Chair's Corner with Dr. Ron Falk

Join Dr. Ron Falk as he speaks with Dr. Ross Boyce, an expert in tick-borne illnesses, and Dr. Katherine Huffman-Falk, a retired nephrologist who was recently bitten by a tick.

Dr. Ron Falk, chair of the UNC Department of Medicine, invites Andrea Coviello, MD, FACE, MMCi, MSc an expert in endocrinology and metabolism, to discuss the latest developments in weight loss drugs. Their conversation explores how these medications work, their impact on metabolism and appetite regulation, and their role in the broader landscape of obesity treatment and patient care.

Apple Watches, Fitbits, OuraRings— we all wear them but how do they actually measure our health and activity level? In some cases these devices measure our skins pulsations. Dr. Ron Falk sits down with Dr. Anil Gehi, cardiac electrophysiologist to talk about how wearable technology can give us indications of our heart health. 

Dr. Ron Falk invites Dr. Brad Drummond, a UNC pulmonologist (lung doctor), to discuss chronic inflammatory lung disease commonly known as COPD. 16 million people have been diagnosed with the condition. However, it is believed another 16 million are living with COPD without being diagnosed. Dr. Drummond discusses how cigarettes and working certain jobs increases your risk for COPD. He also explains what we know about vaping and smoking. Dr. Ron Falk hosts Dr. Brad Drummond, a pulmonologist specializing in lung health at UNC, to discuss COPD, a chronic inflammatory lung disease. An estimated 16 million people have been diagnosed with COPD, but an equal number may be living with it undiagnosed. Dr. Drummond explores the heightened risk associated with smoking and certain occupational exposures, and sheds light on current insights into the effects of vaping and marijuana use.

Dr. Ron Falk invites Dr. Emily Chang, a kidney doctor (nephrologist) with the University of North Carolina who cares for patients with PKD, to be a guest on the Chair's Corner. They discuss symptoms, diagnosis, impact on welling, autosomal recessive vs autosomal dominant, and more. Resources: UNC Nephrology Website PKD Foundation Website Segments of This Podcast: 00:00-Meet Dr. Emily Chang 01:41-Explaining Polycystic Kidney Disease 04:26-Signs and Symptoms 07:16-Inheritance of PKD 09:10-Autosomal Recessive Vs Autosomal Dominant 12:36-Diagnostic Procedure 13:56-Affect on Other Areas of Health and Wellbeing 16:16-Treatment Options 22:44-PKD Foundation and Centers of Excellence

Dr. Ron Falk invites Dr. Evan Dellon, internationally recognized expert of EoE, to talk about the signs you or your child may have the condition, recent FDA approved treatments including budesonide and dupilumab, and on-going research in the field. 00:00-Meet Dr. Evan Dellon 01:21-What is EoE? How common is it? When was it 1st recognized? 03:05-Signs and Symptoms 05:41-Impacts of EoE of Patient's Lives 07:23-Eosinophils in the Esophagus 10:24-The Million Dollar Question- What is the cause? 12:09-Food Elimination & New Treatment Therapies for Treating EoE: Budesonide, Dupiliamab 19:28-Ongoing EoE Research 23:41-Think You or Your Child Has EoE? 23:42-A Message to Patients

Dr. Hans Herfarth discusses biosimilars, the differences of biosimilars and biologics and safety issues with switching from an original drug to a biosimilar.

Dr. Jonathan Serody discusses immunotherapy as a way to treat cancer, specifically adoptive cell therapy, checkpoint inhibitor therapy and stem cell transplants. He explains how they work, what kinds of cancers they help treat and what the process is like for someone who has these treatments.

Dr. John Buse shares what is new in the treatment of diabetes, and highlights the benefits that SGLT2 inhibitors and GLP-1 receptor agonists can offer to patients, among other topics related to diabetes treatment.

Galafold (migalastat) was approved in August 2018 for the treatment of Fabry disease. Jerry Walter, a patient who has Fabry, and his nephrologist, Dr. Gerald Hladik, discuss how the drug works, and common concerns and questions patients have about the treatment.