In this somber and forewarning episode, Chadi hosts Jodi Odell, mother of the late Jackson Odell – actor and victim of an accidental drug overdose. Jodi tells the background of Jackson’s life—from his early childhood days up through his final days at 20 years old—as a backdrop for a commentary on the drug overdose pandemic and addiction. Then, she shares his journey from rehab to a sober home, recounts the harrowing details of his final moments alive, and details the weeks that followed, up through her viral LinkedIn post about Jackson. This episode is a reminder of the fragility of life and a call to spread awareness about the drug pandemic.
Read more about Jackson’s death: https://people.com/tv/jackson-odell-cause-death-accidental-drug-overdose/
See Jodi’s LinkedIn post about Jackson: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/jodiodell1_this-is-my-son-jackson-he-died-four-years-activity-6940291754835275776-7bBz
See Jodi’s farewell video to Jackson: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEUKn6s0Cjw
Dr. Simrit Parmar, founder of Cellenkos, joins the show to discuss her journey from the lab to the biotech startup world, detailing the inspiration behind launching her company, the challenges of securing funding, and the resilience required to overcome rejections. She shares insights into Cellenkos’ lead product, its progress toward market approval, and the rigorous
Carol Rausch—a healthcare professional, cancer researcher, and former patient with lymphoma—shares how her journey from researcher to patient transformed her understanding of medical language. She discusses the impact of word choice on patients, why certain battle and war metaphors can be harmful, and how language used in clinical settings differs from what resonates with those
Drs. David Braun and Toni Choueiri join to discuss a groundbreaking Nature study on a personalized neoantigen vaccine for adjuvant renal cell carcinoma. They explore the inspiration behind the trial, how the vaccine was developed and administered, and its safety profile. The conversation also covers patient outcomes after 3-4 years, including immune responses and disease
