Bulls Rise: The UB ENS Podcast

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  Intention Is Not Action: A Dietitian on Why Change Is Hard and How We Actually Do It ft. Dr. Danielle King, PhD, RDN, CDN 15.09.2026 57min

  Every January, the gyms fill up and millions of people make the same promise they made last year. They know what they should do. The problem is that knowing and doing are separated by a gap almost nobody teaches you how to cross.This week on the Bulls Rise Podcast, Dr. Chris Perry welcomes the first faculty guest of Season 2 and the newest member of the UB ENS family: Dr. Danielle King, registered dietitian nutritionist and Clinical Assistant Professor in the Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Danielle teaches the mechanisms of health behavior change and nutrition counseling, still practices through telehealth, and built her dissertation on the Diabetes Prevention Program. Her episode is an operating manual for how humans actually change.In this conversation, you'll hear:🧠 Why it's so hard to do what we know we should, and why admitting that is step one🚫 The "righting reflex" and the birthday cake that makes it twice as bad📋 The HAPA two-plan method: plan the goal, plan for the barrier🥦 Why frozen and canned produce is just as good (and the 60% sodium rinse trick)💛 "It's not always your fault": the food environment and the case for grace🔁 Don't wait for Monday: the restart that sticks📊 The 15-year study showing 7 to 10% weight loss keeps paying off🎓 The assignment that puts every student in the patient's chair🧪 Seed oils, GLP-1s, and her take on the new dietary guidelines🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo's Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences, hosted by Dr. Chris Perry, Clinical Assistant Professor and Executive Performance Coach.—🔗 CONNECT WITH BULLS RISE:🎓 UB ENS: @UBuffaloENS📸 Dr. Perry: @drcperry001🔗 RESOURCES:🌐 Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Nutrition Fact Checks🎧 LISTEN ON ALL PLATFORMS:🔔 Subscribe for new episodes featuring researchers, clinicians, coaches, educators, and students shaping the future of exercise science, sports medicine, and human performance.#BullsRise #BehaviorChange #RegisteredDietitian #NutritionCounseling #UBENS #UniversityAtBuffalo #HealthCoaching #WeightLoss #UBuffalo
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  Sleep is the Edge: What Sleep Deprivation Is Really Costing Athletes ft. Dr. Chris Perry 08.08.2026 1godz 3min

  It's 4:47 in the morning. A 19-year-old gets up in the dark after four hours of sleep, walks across campus, and lifts. The bar speed's off, and someone says: "You gotta want it more, man." But that athlete doesn't have a wanting problem. They have a four-hour sleep problem — and we've been misdiagnosing it as a character flaw for 40 years.Welcome to Bulls Rise, Season 2. Dr. Chris Perry is back in the chair to open the season with a three-part flagship series: Sleep Is the Edge. This is Part 1: The Problem.Drawing on the work of leading sleep scientist Dr. Michael Grandner and the training Dr. Perry received under Dr. Sean Youngstedt, this data-driven episode lays out the full scope of the athlete sleep crisis — and why it matters for everyone, not just athletes.In this episode:⏰ Why 66% of athletes say lack of time — not physical demands — is the hardest part📊 Only 1 in 5 athletes sleep enough — worse than non-athletes🏈 Why sleepiness predicts concussions better than concussion history💪 The 7-part performance tax: power, speed, endurance, accuracy, force, testosterone, recovery🧠 The chronotype finding that reveals why some athletes aren't lazy — they're lonely⚠️ Poor sleep and the tripling of suicide risk🏦 The deposit-and-withdrawal analogy that reframes recovery📌 This episode discusses mental health and suicide. If you're struggling, please reach out to a coach, counselor, teammate, parent, or a crisis line. In the US and Canada, you can call or text 988. Asking for help is never weakness.🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo's Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences, hosted by Dr. Chris Perry — Clinical Assistant Professor and Executive Performance Coach.📚 Science credited to Dr. Michael Grandner, Sleep and Health Research Program, University of Arizona College of Medicine.—🔗 CONNECT WITH BULLS RISE:📸 Instagram: @UBuffaloENS🎓 UB ENS: @UBuffaloENS🧠 Bulls Thrive: @Bulls_Thrive📸 Dr. Perry: @drcperry001🔔 Subscribe — Part 2 (the playbook) and Part 3 (circadian rhythms and travel) are coming soon.#BullsRise #SleepIsTheEdge #SleepScience #AthleteRecovery #SportsScience #UBENS #UniversityAtBuffalo #Performance #MentalHealth #UBuffalo
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  What Brings You Joy? Athlete Identity, Purpose, and the Speech That Silenced a Locker Room ft. Taji Johnson 30.07.2026 1godz 9min

