Simon Spichak
@spichaksimon.bsky.social
Neuroscience MSc
🦔 dad
Founded Resolvve Inc to make therapy affordable for students
Science, health and tech journalist published in Being Patient, NYT, The Guardian's Scientific Observer, The Sick Times, and The Daily Beast
🦔 dad
Founded Resolvve Inc to make therapy affordable for students
Science, health and tech journalist published in Being Patient, NYT, The Guardian's Scientific Observer, The Sick Times, and The Daily Beast
Reposted by Simon Spichak
Here's the on point article about Inclusion Canada not doing their due diligence w/their benefits navigation services, and pointing disabled people towards shady 3rd party for-profit services just to access basics like the DTC & #CanadaDisabilityBenefit.
www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...
1/6
www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...
1/6
Woman seeking Canada Disability Benefit frustrated after being sent to costly AI-integrated service
When Vancouver Island resident Iris Parker began applying for the Canada Disability Benefit, she didn’t expect to face steep up-front costs—particularly to have AI-integrated software fill out one of ...
www.ctvnews.ca
November 28, 2025 at 12:48 AM
Here's the on point article about Inclusion Canada not doing their due diligence w/their benefits navigation services, and pointing disabled people towards shady 3rd party for-profit services just to access basics like the DTC & #CanadaDisabilityBenefit.
www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...
1/6
www.ctvnews.ca/vancouver/ar...
1/6
Your daily dose of hedgehog
November 25, 2025 at 12:05 AM
Your daily dose of hedgehog
Novo Nordisk's semaglutide fails to slow disease progression in two large Alzheimer's trials.
The latest in a series of drugs that appear promising from observational data that fail when put to the test in trials.
beingpatient.com/glp-1-diabet...
The latest in a series of drugs that appear promising from observational data that fail when put to the test in trials.
beingpatient.com/glp-1-diabet...
Blockbuster GLP-1 Diabetes and Weight Loss Drugs Fails in Alzheimer's Trial
Novo Nordisk, took a longshot gamble, and lost. Its GLP-1 drug semaglutide failed to treat Alzheimer’s in a trial that was halted.
beingpatient.com
November 24, 2025 at 6:46 PM
Novo Nordisk's semaglutide fails to slow disease progression in two large Alzheimer's trials.
The latest in a series of drugs that appear promising from observational data that fail when put to the test in trials.
beingpatient.com/glp-1-diabet...
The latest in a series of drugs that appear promising from observational data that fail when put to the test in trials.
beingpatient.com/glp-1-diabet...
Reposted by Simon Spichak
For up to half of people with #LongCOVID, activities like exercise can trigger post-exertional malaise (PEM). Yet Long COVID clinics around the world are offering exercise as treatment while dismissing its serious harms.
Read more from @spichaksimon.bsky.social: bit.ly/4aaDRJW
Read more from @spichaksimon.bsky.social: bit.ly/4aaDRJW
November 24, 2025 at 4:48 PM
For up to half of people with #LongCOVID, activities like exercise can trigger post-exertional malaise (PEM). Yet Long COVID clinics around the world are offering exercise as treatment while dismissing its serious harms.
Read more from @spichaksimon.bsky.social: bit.ly/4aaDRJW
Read more from @spichaksimon.bsky.social: bit.ly/4aaDRJW
AI companies will continue exploiting the mental health crisis if we fail to meaningfully address it.
My piece up in @canadahealthwatch.ca
canadahealthwatch.ca/2025/11/22/i...
My piece up in @canadahealthwatch.ca
canadahealthwatch.ca/2025/11/22/i...
If we ignore Canada’s mental health crisis, AI companies will exploit…
Canada’s mental-health system increasingly pushes people toward AI “alternatives.”
canadahealthwatch.ca
November 22, 2025 at 7:19 PM
AI companies will continue exploiting the mental health crisis if we fail to meaningfully address it.
My piece up in @canadahealthwatch.ca
canadahealthwatch.ca/2025/11/22/i...
My piece up in @canadahealthwatch.ca
canadahealthwatch.ca/2025/11/22/i...
