Learning to Live Out Loud with Brain Cancer | Tatiana Sarkisian

by Anthony Effinger

The Think Neuro podcast from Pacific Neuroscience Institute takes you into the clinic, operating room and laboratory with doctors and surgeons who are tackling the most challenging brain diseases and disorders. Host: Anthony Effinger

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Episode 29: Show Notes

Eight years ago, at age 23, Tatiana Sarkisian was waiting to meet with a professor in her architecture program at the Southern California Institute of Architecture. She remembers her right hand moving across her body on its own, then her body slumping down onto the floor.

The next thing she remembers is waking up in an ambulance. She’d had a seizure. Soon after, Tatiana learned that she had brain cancer. More specifically, she had a grade III Anaplastic Astrocytoma, a tumor of the glial cells. That first seizure started her on a cancer Odyssey, with four surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation, treatments that have extended her life. The rollercoaster of emotions left her feeling isolated and alone.

She sought out deeper support and community and she’s learned that she wants to tell her story to help others who are specifically dealing with brain cancer. She has found her voice. Listen to this episode to learn how Tatiana is living with her disease and helping others live with theirs.

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Eye & Vision

30. Treating Head and Neck Cancers | Dr. Evan Walgama

Dr. Evan Walgama is a Head & Neck Oncology Surgeon, which means that he specializes in treating any cancer affecting areas from the collar bone to the base of the brain. While in the past, head and neck cancer surgeons tended to see older patients in poorer health who were often smokers coming in for treatment, the demographics have shifted.

Addiction

31. Helping Patients and Advancing Science With a Psilocybin Trial | Karina Sergi, MS, MFT

In this episode we chat with Karina Sergi, a licensed therapist, trained the old-fashioned way, who has been exploring a new tool proven to help people who are struggling with persistent depression, addiction, and post-traumatic stress disorder: magic mushrooms.

Treating Brain Tumors | Dr. Daniel F. Kelly

Brain & Skull Base Tumors

42. Treating Brain Tumors – Guest Podcast | Dr. Daniel F. Kelly

Brain tumors don’t get the same amount of attention as the other types of cancers. But they are still very important to talk about. Dr. Daniel F. Kelly is a neurosurgeon and founder of Pacific Neuroscience Institute. Listen in to learn about Daniel’s non-linear path to becoming a neurosurgeon. You’ll also hear how the Pacific Neuroscience Institute uses keyhole surgery to reduce the amount of time patients need to stay in the hospital.

Anthony Effinger

Think Neuro's host is Anthony Effinger, an award-winning journalist who is fascinated with neuroscience and the workings of the brain. Anthony spent 24 years at Bloomberg News, where he covered all aspects of finance, with forays into science and health. In 2006, the Association of Health Care Journalists awarded him first prize for Playing the Odds, an in-depth piece on the changing strategies used to treat prostate cancer. These days, he is a staff writer at Willamette Week, a Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper in Portland, Oregon, where he lives with his wife and two children.

Last updated: May 19th, 2023