Health and Medicine (Audio)

Balancing caregiving and career, Elizabeth Jalazo, M.D. traces how her daughter Evelyn’s early feeding challenges and later diagnosis of Angelman syndrome reshape her priorities and professional path. Jalazo describes barriers many families face in rare-disease diagnosis, including a “wait and see” approach, specialist access, and insurance denials, and she emphasizes the value of answers for community, care planning, and research access. At UNC Chapel Hill, Jalazo works as a pediatric geneticist and clinical trialist studying interventional therapies for neurodevelopmental and lysosomal storage disorders, and she serves as chief medical officer of the Angelman Syndrome Foundation. She also leads work on Early Check, an opt-in newborn sequencing program in North Carolina, and shares practical lessons about protecting sleep, building support, and saying no while holding space for hope and joy Series: "Autism Tree Project Annual Neuroscience Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41173]

How can five flavors work in harmony? Chef Martin Yan, MS, takes us on a journey to explore how Eastern and Western traditions unite in a simple steamed fish dish. Series: "UCSF Honoring Origins of Mindfulness Series" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41314]

Stem cell science is reshaping treatment for complex disorders of the brain and spinal cord. Researchers develop cell based therapies to replace lost dopaminergic neurons in Parkinson’s disease, fill gaps across spinal cord injuries, and calm seizure networks in refractory epilepsy by restoring the balance of inhibition and excitation. Teams test immune cell therapies against Epstein Barr virus infected B cells in multiple sclerosis and collaborate to move treatments across the blood brain barrier to reach diseased cells. Clinicians combine imaging in the operating room, surgical tools, and research on biological age and the pace of aging to understand disease and guide treatment. Patient advocates describe challenges and hopes for better options, and contemporary art reflects on perception in digital and physical worlds. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 40992]

How do you navigate a nonlinear, “squiggly line” career in science and public health? Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist and scientific communicator, explores challenges of science communication within academia—from cultural resistance to misaligned incentives—and why so much vital research never reaches the public. Joined by Dr. John Schwartzberg, Professor Emeritus, School of Public Health, they discuss the growing opportunities for scientists both within and beyond academia, and what needs to change to better support public impact across all career paths. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Education] [Show ID: 41067]

Exercise is medicine, however, is there an optimal time to take that medicine? Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D., Salk Institute, discusses the benefits and hazards of exercising, depending on the time of day. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41209]

How you time light, meals, and sleep can reset your internal clock. Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D. explains why morning light sharpens alertness, evening dimness protects melatonin, and consolidated sleep supports brain “detox.” Clear, practical takeaways you can use tonight and tomorrow morning. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41206]

Circadian timing shapes how we sleep, feel, and function each day. Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D., Salk Institute, describes what the ideal circadian rhythms of a day look like. Dr. Panda explains that keeping daily light, meals, movement, and sleep in step with the body’s internal clock supports alertness, metabolism, and recovery. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41210]

Rudeness is not just annoying. John O’Brien, psychologist and author of "Rudeness Rehab," links everyday rudeness to stress and even broader health outcomes, including differences in life expectancy. Series: "Osher UC San Diego Distinguished Lecture Series" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Show ID: 41296]

How much exposure to daylight is recommended for optimal health? Satchidananda Panda, Ph.D., Salk Institute, answers this question and many more on the therapeutic nature of light. Dr. Panda also discusses indoor lighting considerations in order to simulate day/night cycles. Dr. Panda explains that the use of lighting isn't just for safety and convenience but also for one's health. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41208]

In this excerpt, Dr. Natalie Marshall responds to a question about taking nutritional supplements. Dr. Marshall speaks on the importance of getting vitamins through natural foods. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41185]

Public health often works behind the scenes—preventing illness, protecting communities, and generating research that too often stays hidden behind paywalls. In a world of eroding trust and rising falsehoods, Dr. Katelyn Jetelina, an epidemiologist and scientific communicator, explores how we can make the value of public health visible: by telling better stories with data, making science more accessible, and ensuring communities see themselves in the work before, during, and after crisis. Series: "UC Berkeley Graduate Lectures" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41066]

Intermittent fasting isn’t just about calories—it’s about timing. Michael J. Wilkinson, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.N.L.A., explains how time-restricted eating aligns daily food intake with the body’s natural circadian rhythms. He shares insights from animal studies, clinical trials, and UC San Diego research showing how consolidating meals into an 8–10 hour window can improve glucose control, blood pressure, and metabolic health. Wilkinson highlights why earlier eating windows may work best, what makes studies succeed or fail, and how these findings point to practical strategies for preventing cardiometabolic disease and supporting healthy aging. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41184]

