Tick Boot Camp

DEC 9, 2025

Episode 547: How Bartonella Hijacks the Brain’s Immune System: Linking Infection and Neurodegeneration – Dr. Janice Bush

<h2>Overview</h2> <p>This special episode of the <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow">Tick Boot Camp Podcast</a> was recorded live at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and PCOM Symposium in collaboration with Pathobiome Perspectives. Hosted by Ali Moresco in partnership with Nikki Schultek, Executive Director of AlzPI, this series expands the Tick Boot Camp mission of exploring infection-associated chronic illness (IACI)—including Lyme and other tick-borne infections—to the global Alzheimer’s and neuroimmunology research community.</p> <p>Tick Boot Camp co-founders Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen partnered with Ali and Nikki to showcase scientists exploring the microbial and immune mechanisms behind neurodegeneration. This episode features Dr. Janice Bush, a PhD candidate at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, whose research under world-renowned Bartonella expert Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt investigates how Bartonella bacteria alter gene expression in the brain’s immune cells.</p> <h2>Guest</h2> <ul> <li>Janice Bush, DVM, PhD Candidate</li> <li>College of Veterinary Medicine, North Carolina State University (NCSU)</li> </ul> <p>Dr. Janice Bush began her career in veterinary medicine, where she observed a striking overlap between illnesses in pets and their human owners—particularly those linked to vector-borne infections like Bartonella.</p> <p>Now completing her PhD under <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/ed-breitschwerdtz-infectious-disease-from-north-carolina-state-university/" rel="nofollow">Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt</a>, she focuses on Bartonella henselae, the bacterium behind <em>Cat Scratch Disease</em>, and its ability to infect human microglial cells—the brain’s resident immune defenders.</p> <p>Her presentation, “Bartonella-Infected Human Microglial Cells: Transcriptional Changes Associated with Chronic Neurologic Disorders,” revealed how this stealth pathogen triggers widespread gene dysregulation linked to Alzheimer’s disease, psychiatric symptoms, and neurodegenerative processes.</p> <h2>Key Discussion Points</h2> <p>Dr. Bush explains how Bartonella infection reprograms human microglia, the brain’s innate immune cells, leading to hundreds of genes being upregulated or suppressed—affecting energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, cell signaling, and immune communication. These cellular changes mirror those observed in chronic neurological and psychiatric disorders, providing a potential mechanistic link between infection and long-term neurodegeneration.</p> <p>She describes Bartonella’s sophisticated immune evasion strategy, including its ability to hijack cellular machinery and increase production of interleukin-10 (IL-10)—an anti-inflammatory cytokine that suppresses immune response, allowing the bacteria to persist undetected. This mechanism may explain why patients experience cyclic flares and remissions, and why Bartonella can linger silently for years.</p> <p>Dr. Bush’s findings suggest that even short-term infections can produce measurable transcriptional changes in brain immune cells within 48 hours. If such infections persist for months or years, they may set the stage for neurodegenerative disease, particularly when combined with other pathogens or environmental factors.</p> <p>“If one intracellular pathogen can cause this many changes in two days, imagine what happens over months or years. Bartonella may be the spark that primes the brain for neurodegeneration.” — <em>Dr. Janice Bush</em></p> <h2>Why It Matters</h2> <p>Dr. Bush’s research offers a groundbreaking look at how a common, underrecognized infection may drive neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Her work bridges veterinary medicine, infectious disease, and neurology—revealing how pathogens once dismissed as minor or self-limiting may alter the brain’s immune landscape.</p> <p>By demonstrating that Bartonella can infect and manipulate microglial cells, she provides critical biological evidence linking vector-borne disease and cognitive decline, paving the way for future diagnostic and therapeutic innovation.</p> <h2>About the Event</h2> <p>This interview was recorded at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Symposium, held October 3, 2025, at Ohio University in Dublin, Ohio. The event gathered more than 20 leading researchers exploring how microbes, the microbiome, and immune dysregulation contribute to Alzheimer’s, dementia, and infection-associated chronic illness (IACI).</p> <p>The Tick Boot Camp Podcast, in partnership with Ali Moresco and Nikki Schultek, documented these conversations to connect the chronic Lyme, infectious disease, and Alzheimer’s research communities. This episode is part of Tick Boot Camp’s AlzPI collaboration series.</p> <h2>Learn More</h2> <ul> <li>Learn more about the <a href="https://www.alzpi.org/" rel="nofollow">Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI)</a></li> <li>Listen to <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow">Tick Boot Camp Podcast</a> episodes, including <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/episode-406-pathobiome-an-interview-with-nikki-schultek/" rel="nofollow">Episode 406: Pathobiome – An Interview with Nikki Schultek</a> and <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/episode-101-the-young-gun-an-interview-with-alex-moresco/" rel="nofollow">Episode 101: The Young Gun – An Interview with Alex (Ali) Moresco</a> discussed in this interview.</li> </ul>

