David Puder
David Puder is an American psychiatrist, medical educator, and podcast host based in Winter Park, Florida. He is the host of the Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast, which was featured by The New York Times as one of six recommended podcasts about medicine and health care.[1] He was named one of the "10 Psychiatrists Taking Over Social Media" by Medpage Today in 2024.[2]
Early life and education
Puder attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied molecular and cellular biology and was a member of the California Golden Bears rowing team. His team won the national championship during his senior year.[3] He earned his medical degree from Loma Linda University School of Medicine and completed his psychiatry residency at Loma Linda after an initial year of internal medicine training.[4]
He completed a two-year certificate in Adult Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy at the New Center for Psychoanalysis.[5]
Career
Clinical work and teaching
After completing his residency, Puder joined the faculty at Loma Linda University, where he served as medical director of the MEND program, a partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient program for patients with co-occurring medical and psychiatric conditions.[6] He served as a primary instructor in psychotherapy for psychiatry residents at the university.[4]
In 2019, Puder moved to the Orlando area and established a private psychiatry practice in Winter Park.[7] His clinical approach integrates psychiatric medication management with psychotherapy, diet, exercise, and lifestyle interventions.[8]
Research
Puder developed the Connection Index (CI12), a 12-item instrument designed to quantitatively measure the quality of interpersonal connections between resident physicians and their supervising attendings. The tool measures subdomains including psychological safety, empathy, educational alliance, and feedback. Published in Academic Psychiatry in 2022, the instrument demonstrated high scalability, consistency, and test-retest validity across a sample of psychiatry residents, with statistically significant correlations between greater connection and reduced burnout, mistreatment, and negative emotional experiences.[9]
He also created a microexpression training program called "Emotion Connection," aimed at improving emotional literacy and connection. His work on microexpressions was covered by ABC7 Los Angeles.[10] He founded the nonprofit organization Mental Health Education & Research to support his work on interpersonal connection in medical teams.[11]
In 2025, Puder co-authored a peer-reviewed Commentary in Brain Medicine examining evidence on microplastics accumulation in human brain tissue and potential removal strategies. The research discussed findings that human brains contain significantly higher concentrations of micro and nanoplastics compared to other organs, with elevated levels observed in individuals with dementia.[12]
Podcast and media
Puder hosts the Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast, which provides continuing medical education credits for healthcare professionals. The New York Times described the show as "a helpful resource for anyone trying to cut through the noise and develop a better understanding of psychology," noting that episodes cover topics ranging from cognitive behavioral therapy and EMDR to the link between cannabis use and psychosis.[1]
The podcast was ranked among the top psychiatry podcasts by FeedSpot.[13]
In interviews with KVCR, an NPR affiliate, Puder discussed strategies for protecting mental health, emphasizing the role of strength training, diet, and psychotherapy in preventing depression and cognitive decline.[8] He was also interviewed by KVCR about the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.[14]. Puder was also quoted in Spin in an article discussing high-potency cannabis and its association with psychosis.[15]
Awards
Puder received the Outstanding Teaching Resident in Psychiatry Award, voted on by medical students, and the Supervisor of the Year Award in 2018, voted on by psychiatry residents at Loma Linda University.[4]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "6 Podcasts About Medicine and Health Care". The New York Times. 2026-01-24. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ Murphy, Brendan (2024-05-30). "10 Psychiatrists Taking Over Social Media". Medpage Today. Retrieved 2024-10-25.
- ↑ "David Puder – Men's Rowing". California Golden Bears Athletics. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Meet the Host". Psychiatry & Psychotherapy Podcast. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ↑ "Certificate in Adult Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy". New Center for Psychoanalysis. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ↑ "Adult Outpatient Programs". Loma Linda University Health. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ↑ "David Puder, M.D." Psychiatry & Psychotherapy, PLLC. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Psychiatrist David Puder Gives Tips on How to Protect Your Mental Health in 2019". KVCR News. 2019-01-14. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ↑ Puder, David; Dominguez, Chloe; Borecky, Adam; Ing, Alice; Ing, Kevin; Martinez, Ariana E.; Pereau, Melissa; Kashner, T. Michael (2022). "Assessing Interpersonal Relationships in Medical Education: the Connection Index". Academic Psychiatry. 46 (6): 683–691. doi:10.1007/s40596-021-01574-0. PMID 35064549 Check
|pmid=value (help). - ↑ "Loma Linda doctor explains how facial expressions can reveal inner emotions". ABC7 Los Angeles. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ↑ "Mental Health Education & Research". Mental Health Education & Research. Retrieved 2024-09-02.
- ↑ "Alarming levels of microplastics discovered in human brain tissue, linked to dementia". EurekAlert!. American Association for the Advancement of Science. 2025-03-04. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
- ↑ "25 Best Psychiatry Podcasts You Must Follow in 2024". FeedSpot. 2024-05-29. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ↑ "Loma Linda Psychiatrist On The Pandemic's Effects On Mental Health". KVCR News. 2020-05-13. Retrieved 2024-10-26.
- ↑ "Reefer Madness". Spin. 2025-12-01. Retrieved 2026-02-11.
Category:Living people
Category:American psychiatrists
Category:University of California, Berkeley alumni
Category:Loma Linda University faculty
Category:American podcasters
Category:People from Winter Park, Florida
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