Clinician's Roundtable

Presenter: Marcus Shaker, MD, MSc, FAAP, FACAAI, FAAAAI Financial and space limitations are two of the most pressing issues facing allergists and immunologists in academic practice. Fortunately, negotiation principles, like BATNA and ZOPA, and disruptive innovation tactics can help address these common issues. To learn more, we recently spoke with Dr. Marcus Shaker. Not only is he a Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine at the Dartmouth Geisel School of Medicine in New Hampshire, but he also spoke about this topic at the 2026 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, & Immunology Annual Meeting.

Presenter: Mustafa Ozcam, PhD Emerging research is redefining the role of the gut microbiome in food allergy and immune tolerance. Here to share some of the most groundbreaking findings is Dr. Mustafa Ozcam. He discusses how gut microbes metabolize allergenic proteins, shape immune development, and serve as potential biomarkers to predict oral immunotherapy success in food allergy patients. Dr. Ozcam is an Assistant Professor of Microbiology and Immunology at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and he spoke about this topic at the 2026 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Annual Meeting.

Presenter: Scott Sicherer, MD Based on a randomized study, children with higher baseline thresholds of peanut reactivity achieved markedly higher rates of sustained unresponsiveness after oral immunotherapy compared with untreated peers. Learn more about this study and its clinical implications with Dr. Scott H. Sicherer. Not only is he a Professor of Pediatrics and the Director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, but he also spoke about this topic at the 2026 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Annual Meeting.

Presenter: Sally E. Wenzel, MD, ATSF Given that severe asthma management is entering a new era of biologically driven precision, Dr. Sally Wenzel joins us to discuss the complexity within Type 2 inflammation and the limitations of relying on a single biomarker assessment. She also differentiates childhood-onset allergic asthma from adult-onset disease, underscoring how age of onset—along with underlying biology—can inform therapeutic strategy. Dr. Wenzel serves as the Director of the Asthma Institute at UPMC, and she spoke about this topic at the 2026 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology Annual Meeting.

Guest: Peter Buch, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP From early metabolic risks to advanced liver disease, the progressive burden associated with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) and metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH) requires timely, informed care. Hear from Dr. Peter Buch as he shares practical guidance on intervention strategies and provides a closer look at current and emerging treatments shaping patient outcomes. Dr. Buch is a board-certified clinical gastroenterologist and Associate Professor at the Frank H. Netter, MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University.

Host: Alexandria May, PharmD, BCPS Guest: Clay Spitler, MD Fracture patients receiving anticoagulation therapy face increased risks for bleeding and complications, particularly when urgent surgical intervention is needed. That’s why understanding how fracture type, injury severity, and anticoagulant choice influence timing and management decisions is critical to optimizing outcomes. Joining Dr. Alexandria May to discuss bleeding risk assessment, anticoagulation reversal strategies, and the importance of coordinated, protocol-driven care for fracture patients on anticoagulation is Dr. Clay Spitler. He’s an orthopedic trauma surgeon and serves as Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs for the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Guest: Sujith Cherian MD, FCCP, DAABIP Obesity introduces distinct changes to respiratory physiology that ripple across care settings—from subtle outpatient symptoms to complex ventilatory challenges in the ICU and heightened perioperative risks. Dr. Sujith Cherian explains real-world scenarios and physiologic insights to show how excess weight influences not just lung mechanics, but length of stay, postoperative recovery, and cardiopulmonary complications. Dr. Cherian is an Associate Professor in the Divisions of Critical Care, Pulmonary, and Sleep Medicine at University of Texas Health-McGovern Medical School. He also serves as the Director of Interventional Pulmonology and Pleural Diseases at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in Houston.

Guest: Peter Buch, MD, FACG, AGAF, FACP Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a growing liver health concern that's closely linked to obesity and other cardiometabolic risk factors, yet it remains underrecognized in clinical practice. That's why Dr. Peter Buch joins us to discuss how emerging perspectives are changing the way we think about metabolic-related liver disease. Dr. Buch is a board-certified clinical gastroenterologist and Associate Professor at the Frank H. Netter, MD School of Medicine at Quinnipiac University in Connecticut.

Guest: Sujith Cherian MD, FCCP, DAABIP With obesity rates rising to unprecedented levels, clinicians face critical challenges in managing associated complications. Hear from Dr. Sujith Cherian as he explores obesity’s systemic impact, from cardiovascular and infectious risks to medication dosing and hospital care complexities. Dr. Cherian is an Associate Professor in the Divisions of Critical Care, Pulmonary, and Sleep Medicine at University of Texas Health-McGovern Medical School. He also serves as the Director of Interventional Pulmonology and Pleural Diseases at Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital in Houston.

Host: Hallie Blevins, PhD A new preclinical study investigated whether Roseburia hominis, a gut microbe often depleted in individuals with obesity, could play a direct role in regulating metabolism. Learn more as Dr. Hallie Blevins explores these findings and their potential implications for future treatment of obesity and related metabolic disorders in this AudioAbstract.

