MEET
Dr. Peter Zahos
Brain surgeon, scientist, inventor, podcaster, and author, and all-around bon vivant, Dr. Peter Zahos is a modern-day renaissance man. Affectionately known as Dr. Z, he was inspired to specialize in neurosurgery by both the pioneer of the field, Dr. Harvey Cushing, and his fictional hero, Buckaroo Bonzai.
Dr. Zahos is a New York-based, board-certified neurosurgeon with a focus on the surgical treatment of spinal disease, brain tumors, and deep brain stimulation (DBS), a procedure that involves the implantation of a brain pacemaker to regulate electronic impulses in the brain. He has performed a full range of general neurosurgery and was an early adopter of frameless stereotactic techniques for the placement of deep brain stimulation electrodes for movement disorders.
He was formerly an Associate Clinical Professor at the University of California, San Francisco School of Medicine, and the chairman of the Department of Neurosurgery at Cleveland Clinic Florida. He completed his undergraduate degree at Yale University, his medical degree at George Washington University, and his neurosurgical training at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. He has served on the medical school faculties at the University of Michigan, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, the University of Miami, and the New York Medical College.
A keen researcher, he has authored multiple publications, developed patents, and has lectured in the field of neurosurgery. He founded Discogen, a medical company creating an innovative, non-invasive, therapeutic method to repair spinal disc degeneration. Dr. Z’s goal is to reduce the chance of unnecessary surgery, expand conservative options for back pain, and reduce dependence on opioids and other narcotic pain medication. Learn more at www.discogen.com
Demonstrating that superheroes don’t wear capes, they wear scrubs, he recently launched a podcast to prove it. In 2021, Dr. Z unveiled “The Life Medical,” providing a rare glimpse into the lives and relentless work of medical professionals from across the country during the pandemic. The auditory adventure uniquely blends intimate audio journals, interviews, and live medical recordings in the OR, ER, and ICU. The audience is given an exclusive look at the real struggles and life-saving successes and sometimes failures of those working on the medical front lines.
Through his production company, Cyclopaedia Studios, Dr. Z is currently developing fiction and non-fiction projects across TV, Film, and Books. His first science-fiction graphic novel, The Adjacent, is being adapted for television. "The Life Medical" is available on Apple Podcasts and all major podcast platforms.
ABOUT
The Life Medical Podcast
THE LIFE MEDICAL podcast explores the lives and work of medical professionals across the country. Hosted by brain surgeon Dr. Peter Zahos, the series brings listeners inside the heads of doctors and medical staff working round the clock to heal the sick. Through intimate audio journals, interviews, and live recordings in the OR, ER and ICU, the audience is taken inside the real struggles and life-saving successes of those working in the medical arts.
Want access to the nation’s top hospitals and operating rooms?
Here’s an example of a complicated brain surgery case documented by The Life Medical team. This video was filmed at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix, Arizona.
MEET
Our Contributors
DR. ADAM GAZZALEY
NEUROSCAPE
Dr. Adam Gazzaley is the David Dolby Distinguished Professor in Neurology, Physiology and Psychiatry at University of California, San Francisco and the Founder / Executive Director of Neuroscape, a translational neuroscience center engaged in technology creation and scientific research. He designs and develops novel brain assessment and optimization tools to impact education, wellness, and medicine practices. Dr. Gazzaley is also co-founder and Chief Science Advisor of Akili Interactive, a company developing therapeutic video games. Akili recently entered into an agreement to become publicly traded via a merger with Social Capital Suvretta Holdings Corp. I (“SCS”) (Nasdaq: DNAA), a special purpose acquisition company.
DR. ROBERT KEATING
CHILDRENS NATIONAL HOSPITAL
Dr. Robert Keating is Professor and Chief of Neurosurgery at Children’s National Hospital. He currently maintains a busy practice of pediatric neurosurgery, with an emphasis on tumors, Chiari malformations, craniofacial reconstruction, spinal dysraphism, spasticity and brachial plexus surgery. As a member of the American Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery and International Society of Pediatric Neurosurgery, he has published and presented extensively in the field.