Reposted by Simon Spichak
If we ignore Canada’s mental health crisis, AI companies will exploit it canadahealthwatch.ca/2025/11/22/i... @spichaksimon.bsky.social
If we ignore Canada’s mental health crisis, AI companies will exploit…
Canada’s mental-health system increasingly pushes people toward AI “alternatives.”
canadahealthwatch.ca
November 22, 2025 at 6:19 PM
If we ignore Canada’s mental health crisis, AI companies will exploit it canadahealthwatch.ca/2025/11/22/i... @spichaksimon.bsky.social
Reposted by Simon Spichak
The rationale behind these studies, Seltzer contests, is [that] “it presumes that the patient had never heard of exercise until a doctor told them [it] exists.”
Thanks to Simon Spichak for putting this idea into print. I've said multiple times in interviews that it's the strangest part... 🧵
Thanks to Simon Spichak for putting this idea into print. I've said multiple times in interviews that it's the strangest part... 🧵
“People who are performing these studies are extraordinarily ignorant, and their ignorance is dangerous,” said @exceedhergrasp1.bsky.social. She and other experts agree these trials are a waste of $$ and will not advance our biological understanding of Long COVID. thesicktimes.org/2025/11/21/l...
Less than 20% of Long COVID trials involving exercise even mention post-exertional malaise - The Sick Times
An analysis by The Sick Times find that less than 15% of Long COVID clinical trials testing the benefits of exercise or cardiopulmonary rehabilitation measured post-exertional malaise, according to th...
thesicktimes.org
November 21, 2025 at 3:56 PM
The rationale behind these studies, Seltzer contests, is [that] “it presumes that the patient had never heard of exercise until a doctor told them [it] exists.”
Thanks to Simon Spichak for putting this idea into print. I've said multiple times in interviews that it's the strangest part... 🧵
Thanks to Simon Spichak for putting this idea into print. I've said multiple times in interviews that it's the strangest part... 🧵
Four in five exercise trials of Long COVID don't even mention post-exertional malaise anywhere in the trial registration.
Latest for @thesicktimes.org diving into the problems with these trials.
thesicktimes.org/2025/11/21/l...
Latest for @thesicktimes.org diving into the problems with these trials.
thesicktimes.org/2025/11/21/l...
Less than 20% of Long COVID trials involving exercise even mention post-exertional malaise - The Sick Times
An analysis by The Sick Times find that less than 15% of Long COVID clinical trials testing the benefits of exercise or cardiopulmonary rehabilitation measured post-exertional malaise, according to th...
thesicktimes.org
November 21, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Four in five exercise trials of Long COVID don't even mention post-exertional malaise anywhere in the trial registration.
Latest for @thesicktimes.org diving into the problems with these trials.
thesicktimes.org/2025/11/21/l...
Latest for @thesicktimes.org diving into the problems with these trials.
thesicktimes.org/2025/11/21/l...
CBC's flagship program doubles down on quackery, adds patient blaming rhetoric after pushback on the Gill Deacon interview.
I've updated the story: simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/cbc-flagsh...
Brief summary below with Alt Text.
I've updated the story: simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/cbc-flagsh...
Brief summary below with Alt Text.
![Then it shifts to patient blaming. At around 5:26, host Ian Hanomansing cued up a question about the legitimacy of brain retraining, which is criticized by most in the patient community.
“I think there can be a tendency to double down on your ‘I am really sick’ and ‘I am really having these symptoms’ and maybe get [sic] develop some kind of reluctance or resistance to having an open mind to what else might work best,” Deacon responded. She followed up the patient-blaming rhetoric by saying she doesn’t judge people for how they handle the disease.
This rhetoric is common tactic in alternative medicine where patients are blamed for not benefiting for a treatment because they aren’t trying hard enough or aren’t open-minded enough. The same rhetoric wouldn’t fly for cancer, multiple sclerosis, or other disease so but it appears acceptable for Long COVID. Are the journalistic standards more flexible when the person being interviewed is a former colleague or when they’re trying to sell a book?](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:urwemz7ofbk2oz5ridp42aw4/bafkreibkbpjfkdwbszwf47yovkucyy5c2msofc2ewb3uox2wuuy6eubcuq@jpeg)
November 8, 2025 at 7:16 PM
CBC's flagship program doubles down on quackery, adds patient blaming rhetoric after pushback on the Gill Deacon interview.
