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AI can predict cardiovascular disease in women

Shelby Wisdom
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AI can predict cardiovascular disease in women
Hari Trivedi, MD, co-author and associate professor of radiology and biomedical informatics at Emory School of Medicine, with Theodorus Dapamede, MD, PHD, co-author and postdoctoral fellow in the department of radiology at Emory School of Medicine. Photo credit: Jack Kearse

Emory University’s Dr. Hari Trivedi, an associate professor in the Department of Radiology and Imaging Sciences and the Department of Biomedical Informatics, has helped connect the dots between breast tissue and cardiovascular risk by using an AI model.

Dr. Trivedi served as the corresponding author and lead investigator on a retrospective study that used data from 2013 to 2024. The study began in 2025 and was published earlier this year. It included about 120,000 initial mammogram screenings from patients at Emory and the Mayo Clinic in Phoenix, Arizona. “We applied our AI model to calculate their breast arterial calcification (BAC) score, which we used to make future predictions to study cardiovascular risk,” Dr. Trivedi says.

Dr. Trivedi says that the concept of BAC and its importance to cardiovascular health has been known for 30 years. “The concept is not particularly novel,” he says. “But what was novel about our work is that until now, there was no standardized way to measure how much there was or how severe it was.”

BAC is visible to radiologists on scans, but only about 15 percent of radiologists traditionally report BAC in mammogram results. “Over 80 percent of radiologists don’t mention it, despite there being a body of work showing it can predict cardiovascular risk. This removes the burden from radiologists of having to locate and quantify severity.”

The team has automated the entire process, and the model is now capable of quantifying the amount of BAC. “That is something a human cannot do. They would be counting pixels in the image,” he says. By implementing the model, the hope is that mammograms can be used to detect cardiovascular risk. This could be especially useful to women ages 40 to 50 who get mammograms but who are not yet getting cardiovascular screenings.

The technology is already deployed clinically at Mayo Clinic, and the team aims to deploy it at Emory later this year after FDA clearance.

Brainspotting, an eye-focusing therapy, might help with processing trauma, grief, and other emotions

Shelby Wisdom
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Brainspotting, an eye-focusing therapy, might help with processing trauma, grief, and other emotions

A new crop of therapeutic techniques is trying to prove that the mind and body are more connected than previously known. That includes Brainspotting, a 20-year-old eye movement–based therapeutic technique. It has helped some patients access deep-seated emotional blockages.

“We store information we’ve experienced as memories, but also in our bodies,” says Vicki Steine, an LCSW and board-certified holistic nutritionist based in Cobb County who has practiced the therapy in her private practice for a decade. “Brainspotting is a way to get down into some of the deep-level stuff where you need to address how the body responds to whatever is going on. Where you look affects how you feel.”

Brainspotting was created by eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapist Dr. David Grand. EMDR has been around almost 40 years and has become a popular way for patients to reprocess trauma. EDMR has therapists move their hands back and forth across a patient’s eyes, a process called bi-lateral stimulation, as a way to reorganize and store memories. Brainspotting has similar goals, but instead, the therapist keeps the hand in one place. Therapists are trained to read signs that a patient has reached something of note that they can explore, such as a physical tell.

“The giveaway, from a therapist’s perspective, is some sort of physical reaction, such as an eyelid twitch, a clenched jaw, or a sigh, something they might not even be physically aware of,” Steine says. Once a therapist has found a pathway, they can explore a memory more deeply with a client by asking questions, hopefully gaining access to stuck emotions or unprocessed grief and trauma.

Scientifically, the focus on something in your visual field could access the subcortical, or deeper, part of your brain. Steine has used Brainspotting on patients with anxiety and depression, ADHD, and those who are simply working on personal growth.

Steine moonlights as a singer and gives a personal example of wanting to get over stage fright. “When I first started singing, I was terrified, but it was my lifelong dream,” she says. “I found a rock-and-roll part of me through Brainspotting. Every time I get nervous, I find that place with my eyes and go back to that rock-and-roll girl I had found, and I can get on stage with her.”

She recommends finding a certified professional because Brainspotting can be an intense process, especially if accessing traumatic memories. Patients can feel slightly disoriented afterward, akin to a post-massage feeling, so Steine says it’s best to have someone there to guide you back to center. To find a therapist trained in Brainspotting, Steine recommends visiting the Southeastern Brainspotting Institute.

