#346 - Scaling biotech and improving global health: lessons from an extraordinary career in medicine | Susan Desmond-Hellmann, M.D., M.P.H.
Release Date: 04/28/2025
Lower back pain: causes, treatment, and prevention of lower back injuries and pain | Stuart McGill, Ph.D. (#287 rebroadcast)
The Peter Attia Drive
Stuart McGill is a distinguished professor emeritus at the University of Waterloo and the chief scientific officer at Backfitpro where he specializes in evaluating complex cases of lower back pain from across the globe. In this episode, Stuart engages in a deep exploration of lower back pain, starting with the anatomy of the lower back, the workings of the spine, the pathophysiology of back pain, and areas of vulnerability. He challenges the concept of nonspecific back pain, emphasizing the importance of finding a causal relationship between injury and pain. Stuart highlights compelling...
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#362 ‒ Understanding anxiety: defining, assessing, and treating health anxiety, OCD, and the spectrum of anxiety disorders | Josh Spitalnick, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.
The Peter Attia Drive
Josh Spitalnick is a clinical and research psychologist with expertise in treating a variety of anxiety conditions with cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and other evidence-based approaches. In this episode, Josh unpacks the four layers of anxiety—psychological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral—highlighting why avoidance is the key feature that transforms ordinary worry into disorder. He explains why he continues to treat OCD and PTSD as anxiety conditions despite their DSM-5 reclassification, and he draws important distinctions between worries versus worrying and thoughts versus...
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#361 - AMA #74: Sugar and sugar substitutes: weight control, metabolic effects, and health trade-offs
The Peter Attia Drive
In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter explains how to evaluate sugar and its substitutes in the context of health. Peter explores the role of sweeteners in three common use-cases – beverages, protein supplements, and sweet treats – and breaks down how our evolutionary craving for sweetness now clashes with today’s food environment. He examines whether sugar is uniquely fattening, the hormonal effects of sugar consumption, and the significance of timing in sugar intake. The episode compares natural versus refined sugars, sugar in beverages versus in solid foods, and the...
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#360 ‒ How to change your habits: why they form and how to build or break them | Charles Duhigg, M.B.A
The Peter Attia Drive
Charles Duhigg is a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and best-selling author known for distilling complex neuroscience and psychology into practical strategies for behavior change, performance, and decision-making. In this episode, Charles explores the neuroscience behind habit formation, including how cue-routine-reward loops drive nearly half of our daily actions and why positive reinforcement is far more effective than punishment. He explains how institutions like the military and Alcoholics Anonymous engineer environments to change behavior at scale, as well as discussing the limits of...
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#359 ‒ How metabolic and immune system dysfunction drive the aging process, the role of NAD, promising interventions, aging clocks, and more | Eric Verdin, M.D.
The Peter Attia Drive
Eric Verdin is a physician-scientist and the CEO of the Buck Institute for Research on Aging whose career has centered on understanding how epigenetics, metabolism, and the immune system influence the aging process. In this episode, Eric traces his scientific journey from studying viruses and histone deacetylases (HDACs) to leading aging research at the Buck Institute, offering insights into how aging impairs immune and nervous system function—including thymic shrinkage, chronic inflammation, and reduced vaccine response—and how these changes impact lifespan. He explores the metabolic...
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#358 ‒ Peter’s takeaways on navigating HRT, rejuvenating the face, understanding the biology of aging, optimizing fertility, and learning to live well from the dying | Quarterly Podcast Summary #6
The Peter Attia Drive
In this quarterly podcast summary (QPS) episode, Peter summarizes his biggest takeaways from the last three months of guest interviews on the podcast. Peter shares key insights from his discussions with Paul Turek and Paula Amato on male and female fertility; Rachel Rubin on menopause and hormone replacement therapy; Brian Kennedy on the biology of aging; Tanuj Nakra and Suzan Obagi on facial aging and skin rejuvenation; and BJ Miller and Bridget Sumser on lessons we can learn from the dying about how to live. Peter highlights the most important insights from each episode and any behavioral...
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#357 ‒ A new era of longevity science: models of aging, human trials of rapamycin, biological clocks, promising compounds, and lifestyle interventions | Brian Kennedy, Ph.D.