Biological resilience underpins healthy aging, and Anthony Molina, Ph.D., investigates how people resist, adapt to, and recover from age-related stressors. Molina defines three domains of resilience linked to aging and studies “life course” resilience using the Rancho Bernardo Study, a longitudinal cohort that starts in 1972 and tracks cognitive, sensory, physical function and comorbidities. His group analyzes trajectory scores from tasks such as the trail-making test and examines thousands of blood molecules to identify patterns that distinguish exceptionally resilient participants. Laboratory experiments show how age-related molecular profiles relate to mitochondrial function and ATP production. Molina’s team also tests behavioral and nutritional interventions in rigorously designed clinical studies, combining molecular biomarkers of biological age with measures of physical performance, cognition, sensory abilities, and mental well-being. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40958]

Alejandro Sánchez Alvarado, Ph.D., argues that real progress in understanding regeneration comes from studying whole organisms rather than cells grown under artificial conditions. Sánchez Alvarado shows how observations from intact animals reveal organizing rules that narrow laboratory systems can miss. He presents evidence that stem cells in a studied animal lack detectable junctions with neighboring cells and instead respond to signals that travel across tissues. Sánchez Alvarado links this communication to extracellular vesicles that carry RNA and to metabolic support involving creatine, highlighting how distant tissues influence repair. Using imaging and molecular analyses, he tracks how signals move through the body and how specific cell populations change state during recovery. Sánchez Alvarado concludes that broad, comparative research is essential for uncovering general principles that govern how adult tissues restore form and function. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 40454]

Michael J. Wilkinson, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.N.L.A., explains how aligning when we eat, sleep, and move with our body’s natural circadian rhythms can profoundly affect metabolic health. Drawing on research from UC San Diego and the Salk Institute, he explores how disruptions in daily patterns—late-night eating, less movement, artificial light—contribute to obesity, diabetes, and fatty liver disease. Wilkinson shows why *when* we eat may be as important as *what* or *how much* we eat, and how time-restricted eating offers a practical, biology-based strategy for preventing cardiometabolic disease and promoting healthy aging. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41187]

In this excerpt, Dr. Natalie Marshall focuses on high intensity interval training, or HIIT. Dr. Marshall discusses the health benefits of HIIT which can be achieved in a short amount of time. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41186]

An in vivo brain organoid platform reveals how human neurons and glia interact across development, aging, and disease. Fred H. Gage, Ph.D., generates three dimensional organoids from induced pluripotent stem cells and examines their maturation, synapses, and network activity with two-photon imaging and single-cell profiling. Gage integrates human microglia and astrocytes to study immune signaling, injury responses, and support functions that shape circuit behavior. Transplantation enables vascularization, reduces cell death, and yields features consistent with a blood brain barrier. Analyses identify diverse astrocyte types and trajectories, while patterns of tau expression inform Alzheimer’s disease modeling. Gage also converts adult fibroblasts into age retaining neurons that assemble into 3D spheroids, creating complementary models to connect genes, cells, and circuits with pathology and to guide strategies for prevention and therapy. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 41160]

Michael J. Wilkinson, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.N.L.A., responds to the question, "How long does it take to get used to Intermittent Fasting?" Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41183]

If you feel like there's more rudeness in the world, you're not alone. According to John O'Brien, psychologist and author of "Rudeness Rehab," there's a pandemic of incivility. O'Brien says we're seeing bad behavior everywhere, from the streets to the workplace to even the operating room. As part of our Osher Author Talk series, host Henry DeVries talks with O'Brien about the physical and mental toll of experiencing rudeness. O'Brien says we have the power to be our own superhero when dealing rude and difficult people. He calls his approach BAM, which stands for breathing, active listening and mindfulness. Series: "Osher UC San Diego Distinguished Lecture Series" [Health and Medicine] [Humanities] [Show ID: 40599]

Clinical trials turn scientific discoveries into real options for patients and volunteers, advancing care while safeguarding participants. Sheldon Morris, M.D., M.P.H., explains how independent oversight, core ethical principles, and stepwise phases evaluate safety and benefit, and clarifies participants’ rights and responsibilities. Sandip Patel, M.D., F.A.S.C.O., highlights how carefully designed studies open access to promising cell and gene-based approaches while balancing risks and benefits. Robert A.J. Signer, Ph.D., underscores why participation—including consenting to share samples and data—helps researchers understand disease and accelerate better treatments. Morris, Patel, and Signer point audiences to practical ways to locate studies through registries and national databases, discuss what costs are typically covered, and advise asking questions about study design and safety. They also caution against unproven “stem cell tourism” and emphasize informed decisions. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 40438]