EPISODE · May 21, 2026 · 1H 13M
From Injury to Holistic Health Leadership with Brad Clifford
from Dokkcast · host Udokk
Brad went from nearly dying of sepsis as a collegiate football player to building one of the most comprehensive preventative health companies around. In this episode of the Dokk Cast, Nara sits down with Brad to trace his remarkable journey — from athlete to med-tech leader to founder of Elevation Health — and unpack his bold vision for what healthcare should have been doing for the last 30 years.They dive deep into epigenetics, whole genome sequencing, mitochondrial health, pharmacogenomics, and why a single yearly blood test gives you almost none of the picture you actually need. Brad also shares his unfiltered take on how the US insurance system is failing patients, why strength training is non-negotiable (especially for women), and what the UK gets right about movement that America has completely forgotten.Whether you're curious about longevity, frustrated with conventional medicine, or just want to understand your own biology better — this conversation is packed with insight.🔗 Learn more about Elevation Health: https://www.elevetion.com/Timecodes:00:00 – Introduction & Brad's background01:00 – From athlete to injury: a near-sepsis experience at college03:00 – Emergency surgery & a nine-month recovery05:30 – Discovering the med-tech world through orthopedic surgery07:30 – Seven and a half years at Stryker in sports medicine10:00 – Moving into interventional radiology at Merit Medical13:00 – Brad's personal health crisis: panic attacks & metabolic decline14:30 – Working in genomic-based breast cancer diagnostics16:30 – Why the US insurance system is failing patients18:00 – Using pharmacogenomics to resolve his own anxiety21:00 – Building the Elevation Health model from scratch26:00 – Why quarterly biomarker snapshots beat the annual physical27:00 – Epigenetics explained: day trading vs. futures on your health33:00 – The five pillars of health span: social connection, sleep, nutrition, movement & CNS36:00 – Whole genome sequencing & building your personal "health moat"38:00 – Mitochondrial health and its links to cancer, Alzheimer's & autism39:30 – The expert team behind Elevation: PhDs, dieticians & clinical leads41:00 – Using data to drive real daily habit change42:00 – Strength training for longevity — especially for women47:00 – Walking culture: UK vs. US and what it means for lifespan51:00 – Finding the cardio sweet spot without overdoing it52:30 – Wearables, HRV, and what we actually know about heart rate variability55:00 – Sleep quality vs. quantity — and why Brad changed his mind57:30 – Melatonin mega-dosing as a brain reset (and the caveats)01:00:30 – Psychedelics, trauma healing & emerging brain health research01:03:00 – Building a personalised nutrition pantry through genomics01:08:30 – Elevation's global vision and new partnerships (Ezra, full-body MRI)01:10:30 – Leadership through curiosity: staying adaptive in a fast-moving field01:12:00 – Closing thoughts
What this episode covers
Brad went from nearly dying of sepsis as a collegiate football player to building one of the most comprehensive preventative health companies around. In this episode of the Dokk Cast, Nara sits down with Brad to trace his remarkable journey — from athlete to med-tech leader to founder of Elevation Health — and unpack his bold vision for what healthcare should have been doing for the last 30 years.They dive deep into epigenetics, whole genome sequencing, mitochondrial health, pharmacogenomics, and why a single yearly blood test gives you almost none of the picture you actually need. Brad also shares his unfiltered take on how the US insurance system is failing patients, why strength training is non-negotiable (especially for women), and what the UK gets right about movement that America has completely forgotten.Whether you're curious about longevity, frustrated with conventional medicine, or just want to understand your own biology better — this conversation is packed with insight.🔗 Learn more about Elevation Health: https://www.elevetion.com/Timecodes:00:00 – Introduction & Brad's background01:00 – From athlete to injury: a near-sepsis experience at college03:00 – Emergency surgery & a nine-month recovery05:30 – Discovering the med-tech world through orthopedic surgery07:30 – Seven and a half years at Stryker in sports medicine10:00 – Moving into interventional radiology at Merit Medical13:00 – Brad's personal health crisis: panic attacks & metabolic decline14:30 – Working in genomic-based breast cancer diagnostics16:30 – Why the US insurance system is failing patients18:00 – Using pharmacogenomics to resolve his own anxiety21:00 – Building the Elevation Health model from scratch26:00 – Why quarterly biomarker snapshots beat the annual physical27:00 – Epigenetics explained: day trading vs. futures on your health33:00 – The five pillars of health span: social connection, sleep, nutrition, movement & CNS36:00 – Whole genome sequencing & building your personal "health moat"38:00 – Mitochondrial health and its links to cancer, Alzheimer's & autism39:30 – The expert team behind Elevation: PhDs, dieticians & clinical leads41:00 – Using data to drive real daily habit change42:00 – Strength training for longevity — especially for women47:00 – Walking culture: UK vs. US and what it means for lifespan51:00 – Finding the cardio sweet spot without overdoing it52:30 – Wearables, HRV, and what we actually know about heart rate variability55:00 – Sleep quality vs. quantity — and why Brad changed his mind57:30 – Melatonin mega-dosing as a brain reset (and the caveats)01:00:30 – Psychedelics, trauma healing & emerging brain health research01:03:00 – Building a personalised nutrition pantry through genomics01:08:30 – Elevation's global vision and new partnerships (Ezra, full-body MRI)01:10:30 – Leadership through curiosity: staying adaptive in a fast-moving field01:12:00 – Closing thoughts
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From Injury to Holistic Health Leadership with Brad Clifford
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