Jaden O’Brien takes us inside the world of Olympic bobsled racing, beginning with the grind of multi-event track at Notre Dame to a three-week bobsled tryout in Lake Placid that turned into a World Cup spot and a ticket to the 2026 Winter Olympics with Team USA.

We talk through the unglamorous parts: learning an unnatural push technique, handling pressure when one race can decide your entire season, and recovering from a violent crash that left her bruised, cut, and questioning whether racing again was smart. Jaden also shares what the Olympics actually feel like, the village setup outside Cortina, the opening and closing ceremonies, trading pins with athletes from around the globe, and the heartbreak of how a small early missstep can drop a team down the standings before you have time to breathe.

Then the conversation shifts to the story that shaped her long before bobsled. Jaden describes living with PANDAS (Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcal infections), including sudden intrusive thoughts, intense obsessions and compulsions, fear-driven rituals, and feeling mentally “blocked” from basic daily tasks. We unpack how families can miss the immune-triggered pattern, what helped her find a path back, and why mental health support, including sports psychology, can be a strength rather than a stigma. If you’re searching for real-world insight on PANDAS, PANS, infection-triggered OCD, and resilience after neuroimmune illness, this one will stay with you.

Subscribe for more conversations on PANDAS and PANS, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review so more families can find these stories. What part of Jaden’s journey hit you the hardest?

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.

Credits: Music by Kingsley Durant from his "Convertible" album

To learn more about PANDAS and PANS and The Alex Manfull Fund, visit our website: TheAlexManfullFund.org

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A sudden storm of obsessions, tics, rage, and cognitive chaos can follow a simple infection—and families are left searching for answers. We sit down with Dr. Omar Morales, a hematology‑trained clinician innovating at the intersection of infections and immune engineering, to unpack how blood-based therapies can change the trajectory of Lyme and PANDAS/PANS.

Dr. Morales explains why he treats the biology rather than the label, then breaks down the roles of apheresis modalities. Red cell exchange rapidly dilutes Babesia lodged in red blood cells. Plasmapheresis removes inflammatory plasma, autoantibodies, and toxins that hammer the brain. Photopheresis, supercharged with photosensitizers, both weakens pathogens and reshapes immune signaling. From those sessions, his lab matures dendritic cells that “teach” T and B cells to target the right invaders—an immune reboot especially useful for Bartonella and persistent viral loads.

We explore a practical sequence for severe PANS: “clean the house” with plasmapheresis, then add IVIG, and repeat as needed while targeting infections in parallel. Morales details how environmental disruptors—mold, heavy metals, chemicals, and STDs—can trigger relapse, why diet and microbiome rebuilding matter, and how barrier repair for the gut and blood–brain barrier reduces neuroinflammation. He shares neuroregenerative strategies, from peptides to neural‑derived exosomes, to help brains recover from years of inflammatory wear and tear.

What emerges is a playbook for complex, immune‑mediated neuropsychiatric illness that blends hematology, microbiology, and patient‑centered pragmatism. You’ll hear a remarkable case rescued by red cell exchange, the logic behind choosing each modality, and the call for tighter collaboration between clinicians and scientists to speed innovation. Subscribe, share with someone who needs this, and leave a review to help more families find these tools.

Link reference in the interview: https://youtu.be/oNI52TIFEGA?si=XLnAzSXWoPAuSKIG

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.

Credits: Music by Kingsley Durant from his "Convertible" album

To learn more about PANDAS and PANS and The Alex Manfull Fund, visit our website: TheAlexManfullFund.org

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What if sudden OCD, tics, and food restriction after an infection aren’t “all in the head,” but start with immune cells carrying a biochemical message to the brain? We sit down with Dr. Fulvio d'Acquisto—immunologist, psychotherapist, and founder of affective immunology—to trace the language between emotions, living conditions, and the immune system, and why that conversation can erupt into neuropsychiatric symptoms in PANDAS and PANS.

Fulvio introduces Immuno-moodulin (iMood), a small protein produced by T cells, found in higher levels in people with OCD and elevated in PANDAS/PANS. He explains how iMood behaves like an intrinsically disordered protein: it can cluster in blood, cross into the brain, and temporarily disrupt neural communication—then disassemble as triggers fade. That dynamic process mirrors real life: flares during infections, relief during remission, and stubborn persistence in complex cases. We unpack why peripheral therapies—antibiotics, IVIG, and plasmapheresis—can reshape central symptoms, and why response varies based on disease staging rather than a one-size-fits-all pathway.

We also explore the bigger map: proteomics that can distinguish PANDAS from controls with striking accuracy, autoimmune conditions that cluster with specific psychiatric diagnoses, and a cautionary tale where “schizophrenia” resolved after immune therapy revealed underlying lupus. Along the way, Fulvio reframes inflammation as a repair system gone repetitive, not an enemy to be extinguished at all costs. And beyond the lab, we talk belonging—how shared meals, genuine dialogue, and community aren’t soft add-ons but active inputs that steady immunity and help people reclaim identity, empathy, and meaning.

If you’re curious about immune-brain crosstalk, novel protein targets, and why conversation can be medicine, this deep dive offers science you can hold and stories you’ll remember. Subscribe, share with someone who needs hope, and leave a review to help more families and clinicians find this work.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this program are those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of any entities they represent.

Credits: Music by Kingsley Durant from his "Convertible" album

To learn more about PANDAS and PANS and The Alex Manfull Fund, visit our website: TheAlexManfullFund.org

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