The Derek Chauvin trial highlighted a potential way physicians could better serve the criminal justice system
Credit: Getty Images
In the aftermath of the guilty verdict in the trial of Minnesota police officer Derek Chauvin for the murder of George Floyd, a consistent element of many criminal trials came into sharp focus: the role of medical expert witnesses, and the influence they wield in the courtroom, particularly as it relates to determining the cause of death. Within the span of the ensuing weeks, one juror said that the medical expert testimony was particularly influential, and a petition to investigate another medical expert witness’s track record of assessing cases for potential bias, garnered over 400 signatures from concerned physicians. Clearly, it’s worth asking this question: If the broader goal is to improve justice, can the system of using medical expert witnesses be re-imagined? This question can be examined by highlighting three main challenges.
First, the term “expert” is tricky in medicine, as medical science evolves rapidly (COVID is a prime example). Yesterday’s expert could be out of touch with their field of expertise today. Further, the prosecution and defense choose the expert most appropriate for supporting their respective legal strategies, which runs the risk of confirmation bias. At its best, medicine is a group sport; in hospitals, particularly for challenging cases, physicians share their knowledge; debate and discuss a case; and formulate plans in consultation with each other. And when it comes to the determination of death, the standard for group involvement is often higher. For brain death, for instance, two different physicians’ assessments may improve the likelihood of an accurate assessment.
The second issue is that the standard used by the courts to assess whether an expert witness’s scientific testimony can be included differs by state. Several states (including Minnesota) use the Frye Rule, established in 1923, which asks whether the expert’s assessment is generally accepted by the scientific community that specializes in this narrow field of expertise. Federally, and in several other states, the Daubert Standard of 1993 is used, which dictates the expert show their scientific reasoning (so the determination of validity is left to the courts), though acceptance within the scientific community is still a factor. Each standard has its drawbacks. For instance, in Frye, the expert’s community could be narrowly drawn by the legal team in a way that helps bolster the expert’s outdated or rare perspective, and the Daubert standard presumes that the judge and jury have an understanding of the science in order to independently assess scientific validity. Some states also strictly apply the standard, whereas others are more flexible. (The Canadian approach is derived from the case R v. Mohan, which states the expert be qualified and their testimony be relevant, but the test for “reliability” is left to the courts).
Third, when it comes to assessments of cause of death specifically, understanding the distinction between necessary and sufficient is important. Juries can have a hard time teasing out the difference. In the Chauvin trial, the medical expert witnesses testifying on behalf of the prosecution were aligned in their assessment of what killed Floyd: the sustained pressure of the officer’s knee on Floyd’s neck (note that asphyxia is a common cause of cardiac arrest). However, David Fowler, the medical expert witness for the defense, suggested the asphyxia was secondary to heart disease and drug intoxication as meaningful contributors to his death.
An example of a cause being sufficient on its own might be a person who is pushed out of a plane, at 10,000 feet without a parachute. In a case like that, having a preexisting condition is inconsequential to their certain death. An example of a cause being necessary but not sufficient might be an individual with a compromised immune system who is infected with the influenza virus; neither condition alone would typically be lethal, but the combination might well be. With the Chauvin case, the disagreement between the medical expert witnesses was effectively over whether the force used was sufficient to cause Floyd’s death, irrespective of preexisting conditions (akin to the example of being dropped out of a plane) or whether it was only deadly in combination with another condition such as trace amounts of drugs (i.e., more similar to a person with preexisting conditions dying from influenza).
If we had the opportunity to re-imagine how medical expert witnesses might be used more effectively, how would we approach it?
In a 2010 Canadian paper, two scholars made several recommendations, including that these experts share only opinions (based on facts and reasoning, ideally supported by the medical literature) from their area of expertise, make clear where elements may be controversial in the scientific community, avoid confusing jargon during their testimony, and be informed that their primary role is to assist the court by providing testimony that is impartial, as in free from bias.
Arguments to improve how medical expert witnesses serve the justice system have been made by prominent legal scholars such as David Faigman, the Chancellor and Dean and John F Digardi Distinguished Professor of Law at the University of California Hastings School of Law. However, Faigman shared that it remains a challenge to convince the courts to re-imagine this system.
One potential improvement involves vetting medical expert witnesses for potential biases, such as those based on gender or race before they take the stand (Fowler, the medical expert on Chauvin’s defense team, was involved in another similar case, involving the death of a young Black man, which raised concerns, which is leading to a review of his other cases after an open letter signed by over 400 physicians). According to Faigman, currently only good cross-examination may help elucidate these biases during a trial. As well, biases related to compensation could potentially be avoided by instituting a common pool of funding, with a standard rate, though in practice, this would be challenging to put in place.
Another improvement could involve ensuring that courts institute a more stringent application and selection process, in which medical expert witnesses would be required to demonstrate their clinical and research competence related to the specific issues in a case, and where their abilities are recognized by their professional group. For example, the American College of Cardiology could endorse a cardiologist as a leader in a relevant subspecialty—a similar approach has been suggested as a way to reform medical expert witness testimony by emergency physicians. One drawback, according to Faigman, is that courts would be unlikely to fully abdicate their role in evaluating expertise.
Last, instead of medical experts working for both sides, the courts could appoint a panel of medical experts who are required to explain their assessments (which would be part of the record) independently of each other and the opposing legal teams, but also have the panel work together and deliberate on a final assessment. Faigman shared that while this would offer an ideal solution, the courts would still need to decide how best to appoint and compensate this panel.
In any case, borrowing from how medicine works at its best in hospitals, to improve the current model in court may help us better reach our common goal of justice.
Since the time of Chiron, doctors have been viewed as godlike. More recently, and particularly during the pandemic, we realize that physicians have limits to their knowledge. Perhaps no other physician described the fallibility of doctors more profoundly than Roger I. Lee, who served as the president of the American Medical Association. In an essay aptly titled “Are Doctors People?” published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1944, he wrote:
“We must accept the fact that the community, from the days of folklore and the
medicine man to the present, conceives the medicine man and the doctor as someone apart
from the rest of the tribe or the rest of the community…[but] Doctors are human beings.”
Lee was ahead of his time in his recognition that doctors also have a role to play in ameliorating social ills. Systemic racism is perhaps the most profound of these ills. The Chauvin trial has only furthered the salience and limits of physician expertise and judgement in the criminal justice system. While the verdict was ultimately aligned with the majority of medical expert witnesses, and those physicians who assessed Floyd at the time, it’s on us to make the system better.
**Originally published in Scientific American, May 2021**
May 2021
Welcome to the May issue of WonderWell, a newsletter intended to gather the most groundbreaking research and insightful commentaries in evidence-based medicine, wellness, healthcare leadership, writing, and innovation to help you live and work in alignment with your purpose and well-being.
Some things that had me wondering this month:
1. COVID and…
India: The situation in India is devastating, to say the least. I’ve written about the role of large companies in helping us address the pandemic in North America (I wrote about some ideas in Fast Company last March, and for Medium). After an initial block on raw materials, the US lifted the ban, which was wonderful news. Companies like Salesforce and Apple have also stepped up to help, and the diaspora has spoken out as well (Toronto Star)
Brazil: The plight of COVID children was meticulously described in NBC News — what might explain this pattern in Brazil, but not North America? And, in the Globe and Mail, the tragic story of Emily Victoria Viegas, a 13 year old who died In Brampton Ontario
Vaccine Hesitancy: Some ideas on how to re-think it, in the New York Times. Two years ago I tackled the challenge more generally in the LATimes — it’s not about knowledge as much as it’s about understanding, the influence of our peers/social network, and our personal experiences intersecting with our values.
The Color Line: I’ve been waiting for someone to take a deep dive into the disproportionate element of race during this pandemic. Ibram Kendi did just that, in The Atlantic, and it’s worth a read.
To Mask or Not to Mask (and risks): Nikole Hannah Jones’ Tweet suggests that masking may be a social good in more ways than one. For the Globe and Mail, Andre Picard places the salience of risk assessment, as it relates to the vaccines, in perspective.
Organized Chaos: In Canada, a big batch of vaccines from Johnson and Johnson was held back for inspection (note they arrived from the same US factory that was problematic), the National Advisory Council on Immunizations provided mixed messaging regarding two tiers of vaccines, meanwhile the US is looking to expand vaccine eligibility for the Pfizer vaccine to 12-15 year olds (though herd immunity is looking more unlikely). That said, the W.H.O. had *finally* deemed COVID airborne (GREAT news) just weeks after an urgent an op-ed by the head of the W.H.O. that was timely and important.
2. Podcasts to listen to:
On her Dare to Lead Podcast, Brene Brown’s interview with Michael Bungay Stanier was brilliant. One big take-home (and there were many) was how to handle requests for giving advice, in a way that places the onus on the asker. It made me think a *lot* about motivational interviewing: the aim being to help clarify the person’s goals, and reminding them of their own agency. Another interview, on the same podcast, with Angela Duckworth was also a worthwhile listen, especially near the end, when both Brown and Duckworth share experiences with envy and how best to channel that sentiment productively.
This Tim Ferris podcast episode, with Balaji Srinivasan, was from the end of March, but I listened to it in early April (late to the party). It’s well worth the 3.5 hour listen (in chunks!). Some highlights: how autonomy can help offset cancel culture, the future of cryptocurrency, and what work/purpose may eventually look like for each of us. I also appreciated Srinivasan’s orientation towards legacy building, and ‘giving back’ after his success.
While not a podcast, an incredible Audiobook to make time for is: What Happened to You, by Oprah and Bruce Perry (a psychiatrist) which takes a deep dive into trauma. Over the last year I’ve realized how much is secondary to trauma — how we respond to things and how others respond for instance. These traumatic events, as Gabor Mate shared during a chat earlier this year, can seem minor at the time but they all lead to patterns that underlie how we understand the world and how we interact with others and respond to others. It has deepened my understanding of others and myself. The book wraps up with Oprah doubling down on post-traumatic ‘wisdom’ with some words around making ‘trauma your power.’
