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Tim Engberg on the state of primary care in the U.S.

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 07:00:00 GMT

The United States is currently facing a shortage of primary care physicians. In this podcast, Tim Engberg, vice president of ambulatory care at Stanford Hospital and Clinics, discusses primary care here in California and across the country.

The mystery and complexities of chronic pain

Tue, 21 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Pain management has come a long way since the days when physicians mainly used anesthesiology techniques to reduce pain. In this podcast, Elliot Krane, MD, discusses the mystery and complexities of treating and managing chronic pain.

The whats, whys and hows of sleep

Tue, 14 May 2013 07:00:00 GMT

According to Stanford sleep specialist Rafael Pelayo, MD, the most common sleep disorder in America is insufficient sleep. Although there are many treatment options available, the majority of patients with insomnia or other sleep issues fail to seek professional help.

William Newsome on new brain initiatives

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

On April 2nd, President Obama announced the launch of an initiative, called Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN). The $100 million research effort is aimed at developing new technologies and methods for understanding the human brain. Stanford neurobiologist William Newsome, PhD, was one of two scientists tapped to lead the initiative and help define the parameters for the project. Length: 26 minutes

Ellen Goodman on 'the conversation'

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:00:00 GMT

After her mother’s death, Ellen Goodman, the Pulitzer-prize winning columnist for the Boston Globe and author was reminded of the importance of having “the conversation.” She launched “The Conversation Project,” a national movement dedicated to the wishes of end-of-life care. In this podcast, she talks about the project, what she hopes to accomplish through the initiative and why she believes having the conversation is probably the most important discussion you’ll ever have. Length: 23 min.

Aspirin reduces risk of melanoma in women

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 07:00:00 GMT

Aspirin can check off one more box when it comes to prevention – a new study has found that women who took aspirin on a regular basis reduced their risk of developing melanoma by an average of 21 percent. The drug has already been shown to have protective effects on cardiovascular disease and colorectal cancer in women, so these findings may play a more important role in strategies for preventing other kinds of cancer. In this podcast, Stanford dermatologist Jean Tang, MD, PhD, discusses the study and why, despite the promising results, she’s not ready to say that an aspirin a day will keep melanomas away. Length: 18 min.

Alan Alda on communicating science effectively

Mon, 25 Feb 2013 08:00:00 GMT

Alan Alda won five Emmy awards for his iconic portrayal of Hawkeye Pierce in the TV series"M*A*S*H." He also hosted the PBS show, "Scientific American Frontiers," interviewing more than 700 scientists during the show's 12-year run. What fans of the actor may not know is that he's a visiting professor in journalism at Stony Brook University in New York and a co-founder of the school's Center for Communicating Science. In this podcast, he discusses his passion for science and why communicating science effectively is critical. Length: 35 min.

Accelerated aging in women

Margarita Gallardo — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:00:00 GMT

A new study has found that for healthy women carrying a well-known genetic risk factor for Alzheimer's disease, estrogen therapy that could be beneficial. Women with the risk factor exhibited signs of accelerated biological aging. However, among at-risk women who used estrogen, the acceleration was absent. In this podcast, Natalie Rasgon, MD, PhD, director of the Stanford Center for Neuroscience in Women’s Health and a senior author of the study, discusses the findings and how the research may help determine the types of women who might benefit from hormone therapy. Length: 23 min.

Stanford medical school's new leader

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 08:00:00 GMT

Lloyd Minor, MD, became dean of the School of Medicine on Dec. 1, and has been on campus getting to know Stanford since September. An otolaryngologist who specializes in the diseases of the inner ear, he spent the past 19 years at Johns Hopkins University and became provost in 2009. In that role, he implemented initiatives that strengthened science education, increased interdisciplinary scholarship and bolstered diversity. In this podcast, Minor discusses what he has learned about Stanford over the last few months, what he values in himself and other people, and where health care is headed as new reforms become reality. Length: 43 min.

Doug Owens on universal HIV screening

Tue, 20 Nov 2012 08:00:00 GMT

An estimated 1.2 million Americans are living with HIV, with nearly 50,000 new infections every year. To help contain the epidemic, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force has issued a new draft recommendation that urges everyone in the country – adolescents and adults between 15 and 65 – to get an HIV test. In this podcast, Douglas Owens, MD, professor of medicine and a task force member, discusses how he believes the recommendation, if implemented, could have a substantial impact on the course of the epidemic in the United States. Length: 15 min.

