@brennanspiegel
Chair of Digital Health Ethics at Cedars-Sinai. Professor of Medicine, Public Health, and Biomedical Sciences. GI doctor. Author of VRx & PULL. My lab studies how spatial computing and AI can improve health.
🚀 Today’s the day! My new book PULL is officially out in the world.
Grateful for everyone who helped bring this project to life—and excited to share how gravity shapes our bodies, steadies our minds, and guides our health.
Get your copy here: amazon.com/Pull-Gravity-S…
📖🌍
Thrilled to announce my new podcast, "The Gravity Doctors," together with @brennanspiegel.bsky.social. We introduce the world of "Biogravitational Medicine"—how gravity shapes your body and mind for better or worse.
All formats here: lnkd.in/gyviV7HY
YouTube: lnkd.in/gAMB_Eq8
Hope you enjoy!
IBD is more than inflammation. Patients can struggle with fatigue, pain, stress, anxiety & depression. In our new paper, we discuss how #VR might support the gut–brain axis, easing psychological comorbidities while complementing physical care. More: pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39990506/
Yes, I know this looks ridiculous 😅. But it works: weighted vest (20 lbs), ankle weights (20 lbs each), standing desk, balance board. My way of sneaking fitness into office hours—and resisting the sedentary pull of gravity 🌍 💪
Because...🧍♂️ > 🪑
Thrilled that my forthcoming book, PULL: How Gravity Shapes Your Body, Steadies the Mind, and Guides Our Health, has been named one of Next Big Idea Club’s Must-Read Books—curated by Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Adam Grant & Daniel Pink. So honored! nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/nex...
🌿 Green = Good 🌿
I’m standing in Geiranger, Norway 🇳🇴, surrounded by nature at its most spectacular 🌄. It reminds me of biophilia—our innate love of green, living spaces 🌱. Turns out, nature boosts serotonin 🧠 and lowers stress 😌. I can feel it.
Ever feel weighed down—literally or figuratively? What if serotonin is the secret to resisting gravity’s pull? Maybe this ancient molecule isn’t just about mood, but about helping us stand up to gravity—body and mind. I explore this idea in my new paper: neurogastrolatamreviews.com/frame_eng.ph...
Recording my new book PULL… from the only studio with optimal acoustics, shoe inspiration, and flannel ambiance: my closet. 🎙️👞👔 Grateful to the producers and directors at @StMartinsPress for making this audiobook come alive. Book info/pre-order: amazon.com/Pull-Gravity-S…
"IBS Rates Nearly Doubled During the Pandemic" - @healthday.bsky.social covers our new study examining time trends of #IBS following the COVID-19 pandemic:https://www.healthday.com/health-news/digestive-system/ibs-rates-nearly-doubled-during-the-pandemic
How should doctors use AI? What happens if insurance uses AI to deny claims? How should we consent patients when AI is used? How do we train med students in AI? Those are just a few of the questions I discuss this new
@amcollegegastro.bsky.social "Brains and Guts" podcast: gi.org/journals-pub...
Just over 10 yrs ago, we showed how computers could write a more thorough patient history than doctors. Below is published example, from a decade ago, before LLMs. The tech has exploded since then. What happens now when we pair great tech w/ great docs?
🔗https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25461620/
Communal #XR might help.
✨ Shared embodiment
✨ Spatialized co-presence
✨ Emotional narratives
These tools don’t replicate in-person connection — but so long as digital distance remains a modern reality, they may offer a scaffolding for empathy to rebuild.
Empathy erodes as digital distance grows.
⬆️ In-person: mirror neurons fire
▶️ Video/chat: filtered but still human
⬇️ Anonymous online: empathy floor
Can we design tech that bends this line back up? 👇 #DigitalHealth #Empathy
Exciting day today at #CedarsSinai where we’re hosting “AI in Healthcare: Trust and Accountability,” a joint symposium with the Hastings Center. Program agenda shown. I’ll be joining a panel on ethical use of #AI and #digitalhealth in the community. It’s been very engaging so far!
