Health And Medicine (audio)

UCSF experts present four major approaches to managing prostate cancer, each tailored to disease risk and patient needs. Dr. Peter Carroll explains how active surveillance uses MRI, PSA, and genomic testing to safely delay treatment in low-risk cases while preserving quality of life. Dr. Samuel Washington details prostatectomy, highlighting robotic-assisted surgery’s precision and its impact on recovery, fertility, and sexual function. Dr. Julian Hong outlines radiation therapy options like SBRT and brachytherapy, emphasizing targeted delivery to limit side effects and the importance of ongoing follow-up. Dr. Hao Nguyen introduces focal therapy, which treats only the tumor using techniques like cryotherapy or high-intensity ultrasound, helping patients avoid surgery or radiation while maintaining function and quality of life. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40866]

Prostate cancer remains the most commonly diagnosed cancer and second leading cause of cancer death among men in the U.S., with evolving screening and treatment practices reshaping care in 2025. Dr. Cornelia Ding explains how to read and understand a prostate cancer pathology report by breaking down its five key sections. Dr. Rahul Aggarwal explores how clinical trials improve prostate cancer care by advancing personalized treatment, increasing access, and correcting misconceptions about placebos. Dr. Jonathan Chou highlights the expanding role of precision medicine and how genetic insights guide individualized treatment based on each tumor’s molecular makeup. Dr. Eric Small explains how androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) targets the cancer’s dependence on testosterone and how newer therapies and combinations are improving outcomes, while also emphasizing the need to balance effectiveness with side effects through shared decision-making. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show

Ina Stelzer, Ph.D., explores how the maternal immune system adapts to support a healthy pregnancy and how disruptions can lead to complications like preterm birth. Her lab identifies early immune changes linked to spontaneous preterm birth and investigates the role of the maternal brain in regulating immune responses. Stelzer uses advanced technologies like mass cytometry and spatial proteomics to map immune and molecular changes in pregnancy, integrating these data with transcriptomics and mouse models. Her team studies how antidepressants affect immune signaling during pregnancy and examines the impact of social and behavioral factors. These insights may reveal biomarkers and therapeutic targets for improving maternal and fetal health. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40773]

Amanda Lewis, Ph.D. investigates how glycan-degrading enzymes contribute to bacterial vaginosis (BV), a common condition linked to infertility, preterm birth, pelvic inflammatory disease, and increased cancer risk. Her research shows that BV-associated bacteria strip protective sugar coatings—glycans—from vaginal epithelial cells, disrupting normal function and increasing vulnerability to infection. Lewis and her team study specific enzymes, such as sialidases, that remove sialic acid from glycoproteins and mucins. Using clinical samples and imaging techniques, they identify how these changes in glycan composition correlate with disease severity. Their work reveals how glycan degradation contributes to persistent or recurrent BV and opens new pathways for understanding the microbiome's role in women’s health. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40678]

Michael J. Wilkinson, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.N.L.A., explores the science and clinical evidence behind intermittent fasting and its role in promoting cardiometabolic health. He explains how aligning eating patterns with the body’s natural circadian rhythms can improve weight, blood pressure, glucose regulation, and other risk factors, especially in individuals with metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes. Wilkinson highlights promising results from time-restricted eating studies conducted in collaboration with UC San Diego and the Salk Institute, where narrowing the daily eating window led to improved metabolic markers and potential benefits beyond weight loss. He also outlines practical tips for safely adopting this lifestyle approach and stresses the importance of ongoing research. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40319]

Immunotherapy expert Dr. David Oh explains how the immune system can be trained to recognize and fight prostate cancer. He outlines key immune players—dendritic cells and T cells—and describes how immunotherapies target different stages of their interaction with tumors. Oh highlights FDA-approved treatments such as Provenge, a vaccine made from a patient’s own cells, and PD-1 checkpoint inhibitors for patients with specific genetic mutations like microsatellite instability. He also discusses potential autoimmune side effects and emphasizes the importance of genetic testing. Looking ahead, he introduces bispecific T-cell engagers, experimental therapies that physically link T cells to tumors, triggering an immune attack. These promising treatments offer new hope, especially for men with advanced, treatment-resistant prostate cancer. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40811]

