The Brain Surgeon's Take

Dr. Rick Komotar
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The Brain Surgeon's Take is a discussion based podcast where experts in every field from Nobel Laureates to Navy SEALS to NASA Astronauts to NFL Athletes sit down and talk with world renowned Neurosurgeon and Professor of Neurological Surgery Dr. Rick Komotar.

  1. JAN 9

    Jake Paul: Head Trauma, CTE, and Brain Health

    Jake Paul rose to prominence through his entertaining videos on Vine and YouTube. Paul’s career took a surprising turn in 2018 when he ventured into the world of professional boxing. He has fought against a range of opponents, including Nate Robinson, Ben Askren, and Tyron Woodley, among others. Despite his loss to Tommy Fury in 2023, Paul has demonstrated his prowess as a boxer, earning him recognition such as the ESPN Ringside Award for “Knockout of the Year’ over his victory on Woodley. In 2024, Paul boxed legend Mike Tyson in a highly anticipated Netflix live event, defeating Tyson in an eight-round unanimous decision and drawing in 108 million viewers. Support the show

    20 min

  2. 12/31/2025

    EJ Manuel: The College Football Playoffs

    EJ Manuel, a former first-round NFL Draft pick, joined ACC Network in 2019 and is a studio analyst on The Huddle, ACCN’s signature football show that airs Saturday mornings throughout the fall. He also makes regular appearances across ESPN’s studio shows including SportsCenter and College Football Live during the college football season. Along with his ESPN duties, Manuel co-hosts Off Campus on SiriusXM with Jimbo Fisher and Jacob Hester. One of the most productive quarterbacks in Florida State history, Manuel led the Seminoles to a 25-6 record as a starter during the 2009-12 seasons, and the fourth-most wins in program history. The Virginia Beach, Virginia, native also helped Florida State to notable victories including the 2013 Discover Orange Bowl, 2012 Dr Pepper ACC Football Championship Game and 2009 Gator Bowl – the final game of legendary coach Bobby Bowden’s career. He is the second quarterback in FBS history to win four straight bowl games, and also went 15-3 in his career against ACC opponents. Manuel is FSU’s all-time leader in completion percentage (66.9), which is tied for third in ACC history, and ranks among the top five Seminole quarterbacks all-time for passing yards (7,736, 4th), total offense (8,563, 3rd), completions (600, 3rd) and attempts (897, 5th), despite only two seasons as the full-time starter. He earned second team All-ACC honors for the 2012 season and was named the 2013 Senior Bowl MVP. Following his career at FSU, Manuel was a first-round draft pick by the Buffalo Bills in 2013. Support the show

    30 min

  3. 12/22/2025

    Christian Ponder: THE POST - Leaders Built by Sport

    Christian Ponder is a former American football quarterback who played six seasons in the NFL, most notably with the Minnesota Vikings, who drafted him 12th overall in the first round of the 2011 draft. He played college football at Florida State, where he was a three-year starter and won the 2010 Bobby Bowden Award. After his NFL career, which also included stints with the Denver Broncos and San Francisco 49ers, he has been involved in business ventures and works on a platform for athletes transitioning to the business world.  The Post by Christian Ponder is an invite-only leadership network for athletes who have transitioned into business careers. It provides a community, professional coaching, exclusive content, and physical clubhouses for members to connect, learn, and grow their professional lives after sports.

    35 min

  4. 12/08/2025

    Nick Wray: NEURALINK - Mind Meets Machine

    The Neuralink N1 chip is a brain-computer interface (BCI) device with 1,024 electrodes across 64 ultra-thin, flexible threads that are surgically implanted into the brain by a robotic system. The coin-sized implant records neural activity, processes the signals, and transmits them wirelessly via Bluetooth to a connected app, which allows users to control external devices like a computer cursor with their thoughts. It is designed to be fully implantable, hermetically sealed, and wirelessly charged.

