podcast

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #99 Liz Mumper, MD – Kids and Covid

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Welcome to Dr. M’s Women & Children First Podcast, where we engage with pioneering voices at the intersection of science, healthcare, and the well-being of families.

Today on Dr. M’s Women and Children First, we welcome Dr. Elizabeth Mumper, a physician, educator, and thought leader whose career has profoundly influenced the practice of integrative pediatrics.

Dr. Mumper earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Bridgewater College, graduating magna cum laude, before attending the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Medicine, where she received her medical degree. She completed her pediatric residency at the University of Virginia and served as Chief Resident in Pediatrics. She remained at UVA as an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics from 1997 to 2005, mentoring future physicians and advancing holistic, evidence-based approaches to child health.

Following her time in academia, Dr. Mumper founded The Rimland Center for Integrative Medicine in Lynchburg, Virginia, a clinic dedicated to children with autism spectrum disorders, PANS/PANDAS, allergies, and complex chronic illnesses. Her practice integrates the best of conventional pediatrics with biomedical and functional medicine principles, always guided by compassion and curiosity.

She has been a leading educator with the Medical Academy of Pediatric Special Needs (MAPS) and a frequent international lecturer, teaching clinicians how to recognize and treat the root causes of immune dysregulation, inflammation, and neurodevelopmental challenges.

Dr. Mumper is also the author of the new book Kids and COVID, an insightful exploration of how the pandemic impacted children, physically, emotionally, and developmentally, and what lessons medicine must learn moving forward. In our conversation, we discuss her book in depth, as well as the broader implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for pediatric care, resilience, and future public health policy.

Finally, we dive into the complex topic of vaccines, considering what we’ve learned from the pandemic years and expanding the conversation begun with Dr. Paul Offit and Dr. Joel Warsh.

Dr. Mumper’s lifelong dedication to children, her fearless pursuit of truth, and her balanced, science-driven voice make her one of the most respected figures in functional medicine.

Please join me in welcoming my friend and colleague,  Dr. Elizabeth Mumper.

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #98 William Parker, PhD – Acetaminophen and Autism – What Do We Know in 2025?

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Welcome to Dr. M’s Women & Children First Podcast, where we engage with pioneering voices at the intersection of science, healthcare, and the well-being of families.

Today, I’m honored to introduce Dr. William Parker, PhD. Dr. Parker is perhaps best known for discovering the function of the human appendix, but his contributions to science extend far beyond that single discovery. He studied biology and chemistry as an undergraduate before earning his PhD in Chemistry from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln in 1992. Since the 1980s, he has conducted innovative research, publishing more than 150 peer-reviewed articles that span immune function, microbiome science, and human health.

Dr. Parker was the first to compare immune systems in wild animals with those of their laboratory counterparts, and among the first to conclude that changes in the human “biota”, the symbiotic organisms living within us, brought on by modern society can contribute to depression and anxiety. After nearly three decades at Duke University, where he served as associate professor and research leader, he founded WPLab, Inc., a nonprofit dedicated to understanding and educating about the causes of chronic inflammatory diseases in high-income societies.

Currently a visiting scholar at the University of North Carolina, Dr. Parker collaborates widely with colleagues from Duke University, University of Montreal, Czech Academy of Sciences, University of Groningen, University of Colorado Boulder, and scientists across the pharmaceutical industry.

In recent years, he has turned his attention to a provocative and urgent question: the potential links between early acetaminophen exposure and autism spectrum outcomes. His current work combines mechanistic and epidemiologic approaches to explore how acetaminophen’s effects on human physiology at critical stages of development might influence neurodevelopment.

In our conversation, we’ll explore:

  • The evidence and hypotheses behind acetaminophen’s potential role in autism risk
  • What families and clinicians should know: what’s plausible, what remains speculative, and where research is heading next

I’m thrilled to share this episode with Dr. Parker, whose intellectual curiosity, scientific rigor, and courage to ask difficult questions embody the spirit of this show.

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #97 Paul Offit, MD – Vaccines – What Do We Know in 2025 Part 2?

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Welcome back to Dr. M’s Women & Children First, where we explore the front lines of children’s health and what matters most for our families.

Today I’m honored to bring you Dr. Paul A. Offit, the Director of the Vaccine Education Center and Professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. He also holds the Maurice R. Hilleman Professorship of Vaccinology at the University of Pennsylvania.

Dr. Offit is a globally recognized expert in virology and immunology. He has served on the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and FDA’s Vaccines and Related Biological Products Advisory Committee. He’s co-editor of the seminal vaccine textbook Vaccines, and for decades has been one of the clearest scientific voices defending evidence, transparency, and children’s health.

This week, we’ll dig into COVID, vaccine policy, and what’s ahead for children in light of the latest shifts. Among current headlines: Healthy children and pregnant women are no longer being uniformly recommended for COVID vaccines by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a decision that’s stirring debate among pediatricians and public health experts like Dr. Offit. He’s sharply voiced concerns about removing key vaccine recommendations without new data, and about the broader implications of loosening vaccine guidance for the public good.

In this conversation, we’ll cover:

  • What the science says now about bivalent COVID vaccines in kids

  • How recent policy changes affect vaccine access, trust, and safety

  • What parents need to know—what’s changed, what’s stable, and what remains uncertain

This is my third time talking with Dr. Offit, and as always, I expect you’ll leave with clarity, evidence, and questions worth sharing.

I hope you enjoy this conversation.

Let’s dive in.

