In this special Tick Boot Camp Podcast episode recorded live at Project Lab Coat during New York Fashion Week (NYFW), we sit down with Dr. Michal “Mikki” Caspi Tal, Principal Scientist in the Department of Biological Engineering at MIT and Associate Scientific Director of the MIT Center for Gynepathology Research.
Dr. Tal is an immunologist and immunoengineer whose groundbreaking research focuses on the connections between infections and chronic diseases, including Lyme disease and long COVID. At her Tal Research Group lab, she studies why some people recover quickly after infection while others develop chronic illness, with a focus on the immune system’s different responses in men and women.
Project Lab Coat was a groundbreaking event held on September 13, 2025, during New York Fashion Week (NYFW). The show brought together prominent celebrities, researchers, doctors, and advocates who were invited to walk the runway to spotlight Lyme disease and raise funds for Lyme disease research.
For the first time, the global visibility of NYFW was used to highlight one of the fastest-growing infectious diseases in the world. Tick Boot Camp co-founders Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen, together with Dr. Tal, walked the runway at Project Lab Coat, joining leaders from medicine, science, entertainment, and advocacy. Project Lab Coat demonstrated the power of mainstream platforms to bring awareness, credibility, and resources to the fight against Lyme disease.
For too long, chronic Lyme patients have been told their symptoms are “all in their head.” Dr. Tal’s work at MIT proves otherwise by measuring the real biological differences in immune system responses. This research not only validates patients’ experiences but also charts a course toward better diagnostics, clinical trials, and personalized treatments.
In this episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, we sit down with András Pal Bozsik, co-founder of Lyme Diagnostics Ltd and coordinator of the EU-funded DualDur® project, to discuss a disruptive new diagnostic technology that promises earlier, more accurate detection of Lyme disease.
For decades, Lyme testing has relied on indirect serological methods that often miss early infection and fail chronic patients. András shares how his father’s pioneering work on Borrelia detection inspired the development of DualDur®, an AI-driven, direct detection system capable of finding Borrelia burgdorferi in blood samples at all stages of infection.
We cover:
This groundbreaking conversation bridges science, technology, and patient care. It gives hope to millions of Lyme patients seeking a reliable test and effective treatment strategies.
🎧 Listen now to learn how DualDur could transform Lyme disease diagnostics and bring long-overdue answers to patients worldwide.
In this powerful episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, we sit down with Ciara Gaglio, a 37-year-old from Woodside, Queens, New York, whose life was completely transformed by Lyme disease. Once a vibrant, social, and creative digital media professional, Ciara’s health began to unravel in her late 20s. What followed was nearly a decade of relentless symptoms, countless misdiagnoses, and visits to over 100 doctors before finally receiving a Lyme disease diagnosis at age 36.
Ciara opens up about her devastating symptoms, including unrelenting fatigue, neurological issues, full-body pain, kidney distress, and the emotional toll of isolation. She shares her treatment journey—beginning with antibiotics like doxycycline and Rocephin through a PICC line, and later expanding to supportive therapies like herbs, probiotics, yoga, ozone therapy, and more.
This candid conversation sheds light on the financial, emotional, and social impact of chronic Lyme disease, as well as the resilience required to keep advocating for yourself in a medical system that too often dismisses patients.
Listen to Ciara’s journey of courage, humor, and persistence in the face of chronic Lyme disease. Her message is clear: be kind to yourself, advocate fiercely, and never give up.
In this episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, we sit down with Janet Sperling, PhD, President of the Canadian Lyme Disease Foundation (CanLyme) and an accomplished entomologist whose research focuses on the bacterial microbiome of ticks across Canada. Janet’s journey with Lyme disease began when her teenage son was bitten by a tick during a family trip to California. His symptoms, starting with sinusitis and progressing to more severe illness, led to a long and frustrating medical journey involving multiple doctors, misdiagnoses, and eventually a clinical Lyme diagnosis supported by IGeneX testing.
Janet shares her personal experience as a mother navigating the complexities of Lyme disease, as well as her professional expertise studying common tick species in Canada.
Her research investigates the bacterial communities within these ticks, the role of bird migration in tick population spread, and the limitations of current microbiome analysis techniques.
Key Discussion Points:
Lyme Disease Prevention Tips from Janet Sperling:
Whether you’re a Lyme patient, caregiver, or simply interested in the science behind ticks, this episode offers a unique blend of personal narrative and cutting-edge entomology research.
In this powerful episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, dancer, actress, model, and Lyme warrior Renee LeeAnn Marsden shares her extraordinary journey of surviving late-stage Lyme disease, multiple co-infections, and autoimmune encephalitis. Once bedridden, disassociating, and in a wheelchair, Renee fought her way back through a combination of stem cells, peptides, neurofeedback, and faith — and now she’s thriving as a mother and advocate.
From being misdiagnosed with MS and Parkinson’s to discovering mold illness, from devastating Herxheimer reactions to life-changing treatments at Amen Clinics, Renee’s story is a beacon of hope for anyone battling chronic Lyme or feeling hopeless in their healing journey.
🎧 In This Episode, You’ll Learn:
📌 Why You Should Listen: Renee’s journey is a masterclass in resilience, faith, and integrative healing. Whether you’re battling Lyme disease, caring for someone who is, or looking for hope when treatments fail, this episode delivers insights on:
🎙 About Renee: Renee LeeAnn Marsden – Actress, dancer, Lyme warrior, and founder of Bright Life Co., a faith-based wellness community for women.
