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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In this episode, Srihari S Naidu shares his career tips for young, ambitious cardiologists and what he has learnt about mentorship from his numerous leadership positions. Hari elaborates on the different types of mentorship, the importance of developing non-academic skills, why you should focus on your strengths rather than weaknesses, and the fickle art of managing one’s public/private personas as a young cardiologist in an era of social media.
Having recently applied for the programme himself, Ankur also speaks with Hari about the history, purpose and future of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) Emerging Leader Mentorship (ELM) Fellowship Programme. Submit your question to: podcast@radciffe-group.com. Guest @SrihariNaiduMD.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.
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Having recently applied for the programme himself, Ankur also speaks with Hari about the history, purpose and future of the Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI) Emerging Leader Mentorship (ELM) Fellowship Programme. Submit your question to: podcast@radciffe-group.com. Guest @SrihariNaiduMD.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.
What are the key pillars of self-care and what do dirty windshields have to do with it? How can you take meditation “off the matt”? What has chronobiology and Ayurveda taught us about working with, rather than against, our circadian rhythm?
In the final episode of our burnout and resilience series, Kavitha and Ankur give you some practical tools of self-care to help you avoid burnout. Kavitah Chinnaiyan, MD, is an award-winning author and, Cardiologist and Director of Cardiac CT Research at Beaumont Health, MI. Send us your thoughts to this episode for Ankur to share in future episodes: podcast@radciffe-group.com. Guest @ChinnaiyanMD.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.
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In the final episode of our burnout and resilience series, Kavitha and Ankur give you some practical tools of self-care to help you avoid burnout. Kavitah Chinnaiyan, MD, is an award-winning author and, Cardiologist and Director of Cardiac CT Research at Beaumont Health, MI. Send us your thoughts to this episode for Ankur to share in future episodes: podcast@radciffe-group.com. Guest @ChinnaiyanMD.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.
What does mindfulness have to do with burnout? Is our definition of success driving our stress and anxiety? How can we channel our ego into something positive?
In our second episode on burnout and resilience, Kavitah Chinnaiyan, MD, and Ankur take a deeper dive into mindfulness and training the brain to move from Default-Mode to Task-Positive Networks. Kavitah is an award-winning author and, Cardiologist and Director of Cardiac CT Research at Beaumont Health, MI. Send us your thoughts to this episode for Ankur to share in future episodes: podcast@radciffe-group.com. Guest @ChinnaiyanMD.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.
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In our second episode on burnout and resilience, Kavitah Chinnaiyan, MD, and Ankur take a deeper dive into mindfulness and training the brain to move from Default-Mode to Task-Positive Networks. Kavitah is an award-winning author and, Cardiologist and Director of Cardiac CT Research at Beaumont Health, MI. Send us your thoughts to this episode for Ankur to share in future episodes: podcast@radciffe-group.com. Guest @ChinnaiyanMD.
Hosted by @AnkurKalraMD. Produced by @RadcliffeCARDIO.
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.
Back by popular demand, Dr Ankur Kalra's guest is Dr Purvi Parwani, Director of Women’s Cardiovascular Disease Clinic and Assistant Professor at Loma Linda University Medical Center, US. In this ESC 2022 edition of Parallax, Ankur asks Purvi to review her highlights of the congress. Purvi details the study design and key findings of each trial and provides her insights after attending the event in Barcelona. Ankur and Purvi discuss how each trial will inform their practice.
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In this inspiring episode, Dr Ankur Kalra’s guest is Dr Sohail Khan, Chief Operating Officer at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases in Karāchi.
Dr Khan talks about education in the US and his decision to move back to Pakistan. Ankur asks Sohail about his new professional home: NICVD, a free clinic providing primary heartcare for Pakistanis. They discuss some of the innovations Dr Khan works on to improve patient care that utilise simple but effective interventions. We learn more about free screening clinics and about Dr Khan’s work on the largest ever study in Pakistan on association of Lpa and CV disease in South Asians.
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Dr Khan talks about education in the US and his decision to move back to Pakistan. Ankur asks Sohail about his new professional home: NICVD, a free clinic providing primary heartcare for Pakistanis. They discuss some of the innovations Dr Khan works on to improve patient care that utilise simple but effective interventions. We learn more about free screening clinics and about Dr Khan’s work on the largest ever study in Pakistan on association of Lpa and CV disease in South Asians.
In this personal interview, Dr Itchhaporia recalls her early years and the influences and decisions that led her to medicine and cardiology. She talks about her connection to ACC and the importance of choosing a professional home where one can find their purpose under the mentorship of their community. Ankur asks Dr Itchhaporia about the most memorable moments of her presidency. They talk about South Asian identity and curbing CVD in this population.
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This nurturing episode focuses on questions that touch on what it is that we seek as human beings and how can we cultivate awareness and authenticity while practicing modern medicine. Ankur asks Kavitha about what it means to be spiritual as a cardiologist. Kavitha talks about the experiences made possible by mindfulness. They discuss the difference between conditioning and growth. Kavitha talks about burn out and how we could make changes by embracing medicine not only as a measurable science but as an art.
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In this refreshing and spiritual episode Carolyn reflects on her journey and the decisions and mentors that shaped her career as a heart failure specialist, trialist and as a public speaker. Ankur and Carolyn dive into the question whether being balanced is what we should be all aiming for. Ankur asks Carolyn about her work as a co-founder of Us2.ai, a start-up dedicated to the automation of the fight against heart disease by applying AI to echocardiography.
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