bacteria

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #77 – Colleen Cutcliffe, PhD – Microbes and Health

This weeks guest is Dr. Colleen Cutcliffe.

Dr. Colleen Cutcliffe is a researcher and a thinker with persistence. Throughout history, these are the human qualities that lead people to develop amazing products and lead projects for the world to benefit from. Her story is one of discovery, passion and caring.

Dr. Cutcliffe holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Johns Hopkins University and a B.A. in Biochemistry from Wellesley College. Her scientific background is complemented by her experience in managing both research and operations teams in the biotech sector. Before founding Pendulum Therapeutics, she held senior positions at Pacific Biosciences and Elan Pharmaceuticals, where she was instrumental in developing various technological platforms. She is the co-founder and CEO of Pendulum Therapeutics, a biotechnology company focused on developing innovative solutions to improve gut health through microbiome-based interventions. With over 20 years of experience in the biotechnology industry, Dr. Cutcliffe has become a recognized leader in microbiome science, applying her expertise to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and practical, consumer-facing health solutions. At Pendulum Therapeutics, Dr. Cutcliffe has led the development of novel probiotic formulations specifically designed to address metabolic diseases like type 2 diabetes. Her work has been pivotal in the growing recognition of the microbiome’s role in human health, pushing forward the concept of targeted probiotics as a potential therapeutic option. Under her leadership, Pendulum Therapeutics has gained recognition for its scientific rigor and innovative approaches to personalized nutrition.

Today, we discuss the story of her discovery and the fact that her work is the beginning of a hopeful wave of change for humans through gut microbiome manipulation. Dr. Cutcliffe helps us understand the basics of the microbiome, what helps it stay balanced and conversely, what upsets it. How does it support our metabolism and health in general. The main thrust of her work comes into the spotlight with Akkermansia mucinophilia, a keystone species for positive health.

Please Enjoy my conversation with Dr. Cutcliffe,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #68 – John Warner, M.D. – Allergy, Milk and Prevention

This week we sit down with Dr.  John Warner, an Emeritus professor of Pediatrics at the Imperial College of London in the United Kingdom and also at the University of Cape Town in South Africa. We discuss his recent paper entitled: Strategies and Future Opportunities for the Prevention, Diagnosis, and Management of Cow Milk Allergy. Dr. Warner completed his undergraduate medical training in the School of Medicine, University of Sheffield and his initial pediatric experience was at the Children”s Hospital, Sheffield in the United Kingdom. He moved to London as Professor of Pediatrics and Head of Department at Imperial College St Mary’s hospital campus.  He is also Hon Professor of Pediatrics in the University of Cape Town.

In 2008 he became Director of Research for the Women and Children’s Clinical Programme Group, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (ICHT). He was the lead for pediatrics in both the Biomedical Research Centre in ICHT and the NW London CLAHRC (Collaboration for Applied Health Research and Care) and was President of the Academic Pediatrics Association.

Professor Warner’s research has focused on the early life origins of asthma and related allergic and respiratory disorders.  He has published over 500 papers in scientific journals on these topics.  He was Editor in Chief of the journal Paediatric Allergy and Immunology from 1997-2010 and chairman of the paediatric section of the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology for 5 years until 2010.  He was also a member of the Speciality and Training committee of the World Allergy Organisation and a past Trustee of the charity known as The Anaphylaxis Campaign. 

He was a member of the Advisory Committee for Novel Foods and Processes of the Food Standards Agency for 12 years until 2012 and was recognised for his work in food allergy research by the award of an OBE in 2013.

 

Please enjoy my conversation with Professor Warner,

Dr. M

 

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #65 – Mark Houston, M.D. – Cardiovascular Health

Dr. Mark Houston is a thinker and researcher into the root causes of cardiovascular disease and metabolism. He graduated from Rhodes College in Memphis, Tennessee summa cum laude in Chemistry before graduating with honors from Vanderbilt Medical School. He completed his medical internship and residency at the University of California, San Francisco, then returned to Vanderbilt Medical Center where he was chief resident in medicine and served on the full- time faculty until 2012. He is the current director of the hypertension Institute where he and his team develop novel approaches to hypertension and ASCVD by attending to root biological causes of disease. He also has a Master’s degree in Human Nutrition from the University of Bridgeport, Connecticut, and a Masters of Science degree in Functional and Metabolic Medicine from the University of South Florida in Tampa Florida. He has written hundreds of papers, books and chapters on cardiovascular disease. He is one of the top researchers in the preventative cardiology space and he is here today to share his wisdom.
His book credits:
Handbook of Antihypertensive Therapy
Vascular Biology for the Clinician
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Hypertension
Hypertension Handbook for Students and Clinicians
The Hypertension Handbook
What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Heart Disease.
Please enjoy my conversation with Dr. Mark Houston,
Dr. M
Hypertension Institute

