EP 114: The Leap Year Gene of Kit McKinley with Shelley Wood, Bestselling Author & Editor-in-Chief of TCTMD
In this week’s Parallax, Dr Ankur Kalra welcomes back Shelley Wood, best known for her work in the cardiology community as the editor-in-chief of TCTMD and Editorial Director of CRF. They discuss her work as a creative author and her second novel, The Leap Year Gene of Kit McKinley, set to be published by Harper Collins in Canada and Union Square Press in the US in August 2024.
Blending the intrigue of a medical thriller with a sweeping overview of the twentieth century, The Leap Year Gene of Kit McKinley tells the story of Kit McKinley, whose rare genetic condition causes her to age one year for every four. In this rich discussion, Ms Wood shares how her extensive experience as a medical writer and editor shaped her approach to crafting the novel. Dr Kalra and Ms Wood also explore one of the book’s central themes: eugenics, tracing its historical roots and examining its long shadow on medicine. Ms Wood, who balances a demanding full-time job with her creative writing, shares candid insights into her routine and the challenges of writing and publishing fiction.
Tune in for an inspiring conversation about creativity, the human condition and balancing responsibilities.
To pre-order Shelley Wood new novel search for The Leap Year Gene/ The Leap Year Gene of Kit McKinley in your favourite independent bookshop or here.
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In this compelling episode of the Parallax Podcast, host Dr Ankur Kalra sits down with Dr Janarthanan Sathananthan, an interventional and structural cardiologist and the Chief Medical Officer of Interventional Cardiology at Boston Scientific. Dr Sathananthan recounts his life's journey, from being born in Sri Lanka during the civil war, and moving to Zimbabwe, New Zealand, Canada, and finally North America. He shares how his diverse upbringing profoundly shaped his career in cardiology.
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How do you nurture resilience in the midst of competition, envy and individualism? What is moral injury? Is the current healthcare landscape driving physicians to burnout? Are we too focused on data and study results? These are some of the questions discussed by Kavitah Chinnaiyan, MD, award winning author and Cardiologist and Director of Cardiac CT Research at Beaumont Health, MI, and host Ankur, in the first episode of this three-part series on burnout and resilience. Send us your thoughts to this episode for Ankur to share in future episodes: pocast@radciffe-group.com. Guest @ChinnaiyanMD.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.
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Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.
Madhav Swaminathan joins Ankur Kalra for a dynamic conversation about diversity, inclusion and leadership. Madhav shares how, as President of large organisation like the American Society of Echocardiography, he works to create an inclusive platform with opportunities for individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Ankur and Madhav also discuss positive traits of leadership, why we should embrace failure and the importance of mentorship throughout all stages of one’s medical career. Send us your comments to this episode for Ankur to share in future episodes: pocast@radciffe-group.com. Guest @mswami001.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.
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Ankur and Madhav also discuss positive traits of leadership, why we should embrace failure and the importance of mentorship throughout all stages of one’s medical career. Send us your comments to this episode for Ankur to share in future episodes: pocast@radciffe-group.com. Guest @mswami001.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.
Following the recent controversy surrounding physician portraits displayed in medical hallways, Ankur spoke to Harriette GC Van Spall MD to unpick this hot topic brought back to life by a recent article penned by Jeffrey Flier (former Dean of Harvard Medical School) in The Boston Globe.
Harriette is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Department of Medicine, Cardiology and the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact at McMaster University and the Population Health Research Institute in Hamilton, ON, Canada. In this episode, Ankur and Harriette discuss why this issue is so contentious, what the current state of medical walls represents, why this may be an issue and what alternative medical walls could look like. Harriette also shares her thoughts on how this topic relates to the maintenance of hierarchical power structures in academic institutions, calling for more collaborative leadership and management styles. Guest @hvanspall.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.
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Harriette is an Associate Professor of Medicine at the Department of Medicine, Cardiology and the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact at McMaster University and the Population Health Research Institute in Hamilton, ON, Canada. In this episode, Ankur and Harriette discuss why this issue is so contentious, what the current state of medical walls represents, why this may be an issue and what alternative medical walls could look like. Harriette also shares her thoughts on how this topic relates to the maintenance of hierarchical power structures in academic institutions, calling for more collaborative leadership and management styles. Guest @hvanspall.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.
