PODCAST · health
UCLA LiveWell
by Dr. Wendy Slusser
Dr. Wendy Slusser of UCLA's Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center interviews leading experts about new perspectives on health and wellbeing. LiveWell champions an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to health equity-- from food and climate, to social justice and emotional wellbeing. With guests like Evan Kleiman, Peter Sellars, and Bob Thurman, we've set out to explore the many facets of what it means to live well. Stop by our website to offer feedback or guest ideas, plus more to explore: https://www.healthy.ucla.edu/media/livewellpodcast/
Episodes
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Optimizing Brain Health in the Modern Age
"If only I had a brain!" exclaimed the Scarecrow in the Wizard of Oz. Well, he may not have one, but you do. We all do, and optimizing Brain Health may be the most important step we can take to preserve our humanity through intuition, imagination, emotion, and common sense. On this episode of the...
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(Re-Release), Part 2 - Change How You Think: Why We Think How We Do and Our Value System with Emily Falk
We are excited to re-release Dr. Emily Falk's podcast series which explores storytelling as a lever for deeper human connection & understanding and how we make decisions & form value sets. Her book, What We Value, is now out in paperback due to popular demand! We highly recommend purchasing a…
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(Re-Release), Part 1 - Change How You Think: Why We Think How We Do and Our Value System with Emily Falk
We are excited to re-release Dr. Emily Falk's podcast series which explores storytelling as a lever for deeper human connection & understanding and how we make decisions & form value sets. Her book, What We Value, is now out in paperback due to popular demand! We highly recommend purchasing a…
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Looking Under the Hood: Prepping Olympic and Paralympic Fencers
What does it take for an athlete to make it to the Paralympic or Olympic games? In our latest LiveWell Podcast episode, we explore the world of elite athleticism through the sport of fencing. As it turns out, training to compete in the most important sporting event of your life takes a lot more...
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Whose Stories are Told? Whose are Missing? The Power of Representation with Dr. Darnell Hunt
On this episode of the LiveWell podcast, we sit down with UCLA’s Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost (EVCP) Darnell Hunt. A proud UCLA alumnus and former Dean of Social Sciences, Dr. Hunt has spent three decades examining how the ways we see the world impact how we live. We explore his journey...
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94: Do Animals Hold the Key to Healing? Ellie Laks on the Gentle Barn and Reciprocal Healing
What if the key to healing our own trauma was held by a rescued cow or a rehabilitated horse? On this episode of the LiveWell podcast, we speak with Ellie Laks, the visionary founder of The Gentle Barn. Ellie shares on her lifelong journey of connecting with animals, from a seven-year-old with a...
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93: The Reflex of Kindness: Lonnie Ali on Scaling Compassion and Sustaining a Legacy
In our latest LiveWell podcast episode, we sit down with Lonnie Ali, a dedicated advocate for Parkinson’s research, a champion of compassion, and widow to Muhammad Ali. Lonnie shares her personal journey from growing up across the street from the legendary boxer in Louisville to becoming his…
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92: Primal Intelligence: From Special Ops to Shakespeare
Our latest LiveWell podcast episode features an inspiring and deeply insightful conversation with Angus Fletcher, Professor of English at Ohio State University and a core member of Project Narrative. Angus shares his personal journey from working in a neurophysiology lab studying live brain cells...
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91: The Power of Presence: Navigating Modern Stress with Mindfulness
Our latest LiveWell podcast episode features an inspiring and deeply insightful conversation with Diana Winston, the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC). Diana shares her personal journey from being a young seeker traveling through Asia to spending…
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90: Rebuilding Belonging: The Power of Strengthening Our Social Muscles
Our latest LiveWell podcast episode features an inspiring and deeply insightful conversation with Kasley Killam, a leading expert in social health and author of The Art and Science of Connection: Why Social Health is the Missing Key to Living Longer, Healthier, and Happier Lives. Kasley shares…
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Everyone’s a Futurist: Structuring Tomorrow’s Thinking
“It is possible to believe that all the past is but the beginning of a beginning… the twilight of the dawn.” – H.G. Wells But how do we shape what comes next—and prepare for futures we can’t yet see? Join us for a compelling episode of the UCLA LiveWell podcast featuring Dr. Andy Hines —…
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88: The Story of a Wildcat: Community Resilience and Cultural Connection
Our latest LiveWell podcast episode features an enlightening conversation with Dr. Dan Wildcat, a professor at Haskell Indian Nations University and a profound thinker on Indigenous perspectives of ecology, technology, and community. Dr. Wildcat shares his transformative journey from Sociology to...
