Experts

Public health physician, pulmonologist

Aigul Seitkali

Demo profile. A fictional specialist created for the website mock-up. The photo shows a stock model, not the person named. Replace with a real expert with written consent before publishing. Tobacco harm reduction: what the data says, not the usual phrasing Almaty Aigul works where clinical practice meets prevention: she advises patients with chronic lung disease and, in parallel, works on risk communication — explaining complex things without scare tactics and without oversimplifying. In her experience, people change behaviour more often when they understand the mechanism than when they are frightened by the consequences. In her Densaulyq Life materials she makes sure every claim about smoking rests on a source, and that wording never turns "lower exposure" into "safe". Those are different things, and the difference matters to a reader making a decision. Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, general medicine, 2008 Residency in pulmonology, 2010 Master's in public health, 2015 Advises patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and asthma Lectures on risk communication for primary care physicians

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Cardiologist

Yerlan Zhumabayev

Demo profile. A fictional specialist created for the website mock-up. The photo shows a stock model, not the person named. Replace with a real expert with written consent before publishing. The heart and everyday habits: what actually changes risk Astana For twelve years Yerlan has worked with patients who have already had a heart attack or a stent. He knows well what a conversation looks like when everything is explained at once: pills, diet, movement, quitting smoking. In his experience, that kind of conversation barely changes behaviour. So he builds a consultation differently — around one step the patient can genuinely take this week. "The hardest part is not prescribing, but agreeing," he says. In his materials for the site he covers the cardiology side: what happens to blood vessels, why exertion in the cold deserves attention, and how smoking is linked to risk. Astana Medical University, general medicine, 2012 Residency in cardiology, 2015 Manages patients after heart attack and stenting Advises on quitting smoking as part of cardiac rehabilitation

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Public health physician, epidemiologist

Dinara Ospanova

Demo profile. A fictional specialist created for the website mock-up. The photo shows a stock model, not the person named. Replace with a real expert with written consent before publishing. The air we breathe: the city, the home, the heating season Almaty Dinara works on something rarely visible in a consulting room: she looks at the health of whole cities. Her job is to compare air monitoring data with clinic visits and explain what those numbers mean for an ordinary person on a particular Tuesday. She insists that smog is neither a verdict nor a reason to seal yourself indoors for the whole winter. It is far more useful to know your district, the rush hours and a few simple rules: when to ventilate, when to move a run indoors, when to wear a respirator. In her Densaulyq Life materials she stays away from apocalyptic framing: her aim is for the reader to leave the article with a plan, not with anxiety. Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, preventive medicine, 2013 Master's in epidemiology, 2016 Works with air quality monitoring data from Kazakh cities Takes part in school programmes on lung disease prevention

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Neurologist, sleep specialist

Assel Nurlanova

Demo profile. A fictional specialist created for the website mock-up. The photo shows a stock model, not the person named. Replace with a real expert with written consent before publishing. Sleep as physiology, not a matter of willpower Almaty Assel sees patients who have lived for years in "sleep whenever it happens" mode. She starts with a simple question: what time do you get up. In her words, it is the morning rise, not the evening effort, that sets the rhythm — and that often comes as news to people used to fighting themselves. She works with cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia and does not promise quick results: change takes weeks, but it holds. In her materials for the site she explains that sleep is physiology, like blood pressure or temperature, and that "pulling yourself together" does not work here. Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, general medicine, 2011 Residency in neurology, 2014 Specialisation in sleep medicine, 2018 Treats patients with insomnia and sleep-disordered breathing Trains physicians in cognitive behavioural therapy for insomnia

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Public health physician, researcher

Bekzat Omarov

Demo profile. A fictional specialist created for the website mock-up. The photo shows a stock model, not the person named. Replace with a real expert with written consent before publishing. What is known, what is not — and how to tell them apart Almaty Bekzat is the kind of researcher who reads the papers themselves rather than the press releases: methods, sample sizes, limitations. He is interested not only in what a study showed but in what it did not show — and that difference is almost always lost in retelling. In the editorial team he acts as the brake: if a claim sounds elegant but has no source behind it, it does not go through. He also insists that materials on nicotine and alternative products always keep both sides visible — the exposure data and WHO's position that this does not yet prove lower risk. Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, public health, 2015 Master's in public health, 2018 Researches how people understand numerical risk Reviews tobacco and nicotine materials before publication

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Dietitian, clinical nutritionist

Gulnar Akhmetova

Demo profile. A fictional specialist created for the website mock-up. The photo shows a stock model, not the person named. Replace with a real expert with written consent before publishing. Food without bans: what works in an ordinary Kazakh kitchen Almaty Gulnar started in a hospital where menus follow a protocol, then moved into outpatient practice — and found there that the protocol and real life almost always diverge. Her consultations begin not with bans but with a question: what does the household usually cook, and who eats it. She dislikes the phrase "proper nutrition": in her view it creates the feeling of an exam the person keeps failing. Instead she offers concrete swaps inside familiar dishes, seasonal products, and respect for the dastarkhan that does not get cancelled for the sake of a diet. Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, general medicine, 2012 Professional retraining in dietetics, 2014 Advises families with children and patients with type 2 diabetes Adapts recommendations to local products and seasonality

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Dietitian, clinical nutrition specialist

Madiyar Tleubayev

Demo profile. A fictional specialist created for the website mock-up. The photo shows a stock model, not the person named. Replace with a real expert with written consent before publishing. A festive table without guilt and without extremes Shymkent Madiyar works in Shymkent, where a feast is not a dinner but an event lasting several days. He does not try to cancel the tradition, nor does he suggest replacing beshbarmak with salad. His approach is simpler: change the balance of dishes on the table, not their meaning. He says the most common mistake is arriving hungry to "save calories" and leaving with heaviness and guilt. In his materials for the site he explains how to keep respect for guests and for yourself at the same time, and why a smaller plate works better than willpower. South Kazakhstan Medical Academy, general medicine, 2010 Clinical nutrition residency, 2013 Leads hospital nutrition and consults at home Works with families during large celebrations and Ramadan

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Psychologist

Zhanar Bekova

Demo profile. A fictional specialist created for the website mock-up. The photo shows a stock model, not the person named. Replace with a real expert with written consent before publishing. Behaviour change: why setbacks are part of the process Almaty Zhanar works with people who have tried many times and returned to the starting point many times. She believes the main obstacle is not weak willpower but the all-or-nothing frame: one slip devalues a month of effort, and the person abandons what they started. In sessions she suggests treating change as data: what happened before the slip, what helped on the good days, which environment supports and which pulls back. In her materials for the site she explains why uneven progress is the norm rather than a sign of failure. Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, psychology, 2014 Training in cognitive behavioural therapy, 2018 Works with addictive behaviour and habit change Runs support groups for adults who are quitting smoking

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Psychotherapist

Timur Sadykov

Demo profile. A fictional specialist created for the website mock-up. The photo shows a stock model, not the person named. Replace with a real expert with written consent before publishing. Anxiety and sleep: a conversation that changes the routine Astana Timur sees people who arrive with a single sentence: "nothing seems to have happened, but I cannot sleep." He does not look for hidden drama there and does not rush to a diagnosis — first he maps the day: where the tension sits, what gets postponed, where the twenty-four hours start running off plan. He says honestly that therapy is not a pill: the first changes usually appear after a few weeks, and they rarely look like "it is all gone". What does stay are the skills a person acquires. In his materials for the site he covers anxiety, sleep and asking for help. Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University, general medicine, 2009 Retraining in psychotherapy, 2013 Works with generalised anxiety and sleep disorders Supervises psychologists in public centres

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