DeepSummary
The episode is an interview with Dave Feldman, a software engineer who became interested in the science of lipids and cholesterol after adopting a ketogenic diet and experiencing a spike in his LDL cholesterol levels. Dave shares his journey of self-directed learning and his passion for communicating science, which led him to found the Citizen Science Foundation to support research on lipoproteins and carbohydrate-restricted diets.
Dave discusses the concept of the 'lean mass hyper-responder' phenotype, where individuals who are lean and metabolically healthy tend to experience a significant increase in LDL cholesterol levels when following a ketogenic diet. He explains his 'lipid energy model' which posits that the increase in LDL is due to increased lipid turnover and trafficking in the body to meet energy demands.
The interview covers Dave's ongoing research collaboration with the Lundquist Institute at UCLA, where they are conducting studies involving CT angiograms to assess the cardiovascular implications of elevated LDL cholesterol in lean mass hyper-responders. Dave also talks about his efforts to crowdfund research through the Citizen Science Foundation and his plans for a documentary film on the subject.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Dave Feldman developed a 'lipid energy model' to explain the significant increase in LDL cholesterol levels observed in lean, metabolically healthy individuals following a ketogenic diet.
- The 'lean mass hyper-responder' phenotype describes individuals who exhibit a triad of high LDL cholesterol, high HDL cholesterol, and low triglycerides when following a carbohydrate-restricted diet.
- Dave founded the Citizen Science Foundation to crowdfund research on the cardiovascular implications of the 'lean mass hyper-responder' phenomenon, as traditional funding channels are often focused on commercial applications.
- The Citizen Science Foundation has partnered with the Lundquist Institute at UCLA to conduct studies involving CT angiograms to assess the development of atherosclerosis in lean mass hyper-responders over time.
- Dave's work highlights the need for more research on the potential heterogeneity in individual responses to dietary interventions, particularly in the context of carbohydrate-restricted diets.
- Self-directed learning and a willingness to challenge conventional wisdom have been key drivers in Dave's journey as a citizen scientist.
- Crowdfunded science can provide a platform for addressing research questions that may not receive funding through traditional channels, driven by public interest rather than commercial interests.
- Dave's early experiences, such as forensic debate and computer programming, helped develop critical thinking skills and a passion for self-directed learning, which have been instrumental in his scientific pursuits.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Frankly, I would really love to just see this model play out all over the place, not just with ours, but with others, because crowdfunded science is bringing us answers where, frankly, we're just not likely to get otherwise, because there's pretty much, and I was told this early on, there's pretty much two channels to research funding.“ by Dave Feldman
- “So this was a fascinating paper in that it was adult women who were already historically on a ketogenic diet and then had an intervention to intentionally bring up the carbohydrates and then actually a further intervention to bring them back to the ketogenic diet. And it was tracked very methodically all the way through really fantastic work, because it was already anticipated by the liponergia model that we would likely see an association between how much their cholesterol levels would change based on their existing leanness and metabolic health.“ by Dave Feldman
- “And this, you know, really drew forward the importance of critical thinking. So I learned quite a lot from forensic debate and really appreciated what it brought to me.“ by Dave Feldman
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Episode Information
STEM-Talk
Dawn Kernagis and Ken Ford
6/21/24