19 MIN

DEC 2, 2025

Episode 546: When the Brain Pathobiome Becomes Personal: Polymicrobial Drivers of Cognitive Decline – Nicole Bell

<h2>Overview</h2> <p>This special episode of the <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow">Tick Boot Camp Podcast</a> was recorded live at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and PCOM Symposium in collaboration with Pathobiome Perspectives. Hosted by Ali Moresco in partnership with Nikki Schultek (Executive Director, AlzPI), the conversation advances the Tick Boot Camp mission of exploring infection-associated chronic illness (IACI)—including Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections—within the global Alzheimer’s and neuroimmunology community.</p> <p>Tick Boot Camp co-founders Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen partnered with Ali and Nikki to amplify voices connecting tick-borne illness, microbes, and cognitive decline. This episode features Nicole Bell—author, entrepreneur, and CEO of Galaxy Diagnostics—whose memoir <em>What Lurks in the Woods</em> documents her late husband Russ’s misdiagnosed tick-borne illness and their search for answers.</p> <h2>Guest</h2> <ul> <li>Nicole Bell</li> <li>Author of <em>What Lurks in the Woods</em></li> <li>CEO, Galaxy Diagnostics</li> <li>Advocate for tick-borne and neurodegenerative disease</li> <li>BS/MS, Materials Science & Engineering (MIT)</li> <li>MS, Biomedical Engineering (Duke University)</li> </ul> <p>At the Symposium, Nicole presented “When the brain pathobiome becomes personal,” sharing her family’s journey and new findings from Russ’s donated brain: laboratory evidence of Borrelia burgdorferi, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Babesia otocoli (a species long thought to be deer-restricted) in brain tissue—data now being prepared for publication. Researchers also noted elevated heavy metals (lead, mercury), underscoring how polymicrobial infection plus toxic exposures may converge to drive neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s-like decline.</p> <h2>Key Discussion Points</h2> <p>Nicole details how repeated “normal” neurology workups masked a complex pathobiome process. She explains why standard two-tier Lyme serology can miss true infection, how direct detection can change care, and why patients should consider Bartonella and Babesia alongside Lyme. She outlines hallmark Bartonella clues—including striæ that resemble stretch marks (often more visible after hot showers), neuropsychiatric manifestations (irritability, anxiety, OCD, tics), ocular and joint involvement—and highlights non-tick vectors (notably fleas and household cats) that expand risk beyond forest exposure.</p> <p>Nicole advocates for building a diagnostic toolkit that combines serology with sensitive direct tests to clarify which pathogens are active—critical because Borrelia, Bartonella, and Babesia require different treatment paradigms. Looking forward, she envisions comprehensive screening panels for midlife cognitive changes that integrate pathogen load, host immune signatures, and toxin status, enabling earlier, targeted interventions.</p> <p>“Everyone wants a simple A→B. But the toughest chronic conditions are subtle and multifactorial. Accurate data, direct detection, and a clinician who will go on the journey with you can change everything.” — <em>Nicole Bell</em></p> <h2>Why It Matters</h2> <p>Nicole’s story humanizes the science: polymicrobial infection + toxins + host factors can look “psychiatric” or “idiopathic” until modern testing reveals the underlying pathobiome. Her advocacy pushes medicine toward precision diagnostics, earlier detection, and pathogen-informed care that may prevent years of decline.</p> <h2>About the Event</h2> <p>Recorded at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Symposium on October 3, 2025, at Ohio University (Dublin, Ohio). The meeting convened global experts investigating how microbes, the microbiome, and immune responses contribute to Alzheimer’s, dementia, PANS/PANDAS, and other infection-associated chronic illnesses (IACI). This episode is part of a Tick Boot Camp series connecting chronic Lyme research with cutting-edge brain-immune science.</p> <h2>Learn More</h2> <ul> <li>Learn more about the <a href="https://www.alzpi.org/" rel="nofollow">Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI)</a></li> <li>Listen to <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow">Tick Boot Camp Podcast</a> episodes, including <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/episode-406-pathobiome-an-interview-with-nikki-schultek/" rel="nofollow">Episode 406: Pathobiome – An Interview with Nikki Schultek</a>, <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/episode-101-the-young-gun-an-interview-with-alex-moresco/" rel="nofollow">Episode 101: The Young Gun – An Interview with Alex (Ali) Moresco</a>, and <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/episode-216-what-lurks-in-the-woods-an-interview-with-nicole-bell/" rel="nofollow">Episode 216: What Lurks in the Woods – an interview with Nicole Bell</a> discussed in this interview.</li> </ul>

