The Biological Drivers of Long COVID with Dr Amy Proal

11/07/22 • 70 min

*The information in this podcast is intended for Healthcare Practitioners.

Long COVID – its highly prevalent, often includes debilitating symptoms and there is currently no consensus on what is driving the syndrome.

Cue Dr Amy Proal. Dr Proal is a microbiologist and CEO of Polybio Research Foundation, and she is driven to elucidate the pathophysiology of long COVID.

In this episode Dr Proal discusses the new science on the biological drivers of long COVID, outlining the evidence for the ‘persistent SARS-CoV-2 reservoir’ hypothesis of long COVID. Further, Dr Proal explains the nefarious mechanisms SARS-CoV-2 has on suppressing immunity, synergising with pathobionts and potentially wreaking havoc on neurological circuits, all of which can help explain long COVID symptomatology such as chronic inflammation, hypercoagulability, sickness behaviour and dysautonomia. The podcast explores spike proteins, co-infections, dysbiosis, vagal nerve dysfunction and more to paint a comprehensive picture of this condition.

To conclude, Nathan and Dr Proal discuss potential therapeutic targets and cast an eye to the future on Dr Proal’s current collaboration with world-leading researchers on long COVID.

Useful Links

Proal AD, VanElzakker MB. Long COVID or Post-acute Sequelae of COVID-19 (PASC): An Overview of Biological Factors That May Contribute to Persistent Symptoms. Front Microbiol. 2021;12:698169. Published 2021 Jun 23. doi:10.3389/fmicb.2021.698169

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34248921/

https://polybio.org/

*The information in this podcast is intended for Healthcare Practitioners.

Long COVID – its highly prevalent, often includes debilitating symptoms and there is currently no consensus on what is driving the syndrome.

Cue Dr Amy Proal. Dr Proal is a microbiologist and CEO of Polybio Research Foundation, and she is driven to elucidate the pathophysiology of long COVID.

To conclude, Nathan and Dr Proal discuss potential therapeutic targets and cast an eye to the future on Dr Proal’s current collaboration with world-leading researchers on long COVID.

Useful Links

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34248921/

https://polybio.org/

Previous Episode

This is your brain on birth control with Professor Sarah Hill

*The information in this podcast is intended for Healthcare Practitioners.

Professor Hill joins the podcast to discuss the potentially powerful influence the oral contraceptive pill can have on the brain. As a researcher, Professor Hill combines her knowledge of women's psychology from an evolutionary perspective with her personal experience in her new book, This is Your Brain on Birth Control.

Listen to the evolutionary framework that influences female behaviour and learn how birth control can affect partner choice, mood and the stress response. With a balanced and thoughtful approach, Sarah spells out the nuances of the pill to give listeners information to better help make informed decisions.

Sarah's Website:
https://www.sarahehill.com/

Next Episode

Understanding Burnout with Gabriela Tavella

*The information in this podcast is intended for Healthcare Practitioners.

Almost half of working Australians report feeling burnt out. Similarly, many people can experience burnout from non-occupational pressures, such as being a carer. In this episode Nathan speaks to burnout researcher Gabriela Tavella on the science and management of this affliction. Gabriela discusses the psychological factors linked to burnout and the physiological effects of this stress state, how burnout can be confused with depression and chronic fatigue, as well as management strategies her research team have unveiled.

Discover some surprising factors that burnout sufferers have reported to be effective and ineffective in managing their allostatic overload. Additionally, Gabriela offers some simple and accessible tools that can help people experiencing burnout.

Gabriela Tavella is a PhD candidate in the UNSW School of Psychiatry and has a Bachelor of Psychology (Honours) from UNSW. Gabriela currently works alongside burnout pioneering researcher and founder of the Blackdog Institute Prof Gordon Parker AO. Gabriela has published numerous peer-reviewed papers on burnout and recently co-authored the book Burnout: A guide to identifying burnout and pathways to recover.

Links:

Burnout: A Guide to Identifying Burnout and Pathways to Recovery

Bayes A, Tavella G, Parker G. The biology of burnout: Causes and consequences. World J Biol Psychiatry. 2021;22(9):686-698. doi:10.1080/15622975.2021.1907713

Parker G, Tavella G. Distinguishing burnout from clinical depression: A theoretical differentiation template. J Affect Disord. 2021;281:168-173. doi:10.1016/j.jad.2020.12.022

Tavella G, Hadzi-Pavlovic D, Parker G. Burnout: Redefining its key symptoms. Psychiatry Res. 2021;302:114023. doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2021.114023

Parker G, Tavella G. The Diagnosis of Burnout: Some Challenges. J Nerv Ment Dis. 2022;210(7):475-478. doi:10.1097/NMD.0000000000001492

Parker G, Tavella G. Is burnout simply a stress reaction?. Aust N Z J Psychiatry. 2022;56(9):1065-1067. doi:10.1177/00048674211070221

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