    42 min

  5. 12/01/2025

    Dr. Jenna McCarthy: Tylenol Does NOT Cause Autism - The Facts

    Dr. McCarthy is a board certified Reproductive Endocrinologist practicing at the South Florida Institute for Reproductive Medicine in Jupiter, Florida.  Dr McCarthy completed her undergraduate work at Dartmouth before attending medical school at the University of Michigan where she graduated with distinction in research.  Dr. McCarthy completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology and a clinical and research fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Michigan Medical Center. She is one of only a handful of physicians selected by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology to complete her training as a combined, 6 year residency/fellowship. After completing her training in 2010, Dr McCarthy moved to Florida because, after growing up in New England and training in Michigan, she was tired of not being able to feel her fingers.  She loves living in South Florida with her husband and 2 grown children.  Dr McCarthy focuses on providing her patients with patient-centered care with a personal touch.  She is an active member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (SREI), and the American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG). She is an ad-hoc reviewer for ASRM and the International Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

    27 min

  6. 11/24/2025

    Akheem Mesidor: Chasing a National Championship

    Hailing from Ottawa, Ontario, Akheem Mesidor has taken a unique path to his future in the NFL. After a stint at the Royal Imperial Collegiate of Canada, Mesidor made waves at Clearwater Academy International in Florida, racking up 92 tackles and 10 sacks in his senior year. His dominance caught the eye of college recruiters, earning him a 4-star rating from ESPN. Mesidor’s college career began at West Virginia, where he quickly established himself as a defensive standout. In just two seasons with the Mountaineers, he amassed 70 tackles, 14.5 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks. His freshman campaign was particularly impressive, earning him spots on multiple Freshman All-America teams and All-Big 12 Second Team honors. Transferring to Miami (FL) for his junior season, Mesidor continued to wreak havoc in the backfield. Despite an injury-shortened 2023 campaign, his 2022 performance showcased his potential, notching 38 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, and a team-leading seven sacks. His standout game against Virginia Tech, where he recorded 3.5 sacks, earned him national recognition as the Walter Camp National FBS Defensive Player of the Week.

    28 min

  7. 11/10/2025

    Craig S. Phillips: Investing in the Current U.S. Economy - Opportunities and Considerations

    Mr. Phillips served as Counselor to the Secretary at the U.S. Treasury from January 2017 to January 2019. Under Secretary Mnuchin, he focused on financial institution and capital markets policy, fiscal operations, government asset and liability management and general economic policy. He led the development for policy under the Core Principles established by Executive Order 13772. He supported Secretary Mnuchin in the development of policy for comprehensive housing finance reform and in oversight of Treasury’s investment in Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Between 2008 and 2017, Mr. Phillips was a Managing Director of BlackRock where he founded and led the Financial Markets Advisory Group, a global risk consulting group that leveraged the strengths of BlackRock’s Aladdin risk platform. Mr. Phillips is a pioneer in the securitized products industry. He led numerous innovations in residential mortgage, asset-backed and commercial real estate securitization markets. From 1994 to 2006 he was a Managing Director of Morgan Stanley and led its global Securitized Product Group. Mr. Phillips serves on the Board of Directors of Ripple, a leading financial technology company that has developed a real-time gross settlement system powered by blockchain ledger that is revolutionizing the speed and efficiency of cross-border payments.

    47 min

  8. 10/30/2025

    Dr. J. Mack Slaughter Jr.: From Hollywood to The Emergency Room

    J. Mack Slaughter Jr. is an American emergency physician, philanthropist, youtuber, tiktoker and retired actor and singer. Slaughter began acting in local theatre as a child. At the age of 15, he successfully auditioned for a boy band called Sons of Harmony started by a radio station in Dallas. They toured with Destiny’s Child and opened for Bon Jovi and Jessica Simpson. Three years later, in 2001, the band broke up, after which Slaughter moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in acting. In 2003, he won the role of Keith in the WB sitcom Like Family. The following year, Slaughter had a role in the comedy film, Fat Albert, starring Kenan Thompson and Kyla Pratt. In 2008, he founded the non-profit Music Meets Medicine, where musicians volunteer with children and youth at local hospitals, performing and teaching music. In 2018, Music Meets Medicine teamed up with non-profit, Kidd’s Kids, to raise $150,000 to create a therapeutic arts space at Dallas Children’s Medical Center. Slaughter eventually left acting to attend UT Southwestern Medical School, graduating in 2013 and is currently an emergency room physician, at several hospitals in the Fort Worth area.

    34 min
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About

The Brain Surgeon's Take is a discussion based podcast where experts in every field from Nobel Laureates to Navy SEALS to NASA Astronauts to NFL Athletes sit down and talk with world renowned Neurosurgeon and Professor of Neurological Surgery Dr. Rick Komotar.

Information

  • Creator
    Dr. Rick Komotar
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    231
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The Brain Surgeon's Take
  • Show Website
    The Brain Surgeon's Take

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