Unknown Variables

Trying for a Baby? Watch This Before Your Next Drink!

Is there any safe amount of alcohol during pregnancy? In this episode of Unknown Variables, I sit down with Dr. Alexandra Perez, PsyD, a licensed clinical psychologist and Assistant Professor at Emory University, to unpack one of the most misunderstood—and rarely discussed—topics in public health: prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE). Despite what many people hear from friends, social media, or even doctors, the science tells a more complicated story. Dr. Perez explains why no amount of alcohol has been proven safe during pregnancy, how prenatal alcohol exposure affects brain development, and why many children and adults are impacted without obvious physical signs. We explore: 1. Why doctors sometimes say “one glass is fine” — and what the evidence actually shows 2. What Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) really are (and why most cases go undiagnosed) 3. How prenatal exposure can increase risk for ADHD, anxiety, depression, and behavioral challenges later in life 4. The role of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) and environment — not just biology 5. Why many kids are misdiagnosed when underlying neurodevelopmental differences go untested 6. How Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) helps repair parent–child relationships and reduce disruptive behavior 7. The unique barriers faced by Spanish-speaking and Latine families in healthcare and research 8. Why simply “translating materials into Spanish” is not enough 9. How to talk about alcohol and pregnancy without shame or stigma This conversation is not about blame — it’s about education, prevention, compassion, and better systems of care. If you’re pregnant, trying to conceive, a parent, clinician, educator, or simply someone who wants to better understand how early life experiences shape mental health, this episode is for you.

Become Financially Independent and Own Your Time with Andy Hill!

What if the real goal of money isn’t wealth—but time? In this episode of Unknown Variables, I sit down with Andy Hill, creator of Marriage Kids and Money and author of Own Your Time, to talk about financial independence, Coast FIRE, and why so many people feel stuck even when they’re “doing everything right.” Andy shares how he and his wife went from a negative $50,000 net worth to nearly $2 million, paid off their home in under five years, and ultimately designed a life around time freedom—not just money. We talk honestly about motivation, marriage, stress, side hustles, gambling culture, index fund investing, and what it really takes to build financial independence with a family. This conversation isn’t about get-rich-quick schemes, crypto hype, or gambling apps—it’s about building margin, reclaiming your time, and designing a life you don’t want to escape from. IN THIS EPISODE, WE COVER: 1. Why most people don’t have a money problem—they have a time problem 2. How motivation (not discipline) drives long-term financial change 3. Paying off a mortgage early vs. investing: what Andy would do differently 4. What Coast FIRE is and why it works for parents 5. How to build financial independence starting from debt 6. Why gambling and “quick money” are destroying wealth for young people 7. How couples can get on the same page about money 8. The role of side hustles, income growth, and index fund investing 9. Why time—not net worth—is the ultimate measure of wealth Andy also shares the personal moments behind the numbers: marriage counseling, burnout, quitting a stable corporate job, and the realization that there are only 168 hours in a week—and how you use them matters. 📘 Andy Hill’s book, Own Your Time, is available now Learn more at 👉 https://marriagekidsandmoney.com [https://marriagekidsandmoney.com?utm_source=chatgpt.com] 🎧 Listen to Andy’s podcast & YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@MarriageKidsandMoney

Why Do Drugs Cost So Much?!

Most people assume the answer is simple: greed. But the real story is far more complicated — and far more surprising. In this episode, I sit down with Sam Kazer, PhD, a scientist who has worked across academia, global health, and the pharmaceutical industry, to break down what it actually takes to turn an idea into a real medicine. We talk about why drug development takes 10+ years, why clinical trials are so expensive, and why most drug ideas fail long before they ever reach patients. We also explore: 1. Why “Big Pharma” isn’t a single villain 2. How academic research and industry depend on each other 3. Why biologic drugs cost more than small-molecule drugs 4. How public funding quietly enables many of the medicines we rely on 5. What people misunderstand most about drug pricing and regulation This isn’t a defense of the pharmaceutical industry — it’s an explanation of the system we all rely on, and why simple answers don’t capture the full picture.

Rebuilding a Face, Restoring a Life

Is the medical system broken? And what does plastic surgery really do? In this episode of the Unknown Variables Podcast, Dr. Anthony Rojas speaks with Dr. Kianna Jackson, MD, Chief Resident in Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery at Vanderbilt University, MIT graduate, and founder who challenged the residency application system itself. Most people think plastic surgery is about Botox, breast implants, or celebrity aesthetics. Dr. Jackson explains why that’s wrong—how plastic surgery is about form and function, restoring faces after trauma, burns, and cancer, and helping patients reclaim their identity when their ability to speak, smile, or be recognized has been taken from them. Dr. Jackson also shares her experience as a Black woman in surgery, confronting imposter syndrome and the “DEI hire” narrative despite graduating first in her medical school class and becoming the first Black student to win Vanderbilt’s highest academic honor. She offers a nuanced, honest discussion of affirmative action, equity vs equality, and why diversity in medicine leads to better patient outcomes. The conversation goes deeper into the broken medical training pipeline. Dr. Jackson recounts spending thousands of dollars applying to residency, uncovering a system that extracts over $100 million annually from medical students, and building CentralApp, a platform that disrupted the residency application process nationwide—forcing ERAS to lower its fees. She also shares hard-earned lessons from founding a startup while working 80-hour weeks as a surgical resident. This episode explores: 1. What plastic surgery really is (beyond aesthetics) 2. Facial reconstruction and restoring identity 3. Burn, cancer, and trauma reconstruction 4. Being a Black woman in surgery 5. DEI, affirmative action, and imposter syndrome 6. Why residency and medical school admissions are broken 7. The true cost of becoming a doctor 8. Lessons from building (and losing) a medical startup 9. Mentorship, medicine, and choosing the right path Whether you’re a premed student, medical trainee, physician, healthcare professional, or simply curious about how medicine actually works, this conversation will change how you see plastic surgery—and the system behind it. 🎧 Listen to the full episode on the Unknown Variables Podcast 🔔 Subscribe for conversations on science, medicine, entrepreneurship, and the unseen forces shaping success.

What Working at the CDC Is Really Like (From the Inside)!

What is it actually like to work at the CDC? In this episode of the Unknown Variables Podcast, I sit down with Dr. Erin Thomas — a sociologist at the CDC — to unpack the side of public health most people never see: systems, behavior, trust, and the human factors that determine whether good science turns into real-world outcomes. We talk about: 1. Why “CDC work” is so much more than labs and vaccines 2. How bias and structural barriers show up in lactation support and breastfeeding care 3. What the U.S. Ebola response revealed (and why COVID exposed it at scale) 4. Why changing guidance can destabilize the public — even when it’s scientifically correct 5. How CDC work shifts across roles: research → evaluation → tuberculosis (TB) programs 6. Why TB still matters in the U.S. (and who it impacts most) 7. What it takes for evidence to actually change practice in a massive organization 8. And what still gives her hope about the future of public health If this conversation helped you see public health differently, subscribe/follow — it tells me to keep making episodes like this. Guest: Dr. Erin Thomas (CDC) Note: Views expressed are the guest’s own and do not necessarily represent the CDC. Host: Anthony J. Rojas, Ph.D.