3.On…re-examining medical culture (from 2017)
In the American Academy of Family Physicians — a nice framework for shifting medical culture, both as a leader and someone who is being ‘led.’
4.Sound (and wise) reflections
~On languishing, by Adam Grant in the NYT (who humbly shared a counterpoint by Austin Kleon)
~Newark police reform seems to have worked, in NJ.com.
~Why the dental ‘system’ is so broken, in Canada at least, via The Walrus. It’s a great title too.
5.Miscellany
~From STATNews: while diversity and inclusion efforts have expanded in most industries, medical education/medical schools is not one. And, in Time, how medical journals remain resistant to writing about systemic racism
~Cancel culture x Shame, by Ezra Klein in the NYT. I’d love to see/hear Brene Brown’s take on this topic.
~The history of the Rubik’s cube — I’ll have more to share in due time (it’s briefly in my book)!
6.Best tweets of the month goes to…
Via Tim Ferris:
“Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson
By @ProductHunt — your brain on Zoom (without breaks)
A lovely cartoon by one of my favorite children’s book illustrators, Debbie Ridpath Ohi on ignoring writing competition, and focusing on your own journey and pace
Viral viral thread on imaginary New Yorker covers — this one made me cry (a perfect depiction of grief).
And by @JamaalBowmanNY
Addiction requires love — not jail.
And last: @EzraKlein, on anxiety
And then came the pandemic. Reality was objectively terrifying, and many of us were trapped inside, severed from social connection and routine, with acres of time to fret. It was a bad mix. I know a lot of people who didn’t have an anxiety problem before, but do now.
In My Own Words…
For the last year, I’ve been perplexed by the role of medical expert witnesses in the criminal justice system. I didn’t have a reason to explore it until the Chauvin/George Floyd trial, and came across an excellent law review paper by David Faigman (Chancellor of UC Hastings School of Law) which got me thinking. It was truly a page turner!!
I shared my thoughts in an opinion/analysis piece for Scientific American here.
This was a month with lots of *editing* of my first book draft; I completed the second draft in early May. One of the best books I’ve read over the last few months was by Ashley Bristowe, My Own Blood, which explores how, as a mother of a child with a rare health condition, she was able to navigate both the medical world and the personal world. I highly recommend it — we rarely get insight into these struggles from the ‘patient’ side of things.
It’s promising to see that in some places–parts of the US, things are opening up and vaccine rates are high. Canada still has issues with the vaccine supply, and places like India do as well. I had COVID last year and tested positive for antibodies before receiving the first dose of Pfizer — surprisingly I didn’t become ill but will have to see what the second shot will show. I’m feeling more optimistic than I have in over a year that things will start to open up in the Fall in most places in North America. Hopefully the whole world will be in a position to see the end of this terrible pandemic very soon as well — there’s no ‘them,’ just us, and if there was ever a time for vaccine diplomacy and general regard for global health, this is it.
Have a healthy, joyful, and safe month,
Amitha Kalaichandran, M.D., M.H.S.
Mild and dire forecasting models serve different purposes, and can be tricky to interpret. But when they appear similar, it may signal the end of the pandemic.
c/o Getty Images
CONSIDER THIS THOUGHT experiment: J is a 55 year-old patient who has smoked two packs of cigarettes a day since he was 22. He has just been diagnosed with stage III non-small-cell lung cancer. His doctor uses a series of methods, including a model, to decide his prognosis.
In Situation 1, his doctor uses the “precautionary principle” and presents the worst-case scenario based on a model of the worst case: J has about six months to live.
In Situation 2, the doctor bases her prognosis on future-projecting J’s present situation, by definition not the worst-case scenario and more “optimistic”: J has another two years to live.
Which scenario is better?
The answer isn’t so straightforward. In medicine, prognostication is fraught with its own challenges and depends largely on the data and model used, which may not perfectly apply to an individual patient. More importantly: The patient is part of the model. If the information used then shifts the patient’s behavior, the model itself changes–more precisely, the weights given to certain variables in the model change either toward a more negative or positive outcome. In the first scenario, J may decide to shift his behavior to make the most of his next six months, perhaps extending it to nine months or longer. Does that mean the model was inaccurate? No. It does mean that knowledge of the model helped nudge J toward a more optimistic outcome. In the second scenario the opposite may happen: J may continue his two-pack-a-day smoking habit, or only cut down to a pack a day, which may hasten a more negative outcome. It’s entirely possible that J in Situation 1 lives for two years, and in Situation 2 lives for six months.
This pattern exists everywhere, from prognosticating climate change to even polling (knowing poll results can affect voting behavior, potentially changing the outcome). We’ve seen a similar dilemma with Covid-19 pandemic modeling, which may help explain the divisiveness over everything from when the pandemic may end to whether lockdowns are appropriate. Last year, just as the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a global pandemic, I wrote about uncertainty and risk perception. When faced with uncertainty we defer to experts, but a month later the National Institute of Health’s Anthony Fauci correctly noted that experts are fraught with predicting what was (and still is) a “moving target.”
Over the past few weeks we’ve seen more opinion pieces focused on optimism: that herd immunity will be reached by April, and summer will be more like 2019, wide open and carefree. We’ve also seen how this optimism, based on a “present-day accurate model” can sway behavior: from schools opening (but then locking back down) to Texas’ recent removal of its mask mandate potentially contributing to an uptick in cases. Others have taken a more pessimistic approach, saying it may be another two years until things “return to normal,” and the virus variants are a “whole other ballgame.” Today, in Michigan and in Canada, a potential variant-fueled third wave suggests a less optimistic outlook (for now). We’re all deeply familiar with how this pattern has repeated itself several times over the past year, and even experts disagree (and some have changed tack). It’s more than just bad news bias. But how do we reconcile this dichotomy between the “optimists” and the “pessimists”? It may come down to how we understand the purpose of epidemiological models in general, and the two types of pandemic forecasting models.
Justin Lessler is an associate professor of epidemiology at Johns Hopkins University and is part of a team that regularly contributes to the Covid-19 Forecast Hub. He specifies that there are four main types of models: theoretical, which help us understand how disease systems work; strategic, which help public officials make decisions, including to “do nothing”; inferential, which help estimate things like levels of herd immunity; and forecasting, which project what will happen in the future based on our best guess how the response and epidemic will actually unfold.
When it comes to forecasting models, there are those whose forecasts are not worst-case scenario by definition (thus more optimistic), which aim to describe present-day patterns in transmission and susceptibility and project out, assuming the current patterns stay the same. In these “dynamic causal models” a variety of different variables are added to also include, as University College London based biomathematician Karl Friston described, unknown factors that affect how the virus spreads, dubbed “dark matter.”
Then there are forecasting models guided by the “precautionary principle,” aka “scenario models,” where the assumptions are often the most conservative. These account for the worst-case scenario, to allow governments to best prepare with supplies, hospital beds, vaccines, and so forth. In the UK, the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies focuses on these models and thus guides policy around lockdowns. In the US, President Biden’s Covid-19 task force is the closest equivalent, while the epidemiologists and actuaries that appear nonconformist may be the closest we get to a group like the Independent SAGE (which Friston works with).
“The type of modeling we do for the Independent SAGE is concerned with getting the granularity right, ensuring the greatest fit–with minimal complexity–to help us look under the hood, as it were, at what is really going on,” Friston told me. “So, the fundamental issue is namely, do we comply with the precautionary principle using worst-case scenario modeling of unmitigated responses, or do we commit to the most accurate models of mitigated response?”
This gets to the heart of the tension between various “experts.” For instance, epidemiologists like Stanford’s John Ioannidis have tended to be more concerned with modeling the pandemic to accurately explain current patterns (and extending this pattern into the future), which can come off as more optimistic and isn’t typically used to guide policy.
**Originally published in Wired, March 2021**
April 2021
Welcome to the April issue of WonderWell, a newsletter intended to gather the most groundbreaking research and insightful commentaries in evidence-based medicine, wellness, healthcare leadership, writing, and innovation to help you live and work in alignment with your purpose and well-being.
**to access all hyperlinks, please subscribe**
Some things that had me wondering this month:
1. COVID and…
~Vaccine hesitancy. In December I wrote about a hypothesis on scarcity and social proof about potentially overcoming vaccine hesitancy. Recently the WSJ published data on vaccine hesitancy, which appears to be going down on several states — could it be secondary to scarcity and social proof? And what *might* it mean for vaccine hesitancy in general?
~The politics behind pandemics. This, from the New Yorker is an excellent review of Baylor Medicine’s Dr. Peter Hoetz latest book, Preventing the Next Pandemic, and a great reflection on a remarkable career in infectious diseases/global health.
~Design. COVID has impacted the design world in unique way, in the New York Times .
2. Podcasts to listen to:
The On Being podcast is a favorite. Recently host Krista Tippett interviewed psychologist Christine Ryntab about how our mental health has been affected by the pandemic.
Part 1 (covers mastery vs success) and Part 2 (covers a beautiful term called “aesthetic force”) where Brene Brown, for her Daring Leadership podast, interviews Harvard’s Dr Sarah Lewis. It might be the best set of interviews I’ve listened to in years. It will nourish you and inspire you (and i’m currently listening to Lewis’ gorgeous book The Rise, on audiobook).
I’ve been listening to poet and musician Morgan Harper Nichols daily for the last 2 weeks. Her 3-12 min episodes are beautiful reflections which leave you with a question. Nichols’ voice alone is incredible, and her instagram account covers her artwork as well. She’s a rising star to watch.
Some of my recent favorites have been on trusting despite the uncertainty, on our purpose (with lovely) a river analogy, and 7 phrases to help with future worries.
