#271 (Oct. 21, 2026) 'Geoengineering: The Science, the Debate, and Our Health.' IMA (formerly FLCCC) Weekly Update

Sign up for weekly webinars: https://imahealth.org/weekly-webinars/ign up for weekly webinars: Weekly Webinars - Independent Medical Alliance What is geoengineering, and what should we understand about its potential impact on our health?Dr. Ryan Cole, IMA Head of Medical & Scientific Affairs, welcomed Dr. Clayton Baker, IMA Senior Fellow, and attorney Nicole Pearson for Geoengineering: The Science, the Debate, and Our Health.They explored the science behind proposed efforts to alter weather and climate, discussed potential health and environmental concerns, and examined questions about transparency, oversight, and public consent.The conversation covered:• What geoengineering means and how different approaches compare• What is known, what remains uncertain, and how to evaluate competing claims• Potential implications for human health and the environment• Legal questions surrounding accountability and the public’s right to knowThe Independent Medical Alliance (formerly FLCCC) is a healthcare nonprofit on a mission to restore trust, integrity, and the doctor-patient relationship. Get involved by clicking below:• Donate: Support IMA: Donate for Advancements in Patient Care https://imahealth.org/donate/• Follow: Connect with Us - https://imahealth.org/contact/• Weekly Webinars: - https://imahealth.org/category/weekly-webinars/• Treatment Protocols: - https://imahealth.org/treatment-protocols/• Medical Disclaimer: https://imahealth.org/about/terms-and-conditions/

Sign up for weekly webinars: https://imahealth.org/weekly-webinars/ign up for weekly webinars: Weekly Webinars - Independent Medical Alliance What could the microbes in your gut reveal about cancer?Dr. Joseph Varon welcomed Dr. Sabine Hazan for Gut Health and Cancer: Exploring the Microbiome Connection. They discussed the gut microbiome, the community of microorganisms living in your digestive tract, and explored what research may reveal about its relationship with cancer.The conversation covered:• The gut microbiome’s role in immune health and inflammation• Research exploring connections between gut bacteria and cancer• What these findings could mean for patients and future care• Everyday habits that may help support a healthy gutThe Independent Medical Alliance (formerly FLCCC) is a healthcare nonprofit on a mission to restore trust, integrity, and the doctor-patient relationship. Get involved by clicking below:• Donate: Support IMA: Donate for Advancements in Patient Care https://imahealth.org/donate/• Follow: Connect with Us - https://imahealth.org/contact/• Weekly Webinars: - https://imahealth.org/category/weekly-webinars/• Treatment Protocols: - https://imahealth.org/treatment-protocols/• Medical Disclaimer: https://imahealth.org/about/terms-and-conditions/Dr. Joseph Varon Dr. Sabine Hazan

Sign up for weekly webinars: https://imahealth.org/weekly-webinars/ign up for weekly webinars: Weekly Webinars - Independent Medical Alliance Could mold exposure be affecting your health without you realizing it?Dr. Ryan Cole was joined by Dr. Daniel Stock for a practical discussion about chronic mold exposure and what Dr. Stock describes as biotoxin-mediated illness.They explored:• How mold and other biotoxin exposures may affect the body• Signs and symptoms that may warrant a closer look at your environment• How clinicians evaluate exposure and the accumulation of biotoxins• Why removing the source of exposure is such an important first step• Approaches used to help the body clear accumulated biotoxins• Why some symptoms and secondary health problems may persist even after the original exposure is addressedDr. Cole and Dr. Stock broke down this complex and often confusing topic and discussed what patients should know when investigating possible mold-related illness.The Independent Medical Alliance (formerly FLCCC) is a healthcare nonprofit on a mission to restore trust, integrity, and the doctor-patient relationship. Get involved by clicking below:• Donate: Support IMA: Donate for Advancements in Patient Care https://imahealth.org/donate/• Follow: Connect with Us - https://imahealth.org/contact/• Weekly Webinars: - https://imahealth.org/category/weekly-webinars/• Treatment Protocols: - https://imahealth.org/treatment-protocols/• Medical Disclaimer: https://imahealth.org/about/terms-and-conditions/