The Peter Attia Drive
Brian Kennedy is a renowned biologist, leader in aging research, and director of the Center for Healthy Longevity at the National University of Singapore. In this episode, Brian shares insights from ongoing human aging studies, including clinical trials of rapamycin and how dosing strategies, timing, and exercise may influence outcomes. He presents two key models of aging—one as a linear accumulation of biological decline and the other as an exponential rise in mortality risk—and explains why traditional models of aging fall short. He also explains why most current aging biomarkers lack...
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#356 - AMA #73: Preserving brain health, optimizing exercise programming, improving body composition, and more
The Peter Attia Drive
In this “Ask Me Anything” (AMA) episode, Peter addresses frequently requested topics, including brain health, exercise programming, and body composition. He explores the factors that influence dementia risk—including metabolic health, fitness, sleep, hearing, cholesterol levels, and more. He explains how to implement zone 2 training and VO₂ max intervals for cardiovascular fitness and also covers how to combine cardio modalities, how to stay in zone 2, and special considerations for women. Peter highlights the benefits of light movement after meals and offers strength training tips...
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Navigating bone health: early life influences and advanced strategies for improvement and injury prevention (#214 rebroadcast)
The Peter Attia Drive
In this episode from July 2022, Peter dives deep into the topic of bone health and explains why this is an important topic for everyone, from children to the elderly. He begins with an overview of bone mineral density, how it’s measured, how it changes over the course of life, and the variability between sexes largely due to changes in estrogen levels. From there he provides insights into ways that one can improve bone health, from exercise to nutrition supplements to drugs. Additionally, Peter discusses what happens when one may be forced to be sedentary (e.g., bedrest) and how you can...
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#355 – Skincare strategies, the science of facial aging, and cosmetic-intervention guidance | Tanuj Nakra, M.D. & Suzan Obagi, M.D.
The Peter Attia Drive
Tanuj Nakra and Suzan Obagi, two leading experts in aesthetic medicine, join Peter to explore the science of facial aging and skin health as well as the responsibilities physicians face in the world of cosmetic procedures. In this episode, they examine the biological and hormonal drivers of facial aging, the evolutionary and psychological foundations of attractiveness, and the impact of modern media on beauty standards. They discuss the rise in cosmetic procedures among adolescents and the ethical responsibilities of physicians in these cases. The conversation then shifts to a practical,...
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Susan Desmond-Hellmann is a physician and scientist whose remarkable career has spanned clinical medicine, oncology, biotech innovation, and global health leadership. In this episode, Susan shares insights from her journey training in internal medicine during the early AIDS crisis, treating HIV-related cancers in Uganda, and developing groundbreaking cancer therapies like Herceptin and Avastin. She reflects on her leadership roles at UCSF and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, offering lessons on guiding large-scale health initiatives, navigating uncertainty, and fostering scientific innovation. The conversation explores the promise of precision medicine, the integration of patient care and policy, and the evolving role of artificial intelligence in transforming diagnostics, drug development, and global access to care.
We discuss:
- Susan’s medical training, the start of the AIDS epidemic, and the transformative experiences that shaped her career [3:00];
- Susan’s experience working on the frontlines of the HIV/AIDS crisis in Uganda [12:30];
- Susan’s time working in general oncology and her transition to biotech where she helped develop taxol—a top-selling cancer drug [26:30];
- Genentech’s origins, and its groundbreaking use of recombinant DNA to develop biologic drugs [33:45];
- Susan’s move to Genentech, and her pivotal role in the development and success of Herceptin as a groundbreaking therapy in targeted oncology [44:00];
- The rise of antibody-based cancer therapies: the development of Rituxan and Avastin [52:15];
- The step-by-step drug development process and the scientific and strategic challenges involved [1:01:30];
- The ethical and economic controversy surrounding Avastin’s high cost and limited survival benefit [1:12:30];
- Susan’s tenure as chancellor at UCSF: leading during a financially strained period, and her strategic approach to fundraising and institutional development [1:14:45];
- What Susan learned as CEO of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation: strategic processes and decision-making frameworks [1:26:00];
- Susan’s philosophy of leadership and how she sought to build an empowering, values-driven culture at the Gates Foundation [1:35:15];
- The erosion of public trust in science during COVID, the communication failures around controversial treatments like ivermectin, and the need for better public health engagement and transparency [1:39:30];
- The role of AI in transforming medicine: from drug development to cancer detection and beyond [1:53:00]; and
- More.
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