30 MIN

NOV 25, 2025

Episode 545: Using the Human Eye to Detect Early Alzheimer’s and Infection-Induced Brain Changes – Dr. Sean Miller (Yale)

<h2>Overview</h2> <p>This special episode of the <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow">Tick Boot Camp Podcast</a> was recorded live at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and PCOM Symposium in collaboration with Pathobiome Perspectives. Hosted by Ali Moresco in partnership with Nikki Schultek, Executive Director of AlzPI, the conversation brings the Tick Boot Camp mission of exploring infection-associated chronic illness (IACI)—including Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections—to the global Alzheimer’s and neuroimmunology research community.</p> <p>Tick Boot Camp co-founders Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen partnered with Ali and Nikki to highlight leading scientists connecting infection, immune dysfunction, and cognitive decline. This episode features Dr. Sean Miller, a neuroscientist and co-investigator in the Logan Lab with a primary appointment at Yale School of Medicine, who is developing ways to non-invasively detect Alzheimer’s-like pathology through the eye.</p> <h2>Guest</h2> <ul> <li>Sean Miller, PhD</li> <li>Co-Investigator, Logan Lab / Yale School of Medicine</li> </ul> <p>Dr. Sean Miller completed pre-doctoral work at Harvard Medical School, earned his PhD from Johns Hopkins University, and completed post-doctoral training at Stanford University. His research focuses on neurodegeneration, neuroglia, and early diagnostic strategies for Alzheimer’s and related diseases.</p> <p>At the AlzPI & PCOM Symposium, Dr. Miller presented evidence showing that SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection can accelerate Alzheimer’s-like pathology and that these changes can be detected non-invasively through retinal imaging. His findings suggest that amyloid-beta, a protein long associated with Alzheimer’s disease, may also serve as part of the brain’s antimicrobial defense system—trapping pathogens like a mesh or biofilm, but leading to damaging plaque buildup when overproduced.</p> <h2>Key Discussion Points</h2> <p>Dr. Miller describes how the COVID-19 virus can act as an infectious trigger for neuroinflammation and amyloid buildup, how the eye provides a unique window into the brain, and why early detection is essential to preventing neuron death. He shares how his lab’s AI-enhanced retinal imaging research at Yale Eye Center is identifying amyloid and tau deposits in patients with long COVID-related brain fog—opening the possibility of routine eye exams doubling as early Alzheimer’s screening tools.</p> <p>He explains potential therapeutic strategies, such as limiting amyloid production during infection flare-ups and enhancing clearance mechanisms afterward to reduce chronic plaque formation. The conversation also explores his scientific journey—from designing Alzheimer’s drugs at Harvard and Johns Hopkins to realizing the need for early disease detection during his postdoc at Stanford—and how the pandemic inspired his focus on infection-induced neurodegeneration.</p> <p>“We believe neurons are exposed to pathogens in the central nervous system and respond by secreting amyloid-beta to trap them. Excessive plaque buildup from repeated or severe infections may be what drives long-term neurodegeneration.” — <em>Dr. Sean Miller</em></p> <h2>Why It Matters</h2> <p>Dr. Miller’s research connects infectious disease, ophthalmology, and neurology, providing a revolutionary new method to screen for early Alzheimer’s-like changes non-invasively through the human eye. His work suggests that infections like COVID-19 may trigger the same protective—but damaging—immune responses implicated in chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and infection-associated cognitive decline.</p> <h2>About the Event</h2> <p>The interview took place at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Symposium, held on October 3, 2025, at Ohio University in Dublin, Ohio. The event brought together more than 20 global researchers exploring how microbes, the microbiome, and the immune response contribute to Alzheimer’s, dementia, PANS/PANDAS, and infection-associated chronic illnesses (IACI).</p> <p>Tick Boot Camp partnered with Ali Moresco and Nikki Schultek to share the voices of researchers advancing the field of infection-associated chronic illness. This episode is part of a multi-part Tick Boot Camp series highlighting how pathobiome and microbiome science are transforming the understanding of Lyme disease, infection, and neurodegeneration.</p> <h2>Learn More</h2> <ul> <li> <p>Learn more about the <a href="https://www.alzpi.org/" rel="nofollow">Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI)</a></p> </li> <li> <p>Listen to <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow">Tick Boot Camp Podcast</a> episodes, including <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/episode-406-pathobiome-an-interview-with-nikki-schultek/" rel="nofollow">Episode 406: Pathobiome – An Interview with Nikki Schultek</a> and <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/episode-101-the-young-gun-an-interview-with-alex-moresco/" rel="nofollow">Episode 101: The Young Gun – An Interview with Alex (Ali) Moresco</a> discussed in this interview.</p> </li> </ul>