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #58 – Mahmoud Ghannoum, Ph. D. – Microbiomes – Bacterial and Fungal

This week’s guest is Professor Mahmoud Ghannoum. For over four decades, Dr. Ghannoum has been exploring a critical but neglected inhabitant of the human body, the fungus. Born and raised in Lebanon, Dr Mahmoud Ghannoum is the current Director of the Center for Medical Mycology at Case Western Reserve University. He began his scientific journey at Loughborough University in England where he studied the fungus candida and its health associated diseases. Coupling this work to his curiosity about the whole area of intestinal microorganisms in the human body, he has become one of the leading researchers in the world in this space.
His discoveries include the knowledge that fungal organisms constitute an essential part of the microbiome. In fact, in 2010, Dr Ghannoum was the first scientist to identify over 100 native species of fungi in the oral cavity and that they are mostly friendly to us. Like with bacteria, there are good fungi as well as bad fungi. And just as it was startling to discover that we need positive bacteria in our guts, most people today are shocked to learn that their health depends on flourishing colonies of helpful fungi. Symbiosis in all things seems to be the flavor of the day and history has proven this to be what we should have always assumed.
He is widely published in top journals as well as being the founder and director of Biohm, a company dedicated to microbiome analysis and management from the perspective of fungal and bacterial communities. He is the author of Total Gut Health. This week, Dr. Ghannoum and I look critically at the microbiome of humans from the well trafficked bacterial road to the less travelled fungal road.
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 13 Issue 41

Literature Review:

  1. Over the past 15 years we have noted a connection between the intestinal microbiome and allergic/autoimmune disease activity in humans. This study continues to pull on this thread of knowledge. We see a direct correlation between a dysbiotic microbiome and human disease risk as young as 5 years of age. The upstream targets remain the same. Healthy food, avoidance of chemicals, consistent daily movement, exposure to normal macrobes and microbes, chronic stress mitigation, vaginal deliveries, breast feeding, avoidance of antibiotics/antacids and more…..Then Section II with – Are we addicted to food? and the recipe of the week.

Enjoy,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #43 Subinoy Das, MD – Ear Infections and Sinus Disease

This weeks guest is Dr. Subinoy Das. Dr. Das is the chief executive officer and medical director at US institute for advanced Sinus Care and research. He is the former Director of The Ohio State University Sinus and Allergy Center, and an Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University. He is widely recognized as one of the nation’s best sinus surgeons and has received multiple awards as a U.S. board-certified otolaryngologist including a Presidential Citation in 2015 from the American Rhinology Society. In addition, he is a former Research Associate of the Center of Microbial Pathogenesis at the Research Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital. His NIH funded research was awarded the 2013 Fowler Award (top basic science research award in otolaryngology) for his work on detecting the cause of sinus infections.
We crossed paths at the University of Virginia where Dr. Das received the Alfred Burger Award for the top pre-medical student at the University before completing his medical degree at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, where he was elected President of his class, received Alpha Omega Alpha Honors, and received the Richard Bowman Scholarship for the top clinical performance. He then attended the University of North Carolina for residency and completed a fellowship in advanced sinus surgery and anterior skull base surgery at the Medical College of Georgia.
He is a leader in minimally invasive sinus surgery, does not use nasal packing, and has helped to develop leading instruments/techniques used in sinus surgery including working on diagnostic tests and therapies to reduce the use of antibiotics for sinus disease, advanced computer guided surgery systems, hydrodebridement therapies for sinus disease, and custom molecular-based therapies to avoid sinus surgery.
Today, we dive into the upstream causes of sinus and ear disease of children and adults. This is especially interesting because of the changes that occurred during COVID leading to new understandings of viral induced disease in humans.
Enjoy,
Dr. M

Dr. M’s SPA Newsletter Audiocast Volume 12 Issue 36

Biome Depletion Theory or Biota Alteration Theory
When we look at risk of disease over time in humans, we need to take stock in what was supposed to be versus what is. If we become mismatched genetically to the environment that we find ourselves in, then we will begin to suffer disease. The work of Dr. William Parker and colleagues is very fascinating here. His understanding of our immune solvency takes us back to a time when macrobes like parasites lived with us in a semi-symbiotic way. Most of them were harmless where a few were pathogenic. This matters tremendously because as we are learning, the microbes that exist within us play a major role in tuning the immune system towards tolerance and effective pathogen killing.
A lot to explore here,
Dr. M