Go Inside the Most Innovative Minds in Science and Medicine on “Real, Smart People,” a New Podcast
Podcast from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai offers a glimpse into the real story of how science and medicine moves forward, one smart person at a time.
*Click here to subscribe and listen to Real, Smart People.
Today the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai launched a new podcast, Real, Smart People, which profiles the clinicians and researchers behind some of the most important medical breakthroughs of our time. The show gives listeners a window into the lives and work of the most innovative minds in medicine.
Each episode pulls back the curtain on an expert as they guide us through their successes, failures, and passions. Their stories will inspire current and future scientists and clinicians, and show the general public the human side of science and medicine.
An early episode entitled “Adolfo: The Virus Hunter,” spotlights Adolfo Garcia-Sastre, PhD, Director of the Global Health and Emerging Pathogens Institute at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He reflects on the thrill of discovery and the connection between butterfly-catching, his hobby, and pursuing the universal flu vaccine.
Future episodes will feature other unique characters, including a neuroscientist working on solutions to the opioid crisis, a Juilliard-trained musician turned pioneering transgender surgeon, and a neuropathologist whose autopsies of COVID-19 victims have informed how clinicians treat the disease, saving countless lives.
Get to know the people behind the medical and scientific breakthroughs of our time as you listen to Real, Smart People. New episodes are released monthly. The podcast is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the nation’s leading integrated academic health systems and one of the largest in the New York metropolitan area. Its comprehensive system includes seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, over 600 research and clinical laboratories, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing. Together, the Health System comprises approximately 48,000 employees, more than 9,000 physicians, and 8,600 nurses.
As a leading learning health system, Mount Sinai combines clinical expertise with scientific discovery to improve patient care while training the next generation of health care and biomedical leaders. The Health System provides care across every stage of life, from prenatal care through geriatrics, while advancing personalized medicine through artificial intelligence, data science, and biomedical research.
Mount Sinai is consistently recognized among the nation’s leading academic health systems for patient care, research, and education. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 1 in New York by Newsweek® and No. 7 in the U.S. on the magazine’s 2026 World’s Best Hospitals list and No. 3 in the world in its World’s Best Smart Hospitals list. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai ranks No. 9 among U.S. medical schools and No. 1 among freestanding medical schools for National Institutes of Health grant funding, reflecting the strength of its scientific enterprise and leadership in biomedical research.
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