Atlanta’s top doctors reflect on the moments that prepared them for the unexpected

Joe Reisigl
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Atlanta’s top doctors reflect on the moments that prepared them for the unexpected

Ken Anderson

Ken Anderson, MD, FISHRS, ABHRS

Hair restoration, otolaryngology/facial plastic surgery
Anderson Center for Hair

Did a real-life or fictional doctor inspire you to choose your profession?
I didn’t grow up inspired by a specific doctor; I grew up as an artist. From a young age, drawing was my world. I took art classes every semester through high school and college and later worked as a medical illustrator during my training at the University of Michigan. At one point, I seriously considered becoming an artist full-time, but my parents encouraged me to pursue something more stable.

When I was about 14 or 15 years old, I was at a friend’s house, talking to his father, an infectious disease specialist. I told him I was thinking about becoming a doctor but had no idea what kind. He didn’t give me a long explanation. He simply asked, “Can you draw?” That question caught me completely off guard. I told him drawing was the one thing I knew I was good at. Without hesitation, he said, “You should be a plastic surgeon. You’d be good at it.”

In that moment, everything clicked. It made sense to me. I internalized that suggestion as though it was written in the sky. I had discovered a path where art and science weren’t competing; they were working together.

What led you to your specialty?
I spent a short period observing a hair restoration surgeon in Michigan, and what I saw immediately stood apart from everything else I had trained to do. In most facial plastic procedures, the work is highly technical and precise, but it didn’t feel creative to me. Hair restoration was different. Designing and creating recipient sites felt like building something from nothing, almost like pointillism, where each tiny placement contributes to a larger, natural result.

Once I made the decision to commit fully, I moved to Beverly Hills to train under Dr. Bill Rassman, one of the pioneers of the field, and focused my entire career on advancing hair restoration surgery.

Is there a patient who stands out because they reminded you of why you wanted to become a doctor?
One patient who stands out came to see me when I was early in my career and practicing in Beverly Hills. Let’s call him Mr. Dempsey.

Mr. Dempsey was 77 years old and about 5 feet 6 inches tall. His hair was entirely white, and he had a receded frontal hairline. When we sat down to talk about his goals, he slid a photo across the table. It was a picture of a young Elvis Presley. That was what he wanted.

We moved forward with the procedure, and about a year later, he came back to see me. He walked in with a full white pompadour, styled just like Elvis’s in the photo he’d shown me. After we sat down, he looked at me and said in a serious tone, “Dr. Anderson, I want you to know that this is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

That’s when I pushed back. I told him, at his stage of life, with children and great-grandchildren, it was hard to imagine this could truly be the very best. But he was completely sincere. He said it without hesitation: “No, I’m quite serious about that. This is the best thing that has ever happened to me.”

That moment stayed with me. It was a transformation to him that he considered a pinnacle in his life’s experience, even at his age.

Hair isn’t about age and it isn’t about vanity. When you restore it, you’re restoring something deeply tied to identity, and the impact can be far more powerful than most people expect.

Nandini Sunkireddy

Nandini Sunkireddy, MD

Family medicine, lifestyle medicine, obesity medicine, and menopause care
Aspire Medical Group

Who or what inspired you to become a doctor?
My inspiration to become a doctor began with my mother. She once dreamed of becoming a physician herself, but growing up in rural India, circumstances didn’t allow her to pursue that path.

Is there a “medical mystery” you’ve solved that involved a patient with symptoms that didn’t suggest an obvious diagnosis?
One case that felt like a true medical mystery was a woman in her mid-40s who came to me after months of unanswered questions and mounting anxiety. Her primary complaint was persistent palpitations. She had already done everything right: She’d seen cardiology and endocrinology and had undergone an echocardiogram, stress testing, and a full cardiac workup. Everything came back normal.

Yet her symptoms were very real—and worsening.

When she walked into my clinic, what stood out wasn’t just her symptoms, but also her story. I asked her to complete a detailed menopause questionnaire, and suddenly, the pieces started to come together. Along with palpitations, she had subtle symptoms she hadn’t connected to her other health problems: sleep disturbances, mood changes, fatigue.

What looked like a cardiac mystery was actually her body transitioning through perimenopause.

After a thorough discussion, we started her on hormone replacement therapy, reassuring her with current evidence supporting its safety when appropriately prescribed. When she returned a month later, the transformation was remarkable. Her palpitations had resolved, her anxiety had lifted, and she finally felt like herself again.

