The Anti-Doping Podcast

Dr. Vinod Nair is Associate Laboratory Director of the WADA-Accredited Sports Medicine and Research Testing Laboratory (SMRTL). In this episode, Vinod covers how anti-doping labs strive to provide efficient and cost-effective services while maintaining the rigor and quality standards required in the industry. He explains how SMRTL incorporates automation into their lab's work and shares his thoughts on the future of automation in anti-doping laboratories. We also discussed recent research that he and colleagues published examining minimum reporting limits to determine in-competition use of stimulants. 

Dr. Trine Grønhaug Halvorsen is Professor in the Section for Pharmaceutical Chemistry within the Department of Pharmacy at the University of Oslo in Norway. In this episode, she talks about her research on dried blood spot sampling, detecting peptide doping agents in anti-doping samples, and development of smart samplers, which incorporate the initial sample preparation steps into the collection device. 

Dr. Sophia Krombholz is a PCC Fellow and a Research Scientist and Research Associate at the Manfred Donike Institute for Doping Analysis in Cologne, Germany. In this episode, Sophia discusses her career path, her PCC-funded fellowship project, and other exciting anti-doping research. Dr. Krombholz's fellowship project is investigating the metabolism of anabolic steroids administered through alternative routes (transdermally or buccally) and has yielded interesting results that may help inform the interpretation of findings from anti-doping tests. 

Dr. Olivier Salamin is the Operational Manager of the Lausanne Athlete Passport Management Unit (APMU) within the Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analyses at the Lausanne University Hospital (Centre Hospitalier Universitaire vaudois/CHUV). In this episode, he discussed his career and research on the discovery and validation of biomarkers to detect prohibited substances and methods, particularly related to the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP). He also gives us an inside look at the history and operations of the Lausanne APMU.

Dr. Andy Hoofnagle is a researcher, professor, board certified pathologist, and laboratory director at the University of Washington. He is Head of the Division of Chemistry, Director of Chemistry at the UW Medical Center - Montlake, Director of Clinical Mass Spectrometry, and Director of the Nutrition Obesity Research Center's Analytic Core at the University of Washington. He is also Chair of the PCC's Collagen Turnover Working Group. In this episode, he discusses his research and recent advances in the ability to detect growth hormone administration using biomarkers of collagen turnover. We also discussed Dr. Hoofnagle's role as a mentor for PCC Research Fellow Dr. Huu Hien Huynh and his experience as a presenter at our 2025 PCC Conference. 

Dr. Maria Kristina Parr is a Professor in Pharmaceutical Chemistry at Freie Universität Berlin. In this interview, she discusses her research that has focused on understanding the metabolism of steroids and other compounds and improving our ability to detect these substances and their metabolites for anti-doping and other purposes. We covered the results from several of her latest papers, including work examining food sources of ecdysterone, metabolism of topically administered steroids in skin cells, metabolism of endogenous versus exogenous steroids, and more.

This episode features Jude Ellis, Head of Anti-Doping at the International Paralympic Committee (IPC). She discusses her background, the history of the IPC, and the IPC's Anti-Doping team's responsibilities for the Paralympic Games and beyond. Our conversation also gives a brief overview of the IPC Code and covers major accomplishments related to recent anti-doping testing surrounding the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris.

Professor Ian Boardley is the Head of Impact & Engagement, Professor in Sport and Exercise Psychology, and Chair of the Health and Safety Committee for the College of Life and Environmental Sciences in the School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences at the University of Birmingham in the UK. In this episode, he discusses his research on the psychosocial processes governing moral behavior in sport and physical activity. In particular, he covers some of the important research studies he has conducted on moral disengagement in sport, anabolic-androgenic steroid dependence and craving, anti-doping education, and other areas.

Dr. Tina Suominen is Director of the Helsinki Doping Control Laboratory within the Forensic Chemistry Unit at the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) in Helsinki, Finland. In this episode, she discusses her role as Director of a WADA-Accredited Anti-Doping Laboratory, the lab's history (including a major move and re-accreditation), and the latest research and methods development projects she and her colleagues have been working on in the lab.