I've updated the story: simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/cbc-flagsh...
Brief summary below with Alt Text.
I've updated the story: simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/cbc-flagsh...
Brief summary below with Alt Text.
In a statement, CBC told me:
"After reviewing the interview, we concluded that it needed to be re-edited and re-posted to include further context and questions around the procedure and treatment Deacon experienced. That has now been done."
Will update the story with this soon.
"After reviewing the interview, we concluded that it needed to be re-edited and re-posted to include further context and questions around the procedure and treatment Deacon experienced. That has now been done."
Will update the story with this soon.
Earlier this week, the CBC broadcast an interview with Gill Deacon, discussing her Long COVID recovery using brain retraining.
They didn't tell you the specific brain retraining program, the Lightning Process, has been accused of exploiting patients.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/cbc-flagsh...
1/n
They didn't tell you the specific brain retraining program, the Lightning Process, has been accused of exploiting patients.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/cbc-flagsh...
1/n
CBC’s Flagship Program Platforms “Quackery” for Long COVID
CBC's national broadcast aired an interview with Gill Deacon about her Long COVID recovery. Deacon used an unproven program called the Lightning Process that's been criticized for exploiting patients ...
simonspichak.beehiiv.com
November 7, 2025 at 7:17 PM
In a statement, CBC told me:
"After reviewing the interview, we concluded that it needed to be re-edited and re-posted to include further context and questions around the procedure and treatment Deacon experienced. That has now been done."
Will update the story with this soon.
"After reviewing the interview, we concluded that it needed to be re-edited and re-posted to include further context and questions around the procedure and treatment Deacon experienced. That has now been done."
Will update the story with this soon.
Reposted by Simon Spichak
Our #LongCOVID journalism requires reader support — with your help, we can prepare our non-profit newsroom for whatever 2026 brings.
Will you donate today and help us keep this vital work going? the-sick-times.fundjournalism.org/donate/
Will you donate today and help us keep this vital work going? the-sick-times.fundjournalism.org/donate/
November 7, 2025 at 4:30 PM
Our #LongCOVID journalism requires reader support — with your help, we can prepare our non-profit newsroom for whatever 2026 brings.
Will you donate today and help us keep this vital work going? the-sick-times.fundjournalism.org/donate/
Will you donate today and help us keep this vital work going? the-sick-times.fundjournalism.org/donate/
Day 3 of the @icancmeresearch.bsky.social conference is up as a live thread and now a brief writeup.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/day-3-of-t...
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/day-3-of-t...
November 7, 2025 at 1:31 AM
Day 3 of the @icancmeresearch.bsky.social conference is up as a live thread and now a brief writeup.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/day-3-of-t...
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/day-3-of-t...
Thread for Day 3 of the @icancmeresearch.bsky.social conference. My attempt at simultaneously sharing on X and Bsky.
November 6, 2025 at 5:48 PM
Thread for Day 3 of the @icancmeresearch.bsky.social conference. My attempt at simultaneously sharing on X and Bsky.
I'll be back live tweeting/skeeting the @icancmeresearch.bsky.social conference tomorrow. Will try to get it going on BlueSky AND X simultaneously.
#ICanCME
#ICanCME
And coverage for Day 1 of the #ICanCMEConference by the
@icancmeresearch.bsky.social. Features a link to my live tweets.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/icancme-da...
@icancmeresearch.bsky.social. Features a link to my live tweets.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/icancme-da...
Day 1 of the ICanCME Canadian Collaborative Conference on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
A brief summary of the presentations.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com
November 6, 2025 at 1:18 AM
I'll be back live tweeting/skeeting the @icancmeresearch.bsky.social conference tomorrow. Will try to get it going on BlueSky AND X simultaneously.