3.On…forecasting and expertise
This is from the archives of the Atlantic, by the incredible David Epstein (his book Range is a must-read). Here, citing Philip Tetlock’s work, he calls into question ‘expertise’ — indeed it must be a balance. We need experts to guide us, but non-experts help us identify blind-spots. This is a topic I’ve been thinking about a LOT with the pandemic. I’m now left thinking it’s more of an ‘amplification problem.’ Perhaps, with COVID, given the amount of uncertainty and the fast-moving nature of science, the media tends to rely on experts to self-identify. This then leads to many ‘non-experts’ (confident but incompetent, at least as it relates to medicine and public health), who *should* be part of the discussion, but shouldn’t be amplified, get amplified the media.
Recently an economist at Brown received immense criticism (here, here , here, and here, but really — there were lots of important points made) for an article about childhood COVID transmission. It was inaccurate and simply unwise, as many physicians and epidemiologists identified, but it likely wasn’t intentionally so. The simplest explanation: economists and epidemiologists look at data and value various factors *differently.* As an economist, her views could add to the discussion — it may just be that they should not have been amplified in that fashion, as it drowned out the current recommendations and expert forecasts. It was quickly debunked but the harm cannot be underestimated. Reporters, and others without expertise but who write about a subject, are expected to incorporate expertise into their pieces, in order to report out an issue fairly and accurately. It’s possible that this economist may have avoided the controversy by interviewing epidemiologists in a “reported op-ed” (one that isn’t solely her opinion), as opposed to writing an op-ed from her point of view as, effectively, a non-expert in public health. Perhaps an article on the economic impacts of COVID or how an economist may *think* through the challenge of lockdowns would have been more appropriate.
We must amplify experts who are truly able to comment on the pandemic and make recommendations, and not simply allow the loudest voices (in the room or on Twitter) to prevail. This, ultimately, causes harm to public understanding, and influences behavior in a way that ultimately negatively impacts how the pandemic is handled. Editors and producers, therefore, must also be equally discerning when commissioning op-eds from academics, and ensure their expertise lines up with the subject matter.
4.Sound (and wise) reflections
~A former incarcerated man reflects on solitary confinement — which he suffered through for 18 years — in NYTOpinion
~The challenge of bullying in healthcare, in the Financial Post
~The role of trauma in gun violence, in the NYTOpinion
~There were many great pieces about anti-asian violence. This Q+A in the New Yorker and this op-ed by National Book Award winner, Charles Yu, in the LATimes are worth a read
5.Miscellany
~From the LATimes, the things migrants carried and dropped on their trek across the border for a better life
~The incomparable Dr Eric Topol, for the WSJ, on how science accelerated over the last 13 months
~The plight of child caregivers, in the LATimes
~In the NYT, the incredible life of one of my favorite writers as a child — Beverley Cleary
~One of the best personal essays I’ve read in months, in the Washington Post, about medical error, second opinions, and the limits of medical ‘expertise’
6.Best tweet of the month goes to…
A Three-WAY tie:
This thread is inspiring (it’s worth reading in its entirety).
@JouLee:
We think strength is self-sufficiency— achievement without reliance on others. We think that if someone else gains, we lose. But intertwined, we all go further. This is the secret of Silicon Valley. Help others, ask for help, and collective strength multiplies.
@gradydoctor:
Reflecting on these statements from 2 good friends in academic medicine this week: 1. “There HAS to be a consequence between nothing and professional death.” 2. “Healing HAS to include restorative justice–which begins with accountability.” Yeah. That part.
In My Own Words…
This was a month with lots of writing, and the next few weeks will be dedicated to my book revisions (due in 3 wks!). For Medium‘s Coronavirus vertical, I wrote a primer about the AstraZeneca vaccine, clots, and concerns about causality. For Elemental, I examined the role of prayer in healing, inspired by the story of Molly (that many of us were inspired by in February). Last, for Wired I tackled an issue that has been on my mind for many weeks: the puzzle of pandemic prognostication (and why some see things through an optimistic lens, whereas others are more concerned) — I make mention of epistemic trust and the issue I discuss above (point #3).
Also, a personal one from the archive (2017), about my grandfather, who has been on my mind late, in Hektoen International.
My time in Vancouver is soon coming to an end (as, sadly, variants are taking hold). It has been such an incredible place, with so much natural beauty, to spend time in over the last 8 months.
Have a healthy, joyful, month,
Amitha Kalaichandran, M.D., M.H.S.
How to make sense of recent concerns about the AstraZeneca vaccine
Last week, several European countries paused their use of the AstraZeneca vaccine due to concerns about clotting and bleeding risks. Though the World Health Organization (WHO) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) have both said that it is safe to use, most countries have resumed using the vaccine, and the company released data on Monday showing it is 79% effective in preventing symptomatic disease in the United States, many people may still be wondering about the risks. There are five major things to clear up when understanding the concerns about blood clots.
1. What are clots?
When most people think of blood clots, they think of a scab on the skin or clots in menstruation: congealed, thickened blood. In medicine, we’re talking about something more serious, involving the blood that circulates in our veins and travels from the tissues to the lungs to get reoxygenated. Blood clots are a general term for what’s known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE).
Think of DVTs as blood clots that are often found in the calves or in the arms. Sometimes they resolve on their own, but they become dangerous when they break off and travel through the circulation and into the lungs, causing a PE, which in turn causes chest pain, decreases oxygen, and can lead to death. Sometimes DVTs can break off and travel backward to the heart and through the body again, making their way into the brain and causing a stroke. This is called a paradoxical embolism. A more rare clot in the brain is called a cerebral venous thrombosis (CVST). CVSTs may be the main clot of concern associated with the AstraZeneca vaccine. DVTs, PEs, and CVSTs are medical emergencies.
2. How do clots form?
Most of the time, blood clots form in order to help us heal from wounds — injured tissue, internally or externally. Their formation involves the “coagulation (fancy word for clotting) cascade,” which comprises the extrinsic pathway, intrinsic pathway, and common pathway. The extrinsic pathway refers to factors in the coagulation cascade that are external or extrinsic from blood when studied in a test tube. The intrinsic pathway refers to factors in the cascade that are found in the blood when studied in a test tube.
These pathways require many components to work together effectively, including various clotting factors, most of which are named using Roman numerals and some that aren’t, like protein tissue factor (TF) and Von Willebrand factor (VWF). Other proteins block abnormal clots from forming, so they are said to have “anticoagulant” effects. These include Protein C, Protein S (both work with Vitamin K), and antithrombin III.
Some individuals bleed more easily than others. This can be due to deficiencies in coagulation factors — Factor VIII and Factor IX deficiencies, for instance, cause hemophilia, as does a deficiency in VWF. Other people have a lower platelet count. Since platelets are important to forming a “clotting plug,” which helps prevent blood loss by temporarily sealing an injured blood vessel, a dip in platelets often means bleeding risk may increase.
3. Who is at risk of clots?
Glad you asked. First, anyone with a deficiency in an anticoagulant is at risk. Put another way, anyone who doesn’t have clotting blockers or who clots easily is at risk. An individual with antithrombin III deficiency, for example, would typically clot more easily.
But someone can have perfectly normal coagulation factors and a perfectly well-oiled coagulation cascade and still be at risk. Many athletes (as I’ve written about previously) fall into this category. This brings us to Virchow’s triad. Over a century ago, the German scientist and physician, Rudolf Virchow, described three components that increase the risk of a blood clot.
The first is “venous stasis,” which refers to moments when the blood sitting in our veins is stagnant. Imagine honey or ketchup in a squeezy bottle that’s stuck because it’s been sitting around. The way ketchup or honey congeals is similar to how stagnant venous blood forms. Except in the body, this can lead to a clot. In humans, this happens when we are stagnant. Long flights where we aren’t moving around is a common situation, but so is lying in a hospital bed for days on end, which is why many patients receive a blood thinner and are encouraged to move around.
The second component is vessel injury. If a blood vessel gets injured, the body responds by forming a clot, much as it would if you injure your skin through a scrape or a dog bite. Except when this happens in the body, there’s a chance the clot can become large and break off, blocking vessels and preventing blood (and therefore oxygen) from reaching the tissues, which can be deadly when it comes to the lungs or brain. These blood vessel injuries often happen during surgery.
The third factor involves other factors that increase hypercoagulability, which can refer to everything from cancer to inflammatory disease to being on estrogen hormone therapy (like the birth control pill). The mechanisms vary, but they are generally due to the impact on components of the coagulation system that drive it toward more clotting and away from anti-clotting.
4. So, how does this explain the concern with the AstraZeneca vaccine?
Everything! We’re almost there. Let’s get some facts straight first. First, the incidence of DVT and PE, due to the issues described above, is about one per 1,000 people per year. For CVSTs, it’s even more rare: five per 1 million. This is the normal pre-pandemic and pre-vaccine incidence and reflects individuals at risk due to Virchow’s triad and issues with their coagulation system.
Back to the vaccines. Robust vaccine monitoring systems in many countries specifically look for potential adverse events after the vaccine, as part of what is called “active surveillance.” In general, however, we don’t have active surveillance for blood clots. No one calls families randomly to ask if anyone has had a blood clot. So, the fact that about 37 people who got the AstraZeneca vaccine have reported blood clots, out of 5 million who received the vaccine, doesn’t necessarily mean it’s caused by the vaccine. In all likelihood, these same 37 people would have had the same blood clot even if they weren’t vaccinated. And this is likely, given that the rate isn’t particularly high, compared with the baseline risk of blood clots. While the year still has nine months left, the current rate is about 0.006 per 1000 people per year for clots in general, which is lower than baseline.
It’s possible, given that the AstraZeneca vaccine is generally easier to store and manufacture in larger volumes (e.g. by India), that more people in total have received it. If that is the case, it may seem like the AstraZeneca vaccine is associated with more clots compared to the other vaccines, but the reality could be that more people have received it, period.
The Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine has been given out in 72 countries, and AstraZeneca to 71 as of March 18, but the number of people who have received it in those countries is not known. If each vaccine were distributed with the same frequency, it would be much more straightforward to compare the rate of adverse events, and it’s possible we would see the same pattern with them (which isn’t much of a pattern at all if it’s less than or equal to the baseline risk).
This is where the Bradford Hill criteria of causation comes in. They essentially say that temporality — the fact that an outcome comes after an exposure (in this case, an adverse event comes after a vaccine) — isn’t sufficient to prove causality, for the same reason that wearing a yellow T-shirt a few hours before the sun comes out doesn’t mean your T-shirt caused sunshine. We need more. Specifically, a biological gradient and plausibility: A biological explanation for the cause, much like we know that smoking causes lung cancer because the elements in cigarette smoke are known to be carcinogenic (even in a lab, they can cause mutations in lung cells that result in cancer).
5. Putting it all together — three key questions
Now that you’re an expert in clotting and causality, we can ask three crucial questions.
The first is whether the incidence of blood clots is statistically significantly higher among those that received the AstraZeneca vaccine compared to those that received no vaccine or another vaccine. (Statistically significant means that it’s unlikely to be due to chance.) Here’s the easiest way to think of it: In a random sample of 1,000 individuals, half of whom received the AstraZeneca vaccine and half of whom received another vaccine or no vaccine, does the AstraZeneca group show a statistically significant increased incidence of DVT, PE, or CVST? When testing a large number of rare events, the Bonferroni correction must also be applied to avoid the erroneous finding of statistical significance when testing several things, which apparently was missing from the EMA’s initial work.
The second is whether the dip in platelets observed in people who got the AstraZeneca vaccine is different from what is seen with other vaccines and viruses. Viruses, in general, can sometimes cause temporary dips in platelets (known as thrombocytopenia), and vaccines that are made from inert viruses may also do this. Though they usually cause a mild decrease in platelets, a severe decrease can be concerning and can cause a paradoxical overactivation of platelets, which can cause clots.
The third is whether there is a component in the AstraZeneca vaccine that would impact the coagulation cascade, specifically the hypercoagulability element of Virchow’s triad. This seems unlikely as most vaccine adjuvants (which boost the “immunogenicity”) and stabilizers are inert, meaning they don’t have medicinal or biological impacts. Alternatively, finding other biological mechanisms to explain the body’s abnormal response to the vaccine is also possible.
In summary, it’s unlikely that the clotting issues discovered by active surveillance are caused by the vaccine. However, it’s understandable why some countries are pausing vaccine administration until the above three questions, and possibly others, are answered.
The WHO continues to back the vaccine, while the EMA simply wants to add a warning, and countries like Canada are considering updating its guidance. The crucial thing to understand is that in a battle of risks, the harm from halting a vaccine campaign aimed at putting a stop to a deadly pandemic, which has a risk of mortality and long-term complications, appears to be much higher than the risk of blood clots.
March 2021
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Welcome to the March issue of WonderWell, a newsletter intended to gather the most groundbreaking research and insightful commentaries in evidence-based medicine, wellness, healthcare leadership, writing, and innovation to help you live and work in alignment with your purpose and well-being
“Two days, Two seasons” (Kitsilano, Vancouver BC, February 14th vs February 13th, 2021)
Some things that had me wondering this month:
1. COVID and…
~A new vaccine. The Johnson & Johnson COVID vaccine is now available in the US (hopefully in Canada soon). How does it stack up against Moderna and Pfizer (and AstraZeneca)? This might be the wrong question when scarcity is at play: take what you get, as this NYT op-ed advises. Remember: the vaccine is intended to prevent severe disease, i.e. disease that would require a hospitalization/ICU visit or worse: death. It may not be perfectly effective at preventing infection. The flu vaccine is similar, though often has much lower effectiveness. But in general, those vaccinated with the flu vaccine are at a much lower risk of severe disease, even if they do have mild flu symptoms.
~Vaccine diplomacy. This will continue to be a topic to watch closely, and one I’ve been pondering since the Summer when I received a press release about an Indian manufacturer planning to ramp up production of a vaccine (which ended up being the Astra Zeneca vaccine). India specifically has played a major role over the last 15 years in terms of drug manufacturing: especially as it relates to anti-retroviral drugs, and facilitating a price drop which improved global access. India has manufactured vaccines for global health (e.g. polio) as distributed by organizations like GAVI, WHO, UNICEF, etc. But this is the first time to my knowledge that India is playing a role in manufacturing vaccines for the ‘developed’ world. So not only is Jamaica receiving shipments, but so is Canada. The editors of the NYT Opinion section penned an excellent op-ed on the theme here. My question: will India then be able to leverage other interests (e.g. politically, trade/economic) with recipient countries? And what are the potential pitfalls and opportunities? A handy comparison: the role China played in providing PPE to affected countries, and the potential downside regarding accountability as it relates to investigations into the virus origins in the country.
~On reopening schools. It remains a tricky debate. I like Dr Leana Wen’s take in the Washington Post. Side note: I spent my 32nd birthday in Charleston, and Dr Wen happened to be there (story for another time, but she’s fabulous!)
~ Screening for health conditions. There’s no doubt that there are several externalities secondary to the pandemic. One big one that doesn’t get discussed enough: the negative impact on screening. This piece, in the NYT, tackles it head on.
~Children. A well presented and reported piece on the youngest victims of the pandemic in the Post — even if children rarely suffer from severe disease, they are impacted in other long-lasting ways.
~The best essay I’ve read (about COVID since the pandemic began), by none other than Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee. This one is about the mystery behind the low death rate in India in the New Yorker (followup with my favourite New Yorker piece period, from 2017, Cancer’s Invasion Equation, also by Dr. Mukherjee)
2. Podcasts to listen to:
This episode of Brene Brown’s podcast features one of my favorite thinkers, Adam Grant.
Here they interview each other in a sense, and Grant gets into the topic of his latest book, “Think Again,” while also sharing a variety of anecdotes about his career and life decisions.
And because she’s utterly delightful, Fran Lebowitz interviewed by Kara Swisher on Sway is well worth the laughs and incredulity, if only for her line comparing herself to Helen Keller.
3.On…systemic racism in the 1950s and 2021
~Harry Jerome is a Canadian that I, and many others, never learned about in school. As a Black man attending a mostly all-white school in Vancouver in the 1950s, he had rocks hurled at him. His story of that time is captured here, in the CBC. A track star that went on to set several world records, Jerome sadly died in 1982. Now Vancouver is finding a way to honor him.
~This is an important read from StatNews‘ Theresa Gaffey, about a big story that was trending on Twitter earlier in February. A program director, who happened to be a Black woman, was dismissed from her position after flagging issues of systemic racism. This topic in general is a sad and very real issue in academic medicine, affecting residents, but also, clearly, staff as well. Of note, Gaffey is a multimedia producer but I hope she stays on this beat (medical education) as this article was so well reported, covering the nuances particularly well.
~And for GQ, the incomparable Wesley Lowery on how one police department, in Ithaca, New York is attempting reform. It may be a model for others.
4.Sound (and wise) reflections
~From NYTMag, this profile of Kazuo Ishiguro is simply sublime. What a brilliant mind
~The type of love that makes you happiest, in the Atlantic
~From ESPN, on injury and resilience, through the story of basketball player Azzi Fudd
~One of the most harmful questions you can ask children, by Adam Grant for CNBC
5.Miscellany
~From NYTOpinion about nurses, and what the pandemic means for the future of nursing. We rarely hear from other frontline workers (other than physicians), so this was illuminating for me. That said, someone on Twitter, who happens to be a nurse, flagged to me that that article was not inclusive, and my sharing of it failed to amplify this issue. And, well, I agree (I have my own blindspots). That opinion piece did not include the fact that in many cities most hard hit, nurses of color (mostly women) have disproportionately been affected. So I also share this article, in CNN: about the toll on Filipino nurses in particular, though the same may be said of Caribbean-American nurses, Latin-American nurses, and so forth. It also reminded me of why I mentor with the Op-Ed project, to help ensure that under-represented voices get heard.
~The tragic story of Joe Ligon, which broke my heart and I *still* can’t wrap my head around: to be captive for THAT many years, and now released. Unimaginable.
~The death of groundbreaking cancer researcher, Dr. Emil Freireich hits hard for anyone in pediatric medicine. He was a trailblazer to say the least, and highly disagreeable in his approach as a pediatric oncologist and researcher. He didn’t care much for the status quo: his focus was on finding a treatment for childhood leukemia, which he did. His obituary in the NYT is a must read.
6.Best tweet of the month goes to…
A compelling speech by Ryan Leaf, about the NFL’s failure to acknowledge mental health issues. As I write this another former player, Louis Nix, has died (though the cause has not been confirmed).
I don’t know who needs to hear this, or if I just needed to say it, but I will not continue to stand by and watch my brothers disappear because the multi billion $$$ corporation won’t do the right thing.
@nfl @NFLPA do something!! #igoturback #nflbrotherhood
And a thread by the incredible writer and musician Morgan Harper Nichols, about her recent diagnosis of autism, as a reminder of how women are often diagnosed late, or misdiagnosed:
Last Saturday, after a very long journey, I was officially diagnosed with autism and I just want to share my experiences here for anyone else out there whom it could help (a lengthy thread)
In My Own Words…
My lockdown obsession: colorful heritage hen eggs by Black Rooster Farms, Langley BC
January 2021 (these aren’t painted by the way– the colors are REAL!)
This month, I had the pleasure of being interviewed by influencer Camille Styles, on finding our purpose. I also participated in the “SoMeDocs writers conference” which was really fun (some great questions).
