In this episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, Dr. Eric D. Gordon — globally recognized expert in Lyme disease, ME/CFS, mold toxicity, MCAS, mitochondrial dysfunction, and complex chronic illness — explains why chronic illness is never caused by a single factor and why recovery requires a strategic “order of operations.”
Recorded after meeting at Project Lab Coat during NYFW, this conversation dives into chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation, why some people stay sick for years, why certain treatments backfire, how metabolomics reveals dysfunction that standard tests miss, and the future of individualized chronic illness care.
Medical Director, Gordon Medical Associates, and President, Gordon Medical Research Center
Dr. Gordon has 45+ years of experience treating the most complex chronic illness cases. He specializes in:
Lyme disease and tick-borne infections
ME/CFS and post-infectious illness
Mold and mycotoxin exposure
Mast Cell Activation Syndrome (MCAS)
Autoimmune disease
Environmental illness
Mitochondrial dysfunction and metabolic collapse
He co-authored the landmark 2016 PNAS metabolomics study with Dr. Robert Naviaux, which reshaped global understanding of ME/CFS and chronic inflammatory diseases.
How Dr. Gordon became one of the world’s leading chronic illness clinicians
Why patient belief and validation are foundational to healing
Why chronic illness cases don’t fit conventional medical models
Why herbs often worsen symptoms in MCAS or inflamed patients
When pharmaceuticals help stabilize sensitive patients
How chronic inflammation blocks trace mineral absorption
The link between minerals, B vitamins, mitochondria, and NAD/NADH
When detoxification helps — and when it causes more harm
How childhood infections and environment shape lifelong immunity
The massive impact of modern microbiome disruption
Mold illness as the “great derailer” of Lyme treatment
Why genetics like MTHFR and HLA are not destiny
Why some people heal from Lyme without treatment
How metabolomics and AI will usher in precision medicine
What actually keeps people sick — accumulated compensations, not the tick bite
What intuitive patients get right (and wrong) about their symptoms
0:02 – Meeting Dr. Gordon at Project Labcoat
1:08 – Who he is and how he entered complex illness medicine
2:30 – Realizing conventional medicine fails chronic patients
5:45 – Why chronic illness doesn’t fit standard algorithms
8:10 – Herbs vs antibiotics: what most people misunderstand
11:28 – Inflammation and why sensitive patients react to everything
13:45 – MCAS and immune overactivation
16:25 – Why herbal formulas can trigger flares
19:30 – Pharmaceuticals that calm inflammation
20:50 – Trace minerals, mitochondrial function, and NAD pathways
23:55 – Why standard labs can’t see cellular dysfunction
26:10 – How childhood immune experiences shape resilience
28:40 – Environmental changes and microbiome decline
30:30 – Shoes, posture, fascia, lymphatics
36:35 – Structural healing and hypersensitive patients
41:20 – Founding Gordon Medical Associates
43:00 – Early discoveries with Lyme disease patients
48:30 – Detoxification, herbal protocols, and mold models
52:10 – Mold’s ability to halt all progress
55:30 – Why mold affects some family members and not others
57:20 – How food supply antibiotics disrupt immunity
59:50 – Genetics are possibilities, not fate
1:03:20 – Why some people recover after a tick bite and others don’t
1:07:00 – How AI and metabolomics will transform treatment
1:10:40 – Genes vs environment
1:13:30 – Chronic illness requires many small steps
1:16:00 – How to work with Dr. Gordon
1:18:30 – Final message of hope
“Chronic illness is not caused by one thing — and it’s never healed by one thing.”
“Herbs depend on your body’s ability to modulate inflammation. If you can’t dampen the fire, herbs feel like gasoline.”
“Genetics are not destiny. They’re possibilities.”
“Mold makes every other treatment look like it’s failing.”
“You can absolutely get well — but there is no single magic bullet.”
If this episode brought you clarity or hope, please share it with someone navigating chronic Lyme, mold illness, MCAS, or ME/CFS.
Subscribe and leave a review to help more people find this conversation and believe that healing is possible.
This special episode of the [Tick Boot Camp Podcast](https://tickbootcamp.com/podcast/) was recorded live at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and PCOM Symposium in collaboration with Pathobiome Perspectives. Hosted by Ali Moresco in partnership with Nikki Schultek, Executive Director of AlzPI, the conversation continues the Tick Boot Camp mission of exploring infection-associated chronic illness (IACI)—including Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections—within the global Alzheimer’s and neuroimmunology research community.