11 MIN

NOV 18, 2025

Episode 544: How Microbes Like Lyme May Trigger Alzheimer’s and Cognitive Decline – Dr. Brian Balin (PCOM)

<h2>Overview</h2> <p>This special episode of the <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow">Tick Boot Camp Podcast</a> was recorded live at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and PCOM Symposium in collaboration with Pathobiome Perspectives. Hosted by Ali Moresco in partnership with Nikki Schultek, Executive Director of AlzPI, the conversation brings the Tick Boot Camp mission of exploring infection-associated chronic illness (IACI), like Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, to the global Alzheimer’s and neuroimmunology research community.</p> <p>Tick Boot Camp co-founders Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen partnered with Ali and Nikki to highlight scientists whose work connects tick-borne illness, microbes, and cognitive decline. This episode features Dr. Brian J. Balin, an internationally recognized neuroscientist whose research has redefined the role of infection in contributing to Alzheimer’s disease.</p> <h2>Guest</h2> <ul> <li>Brian J. Balin, PhD</li> <li>Professor of Neuroscience and Neuropathology</li> <li>Director, Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging</li> <li>Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM)</li> </ul> <p>Dr. Balin directs the Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging and the Adolph and Rose Levis Foundation Laboratory for Alzheimer’s Disease Research at PCOM. With a PhD from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania, he has devoted nearly three decades to understanding how chronic infection and inflammation trigger neurodegeneration.</p> <p>His pioneering discovery that the respiratory bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae infects brain tissue helped establish the Pathogen Hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease. His continuing work explores how tick-borne microbes — including <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em> (Lyme disease), <em>Bartonella</em>, and <em>Babesia</em> — interact with other pathogens to drive neuroinflammation and cognitive decline.</p> <h2>Key Discussion Points</h2> <ul> <li>How infections such as <em>Chlamydia pneumoniae</em>, <em>Borrelia burgdorferi</em>, <em>Bartonella</em>, and <em>Babesia</em> were detected in Alzheimer’s brain tissue.</li> <li>Evidence that microbes can enter the brain via the olfactory pathway or blood-brain barrier, initiating chronic inflammation, amyloid plaque formation, and tau tangle pathology.</li> <li>Findings from Dr. Balin’s collaboration with Galaxy Diagnostics and advocate Nicole Bell, revealing polymicrobial infection and even <em>Babesia otocoli</em> — a strain previously believed to infect only deer — in human brain tissue.</li> <li>The use of animal models and 3D human brain organoids to study infection-driven neurodegeneration.</li> <li>Why identifying infection as part of the exposome (environmental insults over a lifetime) is key to developing precision diagnostics and treatments.</li> <li>Future directions: immune-modulating drugs, antimicrobials, and emerging phage therapy.</li> </ul> <p>“Infection is part of the exposome — an environmental insult that shapes our health over a lifetime. Recognizing that is key to truly understanding and preventing Alzheimer’s disease.” — <em>Dr. Brian J. Balin</em></p> <h2>Why It Matters</h2> <p>Dr. Balin’s research bridges the worlds of neurology and infectious disease, offering a framework that could revolutionize how Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative conditions are diagnosed and treated. By recognizing that microbes — including those transmitted by ticks — can initiate neuroinflammation and cognitive decline, his work provides hope for millions living with infection-associated chronic illness.</p> <h2>About the Event</h2> <p>The interview took place at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Symposium, October 3, 2025, Ohio University in Dublin, Ohio. The Symposium brought together more than 20 experts exploring how microbes, the microbiome, and the host immune response contribute to neurological and psychiatric diseases such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, and PANS/PANDAS.</p> <p>Tick Boot Camp partnered with Ali Moresco and Nikki Schultek to document and share the voices of scientists advancing research on infection-associated chronic illness (IACI). This episode is part of a special series showcasing how pathobiome and microbiome science is changing our understanding of chronic Lyme and neurodegenerative disease.</p> <h2>Learn More</h2> <ul> <li>Learn about the Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) at <a href="https://www.alzpi.org/" rel="nofollow">AlzPI.org</a>.</li> <li>For Dr. Balin’s publications and ongoing research, visit the <a href="https://www.pcom.edu/" rel="nofollow">Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM)</a> website.</li> <li>Learn more about the <a href="https://www.alzpi.org/" rel="nofollow">Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI)</a></li> <li>Listen to <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow">Tick Boot Camp Podcast</a> episodes, including <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/episode-406-pathobiome-an-interview-with-nikki-schultek/" rel="nofollow">Episode 406: Pathobiome – An Interview with Nikki Schultek</a> and <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/episode-101-the-young-gun-an-interview-with-alex-moresco/" rel="nofollow">Episode 101: The Young Gun – An Interview with Alex (Ali) Moresco</a> discussed in this interview.</li> </ul>

15 MIN

NOV 11, 2025

Episode 543: Measuring Brain Fog in Infection-Associated Chronic Illnesses (IACI) - an interview with MIT Researcher Yuri Kim