Other than that, I’m knee deep in book edits, with revisions due in April, and polishing off a textbook chapter I’m co-writing with a friend and colleague, Dr. Daniel Lakoff (emergency medicine physician with NYP Hospitals). I will have a piece out next week, which I’ll include in next month’s newsletter.
To end I’d like to highlight Andre Picard’s book on elder care arrived this week, and is timely and important. For my American readers: Picard is a must follow, as arguably the most prominent health journalist in Canada, and longstanding columnist for the Globe and Mail. He shares his commentary thoughtfully and wisely.
Have a healthy, joyful, month,
Amitha Kalaichandran, M.D., M.H.S.
February 2021
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Welcome to the February issue of WonderWell, a newsletter intended to gather the most groundbreaking research and insightful commentaries in evidence-based medicine, wellness, healthcare leadership, writing, and innovation to help you live and work in alignment with your purpose and well-being.
“Thin Places.” Wreck Beach, Vancouver BC, credit: Amitha Kalaichandran.
This is jam-packed with many things that had me wondering this month:
1. COVID and…
~Vaccine distribution. Logistics remains a big issue. Now we’re looking at optimizing vials and syringes. I enjoyed this piece in the NYT, which suggests ramping up the speed of vaccination, and focusing on priority groups
~How the most marginalized will almost always bear the larger brunt of the burden when it comes to most health concerns, in this case a global pandemic. This is a very sad story about a teen, who happened to be a Syrian refugee, who died from COVID after likely being exposed during his work in a longterm care home.
~A beautiful brief reflection (part of a newsletter) on how a journalist treked across the U.S. to ensure his mother got the vaccine roadtrip
~The WashPo published this, a deep reflection with Dr. Stanley Plotkin, who happens to be a LEGEND in public health and vaccinology — his name appeared most frequently (to my recollection) during our vaccinology modules at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.
~February is Black History Month, and a colleague and friend Dr. Uche Blackstock, along with her twin sister, described the inequities around vaccine rates, also in the WashPo.
~Jay Caspian Kang on why San Francisco may have been better equipped and prepared than other cities, in the New Yorker.
2. Podcast to listen to:
This episode from the Tara Brach podcast is excellent. I read Brach’s book “Radical Acceptance” last year, and just finished “Radical Compassion” which is even better.
As well, Kara Swisher has been hitting it out of the park lately, on Sway. Her episode with a Parler cofounder was slightly shocking (in an illuminating way) but her interview with Isabel Wilkerson was particularly excellent.
3.On…how to disagree better
This is a topic I’ve been thinking about for years and its more crucial during these divisive ties. In 2017 I wrote about the topic for the Walrus. Now the great Adam Grant has a new book out call Think Again (link to purchase here). His article in the New York Times serves as a wonderful appetizer. Another book to add to the list, on this topic, is Buster Benson’s Why are We Yelling? which was the best book I read in 2020.
4.Sound (and wise) reflections
~From the New Yorker, an interview between Isaac Chotiner and two experts from Turkey about how developing countries are navigating access to the COVID vaccine, and how more economically stable countries should lift their weight. I always enjoy Isaac’s interviews because he doesn’t hold back, and asks the questions most of us *want* to ask but might not.
~In the New Yorker again, a deeply vulnerable piece about opioid addiction and its toll on young people and families, from the journalist, Masha Gessen, herself.
~In the Atlantic, how your well-being is linked to where you choose to live — Arthur Brooks’ columns have been insightful and deeply relevant for these times
5.Miscellany
~For Black history month, this article on the experience of a black female interventional cardiologist, published by Canada’s CTV news is a must-read, especially as it gets to the ‘double burden’ of being a person of color and a woman in medicine, and the systemic challenges (e.g. microaggressions) she and many others have faced. Couple this with an excellent editorial in the CMAJ about why anti-racism should be a professional competence.
~The link between workplace culture and well-being is crucial to understand, and it’s a link I’m particularly interested in (if we can improve culture we will make major leaps as it relates to thriving — we spend most of our time at work!). This article, in the CBC was a powerful investigative piece into how this issue played out in one of Canada’s most important institutions — and underscored that women in power can *also* perpetuate harassment and abuse, a point that is too often ignored or overlooked. Undoubtedly, while Pyette has now resigned, she has done so only after leaving a trail of likely traumatized victims — in government, policing (those tasked to protect her were also allegedly abused), and employees at the Montreal Science Centre among others — behind, victims who may never see real justice. This piece, which is part of a series by CBC, also speaks to the power of journalism to push for accountability, specifically as it relates to workplace culture.
~Michael Lewis is one of the best storytellers of our time. There will be many “pandemic” books published in the coming year(s) but if I were to bet, his might be the best one, and this article about his track record of bringing us gripping stories is excellent.
~The result of the Capitol Hill riots in early January will bear out for years. We are seeing the ripple effects now. The suicide of a police officer days later for instance, and AOC recently shared the impact on her as well. Collective trauma is an under-discussed issue, as a recent tweet clearly illustrated to me recently.
~A year ago on January 26 2020 Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gigi, and six others died in a helicopter crash. Last week this article, by Mirin Fader, in The Ringer elucidates his legacy.
~Are you easily frustrated during the pandemic? Well this short video (as with most of his short videos) by Daniel Pink might provide some tips.
6.Best tweet of the month goes to…
A three-way tie!
A mother and lawyer who asked for prayers for her daughter Molly over Twitter:
Please. Please. Please. Everyone PRAY for my daughter Molly. She has been in an accident and suffered a brain trauma. She’s unconscious in ICU. Please RT and PRAY 🙏
Collective prayer, known as intercessory prayer has been studied extensively (the evidence isn’t great, as expected), but it was unique to see social media being used for this purpose. Would Molly have been ok otherwise? Possibly. But it was a nice moment to see a tweet like this go viral. I’m staying tuned on her progress and hope she has a swift recovery.
This tweet {hyperlinked} and {hyperlinked} encapsulate a big challenge for many writers: navigating community and the experience of envy and competition. These went viral for a reason! What I know for sure is that we live in an abundant world, and one person’s success doesn’t preclude your own. I’m grateful for the community of writers I hold dear, who inspire and motivate me.
And another, by Adam Grant, on curiosity:
The hallmark of curiosity is a thirst for knowledge that has no obvious utility. Being a lifelong learner is taking joy in exploration regardless of whether the discovery has immediate relevance. The goal is to understand for the sake of understanding.
In My Own Words…
This month, I had the pleasure of interviewing two companies for my blog on the intersection between tech and well-being. Joy Ventures invests and incubates primarily in tech companies that are committed to health and wellbeing. LongWalks is an app that connects people around a common daily prompt, while encouraging guided reflections which can then be shared with the community (or kept private).
As well, as part of my work as a mentor-editor with the OpEdProject, I edited this excellent article by a palliative care physician from Columbia University and the director of the Center for Bioethics and Health Law at the University of Pittsburgh, for the Hastings Center on vaccine distribution
I can also finally share that in December I was approached by Twitter to consult on a really interesting initiative to improve the health of the platform. We’ve seen so much strife happen on social media, but these platforms, if designed a bit differently, can also be a tool we can use to connect and empathize, perhaps more so during a pandemic. It’s an honour to be part of these efforts.
Have a healthy, joyful, month,
Amitha Kalaichandran, M.D., M.H.S.
A series of interviews with pioneers bringing the world of wellness and technology to make meaningful change.
Parlaying a cancer diagnosis into an advocacy powerhouse, Ann Marie Giannino gives voice to people impacted by breast cancer, MS, and mental health issues. Since establishing the non-profit Stupid Dumb Breast Cancer organization in 2012, AnnMarie has worked tirelessly to engage the community through awareness programs and fundraising initiatives, and to ensure that everyone who suffers is heard. She currently serves as Director of Communities for Wisdo.com. Wisdo was created by Boaz Goan, in memory of his father, Benny Goan, who touched many with his wisdom. Goan wrote about the origin story and mission of Wisdo for Medium in 2016, writing: “Wisdom is practical knowledge. It’s what’s learned in hindsight. Kernels of “if only I had known then what I know now” information meant to pass along so that others can benefit.”
Annmarie Giannino
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Amitha: What has the response been so far? And growth patterns (including by age but also geography — are some countries/regions more on board vs others)?
For me personally I have watched and nurture Wisdo from the start. We had ten guides when the platform started to over 100 now and over 3,000 helpers. We are global for sure USA and UK seem to be our strongest. The age range is amazing. 19 to 70!! I love the fact we can connect with so many ages to share a common story. There is truly something hopeful talking to someone older than you who has gotten through a really hard time. We have over 1.5million registered users now – the community is growing and thriving.
Amitha: What has the impact been, in terms of general comments and any measurable things (research if available — has it made a difference among people with diagnosis of depression or those with depressed mood that is self-described?)
Annmarie: Again I would like to speak about the community. Wisdo is this amazing safe space to talk about things that are hard to hear. Many regular users on other social platforms don’t get seen because of the algorithms, and the follower count. By creating an environment where our members feel safe to express their dark thoughts we have instantly helped. Not talking and hiding behind safeguards will only perpetuate the stigma and make those living with depression feel alone. Wisdo does the opposite. We show those living with many mental health crises that talking is just what they need and talking to those who have been there can show them they will get through. This also validates what they are going through, they can see in our community that they are not the only ones feeling this. What an amazing way to show people that talking is safe and that even though their depression may look different we all are going through something similar.
Awhile ago a girl – a 19 year old who just got out of rehab has posted in a ‘coping with addiction’ group. And her recovery was similar to them. I clicked “Been there” (a button on the app). And she replied and said “thank you for reacting to my post.” And I replied. So here’s this 19 year old looking near a 40-something year old and got so much hope. We need that so desperately. When you sign up for a support group, regardless of age or ethnicity, but you’re all connected based on a similar experience. We get a lot out of knowing someone’s story, so for the most part it’s a peer-to-peer support. It’s not about misery loving company…people with depression want to connect to people who know what they’re going through.
