What if the key to better mental health wasn't a new medication or therapy technique, but something already hardwired inside you? In this episode of Nurse Rosa's INsights, I sit down with Dr. Royan Kamyar, physician, MBA, and founder and CEO of Owaves, a circadian wellness app used by over one million people worldwide. Dr. Kamyar shares the raw personal story behind why he built it, including his own rock-bottom moment after medical training, and the science that changed everything for him.
If you've ever felt like you're running on empty no matter how hard you try, this one is for you.
IN THIS EPISODE:
0:48 – AI Med Shark Tank: Owaves wins 3rd place
1:30 – What is Owaves? Digitizing lifestyle medicine & circadian biology
2:15 – Royan's background: MD + MBA, from medicine to entrepreneurship
3:32 – Growing up entrepreneurial in a family of physicians
4:37 – The intern year revelation: ignoring prevention in medicine
5:25 – The "24-hour formula" insight that sparked Owaves
5:46 – Discovering UC San Diego's Circadian Biology Center
6:04 – Wearable integrations: Oura, Apple Watch, WHOOP
7:03 – Why Owaves is a planner, not just an activity tracker
8:08 – The forward-looking approach to lifestyle change
8:35 – Dean Ornish's lifestyle medicine pillars & the calendar as the core tool
9:40 – Being honest with yourself: planning vs. reality
10:27 – Hours & minutes as a more accessible health metric than lab values
12:18 – Gen Z & health culture: why they're the ideal audience
13:03 – Gen Z, mocktails, and the shift away from alcohol
14:04 – Owaves' traction with college students: ADHD, time blindness, and mental health
14:57 – The billion-dollar question
15:24 – A nationwide lifestyle medicine course for college students
16:13 – Yale's Happiness Course & the student wellness movement
17:23 – N=1: students as citizen scientists of their own health
18:24 – YouTube vs. university: where health education actually lands
19:25 – The mental health crisis on campus & lifestyle psychiatry as prevention
20:40 – Chronotherapy, peer support, and the Blue Zone campus effect
22:03 – Rosa's APSU 1000: why every college already has the format
22:50 – UW's "quantified self" course: students analyzing their own wearables data
24:05 – Obesity, pre-diabetes, and why we must get in front of it early
25:27 – Proving the endpoints so students want the course (no mandate needed)
26:23 – Chronotype & GPA: aligning your schedule with your biology = 0.4 GPA boost
27:24 – Relationships as a lifestyle pillar: why eye contact matters
28:05 – Planning date nights: Jordan Peterson's 90-minute life management session
28:52 – Owaves helps you see if your time matches your stated values
29:55 – Bridging the delta: what you planned vs. what actually happened
30:56 – Where to find Owaves: owaves.com / bodyclock.ai / "My Body Clock" in the App Store
31:33 – How to connect with Royan: royan@owaves.com / LinkedIn
31:42 – Closing & Rosa's book: Speak Up, Start Now at nurserosaspeaks.shop
CONNECT WITH DR. ROYAN KAMYAR:
Email: royan@owaves.com LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/royankamyar
RESOURCES MENTIONED:
CONNECT WITH NURSE ROSA:
Website: nurserosaspeaks.com Book: Speak Up, Start Now available at on Amazon Kindle and Audible