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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks talks with Dr. Mary Abed Al Ahad about how long-term exposure to air pollution is quietly driving people to the hospital. Drawing from her recent study, Dr. Abed Al Ahad breaks down which specific pollutants were linked to higher hospitalization rates and how those effects vary—some pollutants hit the lungs harder, others may affect the immune system or even mental health. They also explore the science behind why certain pollutants cause different kinds of harm, and wrap up with ideas for how we can clean up the air and protect our health. If you've ever wondered what’s really in the air you breathe—and what it’s doing to your body—this episode is worth a listen.

Dr. Abed Al Ahad is a researcher and associate lecturer in Population and Health Geography at the School of Geography & Sustainable Development, University of St Andrews in Scotland. You can learn more about her research here.

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In this episode of Causes or Cures, Dr. Eeks speaks with Dr. David Amaral and Kathy Stein about the powerful impact of brain donations through Autism BrainNet in advancing our understanding of autism. Dr. Amaral offers a comprehensive overview of autism, exploring what science currently knows about its risk factors and potential causes. He discusses the rise rate of autism and explains how brain donations provide researchers with a rare and invaluable opportunity to study autism at the neurological level—offering insights that can’t be uncovered any other way. He also shares key discoveries that have already emerged through Autism BrainNet’s efforts.

Kathy Stein joins the conversation to share a deeply personal story: that of her brother Ed, who lived with autism and viewed it as "a different way of seeing the world." After Ed’s passing, Kathy donated his brain to Autism BrainNet, a decision she describes as a gift to science, one that reflects her commitment to supporting research that might bring answers to families in the future. Together, Dr. Amaral and Kathy explain how the brain donation process works, what it means for scientific discovery, and why it's an act of profound generosity.

Dr. David Amaral is a distinguished professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at UC Davis. He serves as the scientific director of Autism BrainNet and was the founding research director of the renowned MIND Institute, a center for autism research founded in collaboration with parents of children on the spectrum. He is also a past president of the International Society for Autism Research and currently serves as Editor-in-Chief of its journal, Autism Research.

Kathy’s brother Ed called Concord, New Hampshire home for 25 years. A beloved community member, Ed worked at the Concord Monitor, operating the advertisement insert machine until his retirement. A familiar and friendly face at the Concord Public Library, Ed had a wide range of passions—including steam trains, photography, travel, and musicals. He lived with warmth, curiosity, and an enduring grace that left an impression on all who knew him.

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In this episode, Dr. Eeks is joined by neuroscientist Dr. Dwayne Godwin and cartoonist Dr. Jorge Cham, the creative duo behind Out of Your Mind, a book that makes neuroscience both fun and digestible—perfect for Nerds and Nerd Nots alike (yes, that’s my podcast tagline). They kick things off with love—what it is, why we fall for some people and not others, and whether science could create a love potion that turns romance into a biochemical hostage situation. From love, they move to hate and how some people actually get addicted to hate. They'll also discuss AI—whether it could ever develop consciousness and what that might mean for humanity—before diving into addiction and the ongoing debate over how much of it is choice versus biology. They'll talk about happiness, whether money can actually buy it, and a bizarre true medical case of a man who, after a brain surgery gone wrong, was left permanently stuck in the present moment. Finally, they'll explore what happens when we die and whether the authors ever get existentially bummed out thinking about how fragile and robotic we really are. If you like science with a side of humor and deep, slightly absurd questions, this episode is for you.

Dr. Dwayne Godwin is a neuroscientist, educator, and professor in the Department of Translational Neuroscience at Wake Forest University School of Medicine. His research focuses on abnormal brain rhythms, exploring calcium channel function, epilepsy, and traumatic brain injury to develop potential treatments for neurological diseases. Beyond the lab, he is passionate about science outreach, co-creating Mind in Pictures for Scientific American Mind and contributing to blogs for the Society for Neuroscience and the Museum of the Moving Image.

Dr. Jorge Cham is a Daytime Emmy-nominated, best-selling cartoonist and the creator of PHD Comics, a popular online comic strip about academia. He is the co-creator, Executive Producer, and Creative Director of Elinor Wonders Why, a top-rated PBS Kids animated series. Cham has co-authored several popular science books, including We Have No Idea: A Guide to the Unknown Universe and Frequently Asked Questions about the Universe, as well as the children’s book Oliver’s Great Big Universe. He also co-hosts and co-creates the hit podcast Daniel and Jorge Explain the Universe. Originally from Panama, Cham earned his Ph.D. in robotics from Stanford University and was a researcher at Caltech.

You can contact Dr. Eeks at bloomingwellness.com.
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