  A senior stood up in front of his entire team one last time. He didn't talk about stats. He didn't talk about wins. He asked one question that left the room silent: "What brings you joy?"This week on Bulls Rise, we sat down with Taji Johnson — a mental performance specialist in UB Athletics, a former Division I wide receiver at Boston College, a UB transfer who started every game his final season, and a New York Jets rookie mini-camp invitee. He walked away from the playing dream and turned that exact passion toward helping the next generation of athletes build confidence from the inside out. And in 31 days, he becomes a licensed mental health therapist.Here's what he shared: 👇💛 The senior speech that silenced a locker room — and why his proudest moment had nothing to do with football🧠 Why losing the NFL dream didn't shake his identity — and the mindset that made the transition seamless🏋️ The injury vs. strength analogy: the clearest explanation of mental performance vs. therapy you'll ever hear🎯 The 20/60/20 rule for reaching any room you're trying to lead🎬 Why your brain can't tell the difference between vivid visualization and reality⚓ Drop the anchor: the ACE framework and the mental tools every athlete needs🏃 "Don't run from it" — why escaping hard feelings makes them stronger🔑 Why consistency across every environment is what's missing — and what recruiters really ask✝️ His faith: "They don't want to hear me. They want to hear God through me."Taji's whole message circles one powerful idea: you are more than the one thing you do. Root your identity in how you show up — your values, your character, how you make people feel — and no lost game, no closed door, no ended chapter can take it from you.When asked how he wants to be remembered, he said it best:Can you stay committed to what you said you were going to do long after the mood you said it in has left? I want to be a yes for someone — regardless of the mood I was in when I said it.🎙️ Full episode now available on all platforms. Link in bio.🔁 Save this and send it to an athlete who needs to hear that they're more than their sport.
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  Food Should Be Enjoyable: The Case Against the New Food Pyramid, the Carb Myth, and Leading Students to the Finish Line ft. Melissa Genovese 24.07.2026 1godz 2min

  "I don't eat carrots because they have carbs." A registered dietitian has heard every nutrition myth for 26 years, and this week, she sets the record straight.This week on Bulls Rise, Coach P sits down with Melissa Genovese, registered dietitian, nutrition undergraduate course coordinator at UB Exercise & Nutrition Sciences, and the professor who teaches more than 800 students a semester. A lifelong vegetarian who grew up in a garden in Dryden, New York, and a former RD at Erie County Medical Center, Melissa brings a refreshing, no-nonsense, myth-busting perspective on nutrition.She dismantles the carb panic, offers a striking critique of the new federal food pyramid (its picture contradicts its own rules), clarifies the raw milk trend, and settles the vegetarian muscle-building debate with real complementary-protein science. Her deeper message is liberating: it's not cookie cutter. Health comes from the cumulative pattern of your choices over a lifetime, not from obsessing over any single rule.And in true Bulls Rise fashion, her own story is one of rising through fear, a terrified introvert who hated public speaking, said yes to one lecture, and found her life's calling. Her advice: if you're scared, over prepare.When asked what it means to rise, Melissa pointed to community: reach out, because there's always someone down the hall, but you have to ask.🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Hosted by Dr. Chris Perry, PhD, CSCS.#BullsRise #Nutrition #RegisteredDietitian #NutritionMyths #Vegetarian #ExerciseScience #UBENS #UniversityAtBuffalo
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  ALL IN GRIT: The Culture Code & Elite Performance of UB Men's Basketball 08.07.2026 55min

