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Dr. Howard Weiner is one of the most respected pediatric neurosurgeons in the country — Chief of Neurosurgery and Endowed Chair at Texas Children’s Hospital, and Professor at Baylor College of Medicine. But titles barely scratch the surface of who he is.

In this deeply personal conversation, Andrew talks with his former mentor about the part of medicine most people never hear about: how you stay human while doing the hardest job in the hospital.

They get into:

• How a childhood shaped by empathy led him to neurosurgery
• Why “hospitality” in medicine matters more than people think
• Leading teams through trust, warmth, and integrity
• How he navigates complications and the mental toll of surgery
• The role of spirituality, Sabbath, family, and giving in avoiding burnout
• The surprising tools that help surgeons build long, meaningful careers
• What it means to build a life you’re proud of — not just a career

If you’re in medicine, leadership, or just trying to build a meaningful life without burning out, this episode will hit home.

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Most of us think of a sauna as just “a hot room.”

In Finland, it’s a way of life, a ritual, a community practice, and surprisingly a powerful tool for training the mind.

In this episode of It’s Brain Surgery, Dr. Andrew Brunswick sits down with Lassi Liikkanen, one of the world’s leading experts on Finnish sauna design, tradition, and research. His books The Secrets of Finnish Sauna Design and Finnish Sauna: Steam, Wood, Stone, and How to Build Your Own have reshaped how the world understands authentic sauna culture.

We dive into:

• Why Finnish sauna culture is nothing like the “sauna” trend in the U.S.
• How heat trains the mind like surgery: presence, discomfort, clarity
• The true purpose of steam (löyly) and why humidity matters
• Sauna as meditation, community, and digital detox
• Why infrared is not a Finnish sauna—and what the research says
• What Americans consistently get wrong about sauna design
• How sauna shapes honesty, connection, and vulnerability
• Why even infants in Finland go to the sauna
• The right way to think about temperature, cycles, and cooling
• How to build a sauna that actually works (and why most don’t)

If you’ve ever wondered what a sauna really is or if you’re trying to deepen your own practicethis episode will change how you think about heat forever.

Guest Information
Lassi Liikkanen
Author, researcher, and one of the leading authorities on Finnish sauna design.
Books:
• The Secrets of Finnish Sauna Design
• Finnish Sauna: Steam, Wood, Stone, and How to Build Your Own

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Imagine being the only neurosurgeon in a country of over 8 million people. No backup. Limited equipment. Families raising money before life-saving surgery can begin. That is Dr. Alieu Kamara’s daily reality in Sierra Leone.

In this episode, Dr. Kamara shares how growing up during the civil war shaped him, why he left a secure post abroad to return home, and what it takes to make life-or-death decisions when resources are thin. We talk trauma care, CT access, weekends in the OR, training the next generation, and what kind of help would actually move the needle.

This conversation is not about outrage. It is about responsibility, courage, and practical ways to support care where it is most needed.

What we cover:

Being the only neurosurgeon in the country

Childhood during the civil war and the path to medicine

Training in China and the decision to return home

Daily workload, burnout risk, and mindset under pressure

Trauma, tumors, and what happens when patients cannot pay

Imaging, blood, and the long list of missing tools

Building capacity: CT installation, future C-arm, training plans

How international colleagues and organizations can help

Chapters (add timestamps after upload)

Intro
Civil war childhood
Training abroad and coming home
Life as the only neurosurgeon
Trauma care, imaging, and costs
Building a service and training others
How to help

About Dr. Allieu Kamara

Neurosurgeon, Connaught Hospital, Freetown, Sierra Leone. Focused on neurotrauma and building sustainable neurosurgical care in a low-resource setting.

How to support

Interested clinicians: short volunteer stints, case discussion, remote consults

Donors and partners: consumables, imaging support, instruments, C-arm, training funds