Dr. Brad Johnson is the Gordon W. Davis Regent's Chair in Meat Science and Muscle Biology and Professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences in the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources at Texas Tech University. In this episode, Brad discusses his research on muscle growth and development in meat animals, as well as potential contamination of meat with growth promoters that are relevant for anti-doping. In particular, he shares findings from a recent study, funded by the Partnership for Clean Competition, that examined residues of prohibited anabolic agents in the meat supply chain.

Dr. Ekain Zubizarreta is a Lecturer at the University of the Basque Country in Spain, and he is also a member of the research laboratory ISP at Paris Nanterre University in France, which hosts the UNESCO Chair in “Doping Studies and Analysis of Anti-Doping Policies”. In this episode, Ekain talks about the history and significance of UNESCO's role in anti-doping, The International Convention Against Doping in Sport, and research projects he and his colleagues have worked on in the realm of anti-doping policy, anti-doping organizations, and more.

Dr. Michaël Polet is a faculty member in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences and Head of the IRMS (isotope ratio mass spectrometry) Department in the Doping Control Laboratory (DoCoLab) at Ghent University in Belgium. In this episode, he discusses PCC-funded research projects he has led to improve anti-doping analyses by developing new gas chromatography-chemical ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (GC-CI-MS/MS) methods, as well as a novel chromatography high-resolution acquisition screening method. Michaël also discusses recent work using high-temperature liquid chromatography-isotope ratio mass spectrometry methods that will help improve steroid detection and potentially lead to future high-throughput analysis methods.

Dr. Lena Ekström is a Hospital Chemist at Karolinska University Hospital and an Adjunct Professor of Pharmacology in the Department of Laboratory Medicine at the Karolinska Institute, where she specializes in Doping Research. In this interview, we discuss her career and some of the research she has conducted examining various factors that can influence anti-doping test results including interactions with other substances, genetics, hormone cycles, biological variability, and micro-dosing.

Dr. Christoph Borchers is a Full Member in the McGill Centre for Translational Research in Cancer, Senior Investigator at the Lady Davis Institute for Medical Research, Director of the Segal Cancer Proteomics Centre, and Professor in the Department of Oncology at McGill University. In this episode, Christoph discusses his research in the area of proteomics and important applications of his work in anti-doping, including a PCC-funded research project examining quantitative proteomics longitudinally in blood to screen for blood doping. He also shares future directions for this line of research and his perspectives on important areas of opportunity in anti-doping science.

Elizabeth Ramsey, Executive Director of the Team USA Athletes' Commission (formerly the USOPC Athletes' Advisory Council) joins this episode to discuss how the Commission is working to empower Team USA athletes to inspire and drive positive change. She shares how the Commission is organized, what it can do to help athletes, and how it's critical for athletes to be engaged in the governance of sport to ensure their views are taken into account in making decisions that will impact them. We also specifically discuss important issues related to anti-doping that the Team USA Athletes' Commision has been working on, the impacts of the recent 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games, and more.

Dr. Nikos Ntoumanis is Professor and Director in the Danish Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Science in the Department of Sports Science and Clinical Biomechanics at the University of Southern Denmark. In this episode, Nikos discusses important research he has been conducting on factors that are relevant for doping intentions and doping behaviors, including environmental factors like the style of coaching an athlete receives, as well as athletes' personal motivations and moral attitudes. He also discusses a recent a PCC-funded meta-analysis that provides an updated look at the evidence on personal and psychosocial predictors of doping use in physical activity settings.