  In the most special edition of the Bulls Rise Podcast yet, Dr. Chris Perry sits down with the men who run UB Men's Basketball: Head Coach George Halcovage III, who helped lead Villanova to two national championships before becoming the 15th head coach in UB history , Director of Sports Performance Jon Mangel, Athletic Trainer Austin Herman, and Dr. Luke Pryor, exercise physiologist and performance consultant from UB's Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. One program. One standard. One conversation about what becomes possible when a Division I basketball program and an exercise science department go all in together.In this conversation, you'll hear:📊 "If you're not assessing, you're guessing" — why sports science is no longer optional at the D1 level🤘 ALL IN GRIT — the nine-letter culture code broken down letter by letter😈 "Make me the villain" — how Coach G uses data to push players without pushing them away🔄 How the transfer portal compressed four years of development into one summer💪 Myth-busting careers: athletic training, strength & conditioning, and the 12-month coaching job🧠 Acute to chronic workload, energy systems, and what "available" really means👨‍👦 The family culture that defines this program🎵 The lightning round: documentary titles, season words, and walkout songs🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo's Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences, hosted by Dr. Chris Perry — Clinical Assistant Professor and Executive Performance Coach.🔗 CONNECT WITH BULLS RISE:📸 Instagram: @UBuffaloENS🔔 Subscribe for new episodes featuring researchers, clinicians, coaches, educators, and students shaping the future of exercise science, sports medicine, and human performance.#BullsRise #AllInGrit #UBHoops #CollegeBasketball #SportsScience #StrengthAndConditioning #AthleticTraining #ExerciseScience #UBENS #UniversityAtBuffalo #HornsUp #MACBasketball00:00 — Cold Open: One Morning Inside the UB Basketball Facility02:00 — Welcome & Meet the Staff: Coach G, Jon Mangel, Austin Herman, Dr. Pryor04:00 — Jon Mangel's Origin: The Weight Room With Dad and Big Brother06:00 — Austin Herman's Origin: Three-Sport Athlete Meets Sports Medicine08:00 — Coach G's Origin: Injuries at Babson and the Mentor Who Changed Everything11:00 — From Villanova Camp Worker to Two National Championships13:30 — Dr. Pryor's Origin: The Utah Jazz Fan Who Became the Scientist16:00 — The Three Energy Systems of Basketball18:00 — Coach G on the Partnership: "Not Every Place Can Do This"21:00 — How Testing Data Shapes Strength & Conditioning Programming23:30 — Acute to Chronic Workload: Training Hard Enough to Be Ready26:00 — The Art and the Science: Numbers Supplement, Never Replace27:30 — "Make Me the Villain": Using Data to Coach the Mind30:00 — "If You're Not Assessing, You're Guessing"32:30 — The Transfer Portal Reality: Building Players in One Year35:00 — ALL IN GRIT: The Full Letter-by-Letter Breakdown41:00 — The George Raveling Tribute: Growth Mindset for Life43:00 — Carrying the Culture Into the Weight Room and Training Room45:30 — "Attitude. Next Play." — Handling Failure in Real Time48:00 — What a Ready Athlete Looks Like: On Time, Hydrated, Available50:30 — Dr. Pryor's Consistency Pyramid and the Tokyo Olympics Story53:30 — Lightning Round: Career Documentary Titles56:00 — One Word for This Season: Together. Championship. Relentless. Electric.57:30 — Myth-Busting: Taping Ankles, Inflicting Pain, and Summers Off01:00:00 — How to Handle a Loss: Grace, Class, and Staying Neutral01:02:00 — Walkout Songs: Black Eyed Peas, The Who, the Bulls Intro, and Stone Cold01:04:30 — How the Bulls Rise: Family First, Through Thick and Thin01:08:00 — "Hey Daddy, Did We Lose?" — Coco and the Miami of Ohio Story01:11:00 — Dr. Pryor: "You Don't Bring Your Kids Around Unless You Feel Safe"01:13:00 — Closing: Show Up, Work Hard, Stay Together, Be Electric
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  The Invisible Stressor: What Construction Workers, Kidneys, and a 2:30 AM Roof Job Are Teaching Us About Heat ft. Dr. Fabiano Amorim 01.07.2026 1godz 21min

  Heat kills more Americans than any other weather event — and most of those deaths never get recorded as heat at all.This week on Bulls Rise, Coach P welcomes Dr. Fabiano Amorim, an exercise and thermal physiologist, associate professor, and department chair at the University of New Mexico. Fabiano studies heat where it actually does its damage: on construction sites at 2:30 in the morning, in the sugarcane fields of Brazil, across 18-hour workdays on five hours of sleep. His question is deceptively simple — what is heat actually doing to the human body when nobody is looking?The answers are alarming. Heat is the deadliest weather event in the country, its true toll hidden behind cardiovascular miscoding. In the fields, workers sweat up to ten percent of their body weight a day, driving a silent kidney disease epidemic. But Fabiano also flips the script: used correctly, heat is one of the most underrated tools in exercise science — a hormetic stressor that supports recovery and even helps maintain muscle. Because physiology only makes sense in context. Heat is a killer and a medicine.He also models real scientific humility, openly sharing the idea he once dismissed that became his life's work, and offers some of the best advice a student will hear all year: there's a horse passing, and it's not coming back. Get out of your comfort zone and enjoy the ride.When asked what it means to rise, Fabiano kept it grounded: think about the journey, reevaluate, refocus on what matters, and spend less time on what doesn't.🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Hosted by Dr. Chris Perry, PhD, CSCS.#BullsRise #HeatStress #ThermalPhysiology #OccupationalHealth #ExerciseScience #SaunaTherapy #UBENS #UniversityAtBuffalo
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  The Future of Dietetics and Why Small Changes Beat Perfect Diets Every Single Time ft. Tiffany Rutecki 22.06.2026 41min