Amitha: What are your thoughts on the general trend, if you agree it’s a trend, of social media looking at ways to i)decrease its toxicity/addiction potential ii)improve mental health and well-being? What other apps/companies are thinking about the same problem and seem interesting to you? Social media has 100% made Mental Health “trending”.
Annmarie: The issue is while the general public sees this as a plus those who work in the mental health world see the problem. We are looking at pretty images of depression on IG, we see all the likes some get for posting, our world is at an all-time high for substance use disorder because it is “5 o’clock” somewhere, Eating Disorders have skyrocketed and domestic abuse is immeasurable right now. With the wave of COVID we will not know the true impact of how it has affected Mental Health for at least 2 years. We are living in an age where likes are giving many anxiety because they are not getting enough. Wisdo is not about social competition but connecting with those feeling like you do to help you see you are not alone.
Amitha: In 5 years where do you think social media in GENERAL (so the big names like Facebook, Instagram etc) will look like? And will they me more aligned with apps like
Wisdo, or will they be obsolete, i.e. replaced with platforms that connect people in healthier ways?
Annmarie: Personally I have seen a change in Instagram but more on the silence side. They are block certain # because they are scared of the conversations. If other apps would take in how Wisdo creates a space to have a real honest discussion about self-harm with healthy alternatives and understanding why this happens we would be ahead of the game. I think as we go into the next 2 years Instagram, Facebook TikTok will all have shifts. Mental Health workers and advocates are looking for Wisdo like platforms to send people to just to connect because crisis lines are overwhelmed. While Instagram and Facebook use moderation tools to watch their platforms TikTok is using algorithms which has proven to be problematic. Wisdo uses moderation with watchlist words that our team of volunteers keep an eye on. Our community supports each other and wants everyone to be heard. We have done an amazing job of letting people express themselves while keeping our community safe.
Amitha: What are you most excited about with Wisdo and what’s on the horizon that you can discuss now?
Annmarie: I remember a long time ago saying to Boaz “Wisdo has no personality” I think this bothered him a little bit, however what it did was show our team what was missing. Wisdo is alive with helpers, guides, coaches all wanting to engage the community. Watching Wisdo embark on some exciting new projects that will not just bring in members but a diverse group is really impactful. We all take a breath the same way and sometimes we forget that. Watching older adults come into the app and give their story to young adults is truly inspirational!
A series of interviews with pioneers bringing the world of wellness and technology to make meaningful change.
From her work on the initial Sephora team to her experiences in manufacturing, consulting, and brand strategy for companies like Gap Inc., Cisco, and Landor, Melody Mortazavi has been passionate about creating brands her entire career. Mortazavi is an entrepreneur who believes in the power of connection, and she founded UME in Menlo Park with that vision in mind. After UME was acquired, Mortazavi continued to pursue her love of brands and human connection by co-founding Longwalks with Trishla Jain.
Trishla Jain is an author, artist, and entrepreneur. Throughout her career, Trishla’s work has focused on helping people communicate and connect mindfully. She is an author of a mindful children’s book series and an accomplished artist with exhibitions exploring the intersection of joy, gratitude, and minimalism. Trishla sought to build a better way to spark meaningful conversations and deepen personal relationships online, co-founding Longwalks with Melody Mortazavi.
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Amitha: So I downloaded Longwalks back in December, and I can’t remember where I had first heard about it – it might have been through Oprah magazine or a tweet she posted? It’s so well designed, and I love the concept. What got you motivated to create it? And what spurred the interest in well-being and self-care?
Melody: I think that we approached this in a very personal way to start with. We (Trishla and I) met quite serendipitously, and she had invited me to a conversation, sort of a Jeffersonian type dinner, at her home, where she had crafted a really beautiful conversation for the evening. The conversation was designed to bring 10 women together who had never met before in the most optimal way possible. And yes, that's very “Silicon Valley,” but like everywhere else in the world we're all quite pressed for time and so she wanted to create the perfect environment for us to really get to know each other. And that meant getting to know each other outside of what we do or what our significant others do or where our children go to school, which are the typical things you generally hear from each other when you first get to know someone. There was a question that was posed about a poem that grounded the conversation, and each person just shared, one at a time, as we went around the table, about a story that that poem reminded them of. It was a very new way to have a conversation because you actually got to sit there and really listen to what the other person was saying. And then when it was your turn, you could speak essentially your truth. And so, this form of uninterrupted one-direction type of sharing was really beautiful. It was really transformative for me, and I had never been in a conversation with someone else or a group of people where I didn't actually have to work very hard to keep the conversation going. And this was just a really beautiful way of connecting with other people at the table, and after the third or fourth time we had done this, I started thinking about the ways people are connecting with each other now digitally. So we started thinking about how to deliver this same sort of experience to others. I think, when social media was designed and developed, people didn't really think about the negative impact on mental health. They didn't think about the impact on people's relationships or attention spans, and all the things that you very well know. So we embarked on this very ambitious mission of creating a truly supportive and kind social platform where people can share their stories in a way that I was alluding to, to really tell the things about themselves that really matter to them and make up who they are: like the really the good juicy stuff of who you are. And so I think what we did really beautifully was really utilize psychology, Eastern philosophy and a lot of really mindful meditation practices to create a platform that not only provides the content that's that really helps people connect, but also create this really beautiful safe space which we hear about time and time again.
Trishla: I mean your question was really why we started Longwalks, and in essence I think the quality of our human relationships, the depth and intimacy of them is one of the primary indicators of lifelong long-lasting happiness and kind of what the Harvard Study of Adult Development says.
When you look back, a fulfilled life is one with beautiful deep relationships. So that's really kind of the vector where we wanted to focus. It all came together in this beautiful way. And the way Longwalks is really different is that in some sense it's not open-ended, unlike every other social platform where you can kind of share whatever it is you want to share, using various formats. We've really created a little bit of a cocoon around the user using our prompt. So, we provide one single piece of content, which is a fill-in-the blank question every day. And that's it. It's very simple. It's very equalizing pretty much being a human. I've had a lot families say that they do it with their kids. They do it on their phone with adults and then at night they use it at the dinner table, and they make all their little kids like six year old, seven year old, kids fill it out. So it’s kind of just like a moment where you get to share something and then we anchor we map out the whole year. In 365 days we kind of cover a large aspect of what the human experience. And it's beautiful because you don't really have to think about what you're sharing and get yet if you're doing this with people on the platform. You get to experience humanity and living together.
I think that I've been practicing this formula of sort of asking a question and then making everyone answer it in the fill-in-the-blank model for a very long time, since high school, so it's just kind of my modus operandi. This was the first time I had kind of done this in Silicon Valley and Melody happened to be there, and then with serendipity, one thing led to the other and in 2017 Melody started to think of this as like a full-fledged business rather than just a private kind of experience with friends, but by then we must have had over, 250 of such dinners like that. And the digital format kind of coincided with COVID, even though it started way before COVID it just, there's so there's a lot of serendipity in our journey.
Melody: What matters is that the question has to be supportive enough for people to want to access that as a nugget to share it with somebody else, so 2017 was a year of focus grouping, really, essentially, and then figuring out how we want to how we want to deliver this what it would look like, as a feeling to bottle up. I think one of the beautiful parts of the digital platform is that you can have that feeling with someone, all the way across the world, who has like a completely different socio economic background is of a different race and gender and every everything is different about them, but you can actually have that exchange of that feeling with that person. And that's what's happened to me a lot -- I've randomly met probably 20 or 30 people who are now my friends on Longwalks, that I share with, and I don't even know where they live!
Amitha: That's amazing. I was just talking to someone about on most apps or social media there aren’t really incentives to be civil. And I’ve likened it to a dinner party, where if you aren’t civil, even if you have opposing views, you won’t get invited again. But there’s this feeling where it's almost invigorating when you have a really interesting discussion or debate, or you know that feeling of being connected. So you're, totally right – it’s super hard to get that online with a lot of the apps that are out there right now that are being used.
Trishla: I read that you're also Yogi and you love yoga. And I think with Longwalks it’s that synchronicity that sometimes gets missed. Like when you're in a yoga class, the entire class is participating in a series of motions, everybody's on the same page and moving together. And that creates a very harmonious flow. It's not like everybody's doing their own thing. One of the most unique things about our platform is that everybody's doing the same ‘pose’ as in answering the same prompt. So you feel you're not alone, like you're just all different rays of the same sun.
Amitha: I love that analogy. So the actual digital element was that rolled out in 2020 then you're saying just around the pandemic?
Melody: The first version of the app was launched in August of 2018. We had been working towards a solution for a couple years before the pandemic hit.. What we've done really mindfully is that we are building this app for our users, and we have a big cohort of users who really love this app. And so we build and we iterate based on their needs, that you know of course are aligned with, with the mission. So we have taken quite a few updates and changes to the app in order to best align with our with our users, and when COVID happened and we all went into lockdown in March, had just launched our best MVP (minimum viable product) to date. And so we saw this really beautiful alignment of user with product. And that's when we had a significant uptake in users, and we have really great App Store reviews that are all organic and just people's real experiences. So, the alignment was really great, during a time where it was so uncertain for everybody. We were providing a tool that was helping people feel better. That was helping people feel connected to each other not as far apart, was giving them something to anchor their daily practices so that they could answer something with the people in their lives. And it was really helping them stay close to the people they couldn't be close to. And so that really gave us a whole big lift in order to kind of keep going and keep building and keep doing what we're doing
Amitha: Why the name Longwalks?