In celebration of this month’s ‘National Eat Your Vegetables Day’, this week’s guest is @TheVeggieMD, one of the most prominent physicians on social media! Dr Danielle Belardo MD is a Cardiology Fellow, American Board of Internal Medicine certified and a member of the American College of Cardiology Nutrition and Lifestyle Sub-Committee.
In this episode, Ankur and Danielle speak about the evidence in favour of a whole-food plant-based diet to improve cardiovascular health, the ACC prevention guidelines, how to talk to patients about positive dietary change, the issue of lack of nutrition training in cardiovascular fellowships and what Danielle’s diet looks like as a busy whole-food plant-based cardiology fellow. On her own podcast ‘Nutrition Rounds’ Danielle has discussions about evidence-based plant-based nutrition with physicians who are leading experts in nutrition and health.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCardiology.
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In this episode, Ankur and Danielle speak about the evidence in favour of a whole-food plant-based diet to improve cardiovascular health, the ACC prevention guidelines, how to talk to patients about positive dietary change, the issue of lack of nutrition training in cardiovascular fellowships and what Danielle’s diet looks like as a busy whole-food plant-based cardiology fellow. On her own podcast ‘Nutrition Rounds’ Danielle has discussions about evidence-based plant-based nutrition with physicians who are leading experts in nutrition and health.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCardiology.
Listen to our first episode with two guests! Ankur spoke with Emmanouil S Brilakis, MD and Michael Megaly, MD from the Minneapolis Heart Institute, Abbott Northwestern Hospital about their article on the role of drug-coated balloons in small-vessel coronary artery disease (SVD) published in US Cardiology Review 13.1. Percutaneous coronary intervention of SVD remains challenging due to difficulties with device delivery and high restenosis rate, making drug-coated balloons an attractive emerging option in patients with SVD.
In this brilliant conversation, Ankur, Emmanouil and Michael unravel the potential advantages, challenges and practical realities of using drug-coated balloons in SVD, and the findings of the latest randomised controlled trials studying this area.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCardiology. [Disclaimer: The use of drug-coated balloons in coronay intervention is still off-label; it has not been approved by the FDA.]
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In this brilliant conversation, Ankur, Emmanouil and Michael unravel the potential advantages, challenges and practical realities of using drug-coated balloons in SVD, and the findings of the latest randomised controlled trials studying this area.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCardiology. [Disclaimer: The use of drug-coated balloons in coronay intervention is still off-label; it has not been approved by the FDA.]
We have observed a lot of developments in percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) over the past 12 months with the publication of various studies and trials. This week, Ankur spoke with J. Dawn Abbott, MD, Associate Professor of Cardiology at Warren Medical School of Brown University about her recently published US Cardiology Review 13.1 article on the significant developments in PCI over the past 12 months.
Dawn is an associate editor of the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions and is widely known for her research program on PCI and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Ankur and J. Dawn discuss multiple trials/studies that were published in 2018, including ORBITA, PIONEER-II and ABSORB. J. Dawn also shares her thoughts on the latest stent technologies.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCardiology.
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Dawn is an associate editor of the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Interventions and is widely known for her research program on PCI and peripheral arterial disease (PAD). Ankur and J. Dawn discuss multiple trials/studies that were published in 2018, including ORBITA, PIONEER-II and ABSORB. J. Dawn also shares her thoughts on the latest stent technologies.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCardiology.
This week’s podcast guest needs no introduction! Prof Athena Poppas is one of the most widely known cardiologists in the US and current Vice-President of the American College of Cardiology! Ankur spoke to Athena about her recently published US Cardiology Review 13.1 article on whether early management of hypertension by GPs can improve outcomes.
They discuss the importance of preventative medicine, their experience of reducing hypertension with non-pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical methods, and the significance of the integrated “team approach” when treating comorbid conditions such as hypertension. Athena also shares her thoughts on cardiologists’ responsibility to shape their patients’ lifestyle choices.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCardiology.