#ICanCME
#ICanCME
I wrote about the approval of Leqembi for Alzheimer's in Canada for Being Patient.
Compared to other countries, there's less transparency with the approval process. It took more than 2 years for regulators to decide.
beingpatient.com/alzheimers-d...
Compared to other countries, there's less transparency with the approval process. It took more than 2 years for regulators to decide.
beingpatient.com/alzheimers-d...
Alzheimer's Drug Leqembi Approved in Canada
Alzheimer’s drug Leqembi will soon be available in Canada, but it isn’t clear whether it will be covered by public health insurance.
beingpatient.com
November 6, 2025 at 1:13 AM
I wrote about the approval of Leqembi for Alzheimer's in Canada for Being Patient.
Compared to other countries, there's less transparency with the approval process. It took more than 2 years for regulators to decide.
beingpatient.com/alzheimers-d...
Compared to other countries, there's less transparency with the approval process. It took more than 2 years for regulators to decide.
beingpatient.com/alzheimers-d...
And coverage for Day 1 of the #ICanCMEConference by the
@icancmeresearch.bsky.social. Features a link to my live tweets.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/icancme-da...
@icancmeresearch.bsky.social. Features a link to my live tweets.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/icancme-da...
Day 1 of the ICanCME Canadian Collaborative Conference on Myalgic Encephalomyelitis
A brief summary of the presentations.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com
November 5, 2025 at 2:00 AM
And coverage for Day 1 of the #ICanCMEConference by the
@icancmeresearch.bsky.social. Features a link to my live tweets.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/icancme-da...
@icancmeresearch.bsky.social. Features a link to my live tweets.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/icancme-da...
Covering the @icancmeresearch.bsky.social live over on the other app.
Will be posting a brief summary of the day's talks as well.
x.com/SpichakSimon...
Will be posting a brief summary of the day's talks as well.
x.com/SpichakSimon...
Simon Spichak on X: "A little late to the party but following the @ICanCMEResearch conference. First keynote coming on" / X
A little late to the party but following the @ICanCMEResearch conference. First keynote coming on
x.com
November 4, 2025 at 8:12 PM
Covering the @icancmeresearch.bsky.social live over on the other app.
Will be posting a brief summary of the day's talks as well.
x.com/SpichakSimon...
Will be posting a brief summary of the day's talks as well.
x.com/SpichakSimon...
Reposted by Simon Spichak
#ICanCME2025 is happening this week!
This was an initiative driven by people with ME and their loved ones with the support of many along the way! We’re so thankful for everyone’s support so far.
And please be patient with us this week if we run into any issues. 🤞💙
This was an initiative driven by people with ME and their loved ones with the support of many along the way! We’re so thankful for everyone’s support so far.
And please be patient with us this week if we run into any issues. 🤞💙
November 3, 2025 at 3:51 PM
#ICanCME2025 is happening this week!
This was an initiative driven by people with ME and their loved ones with the support of many along the way! We’re so thankful for everyone’s support so far.
And please be patient with us this week if we run into any issues. 🤞💙
This was an initiative driven by people with ME and their loved ones with the support of many along the way! We’re so thankful for everyone’s support so far.
And please be patient with us this week if we run into any issues. 🤞💙
I'll be doing asynchronous coverage of the ICanCME Canadian Collaborative Conference on #ME which is going from Nov 4 to 6 this week. Hope to share tweets and short summaries of the talks at the end of the day.
icancme.ca/research/202...
icancme.ca/research/202...
2025 ME Conference - ICanCME
icancme.ca
November 3, 2025 at 9:12 PM
I'll be doing asynchronous coverage of the ICanCME Canadian Collaborative Conference on #ME which is going from Nov 4 to 6 this week. Hope to share tweets and short summaries of the talks at the end of the day.
icancme.ca/research/202...
icancme.ca/research/202...
Goober is running the bases! ⚾ 🦔
November 2, 2025 at 3:20 AM
Goober is running the bases! ⚾ 🦔
Earlier this week, the CBC broadcast an interview with Gill Deacon, discussing her Long COVID recovery using brain retraining.