Keeping the pounds off

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Would you take part in a weight-loss program in which you were explicitly asked not to lose any weight for the first eight weeks? Stanford researchers conducted a study that showed women who mastered skills for maintaining their weight before they began a diet were better able to avoid regaining the weight. In this podcast, Michaela Kiernan, PhD, a senior research scientist at the Stanford Prevention Research Center and the lead author of the study, talks about the unorthodox “maintenance-first" approach and how it could help those who are trying to slim down and be healthier. Length: 25 min.

A Nobel life

Fri, 26 Oct 2012 07:00:00 GMT

One moment you’re a quiet scientist toiling in your lab at the Stanford School of Medicine. The next, you’re called upon to distill your life’s work into easily understood sound bites for worldwide audiences and pontificate about where your findings might lead. That’s what it’s like when you receive a Nobel Prize. In this podcast, Brian Kobilka, MD, professor and chair of molecular and cellular physiology, discusses winning this year's chemistry prize, his science and the valuable life lessons he learned watching his father and mother run a bakery in Little Falls, Minn. Length: 35 min.

The legacy of Philip Pizzo

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 07:00:00 GMT

On Dec. 1, Philip Pizzo, MD, ends a remarkable 12-year tenure as dean of the Stanford School of Medicine. He’s passing on the leadership of a school that has experienced a rebirth of sorts. Collaborations between basic scientists and clinicians have been strengthened, the faculty has become more diverse and the school has seen its biggest building boom since it moved to the Stanford campus from San Francisco in 1959. In this podcast, he talks about his accomplishments and what’s next as he prepares to hand off the school’s leadership to Lloyd Minor, MD. Length: 45 min.

"Sully" Sullenberger takes on patient safety

Wed, 22 Aug 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Captain Chesley B. “Sully” Sullenberger III is best-known as the pilot who miraculously landed US Airways Flight #1549 in the Hudson River, after a flock of geese struck and disabled the plane’s engines. Sullenberger, who retired in 2010, is now using his expertise to focus on the safety of patients; he is among a group of patient-safety advocates calling for an independent agency modeled on the National Transportation Safety Board to investigate and prevent cases of medical harm.

Medicine meets science fiction

Wed, 11 Jul 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Award-winning science fiction author Vernor Vinge, PhD, a computer scientist emeritus at San Diego State University, discusses his novel "Rainbows End," predictions for the future of medicine and how interacting with a deluge of data might change what it means to be human.

Sex testing for elite female athletes

Wed, 13 Jun 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Olympic athletes face new sex verification policies following the controversial investigation of South African runner, Caster Semenya, who was tested repeatedly to prove she was female.

Medical school without lectures

Wed, 02 May 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Charles Prober, MD, shares his ideas about essential changes that need to be made in medical education -- changes that turn the traditional teaching format on its head.

Prebiotics, probiotics and the digestive system

Wed, 25 Apr 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Dietician and nutrition consultant Jo Ann Hattner, RD, discusses her new book, Gut Insight, and the effects of prebiotics and probiotics on digestive health.

Mike Snyder under his own microscope

Fri, 13 Apr 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Mike Snyder, PhD, director of the Stanford Center for Genomics and Personalized Medicine, recently chose to be the subject of his own study. Colleagues sequenced his DNA for over a year. That examination revealed, in real time, he had developed Type 2 Diabetes. What is the promise of this new world of genomics? How does Snyder’s study help the advancement of personalized medicine? And how does personalized medicine help other patients? In this podcast, Snyder answers all these questions and more.

Oliver Sacks on The Mind's Eye

Thu, 12 Apr 2012 07:00:00 GMT

Remember the movie, Awakenings? Featuring mega-stars Robert DeNiro and Robin Williams, the film tells the story about some patients who, in a catatonic state for decades, come back to life. The drama is based on the same named memoir written by Dr. Oliver Sacks, who was instrumental in waking up those afflicted with this mental stupor. Dr. Sacks is not only a physician, but a multiple best-selling author, and professor of neurology and psychiatry at the Columbia University Medical Center. His most recent book, The Mind’s Eye, chronicles the stories of several people who have lost critical abilities and senses, like the capacity to speak, to read, or to recognize faces. Despite what seem like insurmountable setbacks, they find ways to thrive. Dr. Sacks is here with us today to discuss the discoveries he made while writing his book, and to share how he’s grappling with his ocular cancer, leaving him blind in one eye.