Trishla: Many reasons. Some of them are practical, you know, in the sense of wanting to have a name that's unique and all of that, but really Melody and I are just nature lovers who love to walk and we think of human relationships as kind of like walking hand in hand. And we think that sometimes the best conversations you can have is when you're on a long walk with a friend. Because the conversation just organically flows, and you're enjoying the earth, so there's many different kind of connotations. I don't know -- Melody what does the name mean exactly?
Melody: I will just embellish a little bit more in that I think that the experience we try to mimic on Longwalks, is really that kind of those special moments that you have during a long walk, you know those really those heartfelt conversations that you really get to know people that's essentially I think what we hope toreplicate.
Amitha: How do you feel like, like how is the uptake been so you obviously launched in 2018, you were saying, um, have you seen an uptake. I mean, as I mentioned, I've heard about it. I think through either Oprah Magazine or something, some something over related.
Melody: She gave us a shout out! Oprah’s a gifted conversationalist and gifted person at making anybody feel important and worth listening to. And I think we've always just reached out to her along the way when we've needed guidance or calibration or just talking to someone whose life's work has been about helping people connect meaningfully.The shout out was definitely a big surprise to us- we had no idea it was coming. And I think I was on a long walk at the time because I hike a lot on the weekends, and our biggest concern was ‘oh my God are the server's gonna crash?’ Luckily they didn't and our tech team, they're all just incredible. So, it was a great shout out from her that kind of validated the experience that all the users were having. They were really grateful for Longwalks during a time where there wasn't a lot to be grateful for.
Amitha: Definitely. So have you found during this pandemic that uptake has increased like? Because apps are tough in terms of getting people to stay on them. But I think that what you're offering is unique, so I would hope that there's more people are more incentivized to like stick to it.
Melody: I mean I think that's where we started the conversation is ‘How do you have social wellness’ and ‘what does that even look like’ as in having a healthy relationship with this phone and the things we do on it. And I think that one thing we try to do as we definitely don't hold ourselves accountable to the same vanity metrics that other social companies, hold themselves accountable to. So for us time spent on app is measured a little bit differently for us, because it's important to have a depth of relationship. We don't make it about Facebook likes or friend counts or friends lists and things like that because it's just, it's a different platform it's a more niche platform and I think our goal is to empower the depth of relationships and authentic connections, and helping people find like-minded people on Longwalks. When we are looking at acquiring users we unfortunately have to use the same mediums that other people use, and do your standard performance marketing things but the way I sleep at night is to think that I am leveraging these other social media platforms to bring people to Longwalks. It’s a healthier and better way to communicate with the people that they want to communicate with.We don't expect to take over. So the time that you spend on Instagram or Facebook we just hope to kind of counterbalance it with things that fill your bucket and make you feel really good about the people that you're talking to.
Amitha: I'm sure you both watch The Social Dilemma. I'm sure it's not a surprise, in terms of what they presented, but do you have any thoughts on sort of how Longwalks fits in? I guess you've sort of answered that question as it being a buffer or counterbalance?
Trishla: Tristan is one of the early attendees to dinners. And at the end of the dinner he shared a very profound experience about his mother and said ‘I challenge you to bring this to tech as I've never seen it.’ And at the end of The Social Dilemma they pose a question, you know, as in ‘what is the solution?’ They don't offer solutions. So we really feel like Longwalks is very sustainable, because it only takes a few minutes maybe 5-10 minutes a day. It's a very sustainable solution to create social wellness in your life, using your phone.
Melody: I think it's just a really actionable solution. So that's how we think of it as well, in relation to The Social Dilemma, and Longwalks is literally designed as an antithesis to all of the problems of social media. So, it's designed to not feel like a popularity contest -- we don't display any kind of counts. We don't publicly display how many people have liked your post. We don't let you know how many friends people have or any kind of numerical things like that. The way that our commenting works is that it's pre-scripted to be extremely supportive and kind. So it really eliminates that culture of bullying or negative commenting that occurs in other platforms. It's very unified like I said and has synchronicity because everybody's on the same page and answering the same questions. You don't get a lot of distortion or distraction there's no ads. There, nobody's trying to sell you anything. So a lot of the problems associated with social media just don't happen on our Longwalks: we've created a situation where they won't happen. But we always have our eyes open, just to see if things are creeping into that territory.
Amitha: Do you feel you're also sort of self-selecting as well for people that are not going to be that way maybe?
Trishla: We have the very committed and sticky users who use both regular social media and Longwalks, and then there are of course the people who doing a detox off other social media, so only doing Longwalks. So we find that it works really for anyone who wants to have a kind of new social wellness habit in their day.
Amitha: Got it. And then so you were mentioning I mean it sounds like when you, when you mentioned like Tristan Harris, for example, it sounds like you're pretty plugged into the Silicon Valley community so I'm curious to know like what your, what both of your backgrounds are in in tech, like a different form of tech before you could work for, you know, big tech before this like without a motivator. Tell me a little bit about that.
Melody: I actually come from a retail background and brand strategy background but during the latest part of my career I worked for Cisco and I did Internet Business Solutions consulting so I do come from a slight tech background but my specialty is really optimizing retail solutions for consumers. And then after I got pregnant with my first child I didn't want to consult anymore. I was not going to get on a plane every week, and so I decided I came up with this idea for a children's play space, and this was at the time where there were no other really placed bases around, so we raised a seed round and opened a 15,000 square foot children's indoor play space in Menlo Park called U-Me, so that I could work, and do something with my brain but also bring my kids to work. And so I did that for about seven or eight years and then that was acquired. Then I decided to go back into the corporate world.
Amitha: I'm just trying to imagine what it would look like in Silicon Valley like a big play space I imagine all of the, all of the activities are planned intentional and…
Trishla: Very. It was so beautiful I mean she has an unbelievable eye for design, they have this kind of minimal Scandinavian aesthetic where everything had a purpose, there wasn't any like random stuff and it was really the child was at the center of the experience and the child could direct it to play very well so, and she used a lot of that learning. I can see how she applies that user experience design in Longwalks.
Amitha: What about you Trishla?
Trishla: I grew up in India, and my family runs the Times of India group. So I kind of grew up
enmeshed in those walls. And then I went to an American school and then I came to the U.S. for college (Stanford) during college and fell in love with English literature, so I had a circuitous path where [I then attended Columbia University to do graduate work in education then] worked in brand marketing in New York. And after that, I went back to India and just worked at times in different capacities, learning about print. And then also learning a lot about how to embark into the digital world. I did that, and then I became a full-time artist, which is kind of my deeper love, where I had three solo exhibitions in India while having children.
Amitha: What sort of art?
Trishla: Painting. But during that time, I would say my main real job is being a full time Yogi. I did so many maybe 50 silent retreats like Vipassana. Yeah. Even a few 60-day ones where I left my husband with my parents. And I think that was just a time of profound growth intellectually, emotionally, physically and every way. And then we both moved here to America about four years ago. But we were thinking of it as coming back to Stanford, where me and my husband met. He runs the digital business of Times of India. Tristan is really more of a Stanford connection than a Silicon Valley connection.
Amitha: Got it. It sounds like you've had some really interesting experiences, both in India as well as in the US, and that blending of Eastern and Western practices in the sense?
Trishla: When you have profound meditation, it's almost like you just want to give back to the world in whatever way you can and then I found Melody.
Amitha: Yes, serendipitously! I'm such a fan of serendipity and have noticed that in my life as well. So obviously you both women of color – Melody you have Persian (Iranian) heritage, and Trishla you were born in India. How does that sort of affect or impact your experience in Silicon Valley as founders, anything that you want to share about that, like, in terms of opportunities or barriers?
Melody: So I think that if I had to talk for a moment about whenever I feel inadequate or when I feel that maybe I am not. I am not on par with the audience that I'm keeping has not necessarily been ever because I'm a woman, I think, for me it has always been a feeling that because I don't come from that so called White, tech, engineer, or a certain pedigree, I think that feels very heavy for women. I think that there's a certain level of...I think Trishla and I just don’t let it get to us, otherwise it becomes very demoralizing. So I think we do a very good job of tuning those things out and really making it about the product that we're building, and the solution where it could do with the solution we're giving to people. And because we are in a space of wellness, it makes it a little bit more comfortable, but for sure I would say it's very hard to maintain your confidence and not feel adequate being in the Valley and being women who are not from a pure tech background.
Trishla: I think one of the things my dad always taught me is that you have to turn your disadvantages into your greatest advantages. So in some ways, I like to think of it as this idea that we're fresh blood, like we never think of a solution on the product the way a veteran Facebook person or someone who spent 10 years at Google. And I think being mothers what matters is we care so much about building a future for our children. So we both have two young children, each and Melody's kids are older and she sees them already interacting with social media, and she wants to create a new alternative, kind of like a different way for her daughter to portray herself in the world. One option is for her to take a beautiful picture glowing skin and maybe comment on how sunny and beautiful it is in California on Instagram, and the other is to talk about maybe something totally different, something meaningful or something she's focusing on or, which is more Longwalks’ aim.
Melody: And people gravitate towards Longwalks generally are pretty open minded.
Amitha: One the things I’ve noticed when about individuals that are trying to make a difference in healthcare, almost all of them are described themselves as like outsiders. So people that early in life might have felt like they needed to fit in for one reason or another, because of their background or their way of thinking or whatever but over time they realize that those differences were actually an asset, and that was what sort of fueled them to think differently and make changes because as you can appreciate health care and the health system which is a very antiquated system. But the people that are actually making change are the ones that can actually see the solutions because they have an outsider sort of perspective. And I think, you know, it's our perspective and I also think it's a bit of grit as well like if you're someone that's used to adapting but you're also sort of like you're maybe a little bit grittier as well. I think that that's super interesting that you both seem to identify with that as well. Was there anything that I didn't ask you that you think is really important.
