Dr. Joel Bervell

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Dr. Joel Bervell

Dr. Joel Bervell, MD is a Peabody Award-winning Ghanaian-American physician, science communicator, host of The Dose podcast with The Commonwealth Fund, and creator of the YouTube animated series The Doctor Is In.

Widely known online as the “Medical Mythbuster,” he uses viral digital storytelling to uncover racial disparities, challenge bias in healthcare, and reveal hidden histories in medicine. His social media platforms (@joelbervell) have grown to over 1.5 million followers, 500 million+ impressions, and a monthly reach of more than 10 million people.

Joel earned his BA in Molecular Cellular Developmental Biology at Yale University, where he was active in student government and community mentorship. He went on to complete a Master’s in Medical Science at Boston University and clinical research at Providence Hospital before attending Washington State University’s Elson S. Floyd College of Medicine. There, he served as Medical Student Council President, founded the Coug Health Academic Mentoring Program (CHAMP), and co-founded a chapter of the Student National Medical Association to expand opportunities for underrepresented students in medicine.

His work has been featured by the White House, The New York Times, NPR, Good Morning America, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Today.com, Vox, HuffPost, Yahoo News, WebMD, Al Jazeera, Brut Media and more. He has spoken at leading stages including at the White House, FDA, Congressional Black Caucus, Clinton Foundation, TED, SXSW, Aspen Ideas: Health, the Milken Global Conference, Google, Meta, TikTok, the AMA, and the Association of American Medical Colleges. He partners with organizations such as the United Nations, World Health Organization and the Council for Responsible Social Media to combat misinformation and advance equity.

Joel has also collaborated with global brands including Google, Neutrogena, Microsoft, Meta, Samsung, Listerine, BET, and the American Medical Association to build campaigns that advance health equity and reach diverse audiences with evidence-based storytelling. His academic work has been published in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and the Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

His contributions have earned recognition across both mainstream and medical communities. He is a TIME 100 (Creators), 2025 Peabody Award recipient (Interactive & Immersive), 2025 Webby Award winner (Health, Wellness & Fitness), and a 2025 Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree in Social Media. He is also a 2024 TED Fellow, Smithsonian Channel “Cyclebreaker”, Scientific American “Revolutionary”, Rock Health Top 50 Leader in Digital Health, 2023 Anthem Award Gold Winner, and **2022 National Minority Quality Forum “40 Under 40 Leader in Minority Health.” He received the National Medical Association’s Emerging Scholar Award, the organization’s highest academic honor for a student. Mashable described him as “your next must-follow creator.”

Beyond medicine and media, Joel is the co-founder of Hugs for, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering the next generation of global youth leaders. The organization has mobilized hundreds of volunteers, raised over $500,000 in donations, and successfully planned service trips to Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. He also serves in advisory roles with Every Cure and the Ron Brown Leaders Network Council.

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