39 GEN - a Yo San University podcast

Epizodai

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  Acupuncture at Sea: Expanding Access & Building Clinical Confidence with Stephanie Kimber 18.08.2026 35min

  In this episode, host Emily Von Urff sits down with Stephanie Kimber, LAc, Director of Eastern Medical Programs at OneSpaWorld. Fresh out of acupuncture school zero cruise ship experience, Stephanie took a leap of faith on a two-week notice trial that transformed into a thriving 20-year career. Today, she oversees acupuncture operations across nearly 180 cruise ships worldwide, bringing Traditional Chinese Medicine to thousands of people who might never have tried it otherwise. This conversat...
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  The Spiral of Healing: Collaborative Care and the Psychedelic Renaissance with Dr. Eva Altobelli 21.07.2026 43min

  In this episode of the Yo San University 39GEN podcast, host Emily Von Urff sits down with Dr. Eva Altobelli, an addiction psychiatrist with 30 years of experience and the founder of Home LA. Together, they dive deep into the limitations of the Western mental healthcare model and discuss why shifting toward a collaborative, integrative approach — combining psychiatry, psychotherapy, and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) — is essential for true mental wellness. Dr. Altobelli also opens up abo...
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  Adaptive Medicine: Systems Thinking, Feminism, and Midlife Women's Health with Dr. Lisa Taylor-Swanson 16.06.2026 42min

  In this episode of the Yo San University 39GEN podcast, host Emily Von Urff sits down with clinician-scientist and acupuncturist Dr. Lisa Taylor-Swanson to explore the powerful intersection of systems thinking, feminism, and East Asian medicine in midlife women’s healthcare. As an "academic unicorn" with 17 years of private practice and a PhD from the University of Washington, Dr. Taylor-Swanson discusses the systemic underfunding of women's health research and details her journey in creating...
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  The Healing Art: Finding Power in Clinical Vulnerability with Dr. Andrea Thorpe 19.05.2026 57min

  In this episode of the 39GEN podcast, host Emily sits down with Dr. Andrea Thorpe, acupuncturist, herbalist, and newly appointed faculty member at Yo San University. Andrea shares profound insights from her decades-long journey in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), explaining why it is fundamentally a healing art rather than just a set of clinical protocols. She dives deep into the clinical reality of female hormonal and menstrual health, contrasting the limitations of allopathic medic...
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  From the CDC to the Clinic: Bridging Public Health and Chinese Medicine with Dr. Anisa Kassim 23.04.2026 52min

  In this episode of the 39GEN Podcast, Emily sits down with Dr. Anisa Kassim, Chief Academic Officer at Yo San University, to explore her journey through the global healthcare landscape. From serving in Afghani refugee camps and working as a fellow at the CDC to becoming an acupuncturist with a specialty in pediatrics, Anisa shares her unique perspective on why every TCM practitioner is, at their core, a public health advocate. The conversation dives into the intersection of global health sust...
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  The Policy Pivot: Loans, Legislation, and the Future of Acupuncture With CSOMA 27.03.2026 47min

  In this special edition of the Yo San University 39GEN Podcast, Emily sits down with CSOMA board members Dr. Julie Tran, Dr. Ra Adcock, and Dr. Robert Hoffman for a deep dive into the ‘perfect storm’ hitting acupuncture schools in 2026. This episode explores the critical impact of the RISE Act and the impending end of Grad Plus loans on July 1st, alongside the controversial California bill AB 2668, which threatens to drive up student debt by mandating a doctorate for entry-level licensure. To...
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  Dual Cultivation: Dr Robert Hoffman on Integrating Identity + Profession in Times of Change 24.03.2026 1val

  This episode features Dr. Robert Hoffman, President and CEO of Yo San University, in conversation with host 39GEN Emily. Dr. Hoffman shares his remarkable transition from a high-stakes, 30-year career in the music industry—where he worked as a producer and engineer for icons like Michael Jackson, Janet Jackson, and Quincy Jones—to becoming a leader in the field of Chinese medicine. He discusses how the lifestyle of the music business and a transformational relief trip to Sri Lanka following t...
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  East Meets Evidence: Acupuncture and Modern Medicine for Fertility and Trauma with Nicole Lange 22.10.2025 49min

  Acupuncturist Nicole Lange joins Sean to dive deep into trauma, fertility, and what real whole-person care looks like in practice. Nicole shares her early path into TCM, how personal experiences led her to specialize in reproductive health and trauma, and why she structures care around a 25 percent troubleshoot, 75 percent cultivate-wellness ratio. The two unpack somatic healing, Stephen Porges’s idea of neuroception, and why felt safety in the clinic, the vibe, the pacing, and touch, is foun...
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  Dr. Jake Fratkin: Building Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine in America 11.10.2025 47min

  Your 39GEN host Sean sits down with veteran clinician and teacher Dr. Jake Fratkin, who has spent 45 years in East Asian medicine. Jake traces his path from 1970s apprenticeships in Chicago with Dr. In-yeon Moon and herbal pharmacy work with fellow YSU colleague Dr. Lau, to translating and co-teaching with Dr. Guo Zhengong, and a life-changing year of hospital training in Beijing. He explains the split between classical Shang Han Lun approaches and the modern hospital style of Chinese herbal ...
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  Quantum Physics, Acupuncture, and AI for Integrative Healthcare with Dr. Aram Akopyan 09.09.2025 38min