What is one routine you wish your patients would adopt to take better care of themselves?
I wish every patient would fiercely protect seven to nine hours of quality sleep each night. Sleep is not optional—it is the most powerful medicine your body has.

In those hours of deep and REM sleep, your body does its most critical work: Hormones reset, the brain clears toxins, cells repair, and your immune system rebuilds. This is when true healing happens.

When you cut corners on sleep, you’re not just tired the next day—you’re setting off a cascade. Hunger hormones rise, cravings increase, cortisol surges, and over time this fuels weight gain, diabetes, heart disease, and burnout.

Sleep is the ultimate performance enhancer, the most potent antioxidant, and the simplest longevity tool we have. You cannot out-exercise or out-diet poor sleep.

Glen Iannucci

Glen J. Iannucci, MD

Pediatric cardiology
Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Cardiology

What made you decide to become a doctor?
I grew up in Atlanta and was in a severe car accident when I was 15. I was taken to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Scottish Rite, and the physician’s assistant who worked on me in the ER was wonderful (his name was Dane). He had the task of pulling glass out of my knee, foot, chin, and more for the better part of an hour, and during that time, he kept the conversation lighthearted. I actually remember laugh-ing during some of the procedures. It was at that time that I thought, Perhaps this is what I should do with my life. Now, 30 years later, I have the privilege of working for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to provide cardiac care to patients from all over the region.

Why pediatric cardiology?
I was on a rotation in medical school with adult cardiology, and a 23-year-old patient with severe congenital heart disease came into the hospital. He had undergone numerous surgeries to try to reroute his blood flow to get his heart to effectively pump blood to his body. I asked the cardiology fellow to explain his prior surgeries to me and how his blood flowed to his body. He said that he didn’t know and that we needed to call the pediatric cardiologist. Dr. Bill Strong then came in to see the patient and drew a picture of his heart, explaining all of his prior surgeries in detail. From that moment, I was fascinated with pediatric cardiology.

Is there a patient who has stood out to you?
I have had the honor of taking care of one of the bravest people I know, Slohn Walsh. She is now a 15-year-old who has undergone five heart surgeries, with her first two occurring during infancy. She has had a number of challenges over the course of her life, including an unheard-of complication related to one of her surgeries in infancy, and she ended up needing a mitral valve replacement requiring lifelong blood thinners, then a pacemaker, and, most recently, a heart transplant. She is now thriving and taking much less medicine than before. She faced all these surgeries with a resilience and grit that I continue to admire.

What is it about your profession you love most?
In pediatric medicine, our patients may need significant surgeries, but when they recover, they may leave the hospital skipping or smiling and holding a balloon. This is hard to come by in adult medicine.

Lily Hwang

Lily G. Hwang, MD

Allergy and immunology
Atlanta Allergy & Asthma

Who or what inspired you to become a doctor?
Although my parents were not physicians, medicine was part of our everyday lives. They often spoke about Eastern and Western medicines—comparing philosophies and treatments—and chose what they believed were the safest options for their daughters.

As a child, I simply experienced their care. It wasn’t until much later that I realized that they were practicing what we now recognize as lifestyle medicine—long before it became a formal specialty.

Have you ever solved a “medical mystery”?
Yes. A patient who had seen multiple specialists for a chronic cough for over five years had been diagnosed with allergies, sinusitis, and asthma. She received multiple courses of antibiotics and steroids without improvement. She was then treated for reflux, yet her cough persisted, despite all these medications.

I saw her as a transfer of care for worsening asthma related to her cough. After reviewing her history, I realized her symptoms were not consistent with an asthma-related cough but rather with laryngopharyngeal reflux. Although she had been on reflux medication, it was ineffective. She underwent a procedure to control the reflux, and her cough resolved.

This realization allowed me to step down her asthma medications and discontinue the repeated courses of oral prednisone she had been receiving for years.

Zazi Nylander

Zazi Nylander, MD, FAAFP, DABOM

Family medicine and obesity medicine
Cassia Optimal Health

Who or what inspired you to become a doctor?
Not one specific person, but more an experience. Growing up in Ghana, I volunteered in an HIV clinic at a time when there was still a lot of stigma around the disease. What stayed with me was the compassion the physicians showed and the way they treated patients with dignity. That really shaped how I think about care. I was also the youngest in my family and was loved on a lot, so that sense of showing up for others was instilled in me early. Medicine felt like a natural extension of that.

