The Leap Year Gene with Shelley Wood, Bestselling Author & Editor-in-Chief of TCTmd
EP 114: The Leap Year Gene of Kit McKinley with Shelley Wood, Bestselling Author & Editor-in-Chief of TCTMD

Average (ratings)
No ratings
 
  Your rating

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.


Read MoreRead Less
Also listen on
Share
Also listen on
Up Next
 EP 115: Navigating Cultures and Cardiology: Dr Janarthanan Sathananthan's Global Journey
EP115 • Jul 01, 2024 • 48m 15s
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.
Read More
All Episodes
Parallax HFSA Edition: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging with Robert Mentz & Anuradha Lala
EP52 • Jul 19, 2021 • 53m 54s
This week’s episode starts a series in collaboration with the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA). Host, Ankur Kalra’s guests are Robert Mentz and Anuradha Lala Senior Editorial Team of the Journal of Cardiac Failure (JCF), the official journal of the HFSA and the Japanese Heart Failure Society (JHFS).
In this practical and insightful episode, Dr Kalra asks what does diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging mean to the editorial board of JCF and what were the steps taken to put these principles into practice.
Read More
Industry Pathway, Misconceptions & Perspectives with Dr Sameer Bansilal
EP51 • Jul 05, 2021 • 48m 54s
This week, Dr. Ankur Kalra’s guest is Dr. Sameer Bansilal, Executive Director of U.S Medical Affairs of Cardiovascular and Renal at Bayer Pharmaceutical.

Dr. Bansilal was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai when he decided to seek an alternative pathway to make an impact on patients’ lives.
Read More
EP 50: Conversation with Dr Deepak L Bhatt: Physician, Researcher, & Mentor
EP50 • Jun 21, 2021 • 46m 59s
Early in his career, Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt was considering becoming a basic science researcher. After an exchange with one of his mentors about doing science for the science’s sake, he had a self-realisation: He wanted his work to have a direct impact on patient care.

In the 50th episode of Parallax, Dr. Ankur Kalra’s guest is Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt leading physician, researcher, lecturer, and educator who has authored or co-authored over 1650 publications and was recipient of the ACC’s Distinguished Mentor Award in 2018 and AHA’s Distinguished Scientist Award in 2019.
Read More
EP 49: Workplace Hostility, Responsibility & Solutions with Dr Garima Sharma
EP49 • Jun 07, 2021 • 42m 13s
Dr Ankur Kalra’s guest this week is Dr Garima Sharma, Director of CardioObstetrics and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University as well as an investigator of the “Global Prevalence and Impact of Hostility, Discrimination, and Harassment in the Cardiology Workplace”.
The American College of Cardiology surveyed cardiologists across the globe to have a more detailed understanding on the impact of hostility, discrimination, and harassment in the workplace. Of almost 6000 cardiologists who took part in the survey 44% reported hostile work environment.
Read More
EP 48: Supporting India During COVID: Prof Madhav Swaminathan, Duke Health and ASE Humanitarian Aid
EP48 • May 17, 2021 • 40m 3s
"A failure to finish is a failure to start"

In this week's latest podcast episode, host, Ankur Kalra, MD, meets guest Prof Madhav Swaminathan (Duke University Health System, NC, US) to discuss how he has orchestrated a major humanitarian effort, in association with Duke University Health and The American Society of Echocardiography, to supply ventilation equipment and PPE to hospitals and NGOs during the current COVID-19 crisis in New Delhi, India.

Hear them discuss the challenges and learnings associated with the supply chain, inventory, logistics and cost to deliver this humanitarian effort; which most recently resulted in $140,000 of life-changing equipment being delivered to four key hospitals in New Delhi. A most inspirational episode.
Read More
EP 47 CardioNerds Meets Parallax: An Examined Life with Dr Ankur Kalra, Cardiologist, Writer & Podcaster
EP47 • May 03, 2021 • 1h 8m 3s
Over the past two years, Parallax listeners have gotten to know Dr Ankur Kalra through his conversations with our guests. In this episode, we turned the tables and invited CardioNerds co-founder Dr Amit Goyal to reintroduce Dr Ankur Kalra interventional cardiologist, researcher, writer, and the host of this podcast.
In this candid and spiritual conversation Amit and Ankur take a journey through former episodes of Parallax and Ankur’s writings to explore what it takes to strive for a deeper knowledge of ourselves; or, as Ankur puts it, dharma, the inherent order of reality.
Read More
EP 46 Dr Eric Adler on Mission, Mentorship & Synergy Between Research & Patient Care
EP46 • Apr 19, 2021 • 1h 6s
According to Dr Eric Adler, at the core of all impactful research is a powerful narrative that makes us reflect on the human condition. In 2006, when the ground-breaking discovery was made that specialized cells can be turned into stem cells, Dr Eric Adler was thinking about how he could create a synergy between his passion for clinical work and his determination to ask compelling questions in research.