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #96 Joel Warsh, MD Vaccines – What Do We Know in 2025?

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Welcome back to Dr. M’s Women and Children First podcast where we look at the world of Women and Children’s Health through an anthropological lens with the humble understanding that we have a lot to learn.

Today, I’m joined by Dr. Joel “Dr. Gator” Warsh, a pediatrician, author, and advocate for a whole-child approach to healthcare. Dr. Warsh earned his medical degree from Thomas Jefferson Medical College and completed his pediatric residency at Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles. Along the way, he also obtained a Master’s degree in Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Queen’s University in Canada, giving him a strong foundation in both clinical care and population health. These educational pursuits make him uniquely suited for today’s conversation on vaccines.

He is the author of Between a Shot and a Hard Place. In his own words, he says: I’ve dedicated my career to helping families navigate complicated health topics with clarity. My book addresses vaccine questions in a calm, data-driven, and practical way, offering parents guidance that steers clear of extremes. Parents face unprecedented pressure to make the “right” choices, often without enough balanced information. He has been featured on major platforms sharing his message with more than 400,000 parents through social media. We discuss his passion for empowering families to make informed, individualized decisions, including in areas that have been challenging or even taboo to discuss.

Today, we’ll dive into his latest work, his perspectives on vaccines and preventative care, and how he envisions a future of pediatrics that is proactive rather than reactive. This is a conversation about rethinking the foundations of child health and it’s one you won’t want to miss.

Enjoy,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #95 – Sanjay Bhorjaj, MD – Living Longer and Klotho

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Today’s guest is Dr. Sanjay Bhojraj, a powerful voice at the crossroads of advanced interventional cardiology and root-cause wellness. Dr. Bhojraj is board-certified in Cardiovascular Diseases and Interventional Cardiology, and one of only a small number of interventional cardiologists in the United States who is also certified in Functional Medicine through the Institute for Functional Medicine.

Dr. Bhojraj earned his medical degree from Indiana University School of Medicine, trained in internal medicine at Northwestern, and completed a cardiology fellowship at the renowned Henry Ford Health System. For over two decades, he practiced in conventional cardiology, saving lives daily with stents, angioplasties, and transcatheter valve replacements.

But along the way, something essential began to stir. He found himself asking bigger questions: Why do people arrive in the cath lab in the first place? Why are we not doing more to prevent the first or second heart event? And what role do nutrition, sleep, stress, and emotional health truly play in long-term cardiovascular outcomes?

These questions led Dr. Bhojraj to Functional Medicine, not as an alternative, but as an evolution, a model that restores agency to patients and equips the body to heal through comprehensive lifestyle optimization. He now leads the Well12 Program, a transformational experience that guides individuals in upgrading the foundational systems of their health from metabolism to mindset, so they can live not just longer, but better.

Today, Dr. Bhojraj and I explore the remarkable protein Klotho and the emerging science linking it to human longevity and health span. This is a conversation you won’t want to miss, a glimpse into what may become a defining frontier in upstream disease prevention.

Enjoy,

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #94 – Melinda Elliott, MD – Feeding the Infants

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Today, we explore the intersections of cutting-edge science, compassionate care, and the future of pediatric and maternal health with Dr. Melinda Elliott, MD, FAAP, a leading neonatologist and the Chief Medical Officer at Prolacta Bioscience. Dr. Elliott has dedicated her career to advancing the care of our most vulnerable patients, premature and medically fragile infants, through both clinical excellence and research-driven innovation.

Dr. Elliott earned her medical degree from West Virginia University School of Medicine. She went on to complete her residency in pediatrics and her fellowship in neonatal-perinatal medicine at the University of Florida, where she also served as chief resident and a faculty member, helping to train the next generation of pediatricians and neonatologists.

Throughout her clinical and leadership career, Dr. Elliott has been deeply involved in advancing evidence-based care in the NICU, improving nutritional strategies for preterm infants, and advocating for human milk as a therapeutic intervention in neonatal health. Her work with Prolacta Bioscience supports NICUs around the globe in providing 100% human milk–based nutrition to reduce complications such as necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC), a devastating condition that disproportionately affects preterm infants.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Melinda Elliott, a champion for babies and a voice for innovation in neonatal medicine.

Dr. M

Dr. M’s Women and Children First Podcast #93 – Lisa Danahy, MS, C-IAYT, YACEP – Calming the Next Generation

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Today’s guest is Lisa Danahy, a powerhouse in the world of yoga therapy, trauma-informed education, and social-emotional learning. With over three decades of experience as a school administrator, curriculum designer, and wellness educator, Lisa brings a rare blend of clinical insight, compassion, and practical tools to help children and the adults who care for them find calm in a chaotic world.

Lisa holds a Master of Science in Yoga Therapy, is a certified yoga therapist and educator, and is the founder of Create Calm, a nationally recognized nonprofit that’s transformed wellness access for neurodiverse, disabled, and underserved youth across the country. Since 2016, Create Calm has delivered evidence-based programs to thousands of students, educators, and families in school systems nationwide.

Lisa’s approach integrates the latest research in psychology, neuroscience, and movement science into accessible practices that support emotional regulation, resilience, and whole-person healing. She’s a Hay House author, international speaker, and a trusted trainer for clinicians, caregivers, and teachers alike.

Stay with us as we explore how her work is redefining wellness in schools, clinics, and communities.

You can learn more about Lisa’s work at www.CreateCalm.org and www.MondayMindfulness.com.

Let’s dive in.

Please Enjoy,

Dr. M

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