✨ Key Quote from Renee: “You can’t wait until you feel better to live — you have to start saying yes to life where you are.”
Kaitlyn Oleinik is a chronic illness advocate and the author of Revival: My Journey with Neuropsychiatric Lyme Disease. She was bitten by a tick at age six and spent much of her life fighting an invisible illness while being dismissed by the medical system. Diagnosed with Lyme disease and co-infections in her teens, Kaitlyn has endured everything from hallucinations and involuntary psych holds to IVIG and stem cell treatments. Her book and voice give a name to the unspoken pain of countless others living with Lyme.
Revival - My Journey with Neuropsychiatric Lyme Disease is Kaitlyn’s searing memoir that chronicles her descent into neuropsychiatric Lyme, including psychosis, hospitalizations, Morgellons disease, immune collapse, and ultimately, healing and redemption. It’s a must-read for patients, caregivers, and practitioners seeking to understand the lived experience of chronic Lyme.
Kaitlyn’s story is not just about Lyme - it’s about what happens when we stop believing women, ignore invisible illnesses, and turn away from complex suffering. Her story is a rallying cry for validation, medical reform, and hope.
In this powerful episode of the TIck Boot Camp Podcast, Dr. Jaquel Patterson, nationally recognized naturopathic physician and medical director of Fairfield Family Health, joins Matt Sabatello to explore the many layers of Lyme disease recovery – from hidden mold exposure to hormone balance and mental health support.
💡 Episode Highlights:
🎯 Who should listen?
📍 Resources & Links Mentioned in This Episode:
🌟 About Dr. Jaquel Patterson: Dr. Patterson is a naturopathic physician and ILADS member known for her integrative work in Lyme disease, mold illness, mental health, hormone health, and immune system support.
In this powerful episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, we are joined by Dr. Daniel Warren of Envita Medical Center, a leading voice in the field of regenerative and integrative medicine, to break down the multi-layered complexity of chronic Lyme disease and its treatment.
Dr. Warren takes us deep into the root causes of persistent symptoms, highlighting how chronic Lyme often results in immune dysregulation, biofilm-protected pathogens, co-infections, and central nervous system inflammation that go untreated by conventional protocols.
The conversation explores the use of VSELS (Very Small Embryonic Like Stem Cells) to regenerate damaged tissue and rebalance immune function, as well as IRAD (Insulin Receptor Antibiotic Delivery)—Envita’s proprietary method of delivering antibiotics past the blood-brain barrier to treat neurological Lyme disease.
This episode is a must-listen for anyone seeking a deeper understanding of how precision diagnostics, immune modulation, and regenerative medicine can be integrated to support lasting recovery from chronic Lyme and tick-borne disease.
Dr. Daniel Warren is a regenerative and integrative medicine specialist at Envita Medical Center in Scottsdale, Arizona. His clinical focus includes treating chronic, treatment-resistant conditions using a combination of targeted antimicrobial therapy, stem cell science, and immune reprogramming. Through protocols like VSELS and IRAD, Dr. Warren helps patients reclaim their lives from debilitating infections, neurological symptoms, and immune system failure.
If you or a loved one is facing neurological Lyme symptoms, chronic fatigue, or treatment-resistant co-infections, this episode may hold the answers you’ve been searching for. Share it with your community and join us in raising awareness about the future of Lyme healing through regenerative medicine and targeted immune therapies.
In this powerful episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, we welcome Dr. Diana Stafford, a conventionally trained MD turned functional medicine expert. Dr. Diana shares her personal and clinical journey into treating chronic illness, mold toxicity, Candida overgrowth, and Lyme disease using a science-based, root-cause approach.
Learn how she helps patients reclaim their health through gut healing, vagus nerve support, mold detox protocols, and functional diagnostics not typically covered by traditional medicine.
Dr. Diana Stafford is mold certified by Dr. Jill Crista and has advanced training from IFM and Evan Brand. She's co-author of Conquering Mold, Candida Detox, and The Inner Journey. Widely recognized as TikTok’s top Candida expert, she empowers her community with accessible health education and functional strategies for true healing. Also, check her out on Instagram!
If you’re battling Lyme disease, mold illness, or Candida overgrowth, this episode is your roadmap to hope and healing. Dr. Diana Stafford delivers clinical insight with compassion and clarity. Listen, learn, and start your journey to wellness today.
In this episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, we sit down with Dr. Tracey Gaslin, a dual-certified Pediatric and Family Nurse Practitioner and the CEO of the Alliance for Camp Health (ACH). Dr. Gaslin leads the Fight the Bite initiative, a national campaign designed to prevent Lyme and other tick-borne illnesses through science-based public health education.
She discusses how camps—often overlooked as public health allies—can play a critical role in early detection, prevention, and education for tick-borne disease. With over 3,500 staff trained and 25,000 kids protected, this conversation is packed with insights and action steps for caregivers, clinicians, and camp professionals alike.
Together, we can reduce Lyme disease risk through community action and smart prevention. Whether you're a camp director, healthcare provider, or concerned parent, this episode will empower you to fight the bite—starting today.