<h2>Overview</h2> <p>This special episode of the <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow">Tick Boot Camp Podcast</a> was recorded live at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and PCOM Symposium in collaboration with Pathobiome Perspectives. Hosted by Ali Moresco in partnership with Nikki Schultek, Executive Director of AlzPI, the conversation brings the Tick Boot Camp mission of exploring infection-associated chronic illness (IACI)—like Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections—to the global Alzheimer’s and neuroimmunology research community.</p> <p>Tick Boot Camp co-founders Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen partnered with Ali and Nikki to highlight scientists whose work connects tick-borne illness, microbes, and cognitive decline. This episode features Yuri Kim, RN, Lead Clinical Research Nurse for the MAESTRO Study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who is leading pioneering work to measure and understand “brain fog” in infection-associated chronic illness.</p> <h2>Guest</h2> <ul> <li>Yuri Kim, RN</li> <li>Lead Clinical Research Nurse, MAESTRO Study</li> <li>Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)</li> </ul> <p>Yuri Kim is the Lead Clinical Research Nurse for the MAESTRO Study, the largest clinical study ever conducted at MIT, led by Dr. Michal “Mikki” Caspi Tal, immunologist and immunoengineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The MAESTRO Study investigates infection-associated chronic illnesses (IACI) such as chronic Lyme disease and aims to objectively measure and understand one of the most debilitating and misunderstood symptoms—brain fog.</p> <p>Yuri has conducted more than 170 participant study visits and integrates patient narratives with advanced neurocognitive, immune, and molecular profiling. Her background includes experience as a trauma ER nurse and clinical research manager on neurodegenerative and rare diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and amyloidosis.</p> <h2>Key Discussion Points</h2> <ul> <li>How the MAESTRO Study combines subjective patient narratives with objective neurocognitive and biomarker data to better define and measure brain fog.</li> <li>Use of innovative diagnostic tools including EEG (WAVi), RightEye eye-tracking, BrainCheck cognitive testing, and NASA Lean autonomic assessments.</li> <li>Early findings showing slower reaction times and potential correlations between GFAP, NfL, and sCD14 with cognitive symptoms in chronic Lyme and other IACI patients.</li> <li>The role of immune dysregulation, gut permeability, and neuroinflammation in contributing to cognitive impairment.</li> <li>The need for brain fog-specific assessment tools and more research into sex and hormonal differences that may affect neurocognitive outcomes.</li> <li>Why validating and quantifying “invisible symptoms” is vital to patient care and the future of infection-associated chronic illness research.