  She's been asked to write a meal plan thousands of times. Here's why she almost always says no.This week on Bulls Rise, Coach P sits down with Tiffany Rutecki — registered dietitian, certified nutritionist, and clinical director of UB's Clinical Nutrition Master's Program. With more than a decade as a clinical dietitian and years of training future RDs, Tiffany brings one of the most grounded, no-nonsense perspectives on nutrition the show has ever featured.Her central message: it doesn't have to be that hard. Tiffany dismantles the meal plan myth, explains why small changes beat perfect diets every single time, calls out the over-processed health food industry, and walks through the high-protein advice that could actually be dangerous for certain people. She also makes the case that motivational interviewing, finding your why, and the add-not-restrict philosophy are just as essential as any clinical credential.And she talks about the Italian family table, stuffed shells from her grandfather, and why food is love before it's ever just fuel.When asked what it means to rise, Tiffany kept it simple: it's temporary, it's going to get better, and she's grateful for the challenges that keep her going.🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Hosted by Dr. Chris Perry, PhD, CSCS.#BullsRise #Nutrition #RegisteredDietitian #ClinicalNutrition #ExerciseScience #UBENS #UniversityAtBuffalo
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  Training an Athlete, Not a Player: The Next Generation of Female Coaches ft. Cassandra Vaccaro 15.06.2026 48min

  Before Title IX, 90% of girls' sports teams were coached by women. Today it's 45%. The law that expanded girls' sports somehow cut the number of women coaching them in half.This week on Bulls Rise, our student edition, Coach P sits down with Cassandra Vaccaro, a USA Hockey Level 4 coach with bronze-level goaltending certification, a Zamboni driver for the Buffalo Sabres, and a full-time UB exercise science student heading into the graduate program. She started coaching at 19, she's frequently the only woman behind the bench, and she's on a mission to change that.Cass shares the staggering Title IX statistic, what it's like to be the first female coach most of her players have ever had, and why simply being visible changes what young girls believe is possible. She explains why early specialization may be the biggest detriment to youth athletes, shares the kid-friendly coaching cue that instantly fixed a young goalie, and walks through the serendipitous Canadian rink moment that combined her loves of coaching and research. She also offers honest, encouraging advice for any student feeling lost on their path.When asked what it means to rise, Cass said it best: be confident, forget the preconceived notions, know what you know, and don't be afraid to be wrong, because now you learn for next time.🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Hosted by Dr. Chris Perry, PhD, CSCS.#BullsRise #WomenInSports #Hockey #TitleIX #ExerciseScience #UBENS #UniversityAtBuffalo
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  The Coaching Skills that Translate to Every Career: A World Rugby Master Trainer on the Art of Coaching ft. Mike Hodgins 09.06.2026 1godz 8min

  Picture two coaches. One yells instructions all practice. The other asks questions and lets his athletes figure it out. One builds better players under pressure — and it's not the one you'd expect.This week on Bulls Rise, Coach P sits down with Mike Hodgins — a World Rugby Master Trainer who works at the national governing body level for both USA Rugby and World Rugby, and who teaches the coaching minor at UB. With more than 25 years in the game, Mike brings one of the most refined and counterintuitive coaching philosophies the show has featured.Mike challenges nearly everything people assume about coaching. He explains why over-coaching is the number one mistake, why it's never really about the X's and O's, and why the best coaching happens when the coach doesn't have to coach. He breaks down the four pillars of coach development, why games beat drills, the aggregate of marginal gains, and the mentor who believed in him before he believed in himself. And he makes the case — repeatedly — that these coaching skills apply to every profession, not just sports.When asked what it means to rise, Mike kept it simple: just keep going. Every single time he's taken a shot, he's gotten back up.🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Hosted by Dr. Chris Perry, PhD, CSCS.#BullsRise #Coaching #Rugby #CoachingPhilosophy #ExerciseScience #UBENS #UniversityAtBuffalo
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  The Real Curriculum: How Fitness, Behavior Change, and College Are All Teaching You the Same Lesson ft. Heather Bieber 01.06.2026 57min