Guest: Michael Greenberg, MD Host: Ryan Quigley What does it really mean to humanize medicine? In this candid conversation, Ryan Quigley and Dr. Michael Greenberg explore how clinicians can revive empathy, trust, and emotional connection in patient care, from intentional language shifts to brief yet meaningful moments of authentic connection. Dr. Greenberg is a dermatologist at the Illinois Dermatology Institute.

Host: Steve Jackson, PharmD Guest: Anna Miller, MD Guest: Michael Weaver, MD Timely surgical intervention is critical for reducing mortality and complications in high-risk hip fracture patients. However, anticoagulation therapy often presents barriers to prompt care, requiring careful coordination and clinical judgment. Joining Dr. Steve Jackson to discuss anticoagulant reversal strategies and multidisciplinary approaches for managing high-risk fracture patients are Drs. Anna Miller and Michael Weaver. Dr. Miller is a Professor of Orthopedics and the Chair of the Department of Orthopedics at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and the Geisel School of Medicine at Dartmouth in Lebanon, New Hampshire. Dr. Weaver is an Associate Professor of Orthopedic Surgery at Harvard Medical School, as well as the Chief of Orthopedic Trauma and Distinguished Chair in Orthopedic Surgery at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Caterina Garone, MD, PhD What if a rare, progressive neuromuscular disease like thymidine kinase 2 deficiency (TK2d) could not only be stabilized, but partially reversed? Based on findings from a pooled analysis of pediatric patients, pyrimidine nucleoside or nucleotide therapy reduced mortality risk up to 95%, with nearly 75% of patients regaining at least one motor milestone. Joining Dr. Charles Turck to explore these survival and functional outcomes is Dr. Caterina Garone, Associate Professor of Medical Genetics in the Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences at the Alma Mater Studiorum University of Bologna in Italy.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Cristina Domínguez González, MD, PhD How fast does thymidine kinase 2 deficiency (TK2d) progress without intervention? That’s the question explored by the largest dataset to date on untreated pediatric-onset TK2d, and the results reveal a median survival of just 2.6 years from symptom onset. Additionally, more than 80% lost at least one motor milestone, and many experienced escalating care needs, including ventilatory and feeding tube support. Here with Dr. Charles Turck to discuss the findings that highlight the urgent need for earlier diagnosis and intervention is Dr. Cristina Dominguez-Gonzalez, a physician in the Department of Neurology at the University Hospital 12 de Octubre in Madrid.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: John B. Hertig, PharmD, MS, CPPS, FASHP, FFIP From minimizing wrong-drug and dosing errors to easing cognitive burden in the OR, ready-to-administer (RTA) medications are enhancing both safety and efficiency in anesthesiology and perioperative care. Join Dr. Charles Turck and Dr. John Hertig as they explore key medication safety challenges, compare FDA-approved versus 503B compounded products, and share strategies for effectively integrating RTA medications into clinical workflows. Dr. Hertig is a member of both the Board of Directors for the Alliance for Safe Online Pharmacies and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Drug Safety and Risk Management Advisory Committee.

Host: Charles Turck, PharmD, BCPS, BCCCP Guest: Philip Yeske, PhD Caring for individuals with thymidine kinase 2 (TK2) deficiency can place extraordinary demands on families, yet caregiver experiences are often overlooked in clinical care. To shed light on this burden, a mixed-methods study explored the physical, emotional, and financial impacts on caregivers. Here with Dr. Charles Turck to share the findings and how we can better support these families is Dr. Philip Yeske, the United Mitochondrial Disease Foundation Science and Alliance Officer.

Guest: Stephen Wong, PhD Emerging research suggests that the effects of obesity extend beyond metabolism, reaching the brain in ways that may influence the development of Alzheimer’s disease. Tune in as Dr. Stephen Wong discusses how fat-derived vesicles act as molecular messengers, potentially linking systemic inflammation and lipid imbalance to neurodegenerative changes. Dr. Wong is the John S. Dunn Presidential Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Engineering at Houston Methodist Hospital and Associate Director at Houston Methodist Cancer Center. He’s also a Professor of Radiology, Neurosciences, Pathology, and Laboratory Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine.

Host: Ryan Quigley A cross-sectional study in Frontiers in Endocrinology assessed the triglyceride–glucose (TyG) index as a potential screening marker for prediabetes in children and adolescents with obesity. Hear from ReachMD's Ryan Quigley as he discusses the findings from this research and explores how the TyG index could provide an accessible tool for early risk stratification.

Guest: Vance Albaugh, MD, PhD Emerging data reveal a troubling trend: individuals with higher body mass index are significantly less likely to receive routine cancer screenings, raising urgent concerns about care equity. Join Dr. Vance Albaugh, Assistant Professor of Metabolic Surgery at Pennington Biomedical Research Center and Louisiana State University, as he dives into the findings from this analysis.

Guest: Yana Zemkova, MD How often are ICU patients conscious during intubation despite paralysis? Hear from Dr. Yana Zemkova as she discusses new findings on the incidence of awareness with paralysis and the urgent need for improved monitoring in critical care. Dr. Zemkova is Clinical Assistant Professor of Internal Medicine specializing in Pulmonary, Critical Care and Occupational Medicine at the University of Iowa, and she spoke about this topic at the 2025 CHEST Annual Meeting.