between Service & Science
Between Service & Science is a podcast that brings together researchers, clinicians, veterans, and community voices to explore emerging research on environmental exposures and veteran health.
Each episode highlights a recent study and translates complex science into clear, practical insights for veterans and their families. The goal is to create a space where science and lived experience meet – building trust, sparking new ideas, and informing future research.
About the Host
Drew Helmer, MD is a physician-researcher at the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center and Professor of Medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. His work focuses on improving the health and well-being of Veterans through research on environmental exposures, chronic health conditions, and patient-centered care. He also serves as Co-Director of the Community Engagement Core for GC-CPEH, where he helps connect research with the Veteran community.
Why This Podcast Matters
Veterans face complex health challenges that are often linked to environmental exposures. At the same time, new research can be difficult to access or understand. This podcast helps close that gap by translating science into clear, relevant conversations. By bringing together researchers and veterans, Between Service & Science supports informed decision-making, strengthens trust, and promotes better health outcomes.
Episodes
Episode 1: Problems in the Powerhouse: Gulf War Illness and the Mitochondria
Release Date: February 26, 2026
Length: 11 minutes
In this inaugural episode, Dr. Drew Helmer speaks with Dr. Dane B. Cook about research on mitochondrial dysfunction and Gulf War Illness. The conversation explores how disruptions in cellular energy production may contribute to symptoms experienced by Gulf War veterans, and what these findings could mean for future research and care.
Featured Guest
Dane B. Cook, PhD is a VA Health Science Specialist, Research Physiologist, and Research Career Scientist at the William S. Middleton Memorial Veterans Hospital, and Professor of Kinesiology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He directs the Exercise Psychology laboratories at both the VA and UW and leads research on exercise neuroscience and chronic multisymptom illnesses, including Gulf War Illness, ME/CFS, fibromyalgia, and Long COVID.
His work examines how multiple biological systems—such as the central nervous system, autonomic function, immune pathways, and the gut microbiome—interact to produce and maintain complex disease.
Featured Study
Cheshkov, S., Krishnamurthy, L. C., Chang, A., Baek, H. M., Ganji, S., Babcock, E., et al. (2025). Decadelong low basal ganglia NAA/tCr from elevated tCr supports ATP depletion from mitochondrial dysfunction and neuroinflammation in Gulf War illness. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 39741.
Key Topics
- What mitochondria do and why they matter
- How the study examined brain energy metabolism
- Key findings linking mitochondrial dysfunction to Gulf War Illness
- What this research could mean for improving veterans’ health
Episode 2: Can OEA Reduce Fatigue in Gulf War Veterans?
Release Date: March 30, 2026
Length: 10 minutes
In this episode, Dr. Drew Helmer speaks with Dr. Laila Abdullah about new findings on oleoylethanolamide (OEA), a naturally occurring lipid molecule being studied as a potential intervention for Gulf War Illness.
The discussion focuses on how OEA may help reduce fatigue and improve mood, how it works in the body, and what veterans should consider before trying supplements.
Featured Guest
Laila Abdullah, PhD is a Research Biologist at the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital and Scientist III and Director of Omics Research at the Roskamp Institute. Her research focuses on the biological mechanisms underlying Gulf War Illness and other neurological conditions linked to military-related toxicant exposures.
Her work integrates animal models, biomarker discovery, and early-phase clinical studies to examine how disruptions in lipid metabolism, bioenergetics, neuroinflammation, and autonomic balance contribute to symptoms such as fatigue and mood changes. She also serves on the VA Research Advisory Committee on Gulf War Veterans’ Illnesses.
Featured Study
Abdullah, L., Keegan, A. P., et al. (2026). Oleoylethanolamide supplementation improves mood and reduces fatigue in veterans with GWI in a 15-week randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled exploratory clinical trial. Scientific Reports.
Key Topics
- What OEA is and how it works
- Why it may matter for Gulf War Illness
- How the clinical trial was designed
- Findings on fatigue and mood
- Safety considerations and potential side effects
- What veterans and clinicians should know before using supplements
Stay Connected
Explore the episodes above and stay connected as new conversations are released. By translating complex environmental health research into clear, accessible insights, Between Service & Science advances GC-CPEH’s mission to support research that is informed by – and responsive to – the needs of veterans and their communities.
If you have questions, feedback, or ideas for future topics, we welcome you to reach out. Your input helps shape future conversations and strengthens our engagement with the communities we serve.
OUR INSTITUTIONS
One Baylor Plaza, MS 229, Houston, TX 77030
Email: gc-cpeh@bcm.edu
Citation for Center Support
“Research reported in this publication was supported by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences under Award Number P30ES030285. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.”
