Health And Medicine (audio)

Scott A. Armstrong, M.D., Ph.D., of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, studies how certain aggressive forms of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) develop and survive. His work centers on a protein called menin, which helps leukemia cells keep cancer-promoting genes switched on. Armstrong’s team has found that blocking menin with specially designed drugs can shut down these gene programs, push leukemia cells to mature, and slow or stop the disease in lab models and patients. While some leukemias adapt by developing mutations in menin or finding other ways to survive, his research is revealing why certain genes are especially dependent on menin and how to target them more effectively. These discoveries are now shaping new treatments, drug combinations, and potential strategies for other cancers that rely on similar mechanisms. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 40875]

What is it like to train at one of the top neurosurgery residency programs in the world? Follow three UCSF neurosurgery residents as they take you behind the scenes—from morning rounds and complex surgeries to cutting-edge research and life in the city. Series: "UC San Francisco News" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41037]

Danielle K. Glorioso, LCSW, explores the complex nature of grief, emphasizing that it is a lifelong, evolving response to loss rather than something to “get over.” She explains the differences between acute grief, integrated grief, and prolonged grief disorder, highlighting how factors like attachment, personal history, and circumstances of death can influence the grieving process. Glorioso outlines how prolonged grief can impair daily functioning and discusses effective treatments, including a structured therapy program that facilitates adaptation. She also examines resilience as a skill that can be strengthened through emotion regulation, cognitive flexibility, social support, and meaning-making. Drawing on both professional expertise and personal loss, Glorioso offers practical strategies for coping, supporting others, and finding hope while honoring the memory of loved ones. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40332]

Dr. Lindsay Hampson discusses urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction following prostate cancer treatment, emphasizing that both are common and treatable. She explains the different types of incontinence—stress, urge, mixed, and overflow—and outlines how understanding the cause helps guide treatment. Options include pelvic floor physical therapy, medications, surgical interventions like slings or artificial sphincters, and supportive devices. Dr. Hampson also reviews effective strategies for managing erectile dysfunction, such as oral medications, vacuum devices, injections, and penile implants. She highlights the importance of shared decision-making and reassures patients that even small symptoms can significantly affect quality of life and deserve attention. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40814]

Neurosurgeons at UCSF, led by Drs. Edward Chang and Anthony Lee, present a “contactless” microvascular decompression (MVD) approach for trigeminal neuralgia using a pericranium sling. This technique repositions the offending blood vessel with the patient’s own pericranial tissue, avoiding synthetic materials like Teflon. By eliminating foreign implants, it reduces risks of inflammation, granuloma formation, persistent nerve compression, and implant movement. These doctors report that transposition techniques using either pericranium or Teflon slings may provide more durable pain relief than interposition methods. However, all MVD approaches studied significantly reduced pain for patients with this debilitating condition, offering safer and potentially longer-lasting outcomes. Series: "UC San Francisco News" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41038]

Why does amber light ease stress and anxiety? One theory is that it’s similar to the natural orange light experienced in nature, like sunsets and campfires. Thanks to interest and funding in color psychology research, discoveries like this will improve emotional and mental health for everyone, especially those who need it most like hospital patients and those in elder care housing. Series: "UC Davis News" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 41054]

Radiologist Dr. Julian Hong plains how stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) is used to treat oligometastatic prostate cancer—cases where cancer has spread but only to a few limited sites. This approach targets small clusters of metastases with high-dose, image-guided radiation in five or fewer sessions. Hong reviews clinical trial evidence showing that adding focal radiation can improve outcomes, especially when all visible metastases are treated. He highlights the value of modern imaging, like PET scans, in identifying lesions and shaping personalized treatment plans. Studies suggest SBRT offers effective disease control with low toxicity and minimal impact on quality of life, making it a promising option for patients with limited metastatic spread. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40807]

Stanley Chodorow, Emeritus Professor of History at UC San Diego, traces the evolution of food preservation, preparation, and production from ancient times to the modern era. He explores early methods such as drying, salting, and ice cellars, advances like iceboxes, refrigeration, and flash freezing, and innovations in cooking technology from open fires to gas and electric stoves. Chodorow examines the domestication of animals, the development of agriculture, and transformative tools like the wheeled plow and horse harness. He highlights the rise of industrialized food, refrigerated transport, and global trade in products such as sugar, chocolate, and processed foods. Concluding with the health impacts of dietary changes since the shift from hunter-gatherer to agricultural societies, he offers a sweeping view of how technology has shaped what—and how—we eat. Series: "Osher UC San Diego Distinguished Lecture Series" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 40966]

Experts present new tools for managing PSA-recurrent prostate cancer. Dr. Steven Seyedin describes how PET/CT imaging enhances detection by reducing false positives and improving staging accuracy. Dr. Thomas Hope highlights PSMA PET imaging, now the standard approach, which identifies cancer more precisely by targeting tumor-specific proteins. Dr. Julian Hong discusses stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for patients with limited metastases, showing that it offers effective, low-toxicity treatment while preserving quality of life. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40867]