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#77 (Re-Release), Part 2: A Culture of Care Peter Sellars
Original air date: March 1st, 2023 Why is controversy a good thing? What does it mean to have five eyes? Why is there no such thing as spectatorship? This is what we set out to uncover in Part 2 of our Special Series with Peter Sellars, world-renowned theater and opera director. Join us as we...
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#76 (Re-Release), Part 1: A Culture of Care with Peter Sellars
Original release date: February 16, 2023. Why were snakes at the original Olympics? How are the arts and sports intimately connected? How did the Greek tragedy come to be? We cover all of these questions in Part 1 of our Special 2 Part Interview with Peter Sellars. Peter, with his gift of...
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87: Through Her Eyes: A Legacy of Healing and Social Innovation
Our latest episode of LiveWell features a powerful conversation with Dr. Eraka Bath, a professor of psychiatry at UCLA and a triple board-certified expert in child, adolescent, adult, and forensic psychiatry. Dr. Bath’s work profoundly impacts youth in the foster care and juvenile legal system,...
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86: The Power of Communication, Leadership and Lifelong Learning with Dr. Angela Fentiman
Our latest episode of LiveWell is a conversation with Dr. Angela Fentiman. An educator and executive communications leader at UCLA, where we explore how an early introduction to communication in service and civic duties, then roles in energy and education shaped her approach to communication and...
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85: Growing, Healing and Connecting through Gardening
What if healing didn’t start in a clinic—but in the soil? On the newest episode of LiveWell, we explore how nature, community, and purpose are transforming Veteran care with Dr. Kaitlyn Fruin, UCLA preventive medicine fellow, and Air Force Veteran Cyntrea Cotton, founder of the Veterans Garden...
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Episode 84: Part 2 - Change how you think: Why we think how we do and our value system with Emily Falk
Welcome back for Part 2 and a sneak peek into Emily Falk's upcoming book, What We Value? Curious about why we make the choices we do? Want to explore how to make more intentional and fulfilling decisions? In our latest LiveWell episode, Emily Falk unpacks her groundbreaking research in...
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83: Part 1 - Change how you think: Why we think how we do and our value system with Emily Falk
Our latest episode of LiveWell is a two-parter with guest Emily Falk and a preview to her upcoming book, "What We Value". An expert in the science of behavior change, Emily is a Professor of Communication, Psychology, Marketing, and Operations, Information, and Decisions at the University of...
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82: Impacts on our Environment and Ecology from Wildfires with Morgan Tingley
Morgan Tingley, Professor of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and faculty in the UCLA Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, is an expert on how climate change and other environmental changes impact biodiversity, primarily birds. His research, which largely focuses on birds in temperate...
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#81 (Re-Release), Where Food Meets Performance with Elizabeth Schiffler
Original air date: May 2023. You don’t want to miss today’s episode--mainly because Wendy and Elizabeth reveal their reigning favorite salt! How’d we get there? Because Elizabeth shares how she guides her students through a mindful salt tasting--an exercise that embodies her research at the...
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#80 (Re-Release), Coffee, Community, Connection with Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace
Original air date: March 2023 Coffee, community, and connection are the ways that Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace advocate for their South Central LA community. As founders of the South LA Cafe and the South LA community nonprofit, this dynamic duo is paving the path toward food justice and community...
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#79 (Re-Release), Food Law with Michael Roberts
Original air date: May 2022. Executive Director of the Resnick Center for Food Law and Policy and Professor at the UCLA School of Law, Michael Roberts, joins us to explain the complexities of governing food and why he always makes sure to check the labels before buying olive oil. Visit our…
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#78 (Re-Release), Eco-Conscious Teaching, Living, and Community Building with Tamar Christensen
Original air date: July 2023. Join us today for a lesson in environmental storytelling with Tamar Christensen. Everything about Tamar’s story is fascinating-- she is a writing instructor at UCLA, a Veteran, a composter, a chicken mom, and a zero-waste lifestyle icon. We hear about how she sold…
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#75: Food Forward with Rick Nahmias
This is the story of how noticing the abundant produce on citrus trees turned into what is now a 15 year old nonprofit, Food Forward, that transports nearly 90 million pounds of food to communities in need. Join us today as Rick Nahmias, founder and CEO of Food Forward, tells us that story and...
