The Aletheia Podcast

Everyone has an opinion on how to fix mental illness. Everything from Dialectical Behavioral Therapy to "get off your phone, kid." In truth, there is no one-size-fits-all, and the considerations that go into an appropriate mental health treatment are probably not on whatever self-proclaimed wellness influencer's video popped up on your for you page this morning. Luckily, there is an actual science to mental healthcare, and this week we sat down with an expert to break down every psychiatric definition, resource, and myth we could think of. Dr. Stephanie Hartselle, MD is a board-certified psychiatrist and clinical associate professor at the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University. Stay tuned, relax, and take a breather this week. You don't just need to hear this week's episode, you deserve it. Take care. If you or a loved one are struggling, there is help available. National Suicide Prevention Hotline: 1-800-273-8255 OR 988 National Crisis Text Line: Text "HOME" to 741741 -- Host: Alex Joseph - MS2 Guest: Dr. Stephanie Hartselle, MD -- Citations mentioned in this episode: NYT Article https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/01/magazine/happiness-research-studies-relationships.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare Global Flourishing Study https://www.nature.com/collections/eaeicjffaf

Chances are, you've been reminded to do your kegels by someone on social media recently. You may have also been wondering what on earth they're talking about. Luckily, on this week's episode, we break down everything pelvic floor related, from what the anatomy of that region does, why it's of particular concern for people with female anatomy, how disorders in that area happen, and how to treat them, including, yes, the exercises. Our guest, Dr. B. Star Hampton, MD, FACOG, is a board certified Ob/Gyn Physician, Pelvic Surgeon, and Senior Associate Dean for Medical Education at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. As one of the leading experts on pelvic floor disorders and reconstruction, she had an amazing discussion with us on the subject that is bound to be essential conversation for you or someone you love. -- Host: Alexander Joseph - MS2 Guest: Dr. B. Star Hampton, MD, FACOG

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Bryce Perler, a physician-scientist and gastroenterologist at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University. We discuss the science behind the latest controversies concerning seed oils, but also how to approach important topics in nutrition ranging from sustainable eating to that odd trend with beef tallow. Regardless, if you're someone that eats, there's probably something you've been meaning to learn in this episode. Hosts: Marco Kaper - MS1 | Ting Shi - MS1 Guest: Dr. Bryce Perler, MD, MSc

In this episode, we are joined by Dr. Jon Kole, a psychiatrist who is triple board certified in pediatrics, child psychiatry, and adult psychiatry who now serves as the Medical Director for Headspace, as well as being the Director for Warren Alpert Medical School’s Ethics education. In this interview, we discuss Dr. Kole’s personal journey within the fields of medicine and ethics, the major principles of medical and public health ethics, ethics committees, as well as some general takeaways that should always be kept in mind while practicing medicine. -- Host: Anna Nicklas For more info and updates follow us here on Spotify or on our socials @thealetheiapodcast on all platforms.

In this episode, we're rejoined by Dr. Michael Koster, MD, for an important discussion on how vaccine scheduling works, how adverse events with vaccines should be addresed, and what the future of infectious disease management in the United States might look like under our new HHS secretary. All views provided in this interview are that of the Aletheia Podcast and Dr. Koster, not that of Brown University or Brown University Health. For more info and updates, follow us here on Spotify or on our socials @thealetheiapodcast on all platforms. -- Dr. Michael Koster, MD is the director of the infectious disease division at the Hasbro Children’s Hospital and Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University Host: Alexander Joseph - MS1

In this episode, we're joined by the wonderful Dr. Michael Koster, an pediatric infectious disease physician and professor at the Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, for part one of a two-part episode covering vaccine hesitancy. In this part, we discuss his experiences treated pediatric infectious diseases, trends in vaccine hesitancy, the state of childhood vaccine-preventable illnesses, and how to approach misinformation in the era of social media. Welcome back to the new and improved Aletheia, we're happy to get back to work! Amendment: Dr. Koster mentioned a large-scale measles outbreak in approximately 2016 but wasn't sure. After going back over the episode, this incident occurred in 2019.

To kick off season 2, we are joined by Professor Mark Wells of Northeastern University, who shares some insight into the personal responsibilities that we have as members of the public while dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic. Everyone should listen, you know, because his job is literally to figure out right from wrong.