From Johns Hopkins medical expert Dr. Marty Makary, the New York Times-bestselling author of The Price We Pay-an eye-opening look at the medical groupthink that has led to public harm, and what you need to know about your health.

More Americans have peanut allergies today than at any point in history. Why? In 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a strict recommendation that parents avoid giving their children peanut products until they're three years old. Getting the science perfectly backward, triggering intolerance with lack of early exposure, the US now leads the world in peanut allergies-and this misinformation is still rearing its head today.

How could the experts have gotten it so wrong? Dr. Marty Makary asks, Could it be that many modern-day health crises have been caused by the hubris of the medical establishment? Experts said for decades that opioids were not addictive, igniting the opioid crisis. They refused menopausal women hormone replacement therapy, causing unnecessary suffering. They demonized natural fat in foods, driving Americans to processed carbohydrates as obesity rates soared. They told citizens that there are no downsides to antibiotics and prescribed them liberally, causing a drug-resistant bacteria crisis.

When modern medicine issues recommendations based on good scientific studies, it shines. Conversely, when modern medicine is interpreted through the harsh lens of opinion and edict, it can mold beliefs that harm patients and stunt research for decades. In Blind Spots, Dr. Makary explores the latest research on critical topics ranging from the microbiome to childbirth to nutrition and longevity and more, revealing the biggest blind spots of modern medicine and tackling the most urgent yet unsung issues in our $4.5 trillion health care ecosystem. The path to medical mishaps can be absurd, entertaining, and jaw-dropping-but the truth is essential to our health.

Dr. Marty Makary will be joined in conversation by Dr. Kavita Patel. 

About the Author: 

Marty Makary, MD is a Johns Hopkins professor and member of the National Academy of Medicine. He is the author of two New York Times bestselling books, Unaccountable and The Price We Pay, winner of the 2020 Business Book of the Year Award. Dr. Makary has written for the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post, and the New York Times, and he has published more than 250 scientific research articles. He served in leadership at the W.H.O. and has been a visiting professor at 25 medical schools.

About the Moderator: 

Kavita Patel, MD, MS is a physician based in Washington DC who advises healthcare companies as a Venture Partner at New Enterprise Associates. With extensive experience in public policy, Dr. Patel previously served as Director of Policy for the White House under President Obama and as Deputy Staff Director to the late Senator Edward Kennedy. During her tenure in these roles, she played a pivotal role in pandemic preparedness and healthcare reform efforts. Dr. Patel's research on healthcare quality and community-based interventions for mental illness has received national recognition, and she has authored numerous papers and book chapters on healthcare reform and health policy. She is also an NBC/CNBC contributor. Most recently, she was appointed as a professor of medicine at the Stanford University School of Medicine.

About the Program: 

• To attend in person please register here.  
• Doors will open to registered attendees at 2 pm. 
• A local bookseller will be on-site and have books available for purchase.
• Free parking vouchers are available to program attendees who park at the Franklin Street Garage (15 W. Franklin Street).  Ask Pratt event staff for your parking voucher prior to or after the program. 
• This free event will be presented in-person and virtually.