Evolution Of Medicine Podcast

What if chronic disease isn't a single problem—but a breakdown across multiple biological networks? In this live Evolution of Medicine Podcast episode from the IFM conference, James Maskell speaks with Dr. Kristine Burke about the rapid transformation of functional medicine and its growing integration into mainstream healthcare systems. They explore why inflammatory markers like CRP took decades to enter standard practice, and how this reflects a broader challenge in translating research into real-world medicine. Dr. Burke shares her journey from conventional family medicine into functional medicine after seeing patients experience major cardiovascular events despite guideline-based care. This led her to focus on residual risk, root causes, and systems biology. The conversation also covers emerging biomarkers such as SII, SIRI, and suPAR, which may help detect systemic chronic inflammation and disease risk earlier than traditional approaches. A major theme is the shift toward network-based care—where clinicia