DR. MARTIN LAZAR
NEUROSURGERY DALLAS
Dr. Martin L. Lazar is a board certified Neurological Surgeon who has been in active practice in Dallas, Texas since 1973. He is also the Founder and Chairman Emeritus of MediSend/International, which collects surplus medical, surgical, diagnostic and therapeutic equipment and supplies that cannot be used in this country, but still have a useful lifespan. This high quality surplus is distributed free of any charge to qualified healthcare institutions in developing countries. Since inception, the NGO has served recipient institutions in over 75 countries, and delivered over $100 million in goods.
DR. PAUL LYNCH
ARIZONA PAIN SPECIALISTS
Dr. Paul Lynch is a double board-certified and fellowship-trained interventional pain physician. He founded Arizona Pain Specialists, the state's largest multi-disciplinary pain clinic that uses cutting-edge interventional techniques along with complimentary therapies including acupuncture, biofeedback and medication management.
NYS PUBLIC EMPLOYEES FEDERATION
MS. AMY PACHOLK
Ms. Amy Pacholk is an experienced Advanced Practice Nurse with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & health care industry. She specializes in Surgical, Trauma, and Neurosurgical Critical Care, and is skilled in the management of the critically ill, political and healthcare policy analysis, and patient advocacy. Ms Pacholk is a Lecturer and Clinical Instructor in the areas of Trauma, Surgical Critical Care, Neurosurgical Critical Care, Adult Health, Geriatric Health, and Obstetrics.
MOUNT SINAI
DR. YASMIN MEAH
Dr. Yasmin Meah is an Associate Professor in the department of internal medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Since 2003 she has served the home-bound of Manhattan as an attending physician of the Visiting Doctors Program. In addition, she co-founded and directs the East Harlem Health Outreach Partnership, the student-run attending-directed free clinic for the uninsured. In 2007, she became the youngest recipient of the AAMC Humanism in Medicine Award.
DR. NICHOLAS THEODORE
JOHN HOPKINS NEUROSURGERY
Dr. Nicholas Theodore is the director of the Johns Hopkins Neurosurgical Spine Center and Professor of Neurosurgery. He is a nationally recognized expert in brain and spinal cord injury, minimally invasive spine surgeries and robotics. An award-winning teacher and researcher, Dr. Theodore has written or co-authored 30 book chapters, over 180 peer-reviewed journal articles and is co-holder of 10 patents for medical devices and procedures. His research focuses on trauma, spinal cord injuries, robotics and developing an understanding of the genetic and molecular basis of spinal diseases.
CRITICAL CARE NURSE
MS. BAILEY SUH
Ms. Bailey Suh is an experienced critical care and research nurse with a demonstrated history of working in the hospital & health care industry. Skilled in Critical Thinking, Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Patient Safety, Electronic Medical Record (EMR), and Nursing. Ms. Suh is a healthcare services professional with a BSN focused in Registered Nursing.
EMERGENCY PHYSICIAN
DR. CALVIN SUN
Dr. Calvin D. Sun is a board certified Emergency Medicine Physician and Clinical Assistant Professor at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. He is a public speaker, phoblographer, activist, choreographer, and entrepreneur. Dr. Sun is also the Founder & CEO of The Monsoon Diaries: a blog-turned-travel community that has taken hundreds of readers to 200+ countries and territories in the past 10 years including North Korea, Nauru, Iraq, and Antarctica.
DR. DANIELLE OFRI
BELLEVUE HOSPITAL
Dr. Ofri is a primary-care internist at Bellevue Hospital, a clinical professor of medicine at NYU, and editor-in-chief of Bellevue Literary Review. Danielle writes about medicine and the doctor-patient connection. Her writing has appeared in the New York Times, as well as in The New Yorker, Slate Magazine, the Lancet, the New England Journal of Medicine, and other publications.
MARIO LUIS RAMIREZ
INOVA HEALTH
Dr. Ramirez specializes in Emergency Medicine at Inova Health System in Virginia. Mario graduated from Harvard Medical School and completed his training and fellowship in Emergency Medicine at Vanderbilt University. He then joined the United States Air Force and served as an Emergency Medicine Physician and Flight Surgeon. After his service, Mario was a White House Fellow and concurrently served as the Acting Director for the Office of Pandemic and Emerging Threats.
The Life Medical logo design courtesy of Antonia Januzzi-Thomas