Parallax’s guest this week is Dr Eric David Adler, Medical director of heart transplant and mechanical circulatory support at UC San Diego Health.
Read More
EP 45: The Journey of Dr Alin Gragossian, Physician, Heart Transplant Recipient & Advocate
EP45 • Apr 05, 2021 • 36m 46s
Dr Ankur Kalra’s guest is Dr Alin Gragossian, a critical care fellow, heart transplant recipient and advocate. In this episode, Alin talks about her journey as a patient, the psychological aspects of her recovery and her advocacy work. Ankur asks Alin about the mindset behind her sense of purpose and her dedication to help raise awareness of organ donation and young heart failure patients.

How did Dr Gragossian receive her diagnosis? How does she feel about her new reality? What drives her? What is her message to our listeners?
Read More
EP 44: Refugee, Dishwasher, Cardiologist, Humanitarian: The Journey of Dr H
EP44 • Mar 22, 2021 • 46m 8s
How can we use our power and privilege to serve? How did his experiences shape Dr Kelli to become an ambassador for his community? What is his message to our listeners?
Just after 9/11, Heval, the 18-year-old Syrian Kurdish refugee found a job as a dishwasher. At this point, he was the sole provider of his family. The pressure that comes from being poor did not leave him for many years. Today, he is firm believer in giving back to underserved communities by spreading awareness within the medical community. As he says, well-meaning people of privilege are sometimes afraid to act. What we need is more people to bridge the gap and find ways to help each other.
Read More
EP 43: Dr Nishtha Sodhi on Mentorship, Innovation and Inclusivity
EP43 • Mar 08, 2021 • 47m 20s
Dr Sodhi remembers the first time she stepped into a Cath lab and found her passion. Years later she was preparing to do a complex TAVR procedure with her colleagues when suddenly they all recognised the significance of four women coming together in the lab. The photo of the four of them was shared widely on social media. For Dr Sodhi it became a symbol of what great mentorship can achieve, and for many others it is a beacon of hope.
What drives Dr Nishtha Sodhi? What were the formative moments of Dr Sodhi’s career? What are the new frontiers of cardiology?
Read More
Parallax HFSA Edition: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Belonging with Robert Mentz & Anuradha Lala
EP52 • Jul 19, 2021 • 53m 54s
This week’s episode starts a series in collaboration with the Heart Failure Society of America (HFSA). Host, Ankur Kalra’s guests are Robert Mentz and Anuradha Lala Senior Editorial Team of the Journal of Cardiac Failure (JCF), the official journal of the HFSA and the Japanese Heart Failure Society (JHFS).
In this practical and insightful episode, Dr Kalra asks what does diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging mean to the editorial board of JCF and what were the steps taken to put these principles into practice.
Read More
Industry Pathway, Misconceptions & Perspectives with Dr Sameer Bansilal
EP51 • Jul 05, 2021 • 48m 54s
This week, Dr. Ankur Kalra’s guest is Dr. Sameer Bansilal, Executive Director of U.S Medical Affairs of Cardiovascular and Renal at Bayer Pharmaceutical.

Dr. Bansilal was an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai when he decided to seek an alternative pathway to make an impact on patients’ lives.
Read More
EP 50: Conversation with Dr Deepak L Bhatt: Physician, Researcher, & Mentor
EP50 • Jun 21, 2021 • 46m 59s
Early in his career, Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt was considering becoming a basic science researcher. After an exchange with one of his mentors about doing science for the science’s sake, he had a self-realisation: He wanted his work to have a direct impact on patient care.

In the 50th episode of Parallax, Dr. Ankur Kalra’s guest is Dr. Deepak L. Bhatt leading physician, researcher, lecturer, and educator who has authored or co-authored over 1650 publications and was recipient of the ACC’s Distinguished Mentor Award in 2018 and AHA’s Distinguished Scientist Award in 2019.
Read More
EP 49: Workplace Hostility, Responsibility & Solutions with Dr Garima Sharma
EP49 • Jun 07, 2021 • 42m 13s
Dr Ankur Kalra’s guest this week is Dr Garima Sharma, Director of CardioObstetrics and Assistant Professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University as well as an investigator of the “Global Prevalence and Impact of Hostility, Discrimination, and Harassment in the Cardiology Workplace”.
The American College of Cardiology surveyed cardiologists across the globe to have a more detailed understanding on the impact of hostility, discrimination, and harassment in the workplace. Of almost 6000 cardiologists who took part in the survey 44% reported hostile work environment.
Read More
EP 48: Supporting India During COVID: Prof Madhav Swaminathan, Duke Health and ASE Humanitarian Aid
EP48 • May 17, 2021 • 40m 3s
"A failure to finish is a failure to start"

In this week's latest podcast episode, host, Ankur Kalra, MD, meets guest Prof Madhav Swaminathan (Duke University Health System, NC, US) to discuss how he has orchestrated a major humanitarian effort, in association with Duke University Health and The American Society of Echocardiography, to supply ventilation equipment and PPE to hospitals and NGOs during the current COVID-19 crisis in New Delhi, India.

Hear them discuss the challenges and learnings associated with the supply chain, inventory, logistics and cost to deliver this humanitarian effort; which most recently resulted in $140,000 of life-changing equipment being delivered to four key hospitals in New Delhi. A most inspirational episode.
Read More