AI and genetic medicine are converging to transform how we diagnose, treat, and prevent disease. Gene Yeo, Ph.D., unites RNA biology with artificial intelligence to speed the path from genome sequencing to personalized RNA therapeutics. Advances in sequencing have reduced costs dramatically, making interpretation and translation into treatments the real challenge. Using deep learning and large datasets of RNA-binding proteins, Yeo predicts disease vulnerabilities and identifies therapeutic targets, including in neurodegeneration and muscular diseases. Alexis Komor, Ph.D., focuses on DNA, explaining human genetic variation—particularly single-nucleotide variants—and how genome editing technologies like CRISPR can target them. She highlights strategies to correct harmful mutations and explores precise, programmable interventions. Together, their research drives discovery and enables more effective, personalized therapies. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 40459]

Rebecca Rakow Penner, M.D., Ph.D., is a body and breast imaging radiologist and MRI physicist advancing how pelvic pain and gynecologic cancers are diagnosed through imaging. She highlights how MRI is improving the detection of endometriosis, pelvic adhesions, venous disorders, and pelvic floor dysfunction with enhanced resolution and motion-sensitive techniques. Rakow Penner also works on new MRI-based protocols that may reduce the need for contrast agents in evaluating breast and ovarian cancer. Through innovative modeling techniques like restriction spectrum imaging, she explores how to differentiate cancerous tissue from post-treatment effects, aiming to improve treatment assessment for cervical and ovarian cancer. Her collaborations span clinical, engineering, and pathology teams. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40673]

Radiation oncologist Dr. Julian Hong explains how radiation therapy works and its central role in treating prostate cancer, both when the disease is localized and when it has spread to limited areas. He outlines major radiation options, including external beam radiation, stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT), and brachytherapy, and describes how treatment plans are carefully tailored using imaging, planning scans, and computer modeling to maximize precision and minimize side effects. Hong highlights advances in targeting and beam modulation, which allow for safer, more effective treatment. He also discusses typical timelines for treatment, short- and long-term side effects, and the importance of ongoing follow-up to manage late effects of therapy. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40803]

As part of the 2025 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Dr. Raul Gutierrez, Associate Professor of Pediatrics at San Francisco General Hospital, talks about supporting immigrant children. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40619]

Dr. Robert Baron explores current strategies for treating obesity, emphasizing evidence-based approaches to diagnosis, lifestyle change, medication, and long-term weight maintenance. He explains the limitations of body mass index (BMI) as a diagnostic tool and highlights the importance of assessing both excess fat and its health consequences. He reviews dietary principles, including calorie reduction, avoiding added sugars, and the importance of sustainable habits over specific diet types. He also discusses the role of physical activity—particularly strength training—for preserving muscle and improving long-term outcomes. Baron evaluates weight loss medications such as semaglutide and tirzepatide, noting their benefits, side effects, and the need for continued use to maintain weight loss. [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40757]

As part of the 2025 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Allen Friedland, Terri Hancharick and Jack Jadach talk about a collaborative approach to enhancing health in fitness centers. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40613]

Dr. Robert Baron outlines major updates in type 2 diabetes care, emphasizing that blood sugar control alone does not significantly reduce cardiovascular risk, though it helps prevent microvascular complications. New guidelines now prioritize medications with proven cardiovascular and kidney benefits—GLP-1 receptor agonists and SGLT2 inhibitors—over traditional first-line therapy like metformin. Baron explains how these newer drugs not only lower blood sugar but also reduce the risk of heart attack, stroke, kidney disease, and heart failure, with added benefits such as weight loss. He also covers changes in screening, diagnosis, blood pressure goals, and individualized treatment strategies based on age, comorbidities, and patient preferences. [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40756]

Sarah Banks, Ph.D. explores why Alzheimer's disease affects women differently than men, emphasizing distinct patterns in tau pathology, cognitive testing bias, and treatment response. She explains how women tend to show a rapid buildup of tau during early cognitive decline, which may contribute to their higher prevalence of Alzheimer's. Banks also highlights how common diagnostic tools may overlook symptoms in women and how approved treatments may offer less benefit for them. Her research at UC San Diego investigates key sex-based differences in risk factors, including sleep apnea, diabetes, and exercise. One study reveals that over 70% of participating women had undiagnosed sleep apnea. Another focuses on Black women, using blood biomarkers to identify overlooked risks and improve care. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40768]