  You already know what you should do. So why is it so hard to actually do it?This week on Bulls Rise, Coach P sits down with Heather Bieber, Director of UB's undergraduate Exercise Science program and a behavior change expert whose career has revolved around one question: why do people struggle so much to change, even when they know what to do?Heather's path was never a straight line. from an aerobics class at 13, to personal training at a high-end Boston gym, to public health at Emory, to wellness coaching at Universal Studios, to running a program at UB. In this episode, she dismantles the myth that behavior change is about willpower, exposes the truth behind perfect-eating social media content, and explains why there's no one right way to exercise. She shares the rheumatoid arthritis client who taught her more than any textbook, breaks down why small steps beat total overhauls, and reveals why coaching is mostly psychology and barely about the program.When asked what it means to rise, Heather kept it simple: stay humble, be okay being vulnerable, dust yourself off, and get back on the horse.🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Hosted by Dr. Chris Perry, PhD, CSCS.#BullsRise #BehaviorChange #HealthCoaching #ExerciseScience #UBENS #UniversityAtBuffalo
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  The Man Behind Bulls Rise: Coach P on Sleep, Teaching, and Why Serving Others Matters ft. Dr. Chris Perry 13.05.2026 1godz 6min

  For the first time in Bulls Rise history — the host becomes the guest.In this episode, Dr. Jen Temple takes over the microphone to interview Coach P (Dr. Chris Perry) — UB faculty member, sleep researcher, strength and conditioning coach, and host of the Bulls Rise Podcast. What follows is the most personal and transparent episode Bulls Rise has produced.Coach P walks through the full story of his journey — from Penn State undergrad to Eastern Kentucky master's student to Arizona State PhD to University at Buffalo professor. He shares the day a mentor locked him in a classroom and forced him to teach cold. He opens up about the Instagram DM from a high school classmate in rehab that nearly saved him from quitting social media. He breaks down sleep debt, shift work, and the truth about why you can't sleep in and make it up. And he closes the episode with a manifesto on what really matters: being a human being first.When asked what helps him rise, Coach P pointed to his faith, his family, and one lesson he's learned again and again across every chapter of his career: walk through the door of challenge — the fear disappears once you're on the other side.🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Hosted by Dr. Chris Perry.#BullsRise #CoachP #UBENS #ExerciseScience #SleepScience #UniversityAtBuffalo
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  The Why Behind the Grind: Inside the UB ENS Trenches ft. Jenna Kersten & Rion Dugan 05.05.2026 1godz 13min

  Two students. One shared mission. The first-ever student episode in Bulls Rise history.Jenna Kersten is a first-year Doctor of Physical Therapy student in UB's combined three-plus-three program. Rion Dugan is a fourth-year exercise science major on the pre-med track, grinding through MCAT prep while teaching as Dr. Lee Kroll's TA. They both peer-tutor across the ENS department. They both lost their fathers. And they both turned that loss into the foundation of everything they're building.In this episode, Jenna shares her story of losing her dad to a medical mistake — and the moment she dedicated her career to ensuring no other family loses someone the same way. Rion tells the cinematic story of the 9 PM gross anatomy lab where twenty silent students gathered around his cadaver bench to learn the carotid artery — and applauded when he finished. He also unpacks the mentor moment that redirected him from PT school to medical school in a single sentence.This conversation dismantles the myth that exercise science is "just gym class," explores the hidden curriculum of learning to struggle, and delivers the most poetic moment Bulls Rise has produced yet — Rion's Buffalo eternal flame metaphor about finding the work that no amount of hardship can put out.Whether you're a current student, a prospective student, a parent, a mentor, or anyone who's ever wondered if you're on the right path — this episode will land.🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Hosted by Dr. Chris Perry, PhD, CSCS.#BullsRise #UBENS #ExerciseScience #PreMed #PhysicalTherapy #StudentLife
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  Practice Before Game Day: How Sim Lab Mistakes Save Lives ft. Dr. Sarah Krzyzanowicz, EdD, ATC 28.04.2026 51min

  A student forgot the AED in a simulation. Years later — when a parent went into real cardiac arrest at his workplace — he didn't forget it again.That story is the heart of this conversation. Dr. Sarah Krzyzanowicz is the Clinical Director of UB's Master of Science in Athletic Training Program, and she joins Coach P to break down the teaching philosophy producing clinicians who actually perform when lives are on the line.Dr. Sarah challenges the broken "sage on the stage" model of education, makes the case that confidence is built only through experience, and shares the three-question reflection practice she gives every student to turn experience into real growth. She also unpacks how simulation-based learning works (hint: it's not about expensive equipment), why she wants her students to fail in practice, and how the Adam Grant principle of "confident humility" shapes everything she teaches.We also get her unconventional origin story — growing up in a town with no stoplight, competing as a national-level snowboarder, singing with the Buffalo Philharmonic, and the 17-year journey to her doctorate that proves it's never too late to keep learning.Whether you're a current athletic training student, a clinical educator, a coach, a healthcare professional, or just someone who wants to understand what real-world learning actually looks like, this episode will change how you think about expertise, failure, and the long road from classroom to competence.🎙️ Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the University at Buffalo Department of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences. Hosted by Dr. Chris Perry, PhD, CSCS.#AthleticTraining #SportsMedicine #ClinicalEducation #UniversityAtBuffalo #ExerciseScience
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  From Undeclared to Unstoppable: Heat Physiology, Fitness Culture & The Truth About Sweat ft. Ayla Gabel 20.04.2026 44min