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They discuss the importance of preventative medicine, their experience of reducing hypertension with non-pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical methods, and the significance of the integrated “team approach” when treating comorbid conditions such as hypertension. Athena also shares her thoughts on cardiologists’ responsibility to shape their patients’ lifestyle choices.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCardiology.
Ankur is back with his second #AudioArticle! This week he spoke with Santiago Garcia from the Minneapolis Heart Institute about Santiago’s US Cardiology Review 13.1 article on the role of high-sensitivity cardiac troponin (hscTn) assays and their ability to rapidly rule in or rule out acute coronary syndrome (ACS) with improved sensitivity.
Chest pain is one of the most common reasons for an emergency room visit in the US, with almost 6 million ER visits annually, yet there is no consensus on how to compare the results from various hscTn assays. Tune in to hear Santiago outline the advantages and limitations of using hscTn as a standard biomarket to evaluate patients with suspected ACS in the ER.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCardiology.
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Chest pain is one of the most common reasons for an emergency room visit in the US, with almost 6 million ER visits annually, yet there is no consensus on how to compare the results from various hscTn assays. Tune in to hear Santiago outline the advantages and limitations of using hscTn as a standard biomarket to evaluate patients with suspected ACS in the ER.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCardiology.
In our first episode, Ankur explains his vision for and inspiration to start ‘Parallax’, and speaks with Chad Kliger from Lenox Hill Hospital in New York about conduction abnormalities after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR/TAVI), a review article published in US Cardiology Review 13.1 Ankur and Chad look at conduction abnormalities after TAVR/TAVI with a focus on basic conduction system anatomy in relation to the aortic valve, the mechanism, incidence, predisposing factors for occurrence, impact on mortality and finally, proposed treatment algorithms for management. Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCardiology.
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In this unique episode Dr Kalra and Dr Cherwek discuss highly innovative solutions in ophthalmology that could be implemented in cardiovascular medicine.
They talk about AI assisted consultation, learning pathways incorporating simulators for early career practitioners and the Flying Eye Hospital. Dr Cherwek shares his experiences about working with local teams globally and the work that goes into setting up trials across the world.
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They talk about AI assisted consultation, learning pathways incorporating simulators for early career practitioners and the Flying Eye Hospital. Dr Cherwek shares his experiences about working with local teams globally and the work that goes into setting up trials across the world.
In a 1-minute video, wearing scrubs, Dr Siyab, Md voices his concerns over the decision to end mask mandate on certain US airlines. “The people that are so intensely against these mask mandates, they are not the ones who are taking buses or trains to get to work and get back home every day because they are part of the privileged class.” Dr Siyab’s mission is to be a voice of reason and appeal to those who are hesitant or against getting vaccines. His plight goes out to his 405.3K followers on TikTok every day.
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Why are we talking about inclusion, diversity, and equity? Recent years have seen many studies on the inequalities in representation of women in cardiology and yet the needle has not been moved as much as we hoped for. What does the data on the authorship of the guidelines tell us and what can be done to balance the scale?
Dr Ankur Kalra’s guests this week are Dr Martha Gulati, internationally recognized cardiologist specializing in Women and Heart Disease, Heart Disease Prevention and Dr Devesh Rai, first year cardiology fellow at Rochester General Hospital.
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Dr Ankur Kalra’s guests this week are Dr Martha Gulati, internationally recognized cardiologist specializing in Women and Heart Disease, Heart Disease Prevention and Dr Devesh Rai, first year cardiology fellow at Rochester General Hospital.
In this engaging and constructive episode, Nadia recalls her journey to medicine and reflects on the life decisions she had to make along the way: What is the career path that will get us closer to our mission? When is the right time to start family planning? How can we develop resilience in face of rejection? Nadia recalls the conversations with her colleagues and mentors as she progressed in her career. She talks about the practical aspects of tenure track and grant application. Ankur and Nadia discuss the importance of goal setting and exercising a positive mindset.
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In this rich and candid episode, Dr Chakrabarti recalls the early stages of his career and the non-linear route that led to his transition from an interventional cardiologist to working on devices that focus on improving the treatment of deep vein thrombosis (DVT). This journey was paved by self-reflection, hunger for tangible results, and connections with mentors who dared to dream big and wished the same for their mentees.
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