Dr. Wendy Slusser of UCLA's Semel Healthy Campus Initiative Center interviews leading experts about new perspectives on health and wellbeing. LiveWell champions an interdisciplinary and intersectional approach to health equity-- from food and climate, to social justice and emotional wellbeing. With guests like Evan Kleiman, Peter Sellars, and Bob Thurman, we've set out to explore the many facets of what it means to live well. Stop by our website to offer feedback or guest ideas, plus more to…
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(Re-Release), Part 2 - Change How You Think: Why We Think How We Do and Our Value System with Emily Falk
We are excited to re-release Dr. Emily Falk's podcast series which explores storytelling as a lever for deeper human connection & understanding and how we make decisions & form value sets. Her book, What We Value, is now out in paperback due to popular demand! We highly recommend purchasing a copy and hope you find our conversation with Dr. Falk deepens the reading experience. Happy listening!…
(Re-Release), Part 1 - Change How You Think: Why We Think How We Do and Our Value System with Emily Falk
We are excited to re-release Dr. Emily Falk's podcast series which explores storytelling as a lever for deeper human connection & understanding and how we make decisions & form value sets. Her book, What We Value, is now out in paperback due to popular demand! We highly recommend purchasing a copy and hope you find our conversation with Dr. Falk deepens the reading experience. Happy listening!…
Looking Under the Hood: Prepping Olympic and Paralympic Fencers
What does it take for an athlete to make it to the Paralympic or Olympic games? In our latest LiveWell Podcast episode, we explore the world of elite athleticism through the sport of fencing. As it turns out, training to compete in the most important sporting event of your life takes a lot more than simply achieving peak physical performance. Which is where Dr. Derek Plonka comes in. Physical…
Whose Stories are Told? Whose are Missing? The Power of Representation with Dr. Darnell Hunt
On this episode of the LiveWell podcast, we sit down with UCLA’s Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost (EVCP) Darnell Hunt. A proud UCLA alumnus and former Dean of Social Sciences, Dr. Hunt has spent three decades examining how the ways we see the world impact how we live. We explore his journey from a young journalism student with a secret passion for filmmaking to his role as the architect of…
94: Do Animals Hold the Key to Healing? Ellie Laks on the Gentle Barn and Reciprocal Healing
What if the key to healing our own trauma was held by a rescued cow or a rehabilitated horse? On this episode of the LiveWell podcast, we speak with Ellie Laks, the visionary founder of The Gentle Barn. Ellie shares on her lifelong journey of connecting with animals, from a seven-year-old with a dream to an international leader on the power of animal sanctuaries. We dive deep into 'Cow Hug…
93: The Reflex of Kindness: Lonnie Ali on Scaling Compassion and Sustaining a Legacy
In our latest LiveWell podcast episode, we sit down with Lonnie Ali, a dedicated advocate for Parkinson’s research, a champion of compassion, and widow to Muhammad Ali. Lonnie shares her personal journey from growing up across the street from the legendary boxer in Louisville to becoming his "rock" and care partner throughout his battle with Parkinson’s disease. Chair and co-founder of the…
92: Primal Intelligence: From Special Ops to Shakespeare
Our latest LiveWell podcast episode features an inspiring and deeply insightful conversation with Angus Fletcher, Professor of English at Ohio State University and a core member of Project Narrative. Angus shares his personal journey from working in a neurophysiology lab studying live brain cells to pursuing a PhD in literature at Yale to understand the mechanics of story. Drawing from his work…
91: The Power of Presence: Navigating Modern Stress with Mindfulness
Our latest LiveWell podcast episode features an inspiring and deeply insightful conversation with Diana Winston, the Director of Mindfulness Education at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center (MARC). Diana shares her personal journey from being a young seeker traveling through Asia to spending a year as a Buddhist nun, a period that fundamentally shaped her understanding of the human mind.…
90: Rebuilding Belonging: The Power of Strengthening Our Social Muscles
Our latest LiveWell podcast episode features an inspiring and deeply insightful conversation with Kasley Killam, a leading expert in social health and author of The Art and Science of Connection: Why Social Health is the Missing Key to Living Longer, Healthier, and Happier Lives . Kasley shares her personal journey from being a curious psychology student to becoming a nationally recognized voice…
Everyone’s a Futurist: Structuring Tomorrow’s Thinking
“It is possible to believe that all the past is but the beginning of a beginning… the twilight of the dawn.” – H.G. Wells But how do we shape what comes next—and prepare for futures we can’t yet see? Join us for a compelling episode of the UCLA LiveWell podcast featuring Dr. Andy Hines — futurist, professor at the University of Houston, and expert in strategic foresight. Andy guides us through: 🔭…