UCSF stroke neurologist Dr. Anirudh Sreekrishnan and UCSF vascular neurosurgeon Dr. Luis Savastano describe Moyamoya disease, a rare condition where arteries at the base of the brain become narrowed or blocked, reducing blood flow. The name “moyamoya” means “puff of smoke” in Japanese, describing the tiny vessels that form to compensate. These fragile vessels can cause strokes or bleeding. Treatment often involves surgical procedures, such as direct or indirect revascularization, to restore blood flow and reduce stroke risk. Series: "UC San Francisco News" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41036]

Sean Morrison, Ph.D., from the Children’s Medical Center Research Institute at UT Southwestern, investigates how stem cells function, regenerate, and interact with their surrounding environment in the bone marrow. His research reveals how leptin receptor-positive cells—key components of the bone marrow niche—regulate hematopoietic stem cell maintenance and regeneration, influence platelet production, and respond to physiological stress like pregnancy. Morrison uncovers a reciprocal relationship between these niche cells and peripheral nerves, showing that disrupting nerve signals impairs bone marrow recovery after chemotherapy or radiation. His work also links retrotransposon activation during pregnancy to increased red blood cell production, with implications for maternal health and transplant medicine. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 40449]

Deepak Srivastava, MD, explores how cellular reprogramming offers new hope for treating heart disease. He highlights innovative strategies to regenerate damaged heart tissue by stimulating adult cardiomyocytes to divide and converting fibroblasts into heart-like cells. His team develops a nonviral delivery system using lipid nanoparticles and investigates the role of specific gene regulators in restoring heart function in animal models. Srivastava also discusses a potential oral therapy for aortic valve disease, driven by insights into cellular fate changes caused by NOTCH1 mutations and telomere shortening. Additionally, he reveals how trisomy 21 may trigger congenital heart defects by altering the identity of specialized heart cells. Through pioneering research in genetics and regenerative medicine, Srivastava demonstrates how understanding developmental biology can lead to transformative clinical advances. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 40447]

Kimberly Peters, a stage four uterine cancer patient at UC San Diego Health, urges government leaders not to cut science funding. She warns that reduced federal support risks delaying vital research and life-saving cures. [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41071]

Experts from UCSF outline the latest treatments and research for advanced prostate cancer, highlighting improved outcomes and promising therapies. Dr. Kelly Fitzgerald reviews intensified androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) and the evolving role of imaging, triplet therapy, and local treatments. Dr. Ivan de Kouchkovsky shares how radioligand therapies like Lutetium-177 PSMA target cancer with precision and are now approved earlier in care. Dr. David Oh explains immunotherapy strategies, including cancer vaccines and checkpoint inhibitors, and explores new options like bispecific T-cell engagers. Dr. Terry Friedlander discusses bone health and the impact of hormone therapy, offering strategies to reduce fracture risk and improve quality of life. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40868]

On his very first day at San Francisco General Hospital, Dr. Paul Volberding met his first AIDS patient – a moment that shaped his career and left an indelible mark on the fight against an epidemic. Now, more than 40 years later, Volberding reflects on the creation of Ward 86, the nation’s first HIV clinics, and how UCSF’s compassionate, community-first approach redefined HIV/AIDS care worldwide. The work of Volberding and UCSF’s dedicated clinicians and scientists laid the foundation for advancements that continue to save lives today. [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40986]

As part of the 2025 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Dr. Elysa Marco talks about various biological approaches to therapy. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40623]

As part of the 2025 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Emily Hill talks about how sibling support can be a catalyst for family empowerment. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40622]

As part of the 2025 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Judy Mark, Vivian Do, Miguel Lugo, all from Disability Voices United, talk about supported decision-making in healthcare. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40611]

Urologic oncologist Dr. Peter Carroll presents the latest research on active surveillance as a preferred approach for managing low-risk prostate cancer and selected cases of intermediate-risk disease. Drawing from two decades of UCSF data, he explains how long-term outcomes support the safety and effectiveness of delaying treatment for carefully monitored patients. Carroll emphasizes that surveillance decisions should be guided by MRI imaging, PSA density, cancer volume, histologic subtype, and genomic testing. He notes that while many men experience gradual changes over time, only a small percentage require immediate treatment. Carroll also discusses innovations such as AI-assisted pathology and risk profiling to reduce unnecessary procedures. His data-driven approach offers patients a personalized path that preserves quality of life without compromising outcomes. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40801]

Hear about cutting-edge advances in regenerative medicine, from lab breakthroughs to patient impact. Catriona Jamieson, MD, PhD, introduces efforts at the Sanford Stem Cell Institute to develop therapies that enhance the body’s ability to heal itself. Dan Kaufman, MD, PhD, shares progress in cancer immunotherapy using engineered natural killer cells derived from pluripotent stem cells. Karen Christman, PhD, explains how her team creates injectable hydrogels from pig heart tissue to support heart repair and regeneration after a heart attack. Tiffani Manolis highlights industry support for making cell and gene therapies more accessible. Patient advocate Justin Graves describes his life-changing experience receiving a stem cell-based therapy for epilepsy, underscoring the real-world promise of these innovations. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 40705]