</li> </ul> <p>“Brain fog isn’t just a symptom—it’s a phenomenon interconnected with multiple systems. We’re trying to narrow the gap between what patients report and what we can measure.” — <em>Yuri Kim</em></p> <h2>Why It Matters</h2> <p>Yuri Kim’s work at MIT bridges patient experience and advanced science to address one of the most misunderstood symptoms in infection-associated chronic illness: brain fog. Her research within the MAESTRO Study, under the leadership of Dr. Michal “Mikki” Caspi Tal, is generating objective evidence that validates patient experiences and reveals how chronic infection and immune dysregulation can cause measurable cognitive and physiological changes.</p> <p>By studying infection-associated brain fog in Lyme disease and other chronic conditions, Yuri and the MAESTRO team are helping to shape a new era of diagnostics and care for people living with long-term, infection-driven illness.</p> <h2>About the Event</h2> <p>The interview took place at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Symposium, held on October 3, 2025, at Ohio University in Dublin, Ohio. The Symposium brought together more than 20 international experts investigating how microbes, the microbiome, and the host immune response contribute to neurological and psychiatric conditions such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, and PANS/PANDAS.</p> <p>Tick Boot Camp partnered with Ali Moresco and Nikki Schultek to capture and share the voices of scientists advancing research on infection-associated chronic illness (IACI). This episode is part of a special Tick Boot Camp series spotlighting how pathobiome and microbiome science are transforming the understanding of chronic Lyme, cognitive dysfunction, and neurodegeneration.</p> <h2>Learn More</h2> <ul> <li>Learn more about the <a href="https://www.alzpi.org/" rel="nofollow">Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI)</a></li> <li>View Yuri Kim's bio <a href="https://talresearchgroup.mit.edu/yuri" rel="nofollow">on the MIT website</a></li> <li>Discover more about Dr. Michal “Mikki” Caspi Tal <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/michal-mikki-caspi-tal-immunologist-and-immunoengineer-from-massachusetts-institute-of-technology-mit/" rel="nofollow">on Tick Boot Camp</a></li> <li>Listen to <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/podcast/" rel="nofollow">Tick Boot Camp Podcast</a> episodes, including <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/episode-406-pathobiome-an-interview-with-nikki-schultek/" rel="nofollow">Episode 406: Pathobiome – An Interview with Nikki Schultek</a> and <a href="https://tickbootcamp.com/episode-101-the-young-gun-an-interview-with-alex-moresco/" rel="nofollow">Episode 101: The Young Gun – An Interview with Alex (Ali) Moresco</a> discussed in this interview.</li> </ul>

27 MIN

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