What led you to your specialty?
I was drawn to family medicine because it is one of the few fields where you can really understand the full picture of someone’s health. I also liked that it was a specialty you could shape. There is room for clinical care, leadership, advocacy, and evolving your focus over time. That flexibility is something that still guides how I practice.

I am also board certified in obesity medicine. While some physicians move away from primary care once they focus on obesity medicine, I have found that I actually prefer to continue as my patients’ primary care physician. It allows me to care for the whole picture rather than just one aspect of their health.

Geoffrey Aaron

Geoffrey P. Aaron, MD

Pediatric otolaryngology
Wellstar Pediatric ENT

Have you ever solved a “medical mystery”?
Earlier this year, a toddler was referred to my pediatric ENT clinic for headaches—not a common complaint in such a young patient. Imaging had, thankfully, ruled out any scary brain masses, but the parents still didn’t have any answers. They had several referrals out to different specialties to get to the bottom of it, but I just happened to be the first one to see him. He’d had some ear infections, but they did not seem to add up to what was causing his symptoms. The only thing that stood out to me was how he appeared a little pale. After thinking about it more later that evening, I called his mom back and told her I was going to get some labs. His mom then revealed to me that the child had been having abdominal pain and fatigue. We discovered he was severely anemic, and that was the root cause of all his symptoms. After a blood transfusion and iron supplements, this child had a complete turnaround.

It was a reminder of three things for me: Don’t forget to look at the whole patient; trust your instinct if something appears off; and listen to the parents, because they know their child and know when something is wrong.

What led you to your specialty?
Music has always been a passion of mine and has been involved in many of my life’s big decisions. At the same time, I was also interested in the sciences and wanted to help others. I made the decision early in college to pursue medicine and fill my spare time with music instead. If I wasn’t studying organic chemistry or cell biology, I was playing gigs with my band or jamming with the school’s jazz combo. I quickly learned that playing bass guitar on the weekends was not going to be enough to get me into medical school, and luckily, I found a summer position as a medical assistant in a local otolaryngologist’s office.

The more I learned about otolaryngology, the more I realized how I could combine my interests in music and medicine in one study. The ear has always interested me as an organ; after all, it is the vital component to hearing music. Before even applying to medical school, I had already decided I was going to specialize in otolaryngology. During my training, I realized I enjoyed working with kids and focused my training on pediatric hearing loss. Now I have the ability to help kids with the gift of hearing, and there is nothing more rewarding.

Will Epps

Will Epps, MD

Anesthesiology and pain medicine
Alliance Spine and Pain Centers

Did a real-life or fictional doctor inspire you to become a doctor?
I know the actor has had serious troubles in real life, but without that hindsight, the character of Dr. Huxtable on The Cosby Show was a big source of inspiration. At the time, it was rare to see Black men as physicians. Plus he was a “fun dad,” which I also aspire to be.

Have any of your patients reminded you of why you wanted to become a doctor?
I had one patient who was a stage actor and dancer, but an ankle injury and subsequent surgery resulted in debilitating nerve pain that made even walking difficult. I treated her with an implantable device called a spinal cord stimulator, and she was able to dance again! Any time I’m able to return a patient’s joy for life, it reminds me why I do what I do.

What’s one story from your medical career that has stuck with you?
Prior to coming to Atlanta and entering into private practice, I was a lieutenant commander in the United States Navy and deployed to both Iraq and Afghanistan. During my final deployment to Afghanistan, I served in the role of a trauma anesthesiologist. One after-noon, we received several casualties from a gun fight, including enemy combatants. Despite them inflicting harm on our U.S. soldiers, the rules of war dictated that I care for them as well. It was a harrowing experience but emphasized to me that all life is worth saving.

If you weren’t a doctor, what would you be instead?
I think I’d be a comedian. I love making people laugh! Thanks to Instagram, I’ve got an outlet to make funny, lighthearted videos. Pain relief with some comic relief. Laughter really is the best medicine.

Kenneth Ellner

Kenneth Ellner, MD

Dermatology
Atlanta Center for Dermatologic Diseases

What led you to become a doctor?
I’m a nice Jewish boy from New York; it was expected of me. My uncle was a doctor, but unfortunately he died before I was born; still, I grew up with stories of him. Marcus Welby, M.D. on TV was one role model. Another great role model as a doctor was Dr. Bombay on Bewitched. 

