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Senior Living & Precision Brain Health

Evolution of Medicine Podcast

Release Date: 12/17/2025

The Bioage Reversal Breakthrough show art The Bioage Reversal Breakthrough

Evolution of Medicine Podcast

What if the best way to live a long life isn't a longevity hack — but preventing chronic illness in the first place? In this live episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell sits down with Dr. Kara Fitzgerald, a naturopathic physician and longtime functional medicine researcher, to talk about her groundbreaking work on reversing biological age. Dr. Fitzgerald shares the story behind her 2018 clinical study, which found that a diet and lifestyle intervention reversed biological age by over three years — a result that stunned the field, since even...

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Why Whole Health Starts With This One Question show art Why Whole Health Starts With This One Question

Evolution of Medicine Podcast

What does it really mean to practice "whole health" — and how do we keep it from becoming just another buzzword? In this live episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell sits down with Dr. Tracy Gaudet to unpack the evolution of whole health, the growing risk of paradigm "veneers" masking real transformation, and why the patient-practitioner relationship remains central to any lasting healing. Tracy explains how true system change begins with a different kind of conversation — one that starts with a person's purpose and meaning rather than their...

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Inside the Growth of Functional Medicine show art Inside the Growth of Functional Medicine

Evolution of Medicine Podcast

How is functional medicine evolving from a niche practice into a global movement that is transforming healthcare? In this live episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell sits down with Amy R. Mack, MSES, MPA, CEO of the Institute for Functional Medicine (IFM), to discuss the organization's mission, the rapid growth of functional medicine, and its future in healthcare. Amy shares how her background in nonprofit leadership—and the influence of her father, a gastroenterologist who practiced whole-person care long before it became mainstream—shaped her...

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How Functional Medicine Is Reshaping Healthcare show art How Functional Medicine Is Reshaping Healthcare

Evolution of Medicine Podcast

How can functional medicine create healthier communities while transforming the future of healthcare? In this live episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell sits down with Gail C. Christopher, DN, IFM Board Chair of The Institute for Functional Medicine, and Executive Director of the National Collaborative for Health Equity, to discuss the evolution of functional medicine and its growing influence on mainstream healthcare. Drawing on decades of experience in clinical practice, public policy, philanthropy, and health equity, Dr. Christopher explains how...

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Frontier Care in Warfarer Populations show art Frontier Care in Warfarer Populations

Evolution of Medicine Podcast

How can functional medicine improve the health, resilience, and performance of military personnel? In this live episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell sits down with Dr. Bryan Stepanenko and former Green Beret Geoff Dardia to discuss how functional medicine is transforming healthcare for warfighters and veterans. They explain the unique physical and psychological demands of military service, including blast exposure, traumatic brain injuries, chronic sleep deprivation, toxin exposure, and repetitive physical stress. Rather than simply treating...

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Using CGM in Care Delivery show art Using CGM in Care Delivery

Evolution of Medicine Podcast

In this live episode of The Evolution of Medicine Podcast, James Maskell speaks with Dr. Ryan Arnold at the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference about how continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), metabolic health, and functional medicine are transforming preventive healthcare. Dr. Arnold explains how his practice uses the Dexcom Stelo Continuous Glucose Monitor to help patients understand their individual glucose responses, allowing them to make personalized nutrition and lifestyle changes before chronic disease develops. He discusses how real-time glucose data provides far...

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IFM Conference Recap – AI and Consciousness in Medicine show art IFM Conference Recap – AI and Consciousness in Medicine

Evolution of Medicine Podcast

What happens when artificial intelligence meets consciousness in medicine? In this live episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell speaks with psychiatrist Dr. Robert Hedaya about the transformative—and potentially dangerous—role of AI in modern healthcare. Dr. Hedaya shares how analyzing a Parkinson's patient's brain imaging using multiple AI systems led him to a breakthrough insight: AI models can correct each other when used in dialogue, reducing hallucinations and improving clinical reasoning. But he warns that AI is not truth-seeking—it is...

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An Ecological View of Your Body show art An Ecological View of Your Body

Evolution of Medicine Podcast

What if the future of medicine is not just about data—but about ecology? In this live episode of The Evolution of Medicine Podcast recorded at the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell speaks with Patricia Devers, Chief Clinical Officer at Genova Diagnostics, about the evolution of functional medicine into a systems-based, ecological model of care. Patricia Devers shares her journey from conventional internal medicine to functional medicine leadership, explaining why she left hospital practice after 20 years due to a lack of meaningful patient improvement. She...

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Inflammation, Heart Disease and the Cleveland Clinic show art Inflammation, Heart Disease and the Cleveland Clinic

Evolution of Medicine Podcast

What if the future of cardiology requires looking far beyond cholesterol numbers? In this live Evolution of Medicine Podcast episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell speaks with Dr. James Carter about the changing landscape of cardiovascular care and the growing role of functional medicine within major healthcare institutions. Drawing on his experience as an interventional cardiologist and leader of Cleveland Clinic’s Center for Functional Medicine, Dr. Carter explains why inflammation may be a more important driver of heart disease than many...

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Mapping Qi Gong onto The Functional Medicine Matrix show art Mapping Qi Gong onto The Functional Medicine Matrix

Evolution of Medicine Podcast

What if one of the most powerful healing tools isn't a supplement or medication—but a simple movement practice rooted in breath, awareness, and human connection? In this live Evolution of Medicine Podcast episode from the Institute for Functional Medicine Annual Conference, James Maskell speaks with Dr. Carol Penn about the role of Qigong in functional medicine and why it may be one of the most important foundational practices for modern health. Drawing on her background as a professional dancer, osteopathic physician, and educator, Dr. Penn explains how movement can transform physical,...

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More Episodes

This week on the Evolution of Medicine podcast, we’re exploring what may be the most natural, and most underutilized, home for precision brain health: senior living.

Earlier this year, I was introduced to Doug Motter, President of Homestead Village in Pennsylvania. For the past 27 years, Doug has been guiding a 600-resident senior living community with a clear north star: health, dignity, and longevity. He joins me on the podcast alongside Hal Cranmer, CEO of A Paradise for Parents, a five-location senior living organization in Arizona.

While their communities are different, Doug and Hal share one powerful thing in common: They are innovating at the intersection of senior living and precision brain health.

In this conversation, we explore how both leaders were influenced by the work of Dr. Dale Bredesen, and how they’ve each taken meaningful steps to bring proactive, root-cause brain health approaches into senior living environments—places traditionally designed for management of decline, not reversal.

This topic is close to my heart. It’s personal, not just as someone building in this space, but as someone thinking about where our parents, and eventually we ourselves, might want to live in our later years. What makes this conversation so exciting is that it clearly shows why senior living may be the ideal setting for precision brain health:

  • You have people who need this level of care

  • You have built-in community and connection

  • And you have the opportunity to deliver group-based, proactive brain health at scale

On the podcast, we also announce an exciting new partnership between Homestead Village and TruNeura, where we’ll be deploying a group-focused precision brain health program, in collaboration with Turnpaugh Health & Wellness, a six-location, 20-provider functional medicine clinic serving Central Pennsylvania.

This episode is a glimpse into what’s possible when senior living shifts from custodial care to cognitive optimization, community, and purpose.

Listen in if you’re:

  • In senior living and curious about the future of brain health

  • A functional or integrative clinic interested in partnering with senior communities

  • Or simply thinking about what “aging well” could really look like


If you’re interested in exploring a partnership with a senior living center or bringing precision brain health into this setting get in touch with us and book a concierge call to learn more.

This is the future. And it’s already beginning.