What if you could mimic exercise… without exercising? In this episode of Too Curious MDs, Dr. Sundeep Dugar joins us to explore mitochondria as the true engine of human life. He shares the story behind discovering a new endogenous mitochondrial steroid and a plant compound that mimics exercise by boosting mitochondrial biogenesis.
Dr. Sundeep Dugar is a veteran drug discoverer with more than three decades of experience developing therapies across oncology, cardiovascular, and metabolic disease. He is the co-founder of BlueOakNx and has held leadership roles at Schering-Plough, Bristol-Myers Squibb, and Johnson and Johnson, where he contributed to major milestones, including the acquisition of Scios and the global licensing of Xarelto.
Best known as the co-inventor of the blockbuster cholesterol-lowering drugs Zetia and Vytorin, he has earned multiple awards recognizing his contributions to chemistry and pharmaceutical innovation. He received his doctorate from UC Davis and completed postdoctoral research at ETH Zurich and Cornell University. His current work focuses on mitochondrial health and the discovery of natural compounds that support cellular energy and resilience.
Sundeep Dugar, PhD
Website: blueoaknx.com
Facebook: facebook.com/blueoaknx
Instagram: instagram.com/blueoaknx
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/blueoaknx
Dr. Alya Ahmad, MD, FAAP
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alya-ahmad-md-0601b190/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shamynds/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shamynds
Website: https://shamynds.com/
Dr. Suraiya Simi Rahman, MD, FAAP
Website: https://palamedicine.com/
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suraiya-rahman-palamedicine/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pala_medicine/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/palamedicine.pasadena/
Too Curious MDs
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toocuriousmds?igsh=NTc4MTIwNjQ2YQ%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TooCuriousMDs
Produced by DrTalks: https://drtalks.com/podcast-service/
Information
- Show
- FrequencyUpdated Weekly
- PublishedNovember 25, 2025 at 2:00 PM UTC
- Length1h 18m
- RatingClean