Professor Kim Wolff is Director of King's Forensics and head of the Drug Control Centre, which is the only WADA accredited laboratory for sports testing in the United Kingdom. She is also Director of the London Athlete Passport Management Unit (APMU), and she was named a Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) for her services to road safety. Kim discusses her career and her work leading the WADA-Accredited Doping Control Centre and their APMU. She shares insights on the lab's history, how they have incorporated the Endocrine Module of the Athlete Passport into their operations, and areas of opportunity in anti-doping and forensic toxicology research. Kim also touches on ongoing research projects focused on detecting the administration of naturally occurring steroids, identifying and measuring longer-term steroid metabolites, detecting steroids and other substances using dried blood spots, and more.

Nick Raudenski is an independent Consultant and also Head of the Fight against Technological Fraud at the International Cyclist Union (UCI). Prior to his current positions, Nick's career spanned work in criminal investigations for the U.S. Government and sport integrity roles for the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA), and the International Testing Agency (ITA). In this episode, he shares more about his career and his work in intelligence and investigation (I&I) across multiple different sport organizations, some of the changes and challenges he has seen in the sports landscape over the years, and potential directions for the future.

Adopted in 1989, the Council of Europe's Anti-Doping Convention unites stakeholders from member states and provides a framework for working together to protect clean sport and fair play. This episode features two guests from the Council of Europe, Julien Attuil-Kayser and Dr. Liene Kozlovska. Julien recently served as the Head of the Anti-doping Unit, and Liene is the Anti-doping Senior Project Officer. In this episode, they discuss the history of the Council of Europe, the important role the organization plays in the clean sport movement, how the Anti-Doping Convention came to be, how it works today, and more.

Dr. Günter Gmeiner is Head of the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA)-accredited Seibersdorf Doping Control Laboratory in Austria, as well as the Forensic Analytics Laboratory there. In this interview, Günter describes his scientific background, the history of the Austrian Doping Control Laboratory, how the lab has grown and evolved since it was established, their PCC-funded research developing important reference materials, current research projects in the lab, the impacts of the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games on the lab's activities, and more.

Sean Cottrell is CEO and Co-founder of LawInSport, the world's leading sports law website, knowledge hub, and global community of more than 30,000 members. In this episode, he shares the story of how LawInSport came to be, how it has grown into the organization that it is today, and what he envisions for the future. We discuss some of the resources they provide athletes, lawyers, and other key stakeholders in the community. Sean also shares his perspectives on changes, challenges, and the importance of partnerships in sport and anti-doping. 

Dr. Reid Aikin is the Associate Director of the Athlete Biological Passport (ABP), and Dr. Norbert Baume is Senior Manager of the ABP at the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA). In this episode, they discuss recent updates to the ABP, including the addition of new biomarkers to the Steroidal Module and the creation of the new Endocrine Module. They also share common misconceptions about the ABP and highlight ongoing research that aims to further enhance the ABP and how it can be used to help protect clean sport.

Andrea Lindsey is Director of Operation Supplement Safety, the Department of Defense program of record for dietary supplements, a Program of the Consortium for Health and Military Performance of Uniformed Services University. She is also an Assistant Professor at the Uniformed Services University. In this episode, Andrea discusses important issues surrounding dietary supplements, how Operation Supplement Safety got started, and how it is protecting the health and safety of service members today. She also discusses important partnerships and the recent Performance-Enhancing Substances Summit, a collaborative event centered around anti-doping in sport and in the military. 

Dr. Francesca Rossi is Testing Director at the French Anti-Doping Agency (AFLD) where she also manages international partnerships and serves as a science coordinator. She joined us in this interview to talk about her career and her work at AFLD, including preparations for the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris. Listen to this episode to get a behind-the-scenes look at the important considerations and work done by national anti-doping organizations ahead of a large event like the 2024 Games.

Dr. Andrew Heyes is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Leeds Beckett University. He is also working on a research project at the University of Birmingham, and he is an elite athlete in the marathon and ultramarathon competing for Great Britain, a member of the World Anti-Doping Agency's Social Science Research Expert Advisory Group, a Member of the UK Anti-Doping Athlete Commission, and former Chair of the UK Athletics Athletes' Commission. In this episode, we discuss multiple anti-doping and sport integrity social science research projects that Andrew is working on, as well as his athletic career, and his dedication to anti-doping advocacy.