  She went from undeclared to unstoppable — and she's already changing how we think about heat and health.This week on Bulls Rise, we sat down with Ayla, a second-year PhD student at UB studying heat physiology under Dr. Hayden Hess — and she came ready. Her dissertation is tackling something most of the research world has quietly ignored: how adults with obesity actually thermoregulate in extreme heat, and why decades of flawed methodology have left us with public health guidelines that may be failing the people who need them most.But this conversation goes far beyond the lab. Ayla walks us through the deadlift that left her with two bulging discs, the moment she stopped caring what her body looked like and started caring what it could do, and the mindset shift that turned a career-ending injury into the foundation of everything she's built since.She calls out the fitness industry hard in this one. She makes the case that motivation is overrated, that discipline is a schedule-not a feeling, and that the simplest tool most people ignore — reducing friction — is the actual key to showing up. She breaks down what sweat really does (and doesn't do) for cooling, why electrolyte culture may be oversold, and what every person should be doing right now to prepare for summer heat.And when asked what it means to rise, she didn't hesitate:Just keep showing up.🎧 Full episode available now on all platforms.
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  Cardiovascular Risk, Endometriosis, and the Power of Asking Questions ft. Dr. Lacy Alexander 13.04.2026 53min

  Join us as we explore the inspiring journey of Dr. Lacey Alexander, a Penn State alumna and leading researcher in vascular physiology and endometriosis. Discover her insights on curiosity, resilience, and the future of applied physiology research.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Dr. Lacey Alexander02:43 Journey into Exercise Physiology05:21 Transitioning from Medical School Aspirations08:02 The Importance of Rejection and Self-Evaluation10:56 Research Focus: Small Blood Vessels and Cardiovascular Health13:57 Women’s Health and Cardiovascular Disease Risks16:44 Personal Connection: Endometriosis and Research19:13 The Impact of Chronic Inflammation21:52 Clinical Applications and Patient Care24:47 Curiosity and the Power of Questions27:08 The Role of Pets in Our Lives28:16 Myth-Busting Science: Making It Engaging30:04 The Importance of Asking Questions in Education31:45 Personal Journeys: From Fitness to Academia35:11 Learning from Failure: The Path to Growth37:41 Leadership in Academia: The Editor's Perspective42:28 Navigating AI in Scientific Writing45:35 Exciting Trends in Applied Physiology Research46:27 Key Takeaways for Aspiring Scientists resourcesJournal of Applied Physiology - https://journals.physiology.org/journal/japplphysiolAmerican Physiological Society - https://www.the-aps.orgPenn State University - https://www.psu.eduEndometriosis Foundation of America - https://www.endofound.org
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  Food Is Not the Enemy: The Family Table and What Nutrition Is Really About ft. Dr. Tegan Mansouri 06.04.2026 1godz 2min

  What if the most important nutrition lesson you'll ever learn has nothing to do with macros, seed oils, or the food pyramid, and everything to do with who's sitting at the table with you?Dr. Tegan Mansouri is a Clinical Assistant Professor and Director of the Undergraduate Nutrition Science Program at the University at Buffalo. She's also a Registered Dietician whose mission is to make nutrition more accessible, not louder, not flashier, not more controversial, just more human.In this episode, Tegan takes us back to where it all started: a family kitchen where Persian stews simmered for hours on Sundays, where her dad adapted traditional recipes when she experimented with cutting out red meat, and where she learned that food has always been about so much more than nutrients on a label. That foundation shaped everything, how she teaches, how she counsels, and how she challenges the noise that dominates nutrition conversations today.We go deep on the topics that are confusing students and consumers alike. Why the flipped food pyramid contradicts its own recommendations. Why the seed oil debate is distracting us from the fact that over 90% of Americans don't eat enough vegetables. Why weight shouldn't be the holy grail of health. What a Registered Dietitian can offer that ChatGPT never will. And why the Dunning-Kruger effect might be the single biggest problem in nutrition right now, where people learn just enough to feel like experts and then start advising others without understanding the complexity underneath.But this episode isn't just myth-busting. It's about what happens when a student sits in your office, reads a chapter about helping people on GLP-1 medications develop a nutrition philosophy, not a meal plan, and says, "This is why I want to become an RD." Not for the science. Not for the credential. For the mission.That moment is why Tegan does what she does. And this conversation is why we do what we do here on Bulls Rise.Topics covered: the Mediterranean diet and its overlooked lifestyle components, the difference between a Registered Dietician and a nutritionist, why restricting entire food groups is the biggest nutrition mistake people make, how to actually start eating more vegetables without overcomplicating it, and why patience, empathy, and advocacy are the foundation of great nutrition education.
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  Beyond Willpower: The Reality Inside the Obesity Brain & GLP 1 Medications ft. Dr. Elizabeth Mietlicki-Baase 30.03.2026 47min

