On stage at the 2025 Summit, from left, host Dr. Neda Frayha, Gunnar Esiason, and Gold President Dr. Kathy Reeves.
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In this special conversation recorded live at the 2025 Gold Humanism Summit in Baltimore, Hippo Education Monthly Rounds podcast host Dr. Neda Frayha interviewed Gunnar Esiason, alongside Gold Foundation President Dr. Kathleen Reeves.
Gunnar Esiason
Gunnar Esiason is a cystic fibrosis and rare disease patient leader who is passionate about early-stage drug development, patient empowerment and health policy. Diagnosed with cystic fibrosis in 1993, when the disease was considered fatal, he has experienced the life-changing evolution of medical treatments and medications. Gunnar’s father, Boomer Esiason, a former football star with the Cincinnati Bengals, founded the Boomer Esiason Foundation to support research in cystic fibrosis. Gunnar’s story was recently told in “Second Wind,” a documentary now streaming on ESPN+.
In this illuminating conversation, Gunnar shares his story as a young patient to thriving in his 30s with a family of his own, alongside the research study and medication pipeline that led to breakthroughs that changed his life and countless other patients’ lives.
Dr. Neda Frayha
Dr. Frayha is the Audio Editor-in-Chief at Hippo Education, LLC and an Assistant Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. A Gold Humanism Honor Society member, she is a primary care internist who strives to humanize medicine through education and storytelling. She is the host of the Primary Care Reviews and Perspectives podcast.