Ok my last question! Because I have an epidemiology I'm always interested in research. Have you thought about looking at the data in terms of assessing how people are feeling using the app? Could it be an intervention or studied in some way in terms of short and long-term impacts on mental and emotional health? Or do you have a sense of this already?
Trishla: I would say intuitively, qualitatively, the feedback indicates a resounding yes, that people see a kind of marked uplift in their emotional states, reduction in depression, reduction in anxiety, and loneliness. However, it would be a dream come true I think for Melody and I to have that documented in a way that's actually scientific with rigor.
Melody: We're looking at a way actually to incorporate these questions into the user journey to get a sense of how it has impacted them and the main reason we wanted to do that was just so we can make sure that we are staying true to their needs and really able to satisfy kind of those things so we are looking into it right now. I think given the pandemic and everything that's happening, I just feel a little uneasy asking users to fill in those questions. But definitely I think going down the line, it’s something we will be doing.
A series of interviews with pioneers bringing the world of wellness and technology to make meaningful change.
Miri Polachek
Miri Polachek is the CEO of Joy Ventures, the start-up studio building, funding and supporting companies developing consumer products for wellbeing. Miri joined Joy Ventures as CEO in 2018, bringing with her an extensive background in health and finance. Prior to Joy Ventures, Miri amassed a decade of experience in the pharmaceutical industry, working in financial management at Teva Pharmaceuticals and Pfizer and serving as VP Finance at healthcare services firm IntegraMed. She co-founded and served as the Executive Director of Israel Brain Technologies (IBT), a non-profit organization envisioned by former Israeli President Shimon Peres that accelerated brain-related innovation and positioned Israel as a leading global braintech hub. Miri holds a BA in Economics and Mathematics and an MA in Health Economics from Boston University, as well as an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business.
Amitha: I’m so interested in what brought you into this field, and what you think is on the horizon in terms of the intersection of well-being and tech. Can we reverse some of this damage that we've seen from technology? Is it about investing in companies that are focused on tackling this issue?
Miri:I've always been very passionate about health and health care. My mom is a neuroscientist, and my dad is an engineer and high-tech entrepreneur, so, science, technology and entrepreneurship were always conversations at the kitchen table. While I actually studied economics and finance, I found myself working in the healthcare industry because I was always very passionate about improving people's lives. I initially found myself in the pharmaceutical industry and then worked in various financial management roles in a few large global corporations. But over the years, mental health and brain health became a very strong passion of mine, in part because of having this strong neuroscience presence at home and having worked on product teams at both Teva and at Pfizer, but also because of having a brother living with a mental illness.
When I moved back to Israel 10 years ago, I jumped into the start-up ecosystem, and established and led a non-profit organization called Israel Brain Technologies, an initiative whose mission was to position Israel as a leading neuroscience innovation hub, specifically by commercializing Israel’s brain-related innovation. There, I helped run an accelerator focused on brain technology start-ups, and a very successful international conference that brought together the entire ecosystem of researchers clinicians, entrepreneurs, and investors. Working there was an amazing privilege, and several start-ups that went through the program have advanced in their development and some are already succeeding in the market.
Then about three years ago, Joy Ventures approached me to join them. I was already familiar with Joy, having been part of the same community interested in innovation in neuroscience and what Joy was calling “neuro wellness” at the time. Joy Ventures’ cared about understanding the healthy brain better in order to understand how we deal with stress and how we can improve our emotional wellbeing.
Amitha: I was really intrigued by Joy’s vision, because it takes an approach of looking at the science or innovating effective solutions that are not simply passing trends or gimmicks.
Miri: The word “wellbeing” is really something that we at Joy Ventures want to back up with technology that works, that makes a meaningful change in people’s lives, and that is enjoyable to use. Many wellbeing products create a nice experience, but the question is whether they actually create some kind of a change for the user. This could mean helping them relax or helping them sleep better, etc. This driving factor was what brought me to Joy in early 2018. I was first and foremost intrigued by the vision, which was to build a portfolio of companies that would help people feel good. At the time (several years ago) however, this sector was still very young, so the challenge was how to actually find companies that match our vision. At the time, we were looking primarily in Israel and there weren't that many companies back then, even worldwide, that fit our mission.
Some of the companies that are now unicorns were just starting out in 2018 and hadn't yet proven themselves in the market. There were a few companies that were starting to become household names. The Joy model is very much about incubating new companies, which means finding companies very early on and helping them develop their product concept, validate their ideas with users, and then gradually go to market. We also work to create awareness and community around innovation in this space.
Over these last three years, Joy Ventures has evolved as an organization; we've expanded our scope. While we are based in Israel, we invest globally. In fact, over the last year, we made our first investments both in the United States and in Europe. We just recently invested in a company based in Boston and founded by MIT researchers called Embr Labs, who created a thermal regulation wrist wearable that helps people adjust their body temperature sensation.
Amitha: It’s a form of biofeedback?
Miri: Yes. The wristband allows you to better regulate your temperature in terms of hotter or colder. In the future, Embr Labs also plans to enable a sensing or a closed loop capability. The wristband can help with sleep and is currently primarily being used to help “primetime women” in the menopausal stage, in which they are experiencing hot flashes. We also recently invested in a UK-based company called Empathic Technologies that created Doppel, another wrist wearable that helps to generate calm through haptic technology involving vibrations to your peripheral nerves. These vibrations, when at a high frequency, imitate your heartbeat, so it can cause the brain to either become more stimulated or calmer.
We're now also taking a much broader look at wellbeing, interpreting that word very broadly in order to pursue technologies or products that create some kind of meaningful change for the user through a delightful usage experience. This includes emotional wellbeing, physical wellbeing, and social wellbeing, which is one of our main focuses in 2021 due to the ongoing pandemic. We expect that social wellbeing will be one of the main issues this year compared to the past as loneliness and social isolation continue.
Amitha: That's an interesting topic because social media, to a degree, has been really helpful for some people during this pandemic to feel more connected, but we also know that there are issues with social media too and there's almost like an inverted U-curve or something: it’s dose dependent perhaps?
Miri: Definitely, and I think it's both dose and content dependent. We recently invested in a very exciting company that created a different kind of social network focused on rewarding those who are helpful rather than those who are popular.
Amitha: Do you think that these sort of apps that focus on well-being online can translate to offline social behavior? Specifically, in terms of creating connections offline. Yeah, so I guess what I'm thinking of is, for example, the recent riots in the US, on January 6th. There was a lot of talk about how it was planned online. So, it has me wondering if, since toxicity can build online, which translates offline, can the opposite be true? Can empathy and understanding those different from us, if built online, translate offline?
Miri: Yes, I would agree that if we create good online, it would reinforce positive behaviors offline. This is why, when we look for future investments, we also look for products that combine the physical and digital worlds, especially in terms of how they facilitate contact with another person. For example, the startup Noom is a weight loss program that includes both a digital aspect via an app as well as a personal interaction with a real group coach. This real-life interaction creates a more natural relationship and a higher level of accountability.
Amitha: So what do you think are the big trends as it relates to well-being and tech? You wrote an article in Fortune that came out in August about emotion-tracking apps. Was there anything you would add to that?
Miri: I think that a major trend in 2021 will be technology that creates connections – like products that help us stay in touch with our loved ones and our colleagues remotely, and anything that helps people create and maintain relationships on a more significant and deeper level. We recently announced which is you know helping grandchildren and grandparents, you know, connect and maintain their relationships, better. So I think that's the whole sort of connectivity from IQ, you know, maintaining these deeper relationships is going to be.
We're already seeing a lot of this technology take off. There has been a lot of traction around corporate wellbeing and solutions designed specifically for the workplace, that help maintain corporate culture and connections in a remote environment. If in the past employers’ premiums or health insurance grants were reduced because they’ve got an office gym, now this trend is expanding and offering a lot more through the corporate environment.
Amitha: Just at the start of the pandemic, around March or April 2020, I did a little interview series for Mind Body Green, interviewing different sort of public figures around what they were doing for their well-being. Almost everyone talked about routines, which I think is what you're getting at: these little moments in the day when you can sort of build in something to keep your routine that keeps you well and keeps anxiety at bay. I mean, again this was very early in the pandemic but it was interesting to hear that people were already understanding that the only way that we can sort of get through this is if we have a good sense of what our days are going to look like. This fits into well-being and all of that sort of thing. What do you think is one of the biggest challenges or barriers to this marriage between tech and well-being like?
Miri: I think the biggest challenge is the burden the tech developers and creators face in gaining the trust of their customers by proving that the products they created have a studied and tested impact. Some of these companies, especially those that are bringing in new approaches and new technologies, need to educate the market a bit before gain consumers’ trust.
Amitha: I wanted to end with a two-part question. First, how are you doing with all of this especially someone in the well-being space? Maybe you're doing better than most? And then the second part is: what are things that you build in personally in your day to keep you well during this time.
Miri: Thanks for asking. One thing that I always say about myself is that I was blessed with natural resilience. From a young age, I developed some strong coping mechanisms that have helped me handle stress and uncertainty, including during this challenging time, and I'm very grateful for that. There have of course been times during this past year that were really scary, and primarily I've been worried about my children. I think that depending on their age, not all children have those kinds of necessary tools to deal with all these changes yet. I have three kids who are extremely social, and it hasn't been easy to be separated from their friends so constantly. But thankfully, my whole family has been healthy. I think if we can teach our kids tools to cope with stress in different ways, they are much better off. Joy Ventures as an organization has luckily also been able to continue operating, though remotely. We feel blessed to be healthy and employed, and so I don't think we can ask for much more.
What I do for my own well being is highly conventional. I exercise, meditate, and try to spend a lot of time outdoors in nature. We live near the sea, so I like to spend a lot of time walking on the beach and sailing. We also have a lot of parks in Tel Aviv and I like to be around the greenery. I'm also lucky that I sleep well and I do make sure to get enough sleep.