  In this episode of the Yo San University 39Gen Podcast, host Sean Trace sits down with Dr. Aram Akopyan, a medical doctor, licensed acupuncturist, and global advocate for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Dr. Akopyan shares his unique journey from computer science executive to Yo San graduate, TCM practitioner, and eventually MD, offering a rare perspective on how Eastern and Western medicine can integrate. Together, they explore how chi can be understood as ATP, how quantum physics paralle...
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  Inhale Courage, Exhale Fear: Ed Sullivan’s Lessons from 25 Years at YSU 09.09.2025 45min

  In this episode of the Yo San University 39 Gen Podcast, Sean Trace sits down with Edward Sullivan, Dean of the InfiniChi Medical Qigong Institute and longtime faculty member at Yo San University. Drawing from over 25 years of teaching and decades of clinical practice, Edward shares his journey into Qigong and the profound lessons he has learned about cultivating and working with Qi. From understanding the “whisper of life” that flows through all things to harnessing nature’s yin and yang for...
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  From Shaolin to Psychosomatics: Taoist Wisdom for the Clinic & Life 06.08.2025 52min

  In this episode of the Yo San University 39 Gen Podcast, Sean Trace sits down with Johan Hausen, co-founder of Purple Cloud Institute and founder of Purple Cloud Press. A TCM practitioner, martial artist, Taoist, and publisher, Johan shares his fascinating journey from training with the German national Taekwondo team to studying Shaolin Kung Fu and Daoist philosophy in China.The conversation explores the connection between martial arts and healing, the integration of Taoist principles in clin...
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  Hope, Healing, and High-Tech: Inside the World of Fertility with Dr. Joe Sanfilippo 18.07.2025 45min

  In this heartfelt and insightful episode of the Yo San University 39Gen Podcast, host Sean Trace sits down with Dr. Joe Sanfilippo, a renowned reproductive endocrinologist from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. Together, they explore the evolution of fertility treatment, from home births in the 1970s to today's advanced IVF technologies and AI-driven lab work. Dr. Sanfilippo shares powerful stories from his decades of experience in the field, touching on the emotional weight of...
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  Rooted in the Dao: Reviving Classical Chinese Medicine for the Future 25.06.2025 39min

  In this profound episode of the 39Gen Podcast, we sit down with Elisabeth Rochat de la Vallée, visiting faculty at Yo San University and recipient of the 2019 Blount Distinguished Speaker Award at YSU. Elisabeth is a scholar and practitioner immersed in the classical Chinese medical and philosophical traditions for over 50 years. She shares her journey from Western academia into the heart of ancient Chinese thought, exploring how texts like the Huangdi Neijing and Dao De Jing inform a h...
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  Why Acupuncture Works: Research, Public Health, and Complexity Science with Dr. Lisa Conboy 10.06.2025 44min

  In this thought-provoking episode of the 39Gen Podcast from Yo San University, Dr. Lisa Conboy, medical sociologist, epidemiologist, and instructor at both Harvard Medical School and Yo San University, joins host Sean Trace to explore the intersection of East Asian medicine, research, and complex systems thinking. With over 30 years of experience studying integrative health approaches, Dr. Conboy shares her deeply personal journey into Chinese medicine, sparked by a transformative encounter w...
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  Healing Begins Within: Dr. Laura Erlich on Fertility, Trauma, and Integrative Medicine 28.05.2025 50min

  In this powerful episode of the 39Gen Podcast, Sean Trace sits down with Dr. Laura Erlich, Doctor of Traditional Chinese Medicine, fertility specialist, doula, and teacher at Yo San University. Dr. Erlich shares her moving journey from theater to bodywork to Chinese medicine, driven by personal loss and a deep calling to heal. They explore the emotional toll of infertility, the importance of nervous system regulation, and how acupuncture can support individuals through every phase of the repr...
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  From Film Sets to Fertility: Dr. Beck Hoehn’s Journey Into Acupuncture and Innovation 14.05.2025 39min

  In this episode of the 39Gen Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Beck Hoehn, a board-certified reproductive health acupuncturist, medical advisor for UVA, and a leading voice in fertility innovation. We explore her journey from underwater photographer to holistic healer, and how she blends Traditional Chinese Medicine with cutting-edge hormone tracking technology. Dr. Hoehn shares powerful insights on pattern differentiation using urine metabolites, how to structure personalized fertility care, the ...
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  From Engineer to Healer: Allen Tsaur on Translating Chinese Medical Wisdom 01.05.2025 47min

  In this compelling episode of the 39Gen Podcast, Sean Trace interviews Allen Tsaur, acupuncturist, translator, and lecturer in the YSU doctoral program, for an in-depth exploration of classical Chinese medicine. Allen shares his journey from engineering to acupuncture, how the ancient texts like the Nei Jing and Shang Han Lun shaped his clinical approach, and why real healing often means letting go of rigid ideology. They explore the art of translation, the beauty and limits of classical form...
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  Fertility Roadmaps: Acupuncturists & MDs Working Together 18.04.2025 41min

  In this episode of the Yo San University 39Gen Podcast, Sean Trace sits down with Coleen Smith and Whitney Fessler—two leaders in the field of reproductive acupuncture and current board members of ABORM (The American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine). They explore how integrative fertility care is evolving, the role of ABORM in raising standards for acupuncture practitioners, and why collaboration between Eastern and Western medicine is essential for helping patients conceive. From pat...
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  As Within, So Without: Rediscovering Balance in an Unbalanced World with Michael Berletich 07.04.2025 50min

  In this profound episode of the 39Gen Podcast, Sean Trace speaks with Dr. Michael Berletich, faculty member at Yo San University, longtime teacher, and accomplished musician. Dr. Berletich shares his unique path from environmental science and Native American healing traditions into the world of Chinese medicine. The conversation explores themes of internal cultivation, symbolic patient language, and the deep alignment between human beings and nature. With reflections on teaching, healing, and...