Everyone loves a good story. Have you had an emergency situation outside the office that you had to deal with?
One that comes to mind was when I was flying back from a vacation in London. There was a scared young boy who was on his way to Disney World in Orlando, changing planes in Atlanta. He lacerated his chin before boarding but didn’t tell his parents till an hour into the flight because he was afraid he wouldn’t get to go to Disney World. The flight attendant asked if there was a doctor on board, and a few of us answered the call. We then compared education and training and agreed I’d be the best to handle this. 

I made a bandage using a feminine hygiene pad and an eye mask from first class; I also arranged ice cream for the child from first class. They had Tylenol on board, but when I asked the parents how much he weighed, they gave his weight in stones. Once we figured out the appropriate dose, I told him to go directly on to Orlando, to not cancel the trip. I also told his family how to get a plastic surgeon to sew him up once they arrived there.

Theolyn Price

Theolyn Price, MD

Thoracic surgery and general surgery
Wellstar Thoracic Surgery

What led you to your specialty?
When I was 15, my family played an integral part in saving the life of a 12-year-old boy. He and two friends were admiring a new shotgun when it was accidentally discharged, resulting in significant facial injuries. It was only by the grace of God that we happened to drive by just in time to help the boys and rush the victim to the hospital. The details of this event will forever be etched into my memory; it’s as vivid today as it was on the day of the accident. I can still visualize the traumatized face. After multiple surgeries and extensive therapy, I later learned he not only survived but has minimal physical evidence of this trauma and grew up to be a flourishing member of society. This is the day I knew I was meant to be a surgeon because I wanted to be a part of this miracle of medicine.

I went on to specialize in the field of thoracic surgery. It is a beautiful specialty because it incorporates the full spectrum of care. There are some patients with acute problems, which we treat immediately. Then there are the cancer patients with whom we develop long-term relationships during the journey of a surgical cure followed by close surveillance. I have a particular passion for cancer patients and their families. It is an honor to be a part of their journey and walk with them every step of the way.

If you weren’t a doctor, what would you be instead?
During my training, I always used to hear the phrase: “You are swimming with the sharks. Don’t let them smell any blood in the water.” Everything was high stakes from all aspects (faculty, coresidents, patients, cases), so you could never show fear or weakness. It is ironic though that this phrase came up in my surgical career, because I have wanted to study sharks since I was old enough to read. There are so many mysteries surrounding these powerful and majestic creatures. Throughout the years, I have spent time reading about sharks, drawing them, and giving talks about them. One of the highlights of my life was traveling to South Africa, where many of the Discovery Shark Week specials are filmed. I went cage diving and came face-to-face with multiple great white sharks and even had the pleasure of petting one of them.

Ayesha Niazy

Ayesha Niazy, MD, DABOM

Obesity medicine
Family Practice Center, PC

Is there a patient who stands out because they reminded you of why you wanted to become a doctor?
One patient had been body-shamed her entire life and couldn’t lose weight despite diet and exercise. But with the right medication and lifestyle changes, she lost over 100 pounds and transformed her outlook and mood. In the patient’s own words: “Weight loss has helped me become a better person, mother, and wife.”

What is your biggest challenge in medicine?
I will say the biggest challenge is with coverage for medicine from insurance companies. The patients want it, insurance declines it, and then patients seek it from unknown vendors or a buddy at the gym. (Yes, that is a true story.) Unfortunately, people forget this is not a supplement—it is an actual medication that needs a physician to prescribe and monitor.

Did a real-life or fictional doctor inspire you to become a doctor?
When I was in high school, I got the opportunity to volunteer at a small clinic in a low socio-economic area of Karachi, Pakistan. A team of family-medicine physicians ran that clinic, which provided free healthcare to the community. Their service to patients, including going above and beyond with limited resources, showed me that medicine at its core is an act of service.

Back to Atlanta Top Doctors.

This article appears in our July 2026 issue.

