What is the cause of Havana Syndrome?

This is a question that has puzzled numerous scientists, agencies and genuinely curious people following Havana Syndrome in the news. In a recent Causes or Cures podcast episode, I had a conversation with Dr. James Giordano about narrowing down the list for what causes Havana Syndrome. It was a fascinating conversation, and I hope you guys tune in.

As a quick background, Havana Syndrome is a mysterious illness/collection of symptoms targeting the intelligence community. It was first identified in 2016, when diplomats and intel officers working in Havana, Cuba began experiencing a mysterious set of symptoms. Dr. Giordano was one of the experts tasked to investigate the cause of Havana Syndrome, and while other reports of Havana Syndrome have occurred in other locations around the globe, this podcast will focus on what happened in Havana in 2016. Dr. Giordano will also dive into potential mechanisms of action, “who” might be targeting the US intelligence community and why, what’s being done for those impacted by Havana Syndrome, and what’s being done to prevent individuals from being targeted in the future.

Who is Dr. Giordano?

“He is Pellegrino Center Professor in the Departments of Neurology and Biochemistry, and Chief of the Neuroethics Program at Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC. He is Senior Bioethicist of the Defense Medical Ethics Center, and Adjunct Professor of Psychiatry at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences/Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, and is Distinguished Visiting Professor of Brain Science, Health Promotions, and Ethics at the Coburg University of Applied Sciences, Coburg, Germany. He is the author of over 350 peer-reviewed publications, 9 books, and 40 government reports on brain science, ethics, and biosecurity. Dr. Giordano was elected to the European Academy of Science and Arts; is an International Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine (UK); was a Senior Fellow and Task Leader of the EU Human Brain Project; and was an appointed member of the US Department of Health and Human Services Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Human Research Protections.”

You can listen to the episode here. 

Keep in mind that my podcast is a conversation only, and we aren’t coming to any great truths. It’s a podcast, not the Gospel! :)

Click here to listen to the full podcast interview!

In addition to this episode that dives into investigation for the cause of Havana Syndrome, a while back I did a podcast episode with a former CIA officer who was impacted by Havana Syndrome, albeit not in Havana, but he believes it happened in a hotel room in Moscow. You can learn more about that episode here. 

Thanks to those who listen to the podcast! And a special thank you to those who share the episodes and support the show!  :) – Eeks