Weighing the Benefits and Risks of Ozempic
Newspaper headlines, magazine articles, subway posters, highway billboards, and more are all talking about Ozempic. Why? Ozempic (semaglutide) is approved for people with type 2 diabetes. It is gathering attention as an effective weight loss drug, with some touting it as a miracle drug. Certainly, the medical benefits of Ozempic
Judith Ellen Heumann
Judith Ellen Heumann died on March 4, 2023. Maybe it is coincidental, but I tend to think it is supremely befitting that she died at the start of Women’s History Month. Hers is a story that should be told far and wide. Judith Heumann was a lifelong civil rights activist
Leadership Matters
VUCA. This acronym, first coined by the military, refers to a world that is volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous. In a VUCA world, we count on and look to leaders for direction and guidance, especially in times of crisis. Where are these leaders now, and what does it mean to
What Martin Luther King, Jr. Knew But Never Said
On Monday, we pay tribute to Martin Luther King, Jr. Stories and accolades will fill every form of media. Appropriately so. We will celebrate this legendary leader’s commitment to nonviolence and his extraordinary legacy of fighting for racial justice in the US Civil Rights movement. Renowned for his passionate and
Prescription Problems
Last month, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Biogen’s new medication, aducanumab, for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease. Marketed with the brand name, Aduhelm, this is the first medication that targets the fundamental pathophysiology of Alzheimer’s disease and the first new treatment approved for Alzheimer’s since 2003. With 44
The First Lady of Mental Health
The young man in the photo below with US First Lady Rosalynn Carter is my dear friend and colleague, Dr. Harold Pincus. This photo hangs adjacent to his office door. Over the years, I have passed it too many times to count. It has prompted many stories about mental health
Mental Health Takes Center Court
“Fault!” That’s the call of a line referee when the tennis ball lands outside an opponent’s designated service box. This week, the cry came when Naomi Osaka, four-time Grand Slam champion and number two ranked female tennis player in the world, refused to participate in a mandatory post-match news conference
Healthy Planet, Healthy People
Planet Earth. Home sweet home for almost eight billion people. This past Thursday we celebrated with our annual Earth Day, and our week was filled with related news and programs. The beautiful images and extraordinary stories about mother nature were fabulous. The many reminders of the existential threat of climate
Conversations on Freedom
As the sun goes down tomorrow, the Jewish holiday of Passover begins, and it begins with a story. The story of the exodus of the Israelites from the land Egypt. From slavery to freedom. Essential to Passover is the retelling of the story of the exodus as if it we,
The Madness of Framing Britney Spears
I didn’t know quite what to expect from the newly released documentary, Framing Britney Spears. It is the story of Princess of Pop, gone mad. But it is not just a story about a little girl from Mississippi whose talents launched her into the stratosphere at a young age only to
Mental Health at the Movies
The quiet days following Thanksgiving invite us to slow down a bit. In New York, it is dark by 5 PM, so all the more reason to curl up on the sofa to watch a movie or two. After the Charlie Brown special, what’s worth watching? From feature films to
Go Where The People Are
Taking mental health out of the medical center and into the community, where the people are, is a mantra for Columbia Professor and colleague, Dr. Sidney Hankerson. This year’s inaugural speaker for our Columbia University Seminar Series on Global Mental Health, Dr. Hankerson demonstrated brilliantly what it means to go
