Doctor Vs Comedian

Doctor Vs Comedian

Is Laughter the best medicine? We attempt to answer this and other pressing questions in Doctor Vs Comedian. Dr Asif Doja is a pediatric neurologist and Ali Hassan is a stand up comedian and actor (CBC‘s Laugh Out Loud, Designated Survivor, Goon) who are each fascinated by what the other one does. ...

Doctor Vs Comedian

Recent Episodes

275
Aug. 27, 2026

Why South Asians Are at Greater Risk of Heart Disease w/ Dr. Mubin Syed

Today, Asif and Ali sit down with Dr. Mubin Syed, an interventional radiologist and neuroradiologist with more than 30 years of clinical experience, board-certified in vascular medicine and obesity medicine, health historian, medtech entrepreneur, and inventor with 28 patents. Dr. Syed shares his personal journey of suffering a heart attack and how this led him into a deep dive of trying to understand why South Asians are at a much higher risk of cardiovascular disease. He explores the “thin-fat
274
Aug. 20, 2026

All About Vaccines with ‘The Vaccine Bible’ Author Dr. Michael Myers Jr.

Today, Asif and Ali discuss all things vaccines with the author of ‘The Vaccine Bible’ Dr. Michael T. Myers Jr (1:23). A pediatrician and physician leader with more than 35 years of experience in primary care, medical group practice, public health, and health care consulting, Dr. Myers recently retired as Chief of Primary Care, Pediatrics, and Practice Transformation for Summit Health New Jersey. The guys chat with him about what led him to become a vaccine advocate and why he felt this was the
273
Aug. 14, 2026

RFK Jr., SSRIs and Scientology: Where Does the Evidence End and the Anti-Psychiatry Narrative Begin?

Today, at the beginning of the episode, Asif and Ali discuss the recent passing of Irish singer Glen Hansard. Then based on recent “Popular Information” articles, Asif and Ali discuss Scientology, their war on psychiatry and SSRI’s and the connection to RFK Jr. The guys start by discussing L. Ron Hubbard, the pulp and science-fiction writer who developed Dianetics in 1950, introducing concepts such as the “reactive mind,” “engrams,” and “auditing.” They then explore how Dianetics evolved into S
272
Aug. 7, 2026

HPV, Vaccines and Head and Neck Cancer (w/ Dr. Megan Harrison)

Only medical topics today! Today at the beginning of the episode, Ali asks Asif about the rising rates of head and neck cancer (1:42). Asif explains why smoking-related cancers of the mouth and voice box are declining while HPV-related cancers of the throat—particularly those affecting the tonsils and base of the tongue—are rising, often in younger adults who have never smoked. He discusses what human papillomavirus (HPV) is, why most infections never lead to cancer, and how persistent infection
271
July 30, 2026

“Why Hulk Hogan Matters” with author David Shoemaker

Hulk Hogan died one year ago this month, so today, Ali and Asif discuss Hulk Hogan’s legacy with “Why Hulk Hogan Matters” author David Shoemaker. They start off by discussing David’s early memories of Hulk Hogan and then segue into the complicated feelings we all have towards the legendary wrestler. They discuss “unreliable narrators” in wrestling and how Hulk Hogan was a prime example of this. They then go over the use of steroids by Hulk Hogan, how “the lie” is an accepted part of wrestling. A
270
July 23, 2026

“I wish I could forget I had explosive diarrhea” (Cyclospora and Transient Global Amnesia)

Today, Asif and Ali cover TWO medical topics. First, Ali asks Asif about the parasite Cyclospora which is causing outbreaks of explosive diarrhea in large parts of the US (4:13). He explains how the parasite spreads through contaminated food and water—most commonly fresh produce rather than person-to-person contact—why it has become an increasing concern with the globalization of the food supply, and why simply washing fruits and vegetables cannot completely eliminate the risk. He then reviews w