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#74: Making Change By Meeting People Where They Are with Olivia Farr
If you’re even the slightest bit curious about community movement building, look no further. In today’s episode, Olivia Farr, nonprofit and environmental activist extraordinaire leading the Bedford 2030 campaign, tells us the why and how of meeting people where they’re at, and ultimately…
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#73: The Universal Language of Cooking with Bill Yosses
While so much has changed in the food world, much has stayed the same -- we are making bread the same way Egyptians did thousands of years ago, according to today’s guest, Bill Yosses. In this episode, Bill Yosses, former White House Pastry Chef, teaches us how cooking has transcended language…
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#72: Food as Medicine with Corby Kummer
This episode is abundant in resources for anyone and everyone interested in food equity, health, community activism, or journalism. Corby Kummer is more than a renowned journalist and food writer, he is a changemaker working to break down the barriers to nutrient-rich and culturally-appropriate...
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10-Minute Mindfulness Meditation with Dr. Bill Resnick
See last episode for Dr. Bill Resnick's full-length interview! How is pain different from suffering? Why is community a spiritual practice? In this episode, you’ll not only learn the answers to these questions, but uncover the story of Dr. Bill Resnick’s journey as a clinical psychiatrist, and...
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#71: Mindfulness, Connection, and Letting Go of Suffering with Dr. Bill Resnick
How is pain different from suffering? Why is community a spiritual practice? In this episode, you’ll not only learn the answers to these questions, but uncover the story of Dr. Bill Resnick’s journey as a clinical psychiatrist, and mindfulness teacher. AND we’re gifted a ten-minute mindfulness...
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#70: Ease, Belonging, and The Alchemy of Yogurt with Homa Dashtaki
Today, we’re learning why yogurt is more than just protein and probiotics, but is the final result of an intricate and ancient yogurt-making practice that creates ease and cultiavtes belonging. Homa Dashtaki founded The White Moustache, a yogurt company that honors traditional Persian techniques...
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#69: Empowering Others and Mental Health with Metta Sandiford-Artest (Re-Release)
Join us (again) for a conversation with the former NBA World Champion and one of the premier NBA defenders of his era, Metta Sandiford-Artest, previously known as Metta World Peace. Metta has been a leader in de-stigmatizing mental health in the world of professional sports and beyond by…
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#68 Special Episode: Why Study Food? A Deep Dive Into the Why and the How.
3 guests. 2 hosts. And one big question: why study food? Join Dr. Amy Rowat, Chef Julia Rhoton, Laila Adarkar, and guest host, Kayleigh Ruller, on this exploration. Food--accessing it, cooking it, gathering around it--is a powerful tool for inciting change on both an individual and community…
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#67: Food as Transformation with Evan Kleiman (Re-Release)
This conversation with Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW'S Good Food, is a breath of fresh air, covering the practices and perspectives that sustain Evan’s regenerative, equitable, and of course, delicious approach to preparing a meal. The perspectives offered honor the transformative role that food can...
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#66: Psychology, Identity, and Superheroes with Dr. Drea Letamendi (Re-Release)
Superheroes, science fiction, and fantasy tell a much more complex story than what meets the eye. Dr. Drea Letamendi, clinical psychologist, media consultant, TEDx Speaker, and former Interim Director of UCLA’s RISE center, talks with us today about the power of storytelling in the fictional…
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#65: Why is Nature’s Beauty a Tool for Human Healing? With Louie Schwartzberg
Turns out, we need more wonder in our lives, beauty is a survival tool, and mushrooms are the greatest carbon-sequester solution for climate change. Learn about this and more through the words and wisdom of our guest today, Louie Schwartzberg. Louie Schwartzberg is an environmental activist, UCLA...
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#64: Part 2 of Why Can Preventive Health Services Be Covered by Health Insurance? with Dr. Carol Mangione
Why can preventive health services be covered by health insurance? Why should we be prioritizing research and screenings that close the evidence gaps in health research? And who can help shift these priorities? That’s the US Preventive Services Task Force. Today, our guest, past appointed chair…
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#63: Part 1 of Why Can Preventive Health Services Be Covered by Health Insurance? with Dr. Carol Mangione
Why can preventive health services be covered by health insurance? Why should we be prioritizing research and screenings that close the evidence gaps in health research? And who can help shift these priorities? That’s the US Preventive Services Task Force. Today, our guest, Dr. Carol Mangione…
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#62: Finding the Path Back to Meaning & Joy with Dr. Brenda Bursch (Re-release)
What are the little things we can do to create ritual, reflection, and reduce stress as we navigate new transitions? As we enter into this upcoming school year and a new season, this re-released episode with Dr. Brenda Bursch will walk us through resilience tools -- from setting boundaries to...
