Wellness isn’t just about mindfulness, exercise, or the right skin routine. Science, politics, media, culture, tech — everything around us — interact to shape our health. On America Dissected, Dr. Abdul El-Sayed cuts into what really makes us sick — be it racism, corporate greed, or snake oil influencers — and what it'll take to heal it. From for-profit healthcare to ineffective sunscreens, America Dissected cuts deeper into the state of health in America. New episodes every Tuesday. Want to know where to start? Here are some fan-favorite episodes to search: Cannabis Capitalism with David Jernigan Weight Weight Don’t Tell me with Harriett Bro...
...see more
It’s back-to-school season — and that means back-to-school vaccines. Abdul reflects on the roles that ritual and trust play in shaping vaccination. Then he sits down with Dr. Natasha Bhuyan, a family physician, to discuss the conversations she has with hesitant families and the future of family medicine.
This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you to check them out. This episode was brought to you by:
Marguerite Casey Foundation: Sign up for their new Summer School program at CaseyGrants.org...
Episode 17 • 3 September 2024 • 52m and 18s
You’ve probably never heard of Trikafta — unless you or someone you love lives with cystic fibrosis. The drug has fundamentally changed cystic fibrosis care, extending life expectancy by decades. But the drug costs $326,000 a year — and requires people to be on it for life. Abdul reflects on the central challenge at promoting life-saving innovations that the people who need them can afford. Then he interviews Dr. Michael Boyle, President and CEO of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation about the science behind Trikafta and the work to make it universally affordable.
This show would not be pos...
Episode 16 • 27 August 2024 • 51m and 13s
Environmental injustice leaves too many Americans, mainly Black and brown, breathing air that has been poisoned by smokestacks too close to their homes and schools. Abdul reflects on the process that drives it. Then he sits down with Darren Riley, CEO of JustAir, a company working to build air monitoring networks across hard hit communities, about how to leverage tech for environmental justice.
This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you to check them out. This episode was brought to you by:
<...
Episode 15 • 20 August 2024 • 50m and 16s
Public health is universal–or at least it should be. But since the pandemic, it’s been politicized in ways that threaten critical work in conservative communities. Abdul reflects on how the way we talk about public health may be contributing to that. Then he sits down with Dr. Dwayne Proctor, President and CEO of the Missouri Foundation for Health to learn about the pioneering work they sponsor in Missouri, and what we can learn from their experiences.
This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you t...
Episode 14 • 13 August 2024 • 55m and 28s
The concept of “excited delirium” has been used to justify extreme force from law enforcement and to cover up police violence. Coined by a medical examiner in Florida in the ‘80s, it has its roots in eugenics. Abdul reflects on the way that pseudoscience has too often been used by the medical establishment to justify racist maltreatment. Then he interviews Prof. Aisha Beliso-De Jésus, an anthropologist and author of a new book about the history and consequences of “Excited Delirium.”
This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dis...
Episode 13 • 6 August 2024 • 47m and 1s
Hospitals can charge you however much they want for healthcare — without telling you. Rapper turned healthcare advocate Fat Joe thinks they need to lean back. Abdul reflects on the fight for price transparency in healthcare, then sits down with the entertainer to learn more about his fight for healthcare transparency.
This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you to check them out. This episode was brought to you by:
Marguerite Casey Foundation: Sign up for their new Summer School program at...
Episode 12 • 30 July 2024 • 35m and 38s
The Supreme Court is an unelected body–there was a time when the justices understood that. Not this court. In their most recent set of rulings, they took a hammer to the fundamentals of American government. Abdul unpacks the most important ruling. Then he sits down with Leah Litman, Constitutional Law professor and host of Crooked Media’s Strict Scrutiny to understand the implications for public health and healthcare.
This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you to check them out. This episode was brought to you by...
Episode 11 • 23 July 2024 • 52m and 41s
Recently, the FDA approved a genetic test for opioid use disorder despite clear opposition from scientists and the FDA advisory panel that had reviewed the evidence. The case demonstrates the space where Pharma’s incentive may drive innovation that may not help–or worse, cause harm. Abdul reflects on how genetic essentialism and the wrong incentives can reinforce each other. Than he speaks with Dr. Elizabeth Joniak-Grant, a sociologist and patient advocate who voted against the genetic test.
This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors. America Dissected invites you...
Episode 10 • 16 July 2024 • 51m and 56s
To the untrained eye, public health and healthcare are–if not the same thing–then two sides of the same coin. But to those of us who work in public health, healthcare is too often a giant vacuum of health dollars focused more on the bottom line than public wellbeing. Abdul reflects on the tradeoffs between health and healthcare. Then he sits down with Dr. Dave Chokshi, the former New York City Health Commissioner and current Chair of the Common Health Coalition, which is attempting to bridge the divide.
This show would not be poss...
Episode 9 • 9 July 2024 • 53m and 16s
The pandemic didn’t change everything–it just made everything weird. From declining trust in institutions to the growing power of Big Tech on our lives, we are struggling to deal with the world as it’s become. Abdul reflects on the long tail of the pandemic. Then he sits down with New York TImes columnist David Wallace-Wells to talk about post-pandemic “medical libertarianism,” social media and teen mental health, and the impact of the pandemic on the foundations of our lives.
This show would not be possible without the generous support of our sponsors...
Episode 8 • 2 July 2024 • 1h, 17s
© 2024 Skill Piper. All rights reserved