Dr. Jakob Mørkeberg is Senior Science Manager at Anti Doping Denmark. In this episode, he discusses research and development efforts to advance dried blood spot (DBS) testing, how they have implemented DBS methods for drug testing in elite sport and fitness centers in Denmark, and some of the positive cases and athlete sanctions from DBS tests. Jakob also covers their ongoing research to better understand the scope of doping and doping substances in Denmark, important collaborations and partnerships that are helping them advance clean sport, and more.

In this episode, Dr. Cornelia Blank and Dr. David Müller discuss a newly launched collaborative research project they are leading that is examining the experiences and perspectives of sanctioned athletes as well as clean athletes. The project is called Transforming Athletes' Life Experiences after Doping into Education Resources and Policy Recommendations (TALE), and you can learn more at https://athletes-tale.eu/. Cornelia is Professor and deputy head of the Institute for Sports Medicine, Alpine Medicine and Health Tourism at the University for Health Sciences and Health Tech in Hall in Tirol, Austria. David is Head of Information and Education at the National Anti-Doping Agency Austria (NADA Austria). He is also head of the Medical Department and is the Quality Manager at NADA Austria.

Anders Solheim is CEO of Anti-Doping Norway, and he was recently elected as the Chair of the Board of the Institute of National Anti-Doping Organisations (iNADO). In this episode, Anders talks more about his career, his work as part of iNADO, landmark accomplishments for clean sport in Norway over the years, how the organization supports anti-doping research, current challenges in anti-doping, Anti-Doping Norway's goals for the future, and more.

Dr. Amy Eichner is the Special Advisor on Drugs and Supplements at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA). In this episode, she discusses risks and considerations for athletes who are thinking about taking dietary supplements, and work that USADA is doing to help reduce supplement-related risks for athletes. Dr. Eichner also covers research chemicals, some of the novel substances that are relevant in the context of clean sport, the anti-doping implications of the growing field of biologics, and more.

Brian Ahrens is Director of the UCLA Olympic Analytical Laboratory in Los Angeles. In this episode Brian shares insights from more than three decades working in a WADA-accredited anti-doping laboratory, details on their daily operations, research and development efforts they are working on now, areas of opportunity in anti-doping research, and their preparations for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games which will be held in Los Angeles. 

Kim Højgaard Ravn is Chief Executive Officer of Anti Doping Denmark, and he has worked for the organization for over ten years, serving in a variety of roles to advance clean sport. In our interview, Kim talks about his career, how the anti-doping landscape has evolved over the past decade, and the organization's commitment to clean sport and supporting anti-doping science. Kim discusses the work they are doing at Anti-Doping Denmark currently, including anti-doping efforts in organized sports and also in gyms and fitness centers across the country.

Dr. Henrique Marcelo Gualberto Pereira is Director of the Brazilian Doping Control Laboratory and Professor in the Department of Analytical Chemistry at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. Henrique is also President of the World Association of Anti-Doping Scientists (WAADS). In our conversation, we talk about his background, the Brazilian Doping Control Laboratory, and the role of WAADS in the anti-doping community. He also shares some of the important research that he and his colleagues are working on, including using a zebrafish water tank model to better understand the metabolism of prohibited substances and research aimed at better detecting use of cobalt, a prohibited substance that can impact red blood cell production. 

As a follow-up to our previous episode focused on innovative Blood Collection Devices from Tasso, Inc., Dr. Matthew Fedoruk joins us to discuss how Tasso's blood collection devices are being used in anti-doping and the state of the science of what we can detect with these devices for anti-doping purposes. He covers important benefits of these devices, current limitations, and some of the key milestones and future directions for implementation in anti-doping testing. Dr. Fedoruk is Chief Science Officer at the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA), and he is also Co-Chair of the Partnership for Clean Competition's Scientific Advisory Board. 