Some days it feels like we’re living inside an intractable riddle.
But there’s existential meaning in trying to solve it—even if we never plumb the depths.
Technology has extended our lives, cured disease, and connected the world—yet rates of anxiety, loneliness, and chronic disease keep rising.
Have we passed the peak of benefit?
If this curve is accurate, what’s our prescription for the descent? More tech? Different tech? Or just disconnect?
Doctors can't just "touch grass" during 14-hour shifts—but what if they could feel like they did? Today at #DDW2025 I’ll explore how #VR can help address burnout in medical training & beyond—offering biophilic escapes 🌿, real-time biofeedback 💓, and moments of calm in a high-stress world.
Powerful talk by Kayla Griffin at #DDW2025, sharing her journey as an artist living with #gastroparesis. Misdiagnosed with anorexia and anxiety, told she needed surgery—when it was gastroparesis all along. Her story and art reminded us why listening matters.
Just arrived — the first print copies of my new book, PULL! There’s nothing like seeing your book in print for the 1st time. This is the advance reader copy, and I’m beyond excited. PULL “drops” on 10/7. Let the countdown begin! #GravityMedicine
📖🚀✨⏳🧠⚖️ Pre-orders: www.amazon.com/Pull-Gravity...
Our first guest in our AI in Medicine grad school course is not a data scientist—but our lead Rabbi at Cedars-Sinai, Jason Weiner. He’s exploring the intersection of AI and spirituality: a powerful ethical and theological lens on the future of care. Unexpected. Essential. Impactful.
History in the making! 🎉 Today we launched the inaugural AI in Medicine class at Cedars-Sinai, led by the renowned @lisagualtieri.bsky.social. This marks a major milestone as we prepare the next generation to lead at the intersection of data, ethics, and clinical care. 🤖🩺 #AI
Thrilled to see our Cedars-Sinai grad students kicking off the new term with one of the most vital courses in health systems: Quality Improvement & Patient Safety, led by Prof. Loretta So. From systems thinking to root cause analysis, these are the skills that save lives. 🏥📊
I keep this on my desk at work. It keeps me energized!
Gravity doesn’t just pull apples—it shapes your body, mind & health 🌍🍎
My new book PULL drops 10/7, but Barnes & Noble is offering 25% off pre-orders through Friday only!
Discover how gravity impacts everything from digestion to depression:
👉 www.barnesandnoble.com/w/pull-brenn...
It’s #VR day at the @uclaanderson School of Business grad class on #HealthTech. This is Justin Barad of Osso VR talking about VR surgical training. I spoke about VR for pain, anxiety, and IBS. Always love teaching the grad students at UCLA!
I’m currently developing a framework called "cognitive rewilding"—using spatial computing to counter pervasive biophobia and reconnect digitally detached minds with the natural world. It’s part of a broader idea I call "The Reality Paradox": using tech to return to what’s real. More soon! 🌱🧠🌍
Gravity was here long before we were, and it'll remain long after we’re gone. Physics came first, biology second. It stands to reason that mastering gravity was essential for life to evolve on Earth. My upcoming book, PULL, is about how to thrive in a world of gravity: www.amazon.com/Pull-Gravity...
Join us for an exclusive information session on April 16th at 5 PM PT to explore the Cedars-Sinai Master of Science in Health Systems (MSHS) program!
Don't miss this opportunity to enhance your career!
👉 Register now: conta.cc/4ggOM5e
🔹 Unlock Skills in Clinical AI & Innovation
I'll be speaking at the Digestive Disease Week (DDW) meeting this year to review how modern technologies, including #VR, #AI, and #digitalhealth devices, can help improve clinical practice in GI and lower burnout among trainees. Check out pgcourse.org for more!
Chronic pain affects 20% of U.S. adults, but opioids aren't the only answer. I spoke with @NatureMedicine about innovative, opioid-free treatments like #VR, offering alternative approaches. Read more here: nature.com/articles/d41... #ChronicPain #PainManagement