A new monitoring device by a Georgia Tech professor is like “an Apple Watch for your heart”

Myrydd Wells Walljasper
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A new monitoring device by a Georgia Tech professor is like “an Apple Watch for your heart”
Paired to Cardiotag, this phone shows the person’s shows ECG, SCG, and PPG signals

Photograph courtesy of Georgia Tech

When a patient is in heart failure, they are often hospitalized over and over again, with high mortality rates. But Georgia Tech professor Omer Inan is hoping to change that with an innovation that recently received FDA clearance. Called CardioTag, the device, which uses wearable sensors to measure physiological signals from the heart, is paired with start-up company CardioSense’s AI to change the way heart failure patients are monitored, which could reduce hospitalizations.

Inan says part of that is because the right tools to monitor them at home and in the hospital haven’t been available. Now, with CardioTag, clinicians can get comprehensive information to see patterns and hopefully intervene before it becomes an emergency. Inan has been working on it while at Georgia Tech, in collaboration with the University of California San Francisco.

Cardiotag recently received FDA approval

Photograph courtesy of Georgia Tech

CardioTag has three signals it monitors: electrocardiograms, or the heart’s electrical activity; photoplethysmograms, or the pulse signal; and seismocardiograms, or the heart’s mechanical vibrations. “Seismocardiograms are the tiny earthquakes of your chest in response to your heartbeat,” he says. Inan has been studying seismocardiograms since he was in graduate school at Stanford decades ago, and it was first measured in astronauts in the 1960s. “That signal gives us the most important information, which is the mechanical activity of the heart: how it’s being filled and pumping.”

Today, clinicians often rely on implantable sensors that measure cardiac filling pressures. However, it’s invasive, has risks, and pricey, costing close to $30,000.

Professor Omer Inan (left) and fifth-year ECE PhD student Farhan Rahman demonstrate a prototype wristband that senses the body’s rising stress response and administers electrical stimulation to counteract it.

Photograph courtesy of Georgia Tech

Now, CardioTag’s wearable device and companion app can monitor all three markers to give the patient, caregiver, and hospital staff more comprehensive data. “It may allow them to stay at a better level of filling pressure at home, and not have those pressures go up and cause hospitalization,” says Inan. “It’s kind of like an Apple Watch for your heart.”

CardioTag, which will be available by prescription, plans to start early stage pilots and commercialization pilots later this year, with a full ramp-up in 2027.

Atlantans can now get THC products from Edibles.com’s flagship store

Myrydd Wells Walljasper
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Atlantans can now get THC products from Edibles.com’s flagship store
The new Edibles.com store in Inman Park

Photograph courtesy of Edibles.com

Operating under a slogan of “Health, not high,” Edibles.com opened its first retail brick-and-mortar on April 9 in Inman Park. The boutique aims to offer a more approachable entry into hemp-derived products.

It’s coming from a somewhat unlikely source: Edibles.com is a division of Sandy Springs-based Edible, also the parent company of gifting brand Edible Arrangements. When Thomas Winstanley, the executive vice president and general manager, was approached by Edible two years ago to launch the concept, he was impressed by the vision.

“It was very clear they wanted to do this the right way,” says Winstanley. “This is a functional wellness category, and we have built a brand by being very acute in the products we choose and how we help consumers engage with them.”

About six THC lifestyle brands are available in the cozy store, with closer to 10 on the website, which debuted a year ago. Those familiar with the category will recognize brand names like Cann, Wlyd, and Atlanta-based Scofflaw Brewing. “It’s a curated offering,” says Winstanley, who says the opportunity to educate curious customers was as important as the product range. The intention was not to make it feel like a dispensary, but rather a lifestyle outpost. Knowledgeable staff can ask customers about desired outcomes and suggest products for sleep, relaxation, and more.

Customers can choose from products such as gummies and drinks that range from 2 mg to 10 mg of hemp-derived THC. They do not sell vapes or other inhalable forms. Customers must be 21 to purchase the products in accordance with state law.

The complexities around THC and regulations are often hard to understand and ever-changing. Hemp-derived products are currently legal in Georgia, but federal legislation with heavy restrictions was passed last year and could go into effect in November to revise the 2018 Farm Bill, which legalized hemp cultivation as long as the plants do not exceed a certain concentration of delta-9 THC.

Winstanley hopes that Edibles.com’s new store can be a pathway forward, demonstrating how hemp commerce can be done responsibly. He hopes to influence lawmakers before November. “We want to be a signal to what we think the industry can become,” he says.

In a press release, CEO Somia Farid Silber echoed his sentiments. “We believe hemp retail can and should operate with transparency, education, and consumer protection at its core. This store reflects our long-term commitment to building this category the right way—for consumers, communities, and the industry,” she said.