Tick Boot Camp co-founders Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen partnered with Ali and Nikki to highlight leading scientists connecting microbes, immune dysregulation, and neurodegenerative disease. This episode features Dr. Elizabeth “Betsy” Bradshaw, Assistant Professor of Neurology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center, whose research investigates how past infections leave lasting imprints on the brain’s immune system and influence the development of Alzheimer’s disease.
Elizabeth M. Bradshaw, PhD
Assistant Professor of Neurology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
Principal Investigator, Bradshaw Laboratory – Neuroimmunology and Genetics of Alzheimer’s
Dr. Bradshaw’s laboratory focuses on the immune system’s role in neurodegeneration, particularly how infection and inflammation alter brain immunity and predispose individuals to conditions like Alzheimer’s disease. Her work builds on large-scale genome-wide association studies (GWAS) that identified immune-related genetic variants linked to Alzheimer’s susceptibility, suggesting that subtle changes in immune function—not just neuronal factors—may underlie disease onset.
Her team is exploring how pathogens such as HSV-1 (Herpes Simplex Virus Type 1) interact with the brain’s immune cells, known as microglia, and how these infections can “reprogram” immune responses long after the pathogen is cleared.
Dr. Bradshaw explains how her research bridges genetics, immunology, and infectious disease to better understand Alzheimer’s. Through GWAS data, her team found that many of the genes linked to Alzheimer’s risk involve immune pathways rather than neuronal signaling. This discovery redirected the field’s attention toward how immune cells respond to pathogens and environmental stressors across a lifetime.
Using human-derived microglia-like cells created from blood monocytes, her team observes how infections reshape immune cell metabolism and memory. By infecting these microglia-like cells with Alzheimer’s-associated pathogens like HSV-1, they study how genetic background and infection history determine immune cell behavior.
The findings suggest that past infections may epigenetically and metabolically train microglia—changing how they respond to aging, stress, and amyloid buildup. Even when the infection has resolved, these “reprogrammed” immune cells can remain altered for decades, silently increasing the brain’s vulnerability to neurodegeneration.
Dr. Bradshaw emphasizes that understanding how infections rewire the brain’s immune landscape could transform early intervention strategies. Identifying combinations of genetic risk factors and pathogen exposures may enable targeted prevention or immune-modulating treatments long before symptoms appear.
“Microglia remember. Even after the pathogen is gone, they carry its imprint—responding differently decades later when the brain faces new challenges.” — Dr. Elizabeth Bradshaw
Dr. Bradshaw’s work reframes Alzheimer’s disease as a neuroimmune condition shaped by infection and host genetics. Her research highlights how microbial exposures, immune history, and inflammation converge to influence cognitive decline. By integrating infection biology with genetics and immunology, her team is redefining how scientists and clinicians view the root causes of Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.
This work strengthens the growing case that the immune system’s “memory” of infection may be one of the most important and overlooked factors in brain health and aging.
This interview was recorded at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Symposium, held October 3, 2025, at Ohio University in Dublin, Ohio. The event brought together more than 20 leading researchers exploring how microbes, the microbiome, and immune dysregulation contribute to Alzheimer’s, dementia, and infection-associated chronic illness (IACI).
Tick Boot Camp partnered with Ali Moresco and Nikki Schultek to share these conversations and connect chronic Lyme, infection, and neurodegenerative research communities.
Listen to Tick Boot Camp Podcast episodes, including Episode 406: Pathobiome – An Interview with Nikki Schultek and Episode 101: The Young Gun – An Interview with Alex (Ali) Moresco discussed in this interview.
This special episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast was recorded live at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and PCOM Symposium in collaboration with Pathobiome Perspectives. Hosted by Ali Moresco in partnership with Nikki Schultek, Executive Director of AlzPI, this series expands the Tick Boot Camp mission of exploring infection-associated chronic illness (IACI)—including Lyme and other tick-borne infections—to the global Alzheimer’s and neuroimmunology research community.
Tick Boot Camp co-founders Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen partnered with Ali and Nikki to showcase scientists exploring the microbial and immune mechanisms behind neurodegeneration. This episode features Dr. Janice Bush, a PhD candidate at North Carolina State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, whose research under world-renowned Bartonella expert Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt investigates how Bartonella bacteria alter gene expression in the brain’s immune cells.
Dr. Janice Bush began her career in veterinary medicine, where she observed a striking overlap between illnesses in pets and their human owners—particularly those linked to vector-borne infections like Bartonella.