  It's Not Willpower, It's Neurobiology: Inside the Brain Science of Obesity and GLP-1 MedicationsWhat if the reason you can't stop eating has nothing to do with discipline, laziness, or a lack of self-control? What if the answer has been sitting inside your brain this entire time?In this episode of Bulls Rise, Dr. Chris Perry sits down with Dr. Elizabeth Mietlicki-Baase, PhD, Associate Professor of Neuroscience at the University at Buffalo, whose research sits at the intersection of brain reward systems, food intake, and the biology of obesity. Dr. Mietlicki-Baase has spent her career studying why we eat the way we eat, and more importantly, why the brain sometimes refuses to let us stop.From watching a talk show segment on Prader-Willi syndrome as a kid to detecting live dopamine signals in a postdoc lab at UPenn, Dr. Mietlicki-Baase's journey into neuroscience is as fascinating as the science itself. In this conversation, she breaks down some of the most misunderstood topics in modern health — including the real neurobiology behind GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy, the concept of food noise and why it consumes people with obesity every waking hour, and why stopping these medications can bring all of that back almost overnight.She also tackles the stigma head-on. The belief that obesity is a moral failing. The idea that GLP-1s are an easy way out. The assumption that willpower is the variable standing between someone and a healthy weight. Dr. Mietlicki-Baase dismantles all of it with evidence, empathy, and the kind of clarity that only comes from spending decades inside the data.This episode is for the coaches, the clinicians, the graduate students, the skeptics, and anyone who has ever beaten themselves up for not being able to put down the bag of chips. The answer was never about you. It was always about your brain.What you'll learn in this episode:What Prader-Willi syndrome reveals about how the brain normally controls food intake in all of usHow fast-scan cyclic voltammetry lets scientists watch dopamine fire in real time and what that means for understanding obesityWhy GLP-1 medications reduce far more than just food intake — including alcohol, cocaine, and compulsive behaviorWhat food noise is, why people with obesity experience it constantly, and why GLP-1s may silence it almost immediately upon stoppingThe muscle mass problem no one is talking about with rapid GLP-1 weight lossWhy weight regain after stopping GLP-1s is nearly universal and what the science says about managing itThe emerging world of amylin-based medications and why they may be the next frontier in obesity treatmentHow a Gila monster's saliva launched one of the most important drug discoveries in modern medicineWhat it looks like to be wrong in science — and why changing your hypothesis is a sign of strength, not failureConnect with Dr. Elizabeth Mietlicki-Baase:University at Buffalo — Department of Exercise and Nutrition SciencesConnect with Bulls Rise & Coach P:Instagram: @ubuffaloens , @drcperry001Bulls Rise is the official podcast of the UB Department of Exercise and Nutrition Sciences — where faculty, researchers, and students come together to share the science that moves the field forward.
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  Overweight Doesn't Mean Unhealthy: Beyond the Scale! ft. Dr. Jennifer L. Temple, PhD 23.03.2026 1godz 18min