Sign up for weekly webinars: https://imahealth.org/weekly-webinars/ign up for weekly webinars: Weekly Webinars - Independent Medical Alliance What does the data show when Moderna’s mRNA flu vaccine is evaluated using absolute measures of benefit and risk?IMA President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Varon was joined by Dr. Peter McCullough, Nicolas Hulscher, and Dr. John Catanzaro to examine their new reanalysis of FDA clinical trial data for Moderna’s mFLUSIVA (mRNA-1010).They discussed:• The vaccine’s reported efficacy and absolute clinical benefit• Adverse reactions and reactogenicity seen in the clinical trials• Mortality findings highlighted in the authors’ reanalysis• Why the authors believe the data raise unanswered questions about the vaccine’s benefit-risk profile and continued licensureThe Independent Medical Alliance (formerly FLCCC) is a healthcare nonprofit on a mission to restore trust, integrity, and the doctor-patient relationship. Get involved by clicking below:• Donate: Support IMA: Donate for Advancements in Patient Care https://imahealth.org/donate/• Follow: Connect with Us - https://imahealth.org/contact/• Weekly Webinars: - https://imahealth.org/category/weekly-webinars/• Treatment Protocols: - https://imahealth.org/treatment-protocols/• Medical Disclaimer: https://imahealth.org/about/terms-and-conditions/

Sign up for weekly webinars: https://imahealth.org/weekly-webinars/ign up for weekly webinars: Weekly Webinars - Independent Medical Alliance What role does genetics play in how our bodies respond to complex illness?IMA President and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Varon was joined by Harvard-trained physician Dr. Sharon Hausman-Cohen to explore how genetics may help explain why patients experience different symptoms and respond differently to illness.They discussed:• How genomic differences may influence symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, POTS, mast cell activation, heart rhythm changes, and abnormal clotting• How genomic testing can help identify biological pathways that may be contributing to a patient’s symptoms• How these insights may help clinicians develop more personalized approaches to care• The discussion was geared primarily toward clinicians caring for patients with Long COVID and post-vaccine symptoms, while also offering useful information for patients interested in this emerging area of care.The Independent Medical Alliance (formerly FLCCC) is a healthcare nonprofit on a mission to restore trust, integrity, and the doctor-patient relationship. Get involved by clicking below:• Donate: Support IMA: Donate for Advancements in Patient Care https://imahealth.org/donate/• Follow: Connect with Us - https://imahealth.org/contact/• Weekly Webinars: - https://imahealth.org/category/weekly-webinars/• Treatment Protocols: - https://imahealth.org/treatment-protocols/• Medical Disclaimer: https://imahealth.org/about/terms-and-conditions/

Sign up for weekly webinars: https://imahealth.org/weekly-webinars/Does it matter when you take a supplement, what you take it with, or which form you use?Dr. Ryan Cole was joined by Dr. Kristina Carman, IMA Senior Fellow in Nutritional and Holistic Health, for From A to Zinc, Part 2: Beyond the Basics. Together, they explored the details that can influence how the body absorbs and uses nutrients, including:• Supplement dose, form, and timing• Medication-related nutrient depletion• Nutrients that work together or compete• Iron absorption and the hepcidin cycle• How to evaluate multivitamins, blends, and complexes• Practical ways to build a more effective supplement routineWatch Part 1, From A to Zinc: What Your Body Is Really Missing: https://imahealth.org/from-a-to-zinc-what-your-body-is-really-missing/The Independent Medical Alliance (formerly FLCCC) is a healthcare nonprofit on a mission to restore trust, integrity, and the doctor-patient relationship. Get involved by clicking below:• Donate: Support IMA: Donate for Advancements in Patient Care https://imahealth.org/donate/• Follow: Connect with Us - https://imahealth.org/contact/• Weekly Webinars: - https://imahealth.org/category/weekly-webinars/• Treatment Protocols: - https://imahealth.org/treatment-protocols/• Medical Disclaimer: https://imahealth.org/about/terms-and-conditions/

Sign up for weekly webinars: https://imahealth.org/weekly-webinars/What happens when the immune cells meant to protect you start overreacting?In this episode, Dr. Ryan Cole, IMA Head of Medical and Scientific Affairs, was joined by Dr. Keith Berkowitz, IMA founding member and founder and medical director of the Center for Balanced Health, to discuss mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS).The conversation covered:• What mast cells do and how MCAS differs from allergies.• Common symptoms, triggers, and the diagnostic process.• Possible mast-cell involvement in long COVID and persistent post-vaccination symptoms.• Treatment options, diet, and the evidence and safety considerations behind complementary approaches.Watch the full episode.The Independent Medical Alliance (formerly FLCCC) is a healthcare nonprofit on a mission to restore trust, integrity, and the doctor-patient relationship. Get involved by clicking below:• Donate: Support IMA: Donate for Advancements in Patient Care https://imahealth.org/donate/• Follow: Connect with Us - https://imahealth.org/contact/• Weekly Webinars: - https://imahealth.org/category/weekly-webinars/• Treatment Protocols: - https://imahealth.org/treatment-protocols/• Medical Disclaimer: https://imahealth.org/about/terms-and-conditions/

