Neuroveda Podcast for Complex Health

In this episode, Dr. Hemal Patel explores how cellular energetics and membrane biology play a central role in health, resilience, and disease. He explains that the cell membrane is not just a barrier, but a dynamic and intelligent system that organizes signaling, regulates energy, and may even influence aging.Dr. Patel shares insights into:How mitochondria and membranes work together to control energy productionThe role of circadian rhythms and cellular “oscillations” in maintaining healthWhy aging and chronic disease may begin with membrane breakdownHow communication across the body may be driven through the blood as a signaling systemA major focus of the conversation is MeScreen, a novel test designed to assess mitochondrial function using a simple blood sample. By exposing lab-grown cells to a person’s plasma, MeScreen evaluates how their internal biochemical environment influences energy production, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial resilience.The episode highlights a key shift in thinking:Health isn’t just about individual organs or genes, but about how systems communicate, adapt, and maintain energy balance over time.Neuroveda Health patients receive $250 off when ordering through the clinic. For those ordering independently, MeScreen is offering $200 off at MeScreen.com using code NEUROVEDA.https://mescreen.com/products/mescreen-mitochondrial-function-test-healthcare-provider-consultBio: Dr. Hemal Patel is a tenured professor and Vice-Chair for Development and Advancement in the Department of Anesthesiology at the University of California, San Diego. He also serves as a VA Research Career Scientist and Pharmacologist at the VA San Diego Healthcare System and is Chief Advisor for Versea Discovery. With a PhD in Pharmacology and Toxicology, his research focuses on how cell membranes and energetics shape human health, aging, and disease, with implications across cardiovascular, metabolic, neurodegenerative, and chronic conditions.

In this episode of the Neuroveda Podcast for Complex Health, Gillian Ehrlich sits down with Dr. David Kaufman to explore the deeper patterns behind complex chronic illness.Drawing from his early experience treating patients during the HIV epidemic to his current work with ME/CFS, long COVID, dysautonomia, MCAS, and chronic infections, Dr. Kaufman shares how his clinical approach has evolved beyond traditional, siloed medicine.This conversation looks at how infections; viral, bacterial, and beyond—interact with immune dysfunction, inflammation, gut health, and the nervous system to create persistent, multi-system illness. Rather than viewing symptoms in isolation, they discuss the importance of pattern recognition and understanding how these systems influence each other over time.They also explore why many patients are told everything is “normal” despite ongoing symptoms, the role of terrain and immune resilience, and how emerging therapies, ranging from immune-modulating treatments to insights from longevity medicine, are beginning to reshape how we think about care.This episode offers a more complete framework for understanding complex illness and why a systems-based approach is essential for meaningful progress.

In this episode of the Neuroveda Podcast for Complex Health, Gillian Ehrlich, family nurse practitioner certified in Ayurveda and functional medicine, welcomes one of Neuroveda Health’s own clinicians, Brianna Cardenas, DMSc, PA-C, ATC, CSC1.Dr. Cardenas is a specialist in Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), hypermobility spectrum disorders, and complex neurologic and immunologic comorbidities, including dysautonomia, mast cell activation syndrome, spinal CSF leaks, craniocervical instability, venous outflow disorders, tethered cord, adhesive arachnoiditis, and related pressure disorders. She sees patients at Neuroveda Health and provides remote consultations worldwide through her company, Healed and Empowered.Together, Gillian and Brianna explore one of the most complex and often misunderstood areas of connective tissue disease: how to differentiate common neurologic conditions in EDS and related connective tissue disorders. They discuss why these conditions are so often missed in conventional medicine, how connective tissue impacts the nervous system, and why patients are frequently shuffled between specialties without anyone seeing the full picture.This conversation covers the role of connective tissue, fascia, and the extracellular matrix in neurologic symptoms; how pressure disorders can show up as high pressure, low pressure, or fluctuating “spiky” patterns; why symptoms may worsen with position changes, head turning, lying flat, or being upright; the overlap between craniocervical instability, Eagle syndrome, Chiari-like presentations, CSF leaks, venous congestion, tethered cord, and arachnoiditis; why standard imaging is often inadequate for hypermobile patients; what symptom tracking can reveal; and practical ideas for diagnostic workup and imaging requests that may help patients and clinicians move closer to answers.Dr. Cardenas also shares how her own lived experience with severe chronic illness has shaped her clinical work and deepened her commitment to helping patients who so often fall through the cracks receive rigorous, compassionate, and collaborative care.In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Cardenas serves as an Assistant Professor in the MEDEX Northwest Physician Assistant Program at the University of Washington, where she teaches future physician assistants. She has lectured nationally and internationally on EDS and related comorbid conditions and is one of fewer than 100 certified fascial counterstrain practitioners worldwide.This episode is especially for patients, caregivers, and clinicians trying to make sense of symptoms that do not fit neatly into one specialty. It is an invitation to think more broadly, more collaboratively, and more compassionately about complex chronic illness.*Please note: This podcast is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for individualized medical care. A podcast cannot replace a one-on-one medical visit, physical exam, or personalized diagnostic workup.