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#61: The Fresh Food Farmacy and Preventive Care with Dr. Andrea Feinberg
Join us today for a deep dive into how social determinants of health, the non-medical influences that contribute to someone’s health outcomes, can be addressed with a preventive, population-based approach, like Geisinger’s Fresh Food Farmacy. Dr. Andrea Feinberg guides us through this topic,...
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#60: Eco-Conscious Teaching, Living, and Community Building with Tamar Christensen
Join us today for a lesson in environmental storytelling with Tamar Christensen. Everything about Tamar’s story is fascinating-- she is a writing instructor at UCLA, a Veteran, a composter, a chicken mom, and a zero-waste lifestyle icon. We hear about how she sold her car after a transformative...
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#59 Special Episode: Behind the Mic with Dr. Wendy Slusser
In this special “Behind the Mic” episode, podcast producer Kayleigh Ruller interviews Dr. Wendy Slusser to learn more about her career, her inspirations, her mentors, and how the Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center came to be. Dr. Wendy Slusser has been leading the Semel HCI center for nearly…
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#58: Student Advocacy as the Conscience with Matt St.Clair
Today, Wendy chats with Matt St.Clair to learn about his advocacy work, starting with the ground-breaking UC Go Solar Campaign in 2003 to his current position as the UC’s Chief Sustainability officer. We learn about cross-department collaboration, effective communication for change, and staying...
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Special Announcement: Join us at our Annual Celebration!
Hi listeners! We want to extend to you an invitation to our annual Semel HCI Celebration: Cultivating Community. Please RSVP (free) here. There will be food, music, performances, speeches, teaching demonstrations, and more. We will be honoring Louie Schwartzberg with the Eudaimonia Lifetime...
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#57: Where Food Meets Performance with Elizabeth Schiffler
You don’t want to miss today’s episode--mainly because Wendy and Elizabeth reveal their reigning favorite salt! How’d we get there? Because Elizabeth shares how she guides her students through a mindful salt tasting--an exercise that embodies her research at the intersection of food and...
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#56: Making Music and Working from the Heart with Jeremy Barrett
If you have ever visited UCLA, you have likely seen and heard piano melodies around campus. We have today’s guest, Jeremy Barrett, to thank for that. In this conversation, we hear how Jeremy’s Piano Project was sparked by a desire for community engagement. We learn how he pitched the concept to...
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#55: Super-Education of the Soul with Bob Thurman
Bob Thurman, longtime Professor of Buddhist Studies at Columbia University, believes education is one of the most important aspects of being human, but not education in the way academics typically refer to. A Tibetan Buddhist writer, student, and teacher, Bob believes in the education of the...
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#54: Staying Flexible in Transition with Anna Glenn
Former UCLA gymnast, Anna Glenn, shares with us how she translated athleticism into advocacy during her time at UCLA and beyond. We found out how Anna is a masterful transitioner, so to speak--moving to LA from North Carolina, facing career-pausing injuries, being adopted, graduating in the...
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#53: Coffee, Community, Connection with Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace
Coffee, community, and connection are the ways that Joe and Celia Ward-Wallace advocate for their South Central LA community. As founders of the South LA Cafe and the South LA community nonprofit, this dynamic duo is paving the path toward food justice and community health. Learn how Celia, with...
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#52: Part 2, A Culture of Care with Peter Sellars
How is controversy a good thing? What does it mean to have five eyes? Why is there no such thing as spectatorship? This is what we set out to uncover in Part 2 of our Special Series with Peter Sellars, world-renowned theater and opera director. Join us as we discuss imagining new and…
more
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Dr. Wendy Slusser of UCLA's Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center interviews leading experts about new perspectives on health and wellbeing. LiveWell champions an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to health equity-- from food and climate, to social justice and emotional wellbeing.
With guests like Evan Kleiman, Peter Sellars, and Bob Thurman, we've set out to explore the many facets of what it means to live well.
Stop by our website to offer feedback or guest ideas, plus more to explore: https://www.healthy.ucla.edu/media/livewellpodcast/
HOSTED BY
Dr. Wendy Slusser
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does UCLA LiveWell have?
UCLA LiveWell currently has 104 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is UCLA LiveWell about?
Dr. Wendy Slusser of UCLA's Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center interviews leading experts about new perspectives on health and wellbeing. LiveWell champions an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to health equity-- from food and climate, to social justice and emotional wellbeing. With...
How often does UCLA LiveWell release new episodes?
UCLA LiveWell publishes regularly with 104 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to UCLA LiveWell?
You can listen to UCLA LiveWell on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts UCLA LiveWell?
UCLA LiveWell is created and hosted by Dr. Wendy Slusser.
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