Now completing her PhD under Dr. Edward Breitschwerdt, she focuses on Bartonella henselae, the bacterium behind Cat Scratch Disease, and its ability to infect human microglial cells—the brain’s resident immune defenders.
Her presentation, “Bartonella-Infected Human Microglial Cells: Transcriptional Changes Associated with Chronic Neurologic Disorders,” revealed how this stealth pathogen triggers widespread gene dysregulation linked to Alzheimer’s disease, psychiatric symptoms, and neurodegenerative processes.
Dr. Bush explains how Bartonella infection reprograms human microglia, the brain’s innate immune cells, leading to hundreds of genes being upregulated or suppressed—affecting energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, cell signaling, and immune communication. These cellular changes mirror those observed in chronic neurological and psychiatric disorders, providing a potential mechanistic link between infection and long-term neurodegeneration.
She describes Bartonella’s sophisticated immune evasion strategy, including its ability to hijack cellular machinery and increase production of interleukin-10 (IL-10)—an anti-inflammatory cytokine that suppresses immune response, allowing the bacteria to persist undetected. This mechanism may explain why patients experience cyclic flares and remissions, and why Bartonella can linger silently for years.
Dr. Bush’s findings suggest that even short-term infections can produce measurable transcriptional changes in brain immune cells within 48 hours. If such infections persist for months or years, they may set the stage for neurodegenerative disease, particularly when combined with other pathogens or environmental factors.
“If one intracellular pathogen can cause this many changes in two days, imagine what happens over months or years. Bartonella may be the spark that primes the brain for neurodegeneration.” — Dr. Janice Bush
Dr. Bush’s research offers a groundbreaking look at how a common, underrecognized infection may drive neuroinflammation and neurodegeneration. Her work bridges veterinary medicine, infectious disease, and neurology—revealing how pathogens once dismissed as minor or self-limiting may alter the brain’s immune landscape.
By demonstrating that Bartonella can infect and manipulate microglial cells, she provides critical biological evidence linking vector-borne disease and cognitive decline, paving the way for future diagnostic and therapeutic innovation.
This interview was recorded at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Symposium, held October 3, 2025, at Ohio University in Dublin, Ohio. The event gathered more than 20 leading researchers exploring how microbes, the microbiome, and immune dysregulation contribute to Alzheimer’s, dementia, and infection-associated chronic illness (IACI).
The Tick Boot Camp Podcast, in partnership with Ali Moresco and Nikki Schultek, documented these conversations to connect the chronic Lyme, infectious disease, and Alzheimer’s research communities. This episode is part of Tick Boot Camp’s AlzPI collaboration series.
This special episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast was recorded live at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and PCOM Symposium in collaboration with Pathobiome Perspectives. Hosted by Ali Moresco in partnership with Nikki Schultek (Executive Director, AlzPI), the conversation advances the Tick Boot Camp mission of exploring infection-associated chronic illness (IACI)—including Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections—within the global Alzheimer’s and neuroimmunology community.
Tick Boot Camp co-founders Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen partnered with Ali and Nikki to amplify voices connecting tick-borne illness, microbes, and cognitive decline. This episode features Nicole Bell—author, entrepreneur, and CEO of Galaxy Diagnostics—whose memoir What Lurks in the Woods documents her late husband Russ’s misdiagnosed tick-borne illness and their search for answers.
At the Symposium, Nicole presented “When the brain pathobiome becomes personal,” sharing her family’s journey and new findings from Russ’s donated brain: laboratory evidence of Borrelia burgdorferi, Chlamydia pneumoniae, and Babesia otocoli (a species long thought to be deer-restricted) in brain tissue—data now being prepared for publication. Researchers also noted elevated heavy metals (lead, mercury), underscoring how polymicrobial infection plus toxic exposures may converge to drive neuroinflammation and Alzheimer’s-like decline.
Nicole details how repeated “normal” neurology workups masked a complex pathobiome process. She explains why standard two-tier Lyme serology can miss true infection, how direct detection can change care, and why patients should consider Bartonella and Babesia alongside Lyme. She outlines hallmark Bartonella clues—including striæ that resemble stretch marks (often more visible after hot showers), neuropsychiatric manifestations (irritability, anxiety, OCD, tics), ocular and joint involvement—and highlights non-tick vectors (notably fleas and household cats) that expand risk beyond forest exposure.