  What if everything you've been told about willpower, weight, and food is wrong?In this episode of Bulls Rise, Dr. Chris Perry sits down with Dr. Jennifer L. Temple — Associate Dean for Academic and Student Affairs in the School of Public Health and Nutrition Sciences Professor at UB — for one of the most intellectually honest conversations about food, eating behavior, and health that this podcast has ever hosted. Dr. Temple has spent over 15 years studying why people eat what they eat, and her findings challenge some deeply held cultural assumptions about obesity, food addiction, dieting, and the relationship between weight and health.They open by exploring Dr. Temple's groundbreaking research on food sensitization — a phenomenon where repeated exposure to highly palatable foods actually increases motivation to eat them in a subset of people with overweight or obesity rather than diminishing it. If you've ever wondered why you seem to want the Doritos more after you've tried to cut them out, this conversation will finally give you a science-backed answer.From there, Coach P and Dr. Temple go deep on topics that matter to athletes, coaches, students, and everyday high performers:🔬 The sensitization paradox — Why restriction often backfires and what the research actually says about eating the foods you love in a structured way.⚖️ Overweight ≠ unhealthy — Why using body weight as a proxy for health leads to dangerous clinical blind spots, missed diagnoses, and psychological harm — and what biomarkers we should actually be paying attention to.🚫 Is food actually addictive? — Dr. Temple unpacks why she refuses to use the word "addiction" in the context of food, what "food noise" really is, and how GLP-1 receptor agonists are giving researchers a fascinating new window into hunger and motivation.💊 GLP-1s, weight loss drugs, and what comes next — Why these medications are life-changing for millions, why exercise is still irreplaceable for maintaining results, and what the science says about sustainable weight management.☕ Caffeine in kids — Dr. Temple's decade of research expected harm. What she found instead will surprise you — and her caveats around sleep are ones every parent and athlete needs to hear.🧠 Why fad diets keep winning — The psychology behind why simple, evidence-based advice loses to trendy, complex diet rules every time, and what that reveals about human behavior.📚 Teaching students to think critically — How Dr. Temple uses her graduate obesity course to challenge implicit weight bias, dismantle nutrition myths, and train the next generation of practitioners to lead with evidence.This episode is a masterclass in thinking like a scientist while leading like a coach. Whether you're a student trying to build evidence-based practice, an athlete trying to fuel performance, a clinician working with diverse populations, or someone who's just tried every diet and can't figure out why nothing sticks — Dr. Temple's work speaks directly to you.The bottom line she keeps returning to? Eat real food. Eat more plants. Get enough protein. Drink your water. Move your body. Get good sleep. None of that is changing — and that's actually good news.Follow Dr. Jen Temple's research at the University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions. This is one conversation you'll want to listen to twice.
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  Effort, Practice, and Experience Produce Understanding: The Art of Making Learning Fun 16.03.2026 48min

  Most professors believe motivation is entirely the student's job—that's a myth holding students back. Dr. Lesley Vandermark flips that idea on its head, revealing how a shift in mindset transforms classrooms and student lives.Imagine a professor who makes learning fun, who emphasizes why students need each skill, and who believes that challenging courses actually boost success. That’s Dr. Vandermark. She shares bold strategies to turn exams from dreaded to engaging, ideas that make even the toughest content memorable, and nuanced systems to help students prioritize and manage their time like pros.You’ll discover: how to design courses that students love by connecting content to real-world impact, practical tools for building internal motivation, and the overlooked power of decision before motivation kicks in. Dr. Vandermark’s story of a rural upbringing ignited her passion for accessible, impactful education—creating lifelong learners and clinicians who thrive.This episode is for educators, students, and anyone tired of tired teaching. Want to see that learning and teaching can be bold, fun, and deeply effective? Hit play. Your approach to education will never be the same.
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  From Academy Prospect to England International: Building Elite Athletes Through Force Production and Philosophy ft. Dr. Ed Gannon 09.03.2026 1godz 15min

  Dr. Perry hosts Dr. Ed Gannon, a new clinical professor in Exercise and Nutrition Sciences at UB with 20+ years in professional rugby and U.S. sports performance, to discuss what makes effective strength and conditioning. Gannon recounts developing an academy rugby player into an international starter through targeted hypertrophy and conditioning, and shares an example of returning a winger with a ruptured ACL for a championship final. He describes major advances in concussion identification, assessment, and return-to-play, emphasizing strength and conditioning roles, heart-rate and load monitoring, the Buffalo treadmill test, neck strength/RFD training, and interdisciplinary collaboration including nutrition and mental skills. Gannon stresses that athletes prioritize trust, relationships, and programming that improves performance and health, critiques social-media-driven low-intensity training, and argues warmups should be efficient and specific. He outlines a professional development process centered on topic study and daily reading, and aims to bring applied, real-world preparation to UB students.00:00 Trust Over Credentials01:04 Meet Dr Ed Gannon03:24 Origin Story Rugby Academy07:23 Building Complete Athletes08:34 Coaching Philosophy Basics09:57 ACL Final Comeback13:43 Concussion Evolution17:00 Performance Role In Rehab19:03 Neck Training For Protection22:07 Interdisciplinary Performance Model25:18 Adapting Across Sports28:38 Communication And Humility32:50 All Blacks Culture Lessons34:17 Intensity Debate Mythbusting39:24 Training Intensity Toolbox40:21 Aging Athletes Strategies41:46 Coaching Special Populations44:16 Mini Band Warmup Debate47:11 Better Glute Activation48:39 Warmup Minimalism54:29 Specificity For Speed58:54 Multiplanar Training Health01:01:39 Build Coaching Philosophy01:04:10 Daily Reading Microlearning01:07:15 Teach The Why01:09:23 Lightning Round Advice01:12:39 Goals At UB Closing