In this episode of the Neuroveda Podcast for Complex Health, Gillian Ehrlich, ARNP, sits down with Dr. Carley Squires to discuss apheresis, with a focus on therapeutic plasma exchange (TPE), also known as plasmapheresis.Apheresis means the removal of something from the blood, and the type of apheresis depends on what is being removed. At Neuroveda, the focus is plasma apheresis, meaning plasma is removed and replaced with albumin and saline. Therapeutic plasma exchange is an extracorporeal blood purification technique designed to remove a portion of plasma that may contain potentially harmful substances such as autoantibodies, inflammatory cytokines, immune complexes, and other immune mediators involved in immune dysregulation.Dr. Squires explains the broader umbrella of therapeutic apheresis, including red blood cell exchange, leukapheresis, plateletpheresis, lipid/LDL apheresis, extracorporeal photopheresis, and H.E.L.P. apheresis. While H.E.L.P. apheresis is not currently available in the United States, interest in apheresis expanded during the rise of long COVID, when patients began traveling internationally for treatment.Therapeutic plasma exchange has been used for decades in hospital settings, primarily for autoimmune disease, but is now being explored for additional applications including long COVID, neuroinflammatory conditions, and longevity medicine. Research suggests TPE may help support immune modulation through mechanisms such as:• Removal of immune complexes• Reduction of inflammatory cytokines• Correction of altered Th1/Th2 immune balance• Increased T regulatory and T suppressor cellsEmerging research has also explored TPE for PANDAS/PANS, pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorders triggered by infection.Referenceshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763417305833https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10513708/While additional research is still needed for many of these applications, Neuroveda has also observed significant clinical improvements over the past several years, including reductions in toxic burden from mycotoxins, heavy metals, solvents, plastics, and other persistent environmental toxins.The episode also reviews current American Society for Apheresis (ASFA) guidance, which places many emerging uses of apheresis into Category III, meaning the optimal role is still being defined and treatment decisions should be individualized.ReferenceConnelly-Smith L, et al. Guidelines on the Use of Therapeutic Apheresis in Clinical Practice. J Clin Apher. 2023.Listeners will also hear what to expect from a TPE treatment at Neuroveda. Each session lasts approximately 2–4 hours, during which blood circulates through a machine that separates and removes plasma while returning the remaining blood components with replacement fluid.Although the procedure may sound invasive, TPE is generally well tolerated and safely performed in outpatient settings. Vital signs are monitored throughout treatment, and most patients experience only mild side effects such as fatigue, lightheadedness, or temporary electrolyte shifts.One unique aspect of Neuroveda’s approach is the integration of Ayurvedic medicine with modern therapeutic plasma exchange. Ayurvedic therapies use oils, massage, steam, and other treatments to mobilize lipophilic toxins from deeper tissues back into circulation. Because TPE removes substances circulating in the bloodstream, these therapies may help prepare the body for detoxification.This aligns with Panchakarma, Ayurveda’s classical detoxification process, which includes rakta moksha, traditionally translated as “blood liberation.” In a modern context, TPE can be viewed as a technological evolution of this ancient concept.Rather than functioning as a stand-alone cure, TPE is often most effective as part of a comprehensive program that may include functional medicine, regenerative medicine,

In this episode of the Neuroveda podcast for Complex Health, Gillian Ehrlich, family nurse practitioner certified in Ayurveda and functional medicine at Neuroveda Health in Seattle, sits down with Dr. Kiki Chang, MD, child, adolescent, and adult psychiatrist specializing in mood and neuropsychiatric disorders.Dr. Chang brings 26 years of experience, including creating and running research programs and clinics at Stanford University focused on Pediatric Bipolar Disorder and PANS/PANDAS. Together, they unpack what “neuropsychiatric” really means, how to tell the difference between typical development and symptoms that are interrupting a child’s life, and why the biology matters, especially when kids change suddenly.They cover what PANS and PANDAS are, why acute onset and “comorbidity” are such important clues, what a thoughtful clinical workup can look like, and how treatment often spans more than one lane, including infection evaluation, anti-inflammatory strategies, and immunomodulatory approaches when appropriate. Dr. Chang also shares why advocacy and education remain central to progress in this field and how families can find credible resources and care.Dr. Chang is currently in private practice offering consultations, diagnostic evaluation, and treatment for children, adolescents, and adults. His goal is to distill what he learned in academia into an approach that views psychiatric illness as biological while recognizing psychological input to treatment is important as well. He continues to research and consult for organizations including law firms, pharmaceutical companies, and private foundations.To contact Dr. Chang and his practice, visit www.kikichangmd.com