Collecting blood samples is critical in anti-doping testing and a variety of clinical applications such as diagnostics and disease monitoring. However, traditional blood testing approaches can be a major pain point for athletes, sport organizations, patients, and their care teams. Tasso, Inc. is a company developing innovative products to improve the user experience surrounding blood collection. In this episode, Dr. Erwin Berthier and RJ Asplund describe Tasso's current devices and how they work, the benefits of these products, and how their work is helping advance anti-doping. Erwin is Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer and RJ is Vice President of Commercial at Tasso, Inc.

Dr. Martin Bidlingmaier is Head of the Endocrine Laboratory, and he leads the Neuroendocrine Research Group in the Department of Internal Medicine at the Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich. Martin conducts clinical and basic research, particularly focusing on the development and validation of laboratory methods to diagnose and monitor pituitary and adrenal hormones, physiology, pathophysiology and biomarkers of growth hormone action, and endocrine aspects of doping in sports. In this episode, we discuss his work identifying new biomarkers and developing novel methods to measure growth hormone and detect growth hormone doping. He describes how growth hormone isoforms and the formation of complexes can help distinguish doping, and how the protein soluble α-klotho has emerged as a potential biomarker that may be useful in anti-doping analyses.

Nick Paterson is Chief Executive of Drug Free Sport New Zealand, which will soon become part of a new Integrity Sport and Recreation Commission in New Zealand. He is also Governing Board Chair for the Institute of Anti-Doping Organisations (iNADO). In this episode, Nick talks more about Drug Free Sport New Zealand, including the organization's history, the resources and services they provide, and their role in the global anti-doping community. He also discusses upcoming changes for sport integrity in New Zealand, and their key focus areas for the future.

To wrap up our celebration this year of the 15th anniversary of the Partnership for Clean Competition, this episode features two guests from Major League Baseball (MLB), one of the PCC's Founding Partner Organizations. Jon Coyles, JD, is Vice President of Drug, Health and Safety Programs, and Gary Green, MD, is Medical Director of MLB. In addition, Jon is a member of the PCC's Board of Governors, and Gary is a Member of the PCC's Scientific Advisory Board. In our interview, Jon and Gary share their perspectives on clean sport in baseball, the history of the PCC, important impacts the organization has had in anti-doping over the past fifteen years, collaborations between the PCC and MLB, and more.

Dr. Mike Sawka is Chief Scientific Officer at Environmental Physiology and Hydration Associates, an Adjunct Professor at Georgia Tech, and a Member of the PCC's Scientific Advisory Board and the Performance Hematology Working Group. He is also a Fellow of the American Physiological Society (APS). Today, we're excited to talk about Mike's career, his work with the PCC over the years, and his involvement with the American Physiological Society. He will also be discussing initiatives from the PCC and the APS designed to attract early-career and established researchers to the field of anti-doping, as well as some of the success stories to date.

Adolpho Birch III is currently the Chief External & League Affairs Officer for the Tennessee Titans football team. Previously, he spent more than two decades working for the National Football League (NFL) in various roles. The NFL is one of the Founding Members of the Partnership for Clean Competition, and Adolpho is one of the PCC's Emeritus Board of Governors Members. In this episode, Adolpho discusses his career, his experiences supporting clean sport, and anti-doping advances in football over the years. In addition, to continue the celebration of the PCC's 15th anniversary this year, Adolpho talks more about the history and impacts of the PCC in the anti-doping movement.

Kacie Wallace is an attorney and the Team USA Athlete Ombuds. The Office of the Athlete Ombuds provides a safe place for athletes to seek confidential, independent, impartial advice, and assistance with sport related matters. In this episode, Kacie talks more about the Office of the Athlete Ombuds, the resources and services they provide, her career path, her role in clean sport, and her work advocating for athletes.

