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 background
01:00 – From athlete to injury: a near-sepsis experience at college
03:00 – Emergency surgery & a nine-month recovery
05:30 – Discovering the med-tech world through orthopedic surgery
07:30 – Seven and a half years at Stryker in sports medicine
10:00 – Moving into interventional radiology at Merit Medical
13:00 – Brad's personal health crisis: panic attacks & metabolic decline
14:30 – Working in genomic-based breast cancer diagnostics
16:30 – Why the US insurance system is failing patients
18:00 – Using pharmacogenomics to resolve his own anxiety
21:00 – Building the Elevation Health model from scratch
26:00 – Why quarterly biomarker snapshots beat the annual physical
27:00 – Epigenetics explained: day trading vs. futures on your health
33:00 – The five pillars of health span: social connection, sleep, nutrition, movement & CNS
36:00 – Whole genome sequencing & building your personal "health moat"
38:00 – Mitochondrial health and its links to cancer, Alzheimer's & autism
39:30 – The expert team behind Elevation: PhDs, dieticians & clinical leads
41:00 – Using data to drive real daily habit change
42:00 – Strength training for longevity — especially for women
47:00 – Walking culture: UK vs. US and what it means for lifespan
51:00 – Finding the cardio sweet spot without overdoing it
52:30 – Wearables, HRV, and what we actually know about heart rate variability
55:00 – Sleep quality vs. quantity — and why Brad changed his mind
57:30 – Melatonin mega-dosing as a brain reset (and the caveats)
01:00:30 – Psychedelics, trauma healing & emerging brain health research
01:03:00 – Building a personalised nutrition pantry through genomics
01:08:30 – Elevation's global vision and new partnerships (Ezra, full-body MRI)
01:10:30 – Leadership through curiosity: staying adaptive in a fast-moving field
01:12:00 – Closing thoughts

What does it really take to become an orthopaedic surgeon – and can you balance surgery, family life, and a demanding medical career?In this episode of Dokkcast, host Professor Nara Daubeney speaks with Cat Malik, a post-CCT trauma and orthopaedics fellow specialising in foot and ankle surgery and lower limb trauma.Cat shares her journey through surgical training, the reality of working in orthopaedics, and how she balanced becoming a surgeon while raising three children. The conversation also explores the culture of surgery, the challenges women still face in the profession, and the changing role of social media and AI in healthcare.Topics include:• What orthopaedic surgeons actually do• Choosing surgery as a career in medicine• Training pathways and life as a junior doctor• Balancing surgical careers with family life• Gender stereotypes in orthopaedics• Workplace culture in hospitals• Social media, misinformation, and trust in medicine• The future of healthcare and AIDokkcast features conversations with leading clinicians about medicine, training, research, and the evolving world of healthcare.Chapters00:00 – Introduction to Cat Malik00:40 – What an Orthopaedic Surgeon Actually Does02:00 – Why Cat Chose Orthopaedics03:00 – Discovering Surgery in Medical School04:00 – The Career Path into Orthopaedic Surgery06:00 – Why Training Environments Matter08:00 – Stereotypes About Orthopaedic Surgeons10:00 – Changing Culture in Surgery11:00 – Women in Surgery: Progress and Challenges14:00 – Becoming a Surgeon While Raising a Family16:00 – Advice for Doctors Who Want Children19:00 – Support Systems, Childcare and Work–Life Balance21:00 – Becoming a Consultant Surgeon23:00 – Career Goals and Hospital Culture24:30 – Social Media and Medical Information27:00 – How Doctors Use Social Media Professionally29:00 – AI, Trust and the Future of Medical Knowledge30:30 – The Human Side of Medicine31:30 – Final Thoughts

In this in-depth conversation, Nara speaks with Professor Mike Rigby, one of the most influential figures in paediatric cardiology, about a career that has spanned more than four decades and transformed how children’s heart disease is diagnosed, treated, and understood.

From the early days of limited diagnostics and high-risk surgery to today’s advanced imaging, interventional cardiology, and improving survival rates, Mike reflects on the extraordinary evolution of paediatric heart care. He shares personal stories from his time at the Royal Brompton Hospital, insights into pioneering procedures, and what it meant to train and mentor generations of cardiologists from around the world.

The conversation also explores the human side of medicine – communicating with families at moments of intense anxiety, teaching with passion, and what it means to leave a legacy in healthcare.

This episode is essential viewing for clinicians, trainees, students, and anyone interested in the history and future of paediatric cardiology.

Topics covered include:

• The early years of paediatric cardiology
• The emergence and impact of echocardiography
• Interventions vs surgery in congenital heart disease
• How outcomes and survival rates have changed
• Training, mentorship, and medical education
• Communicating with parents during critical moments
• The future of paediatric cardiology and genetics
• Reflections on legacy and a life in medicine

Professor Hesham Saleh is a highly accomplished, leading London-based consultant rhinologist and facial plastic surgeon who specialises in rhinoplasty, endoscopic sinus surgery, rhinology, anterior skull-base surgery, orbital decompression, as well as lacrimal surgery. He currently practises at the Charing Cross Hospital and the Harley ENT Practice.

The esteemed Professor Saleh successfully completed his FRCS (ENT) in 1995, before going on to obtain a FRCS (ORL-HNS) four years later, in 1999. He notably featured in The Times' top 140 doctors list and was elected in their top 50 surgeons list. He is regularly invited as an international expert in rhinoplasty and rhinology at conferences worldwide and serves as Professor of Practice in Rhinology at Imperial College. He forms an integral part of a myriad of professional bodies including the Royal Society of Medicine, for which he is the past president of the section of Laryngology and Rhinology.

His main research interests include rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, anterior skull-base pathology, as well as nasal deformities. Currently, Professor Saleh is the leading investigator in a large number of prestigious and well-established multicentre trials, where he is responsible for the investigation of olfactory damage and eradication of multidrug resistant bacteria that affect the sinuses.

Keywords

social media, patient information, cosmetic surgery, aesthetic trends, young patients, online resources, misinformation

Summary

The conversation explores the significant impact of social media on how patients, particularly young individuals, gather information about cosmetic surgery. It highlights the contrast between reliable medical institutions and the often misleading content found on platforms like Instagram and TikTok. The discussion emphasizes the need for better educational resources in the field of facial plastic and cosmetic surgery to counteract the influence of unrealistic beauty standards propagated online.

Chapters

00:00 Intro music

00:32 The Journey into ENT Surgery

03:06 From Medical Student to Passionate Surgeon

05:51 Navigating the Path to Specialization

09:45 The Evolution of Training in ENT

11:40 Challenges for Today's Trainees

14:13 The Role of Non-UK Graduates in the NHS

23:49 Understanding Rhinology: More than Just Noses

28:20 The Complexity of Sinus Surgery

31:18 Innovations in Endoscopic Surgery

35:44 Patient Benefits and Surgical Evolution

37:40 The Intersection of Facial Plastics and ENT

42:00 Social Media's Impact on Cosmetic Surgery

49:48 The Future of ENT and Surgical Technology

54:09 Legacy and Lifelong Learning