Nicole advocates for building a diagnostic toolkit that combines serology with sensitive direct tests to clarify which pathogens are active—critical because Borrelia, Bartonella, and Babesia require different treatment paradigms. Looking forward, she envisions comprehensive screening panels for midlife cognitive changes that integrate pathogen load, host immune signatures, and toxin status, enabling earlier, targeted interventions.
“Everyone wants a simple A→B. But the toughest chronic conditions are subtle and multifactorial. Accurate data, direct detection, and a clinician who will go on the journey with you can change everything.” — Nicole Bell
Nicole’s story humanizes the science: polymicrobial infection + toxins + host factors can look “psychiatric” or “idiopathic” until modern testing reveals the underlying pathobiome. Her advocacy pushes medicine toward precision diagnostics, earlier detection, and pathogen-informed care that may prevent years of decline.
Recorded at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Symposium on October 3, 2025, at Ohio University (Dublin, Ohio). The meeting convened global experts investigating how microbes, the microbiome, and immune responses contribute to Alzheimer’s, dementia, PANS/PANDAS, and other infection-associated chronic illnesses (IACI). This episode is part of a Tick Boot Camp series connecting chronic Lyme research with cutting-edge brain-immune science.
This special episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast was recorded live at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and PCOM Symposium in collaboration with Pathobiome Perspectives. Hosted by Ali Moresco in partnership with Nikki Schultek, Executive Director of AlzPI, the conversation brings the Tick Boot Camp mission of exploring infection-associated chronic illness (IACI)—including Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections—to the global Alzheimer’s and neuroimmunology research community.
Tick Boot Camp co-founders Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen partnered with Ali and Nikki to highlight leading scientists connecting infection, immune dysfunction, and cognitive decline. This episode features Dr. Sean Miller, a neuroscientist and co-investigator in the Logan Lab with a primary appointment at Yale School of Medicine, who is developing ways to non-invasively detect Alzheimer’s-like pathology through the eye.
Dr. Sean Miller completed pre-doctoral work at Harvard Medical School, earned his PhD from Johns Hopkins University, and completed post-doctoral training at Stanford University. His research focuses on neurodegeneration, neuroglia, and early diagnostic strategies for Alzheimer’s and related diseases.
At the AlzPI & PCOM Symposium, Dr. Miller presented evidence showing that SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection can accelerate Alzheimer’s-like pathology and that these changes can be detected non-invasively through retinal imaging. His findings suggest that amyloid-beta, a protein long associated with Alzheimer’s disease, may also serve as part of the brain’s antimicrobial defense system—trapping pathogens like a mesh or biofilm, but leading to damaging plaque buildup when overproduced.
Dr. Miller describes how the COVID-19 virus can act as an infectious trigger for neuroinflammation and amyloid buildup, how the eye provides a unique window into the brain, and why early detection is essential to preventing neuron death. He shares how his lab’s AI-enhanced retinal imaging research at Yale Eye Center is identifying amyloid and tau deposits in patients with long COVID-related brain fog—opening the possibility of routine eye exams doubling as early Alzheimer’s screening tools.
He explains potential therapeutic strategies, such as limiting amyloid production during infection flare-ups and enhancing clearance mechanisms afterward to reduce chronic plaque formation. The conversation also explores his scientific journey—from designing Alzheimer’s drugs at Harvard and Johns Hopkins to realizing the need for early disease detection during his postdoc at Stanford—and how the pandemic inspired his focus on infection-induced neurodegeneration.
“We believe neurons are exposed to pathogens in the central nervous system and respond by secreting amyloid-beta to trap them. Excessive plaque buildup from repeated or severe infections may be what drives long-term neurodegeneration.” — Dr. Sean Miller
Dr. Miller’s research connects infectious disease, ophthalmology, and neurology, providing a revolutionary new method to screen for early Alzheimer’s-like changes non-invasively through the human eye. His work suggests that infections like COVID-19 may trigger the same protective—but damaging—immune responses implicated in chronic conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease and infection-associated cognitive decline.
The interview took place at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Symposium, held on October 3, 2025, at Ohio University in Dublin, Ohio. The event brought together more than 20 global researchers exploring how microbes, the microbiome, and the immune response contribute to Alzheimer’s, dementia, PANS/PANDAS, and infection-associated chronic illnesses (IACI).
Tick Boot Camp partnered with Ali Moresco and Nikki Schultek to share the voices of researchers advancing the field of infection-associated chronic illness. This episode is part of a multi-part Tick Boot Camp series highlighting how pathobiome and microbiome science are transforming the understanding of Lyme disease, infection, and neurodegeneration.