Dr. Ivan de Kouchkovsky explains how radioligand therapy delivers targeted radiation to prostate cancer cells using a radioactive isotope attached to a molecule that binds to PSMA, a protein commonly expressed in these tumors. He reviews key clinical trials showing how the therapy improves survival and quality of life for men with metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer, both after and before chemotherapy. The FDA now approves this approach for patients who have progressed on hormone therapy, even if they haven’t yet received chemotherapy. De Kouchkovsky also highlights efforts to enhance effectiveness by combining therapies, increasing radiation dose, and targeting resistant or PSMA-negative cells. Diagnostic imaging plays a critical role in selecting patients most likely to benefit from treatment. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40810]

Marni Jacobs, Ph.D., M.P.H., presents the MOM Health Study, part of the NIH's Multi-Omics for Health and Disease (MOHD) Consortium, which investigates hypertensive disorders of pregnancy—such as preeclampsia—and their impact on postpartum health. The study aims to uncover the biological mechanisms linking these conditions to long-term maternal outcomes like stroke and heart disease. Unlike other disease sites, participants are enrolled before outcomes are known, allowing researchers to track 750 pregnancies through delivery and one year postpartum. Data collection includes surveys, biospecimens, placental tissue, and continuous blood pressure monitoring. By integrating clinical, environmental, and molecular data, the study supports early detection strategies and collaborative research to improve maternal health. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40671]

Louise Laurent, M.D., Ph.D., presents new insights into placental biology using cutting-edge molecular and imaging technologies. As part of the NIH-funded Human Biomolecular Atlas Program, her research focuses on mapping the structure and function of the placenta across gestation. By combining bulk RNA sequencing, single-cell analysis, spatial transcriptomics, and imaging mass cytometry, Laurent and collaborators identify key differences in cell types and gene expression associated with pregnancy stages and labor. Her team highlights how specific cells like syncytiotrophoblasts and extravillous trophoblasts evolve over time and interact with maternal tissue. This integrated approach offers an unprecedented view of placental development and lays the groundwork for understanding reproductive health and disease. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40670]

UCSF researchers June Chan and Stacey Kenfield share evidence-based strategies for improving prostate cancer outcomes through exercise and diet. They highlight studies showing that physical activity—including resistance and high-intensity interval training—is linked to lower risk of prostate cancer progression and death. They discuss plant-based diets, dietary indices, and specific foods like tomatoes, fish, and nuts, along with the benefits of substituting plant oils for butter. Their analysis includes findings on racial disparities and underscores the need for inclusive research. They also describe current clinical trials exploring lifestyle tools and offer guidance on navigating diet and exercise choices during cancer survivorship. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40808]

Dr. Robert Baron reviews best practices in lipid management for preventing cardiovascular disease, with a focus on statin use. He outlines the strong evidence for statins in reducing heart attack and stroke risk by 25–33%, particularly in patients with clinical atherosclerotic disease, diabetes, or high LDL. He explains why shared decision-making is key in primary prevention, where guidelines vary and risk thresholds are debated. Baron discusses the shift to the newer PREVENT risk calculator, which offers improved accuracy and removes race as a factor. He also explains when additional lipid-lowering medications may be appropriate and clarifies the impact of risk-enhancing factors like family history, coronary artery calcium, and LP(a). [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40755]

Dr. Michael Rabow, a palliative care physician, explores the wide-ranging side effects of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for prostate cancer and emphasizes strategies to reduce harm while improving quality of life. He outlines cardiovascular, hormonal, and emotional risks—including heart disease, osteoporosis, depression, and loss of vitality—and explains how early assessment and monitoring can help manage these effects. Dr. Rabow highlights evidence-based interventions such as physical activity and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), both of which improve symptoms like fatigue, sexual dysfunction, and emotional distress. He also reviews pharmacological options and stresses the importance of personalized, team-based care and shared decision-making over time. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40815]