Sign up for weekly webinars: https://imahealth.org/weekly-webinars/Your mouth may be telling you more about your overall health than you realize.Dr. Ryan Cole was joined by Dr. Jennifer Hibberd for a closer look at why oral health should be viewed as an essential part of whole-body health—not as a separate branch of medicine.Dr. Hibberd walked through the biology connecting the mouth to the rest of the body before sitting down with Dr. Cole to discuss what these connections may mean for patients and the future of integrative healthcare.In this episode:• Why the mouth can offer early clues about overall health• The roles of saliva and the oral microbiome• Connections between oral inflammation and systemic health• Periodontal disease as a model for oral-systemic relationships• How dentistry is moving toward more biological, preventive, and personalized careWatch the full episode.The Independent Medical Alliance (formerly FLCCC) is a healthcare nonprofit on a mission to restore trust, integrity, and the doctor-patient relationship. Get involved by clicking below:• Donate: Support IMA: Donate for Advancements in Patient Care https://imahealth.org/donate/• Follow: Connect with Us - https://imahealth.org/contact/• Weekly Webinars: - https://imahealth.org/category/weekly-webinars/• Treatment Protocols: - https://imahealth.org/treatment-protocols/• Medical Disclaimer: https://imahealth.org/about/terms-and-conditions/

Sign up for weekly webinars: https://imahealth.org/weekly-webinars/Some of medicine’s most important lessons come from looking beyond our own healthcare system.Dr. Joseph Varon took us inside the 30th Asia Pacific Symposium on Critical Care and Emergency Medicine in Bali, sharing conversations with physicians and experts from around the world.Joined by Dr. Ryan Cole, IMA Head of Medical and Scientific Affairs, he explored what these global perspectives can teach us about better, more patient-centered care.In this episode:• Global lessons from critical care and the pandemic• AI, telemedicine, and emerging medical technology• Innovation in emergency and toxinology care• Transparency, scientific integrity, and patient-centered medicineWatch the full episode.The Independent Medical Alliance (formerly FLCCC) is a healthcare nonprofit on a mission to restore trust, integrity, and the doctor-patient relationship. Get involved by clicking below:• Donate: Support IMA: Donate for Advancements in Patient Care https://imahealth.org/donate/• Follow: Connect with Us - https://imahealth.org/contact/• Weekly Webinars: - https://imahealth.org/category/weekly-webinars/• Treatment Protocols: - https://imahealth.org/treatment-protocols/• Medical Disclaimer: https://imahealth.org/about/terms-and-conditions/

Sign up for weekly webinars: https://imahealth.org/weekly-webinars/Benzodiazepines can provide fast relief from anxiety and insomnia. But when short-term use becomes long-term use, questions about tolerance, dependence, withdrawal, and sleep quality become increasingly important.Dr. Joseph Varon is joined by psychiatrist Dr. Josef Witt-Doerring, IMA Senior Fellow in Psychiatry, former FDA Medical Officer, and CEO and Medical Director of TaperClinic.They discuss:• The difference between addiction, tolerance, and physical dependence• Whether benzodiazepines improve healthy sleep or primarily produce sedation• Rebound insomnia, anxiety, and withdrawal• The risks of combining benzodiazepines with alcohol, opioids, and other sedating drugsThe Independent Medical Alliance (formerly FLCCC) is a healthcare nonprofit on a mission to restore trust, integrity, and the doctor-patient relationship. Get involved by clicking below:• Donate: Support IMA: Donate for Advancements in Patient Care https://imahealth.org/donate/• Follow: Connect with Us - https://imahealth.org/contact/• Weekly Webinars: - https://imahealth.org/category/weekly-webinars/• Treatment Protocols: - https://imahealth.org/treatment-protocols/• Medical Disclaimer: https://imahealth.org/about/terms-and-conditions/