Learn more about the Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI)
Listen to Tick Boot Camp Podcast episodes, including Episode 406: Pathobiome – An Interview with Nikki Schultek and Episode 101: The Young Gun – An Interview with Alex (Ali) Moresco discussed in this interview.
This special episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast was recorded live at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and PCOM Symposium in collaboration with Pathobiome Perspectives. Hosted by Ali Moresco in partnership with Nikki Schultek, Executive Director of AlzPI, the conversation brings the Tick Boot Camp mission of exploring infection-associated chronic illness (IACI), like Lyme disease and other tick-borne diseases, to the global Alzheimer’s and neuroimmunology research community.
Tick Boot Camp co-founders Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen partnered with Ali and Nikki to highlight scientists whose work connects tick-borne illness, microbes, and cognitive decline. This episode features Dr. Brian J. Balin, an internationally recognized neuroscientist whose research has redefined the role of infection in contributing to Alzheimer’s disease.
Dr. Balin directs the Center for Chronic Disorders of Aging and the Adolph and Rose Levis Foundation Laboratory for Alzheimer’s Disease Research at PCOM. With a PhD from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and postdoctoral training at the University of Pennsylvania, he has devoted nearly three decades to understanding how chronic infection and inflammation trigger neurodegeneration.
His pioneering discovery that the respiratory bacterium Chlamydia pneumoniae infects brain tissue helped establish the Pathogen Hypothesis of Alzheimer’s disease. His continuing work explores how tick-borne microbes — including Borrelia burgdorferi (Lyme disease), Bartonella, and Babesia — interact with other pathogens to drive neuroinflammation and cognitive decline.
“Infection is part of the exposome — an environmental insult that shapes our health over a lifetime. Recognizing that is key to truly understanding and preventing Alzheimer’s disease.” — Dr. Brian J. Balin
Dr. Balin’s research bridges the worlds of neurology and infectious disease, offering a framework that could revolutionize how Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative conditions are diagnosed and treated. By recognizing that microbes — including those transmitted by ticks — can initiate neuroinflammation and cognitive decline, his work provides hope for millions living with infection-associated chronic illness.
The interview took place at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Symposium, October 3, 2025, Ohio University in Dublin, Ohio. The Symposium brought together more than 20 experts exploring how microbes, the microbiome, and the host immune response contribute to neurological and psychiatric diseases such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, and PANS/PANDAS.
Tick Boot Camp partnered with Ali Moresco and Nikki Schultek to document and share the voices of scientists advancing research on infection-associated chronic illness (IACI). This episode is part of a special series showcasing how pathobiome and microbiome science is changing our understanding of chronic Lyme and neurodegenerative disease.
This special episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast was recorded live at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and PCOM Symposium in collaboration with Pathobiome Perspectives. Hosted by Ali Moresco in partnership with Nikki Schultek, Executive Director of AlzPI, the conversation brings the Tick Boot Camp mission of exploring infection-associated chronic illness (IACI)—like Lyme disease and other tick-borne infections—to the global Alzheimer’s and neuroimmunology research community.
Tick Boot Camp co-founders Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen partnered with Ali and Nikki to highlight scientists whose work connects tick-borne illness, microbes, and cognitive decline. This episode features Yuri Kim, RN, Lead Clinical Research Nurse for the MAESTRO Study at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), who is leading pioneering work to measure and understand “brain fog” in infection-associated chronic illness.
Yuri Kim is the Lead Clinical Research Nurse for the MAESTRO Study, the largest clinical study ever conducted at MIT, led by Dr. Michal “Mikki” Caspi Tal, immunologist and immunoengineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The MAESTRO Study investigates infection-associated chronic illnesses (IACI) such as chronic Lyme disease and aims to objectively measure and understand one of the most debilitating and misunderstood symptoms—brain fog.
Yuri has conducted more than 170 participant study visits and integrates patient narratives with advanced neurocognitive, immune, and molecular profiling. Her background includes experience as a trauma ER nurse and clinical research manager on neurodegenerative and rare diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease, chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), and amyloidosis.
“Brain fog isn’t just a symptom—it’s a phenomenon interconnected with multiple systems. We’re trying to narrow the gap between what patients report and what we can measure.” — Yuri Kim
Yuri Kim’s work at MIT bridges patient experience and advanced science to address one of the most misunderstood symptoms in infection-associated chronic illness: brain fog. Her research within the MAESTRO Study, under the leadership of Dr. Michal “Mikki” Caspi Tal, is generating objective evidence that validates patient experiences and reveals how chronic infection and immune dysregulation can cause measurable cognitive and physiological changes.