Facial acupuncture is growing in popularity. An Atlanta expert explains the process.

Myrydd Wells Walljasper
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Facial acupuncture is growing in popularity. An Atlanta expert explains the process.
Facial acupuncture is growing in popularity

Photograph by iStock / Getty Images Plus

Despite the fact that neurotoxins like Botox and Dysport make up a $13 billion market, there’s been a rise in curiosity around alternative ways to treat fine lines and wrinkles. That includes Chinese medicine treatments. Wendy Choi, an acupuncturist, herbalist, and licensed esthetician who owns White Rose Acupuncture and also works at Buckhead Acupuncture, says that facial acupuncture can be an effective way to rejuvenate the face.

In the treatment, 20 to 60 short and thin acupuncture needles are applied to the face at acupuncture points and to muscle layers. “We stimulate the Meridian lines, which are all over the face, and muscle layers to bring blood flow back to the face,” explains Choi. She says that targeting key areas, like the orbital area and jaw line, can help contour the face and stimulate collagen, as well as improve overall circulation, reduce fluid retention, and balance energy.

Where Choi sees the biggest difference is combining the deep body work of facial acupuncture with surface-level acu microneedling. (She chooses not to use radiofrequency microneedling in her practice as she says it goes too deep and can be damaging to the skin.) Microneedling, or the use of a device with 12 to 36 tiny needles that penetrate the skin vertically, helps trigger the body’s healing response to help turn over skin cells and ultimately promote collagen growth and elastin production, both of which contribute to a reduction in wrinkles and an improved skin texture.

“Acu microneedling is good for tightening the whole face and working on fine lines and dark spots,” says Choi. Choi recommends four facial acupuncture sessions ($170 each) every other week, preferably paired with acu microneedling ($250 each) if a patient can handle a microneedling pen. After the series of four each, Choi says that maintenance clients come about every three to four months.

While not intentional, Choi has said that many of her patients comment on how facial acupuncture has helped them in other areas. “They have more energy, have less TMJ pain, sleep better, have less stress, and say that their allergies are better,” she says.

I tried psychosomatic bodywork to help reset my nervous system. Here’s how it went.

Myrydd Wells Walljasper
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I tried psychosomatic bodywork to help reset my nervous system. Here’s how it went.
Maha Taylor, founder of Psychosomatic Recovery

As a 41-year-old mother who has two very small children, has ADHD and an autoimmune disease, and works a 40-hour work week running a business, I never know how to answer the question, “Are you stressed?” While I don’t currently feel outwardly stressed, I know my body is in fight-or-flight all day, and I never feel rested because I assume it’s still hyperactive while I sleep.

I’ve tried every therapy possible to cure my chronic tightness: facial massage to relax my tight jaw, myofascial release to unstick my hips, energy healing to release energy blockages, cranial sacral massage to coax my cervical spine back into place. So when I saw a new-to-me treatment called psychosomatic bodywork, I jumped at the chance to try it.

Maha Taylor, the founder of Psychosomatic Recovery, describes what they do as a combination of emotional coaching and trauma-informed bodywork that is nervous-system led rather than muscle-led. Psychologically, coping mechanisms and limiting belief patterns can be held within the fascia (connective tissue) and the nervous system, Taylor says.

“I help rehabilitate the nervous system’s response,” says Taylor, who is one of the few psychosomatic bodywork practitioners in Atlanta. “We are trying to reeducate and care for the nervous system so that it can respond differently to the stress in our lives.”

Taylor told me it’s like couples counseling for the mind and body, with the ultimate goal of a reset. “We are trying to create new neural pathways within the brain and tone the vagus nerve so that you can address things with more confidence and security,” they say.

Taylor, who also has an Alpharetta location, says anyone could benefit from the bodywork. Still, this work might be most helpful to those in two categories: people who have chronic pain and people who are looking to level up their self-awareness. “It’s a lot of information at once, so it’s good for people who have some familiarity with their psychological patterns,” they say.

I ticked both of those boxes and was excited to work with Taylor, who specializes in queer, neurodivergent, and soft tissue dysfunction clients. The first appointment began with a lengthy intake, where I was instructed to elaborate on everything from physical traumas, such as C-sections and car accidents, to emotional sticking points. Taylor could see patterns in my life and thinking, how I make decisions, and how those decisions might activate my nervous system, coaching me through them using internal family systems (IFS) and emotional liberation principles.

