In this episode, Professor Nara Daubeney is joined by Dr Laura Wood, specialist GP at Muse Medical and menopause expert, for a comprehensive and myth-busting conversation about what menopause actually is, what it does to your body, and what you can do about it.

They cover the difference between perimenopause and menopause, why symptoms like anxiety, poor sleep and weight gain are often missed or misattributed, why blood tests alone aren't reliable for diagnosis, and what a proper holistic workup actually looks like.

Dr Laura also explains the real risks and benefits of HRT — including why a 25-year-old study still shapes how millions of women think about it today, the truth about breast cancer risk in context, and why women are 30 times more likely to die of a heart attack or stroke than breast cancer. Plus: vaginal estrogen, testosterone, bone health, cardiovascular risk, and why there are no prizes for suffering in silence.

They dive deep into epigenetics, whole genome sequencing, mitochondrial health, pharmacogenomics, and why a single yearly blood test gives you almost none of the picture you actually need. Brad also shares his unfiltered take on how the US insurance system is failing patients, why strength training is non-negotiable (especially for women), and what the UK gets right about movement that America has completely forgotten.

Whether you're curious about longevity, frustrated with conventional medicine, or just want to understand your own biology better — this conversation is packed with insight.

🔗 Learn more about Elevation Health: https://www.elevetion.com/

Timecodes:
00:00 – Introduction & Brad's background
01:00 – From athlete to injury: a near-sepsis experience at college
03:00 – Emergency surgery & a nine-month recovery
05:30 – Discovering the med-tech world through orthopedic surgery
07:30 – Seven and a half years at Stryker in sports medicine
10:00 – Moving into interventional radiology at Merit Medical
13:00 – Brad's personal health crisis: panic attacks & metabolic decline
14:30 – Working in genomic-based breast cancer diagnostics
16:30 – Why the US insurance system is failing patients
18:00 – Using pharmacogenomics to resolve his own anxiety
21:00 – Building the Elevation Health model from scratch
26:00 – Why quarterly biomarker snapshots beat the annual physical
27:00 – Epigenetics explained: day trading vs. futures on your health
33:00 – The five pillars of health span: social connection, sleep, nutrition, movement & CNS
36:00 – Whole genome sequencing & building your personal "health moat"
38:00 – Mitochondrial health and its links to cancer, Alzheimer's & autism
39:30 – The expert team behind Elevation: PhDs, dieticians & clinical leads
41:00 – Using data to drive real daily habit change
42:00 – Strength training for longevity — especially for women
47:00 – Walking culture: UK vs. US and what it means for lifespan
51:00 – Finding the cardio sweet spot without overdoing it
52:30 – Wearables, HRV, and what we actually know about heart rate variability
55:00 – Sleep quality vs. quantity — and why Brad changed his mind
57:30 – Melatonin mega-dosing as a brain reset (and the caveats)
01:00:30 – Psychedelics, trauma healing & emerging brain health research
01:03:00 – Building a personalised nutrition pantry through genomics
01:08:30 – Elevation's global vision and new partnerships (Ezra, full-body MRI)
01:10:30 – Leadership through curiosity: staying adaptive in a fast-moving field
01:12:00 – Closing thoughts

Cat traces her journey from medical school through surgical training, sharing candid insights into orthopaedic culture, the stereotypes that still surround the specialty, and the very real challenges women continue to face in surgery. A particularly compelling thread is her experience raising three children while progressing through a demanding training pathway, with practical advice for doctors navigating the same tension between career and family.

The conversation also looks outward at broader shifts in healthcare — the role of social media in spreading both useful information and misinformation, how doctors engage with these platforms professionally, and what AI means for the future of medical knowledge and patient trust.

A frank and wide-ranging episode for anyone considering a surgical career, or interested in the evolving culture of medicine.

He holds FRCS (ENT) and FRCS (ORL-HNS) qualifications, has been named in The Times' top 140 doctors and top 50 surgeons lists, and serves as Professor of Practice in Rhinology at Imperial College. He is past president of the Laryngology and Rhinology section of the Royal Society of Medicine.

His research focuses on rhinitis, chronic rhinosinusitis, skull-base pathology, and nasal deformities, including leading multicentre trials on olfactory damage and antibiotic-resistant sinus bacteria.

The podcast episode covers his career journey, the evolution of ENT training, the complexity of sinus and endoscopic surgery, and — as its central theme — the influence of social media on cosmetic surgery, particularly how platforms like Instagram and TikTok spread unrealistic beauty standards and misinformation among young patients, and the need for better medical education to counter this.

Drawing on his experience at the Royal Brompton Hospital, he discusses pioneering procedures, the rise of echocardiography, and the ongoing debate between intervention and surgery in congenital heart disease. He also speaks to the deeply human side of medicine: communicating with anxious families, the passion behind teaching, and the privilege of mentoring cardiologists from around the world.

The episode closes with reflections on legacy, the role of genetics in the field's future, and what a life in medicine ultimately means.

Aimed at clinicians, trainees, and students, it serves as both a history of paediatric cardiology and a guide to its future.