By studying infection-associated brain fog in Lyme disease and other chronic conditions, Yuri and the MAESTRO team are helping to shape a new era of diagnostics and care for people living with long-term, infection-driven illness.
The interview took place at the 2nd Annual Alzheimer’s Pathobiome Initiative (AlzPI) and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine (PCOM) Symposium, held on October 3, 2025, at Ohio University in Dublin, Ohio. The Symposium brought together more than 20 international experts investigating how microbes, the microbiome, and the host immune response contribute to neurological and psychiatric conditions such as Alzheimer’s, dementia, and PANS/PANDAS.
Tick Boot Camp partnered with Ali Moresco and Nikki Schultek to capture and share the voices of scientists advancing research on infection-associated chronic illness (IACI). This episode is part of a special Tick Boot Camp series spotlighting how pathobiome and microbiome science are transforming the understanding of chronic Lyme, cognitive dysfunction, and neurodegeneration.
In this powerful episode of the Tick Boot Camp Podcast, international DJ and artist duo Z3LLA — Julia “Juj” Seeley and Kiana Tebyani — share how chronic illness, creativity, and friendship became the foundation of their success.
After years of unexplained symptoms, Juj was diagnosed with Lyme disease, Bartonella, Babesia, mold toxicity, POTS, SIBO, celiac disease, and later catamenial epilepsy. Despite life-altering health challenges, she and her best friend Kiana have built Z3LLA into one of the most exciting names in house music — with their single “Why Should I?” reaching #1 on the US Dance Radio Charts and performances alongside Disco Lines, Galantis, and Bijou.
Together, Juj and Kiana discuss performing through flare-ups, collapsing backstage, navigating the medical system, and the emotional toll of chasing dreams while managing invisible illness. From ER visits and red-light therapy to steroid crashes and spiritual breakthroughs, this episode is a masterclass in resilience, vulnerability, and using art as advocacy.
Z3LLA is an award-winning artist/DJ duo composed of Julia “Juj” Seeley and Kiana Tebyani, two vocalists, songwriters, and producers redefining what it means to thrive as women in electronic music. Known for their infectious energy and empowering message, Z3LLA’s breakout single “Why Should I?” hit #1 on the US Dance Radio Charts, with spins on SiriusXM BPM, Music Choice, and Evolution Radio. They’ve shared the stage with Disco Lines, Galantis, and Bijou, earned the Level Future of Dance Award from Nexus Radio, and performed at Miami Music Week and beyond. With an authentic blend of vulnerability and power, Z3LLA is not just creating music — they’re building a movement.
Follow Z3LLA: 🎧 Spotify | 📸 Instagram | 🎵 Apple Music | 🌐 YouTube
In this special Tick Boot Camp Podcast episode, Dr. Myriah Hinchey (ND) joins Matt Sabatello and Rich Johannesen from Tick Boot Camp to spotlight the 2025 LymeBytes Symposium, a physician- and patient-focused conference designed to shorten the healing journey for Lyme, mold illness, PANS/PANDAS, Long COVID, and other complex, infection-driven chronic conditions. We dig into why immersive learning accelerates progress, how an intimate format fuels direct access to top clinicians and vendors, and what attendees—both in-person and virtual—will actually experience over two packed days in Fort Lauderdale.
If travel isn’t possible, don’t wait—join virtually to access the same lectures, slides, and full-day recordings. And if you can make it to Florida, come say hi to Rich and the Tick Boot Camp crew in person.
👉 Register now: shop.lymebytes.com | Use code TBC100 for $100 off.
Recorded in person in Central Park, NYC just before Project Lab Coat at New York Fashion Week (NYFW), this Tick Boot Camp Podcast features Dr. Bill Rawls on what helps chronic Lyme patients move from overwhelm to progress. We talk immune-first strategy, why antibiotics often fall short in chronic cases, how to protect the gut, and a stepwise plan that reduces flare risk and builds confidence.
Dr. Rawls explains why stealth microbes like Borrelia, Bartonella, and Babesia grow slowly and hide in tissues, which is why a quick-fix antibiotic approach often disappoints in chronic illness. We discuss a four-phase healing framework — prehabilitation, assist the immune system, rehabilitation, and maintenance (PARM) — and how a gradual, system-calming on-ramp helps patients tolerate protocols without crashing. We also dig into gut protection, community support, and how AI can speed education and research.