinson's Disease. She will discuss how the program trains the dogs to detect the odor, their accuracy rate, more specifics about the dogs that join the program, the importance of early detection, and the overall goals of the program. Dr. Gulla is a holistic physician and founder and medical director of the Living Medical Arts Center that serves the San Juan Islands. Her dog Piglet is one of the biodetection dogs in the PADs for Parkinson's Program. You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Dr. Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or Twitter.Subscribe to her newsletter here.Support the show
Jan 2, 2023 • 1h 13min
The Amish Response to the COVID-19 Era, with Dr. Rachel Stein
Send us a text In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks with Dr. Rachel Stein, Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology at West Virginia University, about the Amish community’s experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.Dr. Stein’s research focuses on community building and health in Old Order Amish communities, and she shares how she became interested in studying them. The conversation dives into Amish values and way of life, how they responded to the pandemic, and what risk-reduction strategies—if any—they used.We discuss their excess death rates during COVID-19, their perspectives on preventive medicine and vaccination in general, and their specific views on the COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Stein also explains where the Amish turn for health information, how that differs from mainstream society, and what role “misinformation” may or may not play. Finally, she touches on the Amish lifespan and cultural attributes that may give them health advantages compared to the wider population.You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.Follow Eeks on Instagram here.Or Facebook here.Or X.On Youtube.Or TikTok.SUBSCRIBE to her monthly newsletter here! (Now featuring interviews with top experts on health you care about!)Support the show