They didn't tell you the specific brain retraining program, the Lightning Process, has been accused of exploiting patients.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/cbc-flagsh...
1/n
They didn't tell you the specific brain retraining program, the Lightning Process, has been accused of exploiting patients.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/cbc-flagsh...
1/n
CBC’s Flagship Program Platforms “Quackery” for Long COVID
CBC's national broadcast aired an interview with Gill Deacon about her Long COVID recovery. Deacon used an unproven program called the Lightning Process that's been criticized for exploiting patients ...
simonspichak.beehiiv.com
October 31, 2025 at 9:10 PM
Earlier this week, the CBC broadcast an interview with Gill Deacon, discussing her Long COVID recovery using brain retraining.
They didn't tell you the specific brain retraining program, the Lightning Process, has been accused of exploiting patients.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/cbc-flagsh...
1/n
They didn't tell you the specific brain retraining program, the Lightning Process, has been accused of exploiting patients.
simonspichak.beehiiv.com/p/cbc-flagsh...
1/n
Happy to share that I've been selected for the @nationalpress.bsky.social Rare Disease Reporting Fellowship.
nationalpress.org/newsfeed/npf...
nationalpress.org/newsfeed/npf...
NPF Selects More Than 60 International Journalists for 2025 Rare Disease Reporting Fellowship - National Press Foundation
Congratulations to the more than 60 journalists selected worldwide to participate in the National Press Foundation's 2025 Rare Disease Reporting Fellowship, Nov. 17-21!
nationalpress.org
October 31, 2025 at 4:23 PM
Happy to share that I've been selected for the @nationalpress.bsky.social Rare Disease Reporting Fellowship.
nationalpress.org/newsfeed/npf...
nationalpress.org/newsfeed/npf...
Reposted by Simon Spichak
Story in Being Patient about Alzheimer's disease funding noting the decrease in the funding of number of new projects due, in part, to the number of multiyear funded grants from the National Institute on Aging.
beingpatient.com/alzheimers-r...
beingpatient.com/alzheimers-r...
NIH Alzheimer’s Research Funding Is Back — for 49% Fewer Projects
Though the NIH director is calling for $187 million more in funding for Alzheimer’s, the NIH is funding fewer new projects.
beingpatient.com
October 29, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Story in Being Patient about Alzheimer's disease funding noting the decrease in the funding of number of new projects due, in part, to the number of multiyear funded grants from the National Institute on Aging.
beingpatient.com/alzheimers-r...
beingpatient.com/alzheimers-r...
Reposted by Simon Spichak
Review of Charles Piller's book "Doctored" about Alzheimer's disease research.
beingpatient.com/doctored-cha...
1/4
beingpatient.com/doctored-cha...
1/4
Has Fraud Really Hijacked Alzheimer’s Science? Book Review: Charles Piller’s ‘Doctored’
Charles Piller’s outlines claims that scientific fraud has blocked potential new discoveries to treating Alzheimer’s.
beingpatient.com
October 29, 2025 at 5:26 PM
Review of Charles Piller's book "Doctored" about Alzheimer's disease research.
beingpatient.com/doctored-cha...
1/4
beingpatient.com/doctored-cha...
1/4
Alzheimer's research funding is back. But far fewer projects are getting funding.
Thanks @jeremymberg.bsky.social for the insights.
beingpatient.com/alzheimers-r...
Thanks @jeremymberg.bsky.social for the insights.
beingpatient.com/alzheimers-r...
NIH Alzheimer’s Research Funding Is Back — for 49% Fewer Projects
Though the NIH director is calling for $187 million more in funding for Alzheimer’s, the NIH is funding fewer new projects.
beingpatient.com
October 29, 2025 at 8:14 PM
Alzheimer's research funding is back. But far fewer projects are getting funding.
Thanks @jeremymberg.bsky.social for the insights.
beingpatient.com/alzheimers-r...
Thanks @jeremymberg.bsky.social for the insights.
beingpatient.com/alzheimers-r...