Francesco Loria is a Ph.D. student in biomedical science at the Swiss Laboratory for Doping Analysis in Lausanne and the University of Geneva. In this episode, we hear more about Francesco's career, his research on the potential for reticulocyte-related RNA to be used as biomarkers to detect blood doping, and his receipt of one of this year's PCC-sponsored Anti-doping Predoctoral Awards in partnership with the American Physiological Society (APS).

Dr. Frank Wojan recently completed his PhD in Clinical Physiology at The University of Texas at Austin, and he is currently a Senior Clinical Project Manager with Pluto Health. In this episode, Frank discusses his career path, his research on the effects of intermittent hypoxia on erythropoiesis, and the project that led to his receipt of one of this year's PCC-sponsored Anti-doping Predoctoral Awards in partnership with the American Physiological Society (APS). 

Dr. Peter Van Eenoo is Professor in the Department of Diagnostic Sciences and Director of the Doping Control Laboratory (DoCoLab) at Ghent University in Belgium. In this episode, we are excited to talk more about Peter, his research and routine work at the DoCo Lab, the history of the lab, and some of their groundbreaking discoveries over the years as they celebrate their 50th anniversary this year.

Dr. Jenna Goodrum is a Partnership for Clean Competition Fellow and Research Scientist working in the Sports Medicine Research Testing Laboratory (SMRTL) in Utah. In this podcast episode, we're excited to discuss Jenna's career path, her work at SMRTL, her experience as a PCC fellow, and the details of her PCC-funded research project examining biotin as a masking agent for abuse of the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG).

David Howman is Chair of the Board of Directors at the Athletics Integrity Unit for World Athletics, and he has been named Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for his services to sport. In this episode, we discuss the Athletics Integrity Unit (AIU) in more detail, covering the founding of the organization, how it has changed over the years, the educational programs and resources they provide, key partnerships for the organization, and the importance of transparency in all aspects of the work done at AIU. 

Donald Hooton, Jr., is President of the Taylor Hooton Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to developing and promoting education programs for young athletes. Pressure to use performance-enhancing and appearance-enhancing substances can be high for students and young athletes, and the Taylor Hooton Foundation fills a critical gap by providing education and a forum for candid discussion of these difficult topics. In this episode, Don shares the history of the foundation, their mission, and how they are contributing to the clean sport movement.

Dr. Naomi Spears is the former Chief Science Officer and current General Manager of Operations at Sport Integrity Australia, Australia's designated national anti-doping organization (NADO). In our interview, we talk more about Sport Integrity Australia, the history of the organization, the details of their anti-doping program, how they are incorporating dried blood spot testing into their anti-doping program, and how they are working with others around the world to protect clean sport. 

Tim Brown is a New York Times bestselling author and an award-winning national sports columnist covering Major League Baseball (MLB). In this episode, Tim talks about his career and gives us a behind-the-scenes view into some of the biggest stories in MLB's recent history, including the Balco scandal, the Mitchell report, and the Biogenesis scandal. He discusses some of the major changes that MLB has implemented over the past two decades to detect and deter doping to help ensure clean sport in baseball.

Madison Chock and Evan Bates are an elite ice dancing team with numerous accolades, including being the 2023 World Champions and three-time Olympians. They were part of the Beijing 2022 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team that has been caught up in what is now more than a year-long saga still awaiting their medals as a result of a competitor's positive drug test. In this episode, Madison and Evan share their stories, describe how their experiences surrounding the 2022 Olympic Games have impacted them and their teammates, and discuss their commitment to clean sport and the anti-doping movement.

Mike Earl is Director of Anti-Doping and Game Equipment at World Rugby. In this episode, we talk more about Mike's career in anti-doping, the components of World Rugby's Anti-Doping programme, current challenges, key partnerships, and focus areas for the organization going forward.

Dr. Christophe Stove is a faculty member in Pharmaceutical Sciences and Director of the Laboratory of Toxicology at Ghent University. In this interview, he shares more about his career and his research on blood microsampling for anti-doping, including advances in microsampling approaches and strategies for addressing the hematocrit effect in dried blood samples.