Foodie Pharmacology Podcast

What can microbes living in the dark, mineral-rich corners of a cave tell us about the next generation of medicines?

In this episode of Foodie Pharmacology, Dr. Cassandra Quave talks with biomedical geoscientist Dr. Rachel Washburn, director of the Washburn CHAOS Lab (Complex Host and Abiotic Systems). Her team studies the whole system at once: which microbes are present, what chemistry they are making, and how minerals and water shape it. They take samples from wild caves, polluted caves, and tourist show caves across Kentucky.

Dr. Washburn explains how sequencing, geology, and metabolomics fit together, using a heavy metal concert analogy. She describes the lab’s early finding of new chemical classes in show caves and the recovery of Hidden River Cave after decades as a sewer. Her goal is a predictive “treasure map” that helps natural product researchers decide where to look for new antibiotics, anticancer compounds, and bioremediation tools.

Dr. Washburn also shares her path from Russian studies and Air Force intelligence, through cancer and a PhD, to geoscience. She talks about bringing citizen scientists into the field, and about Scientifically Speaking, her series that treats fictional worlds like real scientific observations.

Learn more about the Washburn CHAOS Lab at https://www.washburnchaoslab.com/.

Join a citizen science experience at https://washburnchaoslab.com/citizen-science-experience.

Follow Dr. Washburn on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube at @WashburnCHAOSLab.

#FoodiePharmacology #NaturalProducts #Caves #Microbiome #Geomicrobiology #Metabolomics #CitizenScience #SciComm #Bioprospecting #Kentucky

Why do humans have a sweet tooth, and what does the glycemic index actually tell us about food? Dr. Cassandra Quave talks with University of Sydney nutrition scientist Dr. Jennie Brand-Miller about the role of fruit and sugar in human evolution, how different carbohydrates affect blood glucose, and why the type of rice you choose may matter more than whether it’s white or brown.

They also explore practical ways to build a balanced plate, what makes pasta a surprising low-GI food, and why Dr. Brand-Miller urges us to enjoy fruit rather than fear its sugar. It’s a conversation that challenges familiar assumptions about carbohydrates while making room for the pleasure of eating.

Learn more about her work at www.glycemicindex.com 

#FoodiePharmacology #GlycemicIndex #NutritionScience #HumanEvolution #BloodGlucose #FoodAndHealth

What if the value of a farm were measured not only by what it produces, but also by the communities, skills, and ecosystems it sustains? This week on Foodie Pharmacology, Dr. Cassandra Quave welcomes environmental anthropologist Dr. Andrew Flachs back to the show to discuss his new book, Feeding the World as if People Mattered: How Small Farms Produce Value Beyond Yields.

Drawing on research in India, Bosnia, and the American Midwest, Andrew challenges the assumption that producing more food will solve hunger. Industrial agriculture can generate enormous quantities of inexpensive commodities while obscuring its social and environmental costs. Small and diversified farms offer a different model—one that values skilled labor, ecological resilience, rural livelihoods, cultural knowledge, and the ability of future generations to continue farming.

The conversation explores the hidden labor beneath our food system, the risks of monoculture, and why hunger is often rooted in poverty, land ownership, and distribution rather than a simple shortage of calories. Cassandra and Andrew also examine the legacies of the Green Revolution, agricultural antibiotic use, and what it would mean to build a food system that measures success by more than yield and profit.

Learn more about Andrew’s work at https://www.andrewflachs.com/ and follow him on social media at @DrFlachsophone.

Order Feeding the World as if People Mattered from the University of Arizona Press: https://uapress.arizona.edu/book/feeding-the-world-as-if-people-mattered. Use discount code AZFLR for 30% off.

 

#FoodiePharmacology #SustainableAgriculture #SmallFarms #FoodSystems #FoodSecurity #RegenerativeAgriculture #Biodiversity #FoodJustice #SustainableFood

Could centuries of traditional plant knowledge help scientists discover the next generation of medicines for the brain? In this episode of Foodie Pharmacology, Dr. Cassandra Quave speaks with chemist and neuroscientist Dr. Jacob Hooker, co-founder and CEO of Sensorium Therapeutics, about a new approach to finding treatments for anxiety and other neurological and psychiatric conditions.

Dr. Hooker explains how Sensorium combines ethnobotanical records, chemical data, medicinal chemistry, and artificial intelligence in a vast computational knowledge graph. By mapping relationships among plants, molecules, human experiences, and biological activity, researchers can uncover patterns and prioritize promising natural products for investigation. The conversation also explores why so many medicines affecting the brain have roots in nature and why psychoactive compounds need not be psychedelic or hallucinogenic.

They examine Cobenfy, a recently approved schizophrenia treatment with roots in the chemistry of the betel nut palm, as an example of how plants can reveal unexpected therapeutic mechanisms. Drs. Hooker and Quave also discuss why natural molecules often require modification to improve their safety, dosing, and selectivity before becoming medicines. Sensorium is applying this “motifs to medicines” strategy to investigational programs for anxiety, drug-resistant epilepsy, and cognition, with its lead anxiety candidate now in early-stage clinical testing.

Learn more about Sensorium Therapeutics at https://www.sensorium.bio/.

Read Dr. Hooker’s essays and interviews on neuroscience, psychiatry, and the care of the mind at https://aetherinmind.substack.com/.

Follow Dr. Hooker on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacob-hooker-91341112/ and on X at @jmhooker.

#FoodiePharmacology #Ethnobotany #NaturalProducts #DrugDiscovery #Neuroscience #MentalHealth #AnxietyResearch #MedicinalPlants #AI #ChemicalBiology #Neuropharmacology

What if some of the most important foundations for lifelong health are established before a child’s second birthday? In this episode of Foodie Pharmacology, Dr. Cassandra Quave speaks with Yale-trained gastroenterologist and microbiome specialist Dr. Savita Srivastava about how the gut microbiome develops during the first 1,000 days of life.

They explore how birth, skin-to-skin contact, breastfeeding, antibiotics, environmental exposures, and the introduction of solid foods help shape a baby’s developing microbial community. Dr. Srivastava explains the differences among probiotics, prebiotics, and postbiotics; why metabolites such as butyrate matter for the gut barrier and immune system; and what scientists are learning about connections between early microbial development and allergies, eczema, autoimmune conditions, metabolism, and brain health.

The conversation also examines vaginal seeding, the limits of probiotic supplements, and practical ways families can support microbial diversity through fiber-rich foods, fermented foods, and a varied diet. Most importantly, Dr. Srivastava offers reassurance: there is no single perfect formula for building a healthy microbiome, and parents have many opportunities to support their children’s health as they grow.

Learn more about Dr. Srivastava and her book and work at https://www.doctorsavita.com/.

Follow Dr. Srivastava on Instagram and Facebook: @gutdoctorsavita

#FoodiePharmacology #GutMicrobiome #GutHealth #Breastfeeding #FermentedFoods #ChildNutrition