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Causes or Cures
For the Nerds and the Nerd Nots
Causes or Cures is an independent health podcast hosted by "Dr. Eeks" (ErinKate Stair, MD, MPH). It is an offbeat, grassroots show driven by curiosity and a genuine love of making complicated health topics easier to understand.
Dr. Eeks is a public health professional specializing in applied epidemiology & health communication. By day, she works on challenging public health issues. By choice, she spends some of her free time asking scientists, physicians, researchers, authors, clinicians, and other fascinating people questions she hopes everyone else is wondering too.
Along the way, the podcast has wandered into everything from memory and longevity to self medicating animals, migraines, gene drive mosquitoes, strange public health history, the spiritual realm, and the occasional existential detour. If it has something to teach us about health or what it means to be human, it is probably fair game.
Recurring segments include Public Health is Weird, which uncovers strange but true stories from public health history, WTF Health News, where Dr. Eeks breaks down bizarre or buzzworthy health headlines, and Eeks Speakeasy, a more personal corner of the podcast where curiosity occasionally spills over into life, philosophy, and whatever else deserves a drink and a discussion.
A few housekeeping notes...
This podcast is for information, curiosity, and conversation. It is not medical advice.
Although Dr. Eeks has an MD, she does not practice medicine. She is a full time public health nerd and will never tell you what to do with your own health. If you have a medical question, your healthcare provider knows you far better than a podcast ever could.
Guests are invited because they have something interesting to contribute, not because Dr. Eeks agrees with every opinion they hold. Likewise, she does not endorse miracle supplements, mysterious oils, magic socks, potions, or anything that promises to solve all of life's problems.
If an episode is sponsored or underwritten by a company she genuinely enjoys working with, she will always tell you.
Causes or Cures is also not a news site. It is a place for thoughtful conversations. Dr. Eeks believes people can disagree respectfully, ask difficult questions, change their minds, and occasionally laugh at themselves along the way. Some of the best conversations she has ever had happened in hole in the walls, on sidewalks, and in places where nobody was trying to win an argument.
Sometimes Barnaby, her dog and unofficial executive producer, contributes his thoughts as well. Fortunately, he is a pretty smart dog.
Above all, Dr. Eeks hopes this podcast encourages people to stay curious, compassionate, honest, open minded, and engaged. Freedom of discussion is a beautiful, delightfully messy thing, and one worth protecting.
The views expressed on this podcast are Dr. Eeks' own and do not reflect the views of any organization she contracts with or consults for.
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Want to sponsor or underwrite an episode?
Causes or Cures works with a limited number of sponsors and episode underwriters in health, science, and public health. Partnerships are kept separate from editorial content and guest selection. If your organization might be a fit, reach out at: erin@bloomingwellness.com
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Causes or Cures
Antibody-Dependent Enhancement & Vaccine Development, with Dr. Robert Malone
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There are several viral videos with millions of views referencing something called Antibody-Dependent Enhancement as a potential effect of COVID-19 vaccines or vaccines in general. Some make very bold claims and it's difficult to sort fact from fiction from hyperbole in these videos. On today's episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks will chat with Dr. Robert Malone about Antibody-Dependent Enhancement and how it relates to vaccine development. He will describe it in an easy-to-understand way, discuss the specifics of vaccine development, antibodies, COVID-19 and his thoughts on herd immunity and the future of the pandemic.
Dr. Malone is a physician, vaccinologist, scientist and internationally recognized as one of the original inventors of DNA and mRNA Vaccination technology. He has done extensive research and clinical development in the areas of clinical trial design and vaccines, gene therapy, biodefense and immunology. In 2014, he built and led the initial team, under NewLink Genetics, that took the Canadian rVSVZEBOV-G Ebola vaccine from an abandoned vaccine candidate to a viable contender and eventually a successful vaccine for Ebola. He has worked with numerous high-level government and private organizations and has been involved in the design, development and oversight of over 40 Phase 1 Clinical trials, 20 Phase 2 clinical trials and 5 Phase 3 trials. His infectious disease pathogen advanced development oversight include HIV, Influenza, Plague, Anthrax, Tularemia, Tb, Ebola, Zika, Ricin toxin, Botulinum toxin and engineered pathogens. He has over 100 peer-reviewed papers, over 11 thousand citations and has sat on or served as chairperson on many NIAID and DoD study sections. You can learn more about his consulting firm and background here.
Please keep in mind that this podcast is information only and never to be taken as medical or health advice.
You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.
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