Then, we made an emotional body map and practiced a somatic check-in, similar to a guided meditation, to see what came up.

The second appointment was physical. Taylor is a licensed massage therapist and holds many certifications, including those in emotional liberation coaching, physiology, and Kundalini and Kripalu yoga. They use a combination of massage therapy techniques, such as myofascial release, cranial sacral massage, and the Traeger method, a gentler, rhythmic approach, among others. There’s a breathwork element and a validating, calming dialogue as well. The goal is to see how the nervous system’s reactivity is held in fascia lines and to soothe them, not necessarily to release a tight muscle. It’s a continual work in progress, more akin to physical therapy—hence the name Psychosomatic Recovery—than a singular spa massage.

Despite that caveat, I left feeling more aligned and at peace, excited about the concrete strategies and techniques Taylor armed me with. I’ve been sleeping better overall, and while it will take more sessions to get me out of fight-or-flight mode fully, it was a great first step.

Keep Reaching Up: Inside the West End’s first pilates studio

Joe Reisigl
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Keep Reaching Up: Inside the West End’s first pilates studio
Khetanya Henderson on mat
Khetanya Henderson teaches several Pilates classes a week at her new studio, including introductory sessions for new students.

Photograph by Martha Williams

Just after seven on a Thursday morning, Khetanya Henderson demonstrates a plank position in a room ringed with candles. Her guiding cues are unhurried, even as the students’ cores begin to burn. When they drop down to rest on studio-provided pink yoga mats, Henderson offers encouragement to each person by name. Outside on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard, traffic builds as the sun rises.

KKRU Pilates Studio & Wellness opened its doors in September 2025, steps from West End fixtures Portrait Coffee and The Wren’s Nest. KKRU, which stands for “Keep Reaching Up,” is the neighborhood’s first Pilates studio. For founder Henderson, choosing the West End is a homecoming. “My community is here. My childhood home is around the corner,” she says. “My role here is to make wellness accessible in every way I can.”

Henderson discovered Pilates as a supplement to her professional dance training. She taught Pilates classes in Los Angeles before moving back home in 2021. In 2022, Grant Park became the backdrop for her Pilates in the Park series, a nonprofit offering free outdoor classes from March to October.

But Henderson didn’t seriously consider opening the studio until 2025. Between the popularity of Pilates in the Park—with classes averaging 75 students—and increasing demand from online clients, she longed for one space to call home. “I decided to open a studio because it became challenging to offer different classes in different spaces,” she says. “I felt it deep in my gut that it was time to expand to the next level.”

The search came to an end when a client shared that space had become available for lease on Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard. Previously a physical therapy office, it had room for a main studio as well as private suites, and Henderson says the location drew her in. “It was across the street from Tassili’s Raw Reality Cafe and Portrait Coffee,” she says. “These businesses represent the old and new West End. The sense of pride I felt when I walked in was my sign.”

Henderson and a team of instructors run a full schedule of Pilates, yoga, sculpt, and sound-healing classes ($28 each). She has also offered $5 introductory sessions during which new clients can get acquainted with the intimidating-looking equipment, which includes the reformer, a carriage bed that moves with spring resistance, and the tower, a vertical frame that provides support during exercise.

Such discounted introductions are a rarity in the pricey world of boutique fitness, but being different is KKRU’s selling point. As Pilates gains traction, die-hard practitioners have gone viral for arguing that it’s a high-intensity experience not meant for everyone. Henderson disagrees.

“Anything that isn’t work is just noise,” she says. “I wanted those classes to be low stakes. I want people to feel like they don’t have to wear a matching set. Those who make it seem like there’s one way to do Pilates push away the people who don’t see themselves reflected, and I want to help them fall in love with it.”

KKRU’s community programs—such as classes for Spelman-Morehouse homecoming attendees—do just that. In Henderson’s eyes, KKRU isn’t “upgrading” an already rapidly gentrifying neighborhood. Instead, the studio exists within it, so residents don’t have to cross town or fit a mold for wellness.

“I want everyone to be aware that wellness is next door to them,” says Henderson. “So many people tell me they didn’t realize we were down the street. We want to become the neighborhood studio, a place where anyone can be themselves and walk out stronger.”

This article appears in our March 2026 issue.

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