Free Associations

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Free Associations is about using a critical eye when reading journal articles or news coverage about research breakthroughs. With a sense of humor and a healthy dose of skepticism Boston University School of Public Health Professors Matt Fox, Chris Gill and Don Thea talk us through popular health st…

Population Health Exchange


    • Nov 19, 2024 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 53m AVG DURATION
    • 151 EPISODES

    4.9 from 124 ratings Listeners of Free Associations that love the show mention: epidemiologist, health research, haiku, usually listen, journal, literature, studies, methods, section, amusing, chris, matt, medical, science, field, former, appreciated, student, definitely recommend, entertained.


    Ivy Insights

    I discovered The Free Associations podcast while I was completing my masters in public health and have continued to listen to it as they never fail to discuss interesting and topical studies. The hosts always provide insights into the practice of epi research in a clear and engaging way. Plus, their witty banter and humor throughout the episodes make for an enjoyable listening experience. I highly recommend this podcast as it combines informative discussions with a touch of humor.

    One of the best aspects of The Free Associations podcast is their ability to discuss complex concepts in epidemiology research without dumbing them down. As an epi professor myself, I appreciate the clear explanations and insights that are shared during each episode. Additionally, the hosts do a great job of selecting diverse topics that range from COVID-19 to food research, allowing listeners to stay up-to-date on what's happening in the field.

    While there are few negative aspects to point out about this podcast, one potential drawback is that it has recently shifted to a once-a-month release schedule. This may disappoint listeners who enjoyed having more frequent episodes to look forward to. However, considering the depth of analysis and preparation that goes into each episode, it is understandable why they made this change. Hopefully, the older schedule can resume in the future.

    In conclusion, The Free Associations podcast is a must-listen for anyone interested in public health and epidemiology research. The hosts' ability to blend engaging stories, humor, and insightful discussions makes for a unique and enjoyable experience. Whether you're studying or working in the field or simply have an interest in research, this podcast provides valuable insights while keeping you entertained along the way.



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    Latest episodes from Free Associations

    Episode 149 - Outdoor Light Pollution and Alzheimer's disease

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 19, 2024 25:44 Transcription Available


    In a new format for the “Free Associations” podcast, we split our usual podcast into two bite-sized morsels. In the first segment, Jess, Matt and guest host Salma discuss an article that examines the effect of nighttime ambient light on risk of Alzheimer's disease.   Journal club article: Alzheimer's Disease Study     In the […]

    Episode 146 - The effects of early cessation of oxytocin

    Play Episode Listen Later May 21, 2024 61:21


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Salma Abdalla discuss a study of early discontinuation of oxytocin during delivery, they try to predict the future of journals alongside a mass editorial board resignation, and Matt and Salma reveal their love for octopuses. Journal club article: Oxytocin discontinuation study

    Episode 145 - Tweets and changes in racial sentiments

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 23, 2024 54:13 Transcription Available


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Allegra Gordon discuss a study using tweets to see if there have been changes in racial sentiment over time, they debate whether in-person or remote work is better for paradigm shifts, and Allegra tells us how birds are smarter than people who don't want birds nesting on their roofs. Journal […]

    Episode 144 - Human mobility and economic segregation

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2024 58:54


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Jonathan Jay discuss a study using cell phone data to see if living in cities gives us better economic integration, they explore whether AI will be developing our hypotheses in the future, and Matt naps with penguins. Journal club article: Human mobility and economic segregation study

    Episode 143 - Workplace interventions for cardiometabolic health

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2024 56:19


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Amruta Nori-Sarma examine a study testing the effect of a workplace intervention for cardiometabolic health, they discuss mental health as a human right, and Amruta tells us about the power of Taylor Swift. Journal club article: Workplace intervention for cardiometabolic health study

    Episode 142 - A blood-based screening for cancer?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 30, 2024 54:32


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Salma Abdalla discuss a study testing the efficacy of a blood-based cancer screening tool, they debate the role of the workplace in mental health, and Salma sees if she can pronounce the word “bubbles” while sounding angry. Journal club article: Blood-based cancer screening study

    Episode 141 - Do taxes and warning labels affect meat purchases?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2024 56:41


    Matt, Jess, and first-time guest host Allegra Gordon discuss a study of the effect of taxes and warning labels on purchases of red meat, they lament the impact of disinformation campaigns, and Matt tells us how AI is going to take our grant writing jobs. Journal club article: Taxes and warning labels on red meat […]

    Episode 140 - Neighborhood environment and childhood physical fitness

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 5, 2023 57:13


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Jonathan Jay discuss a study on child opportunity in the built environment and physical fitness, they debate whether to get rid of discussion sections, and Jon invites us to consider the Golden Bachelor. Journal club article: Neighborhood child opportunity and youth physical fitness study

    Episode 139 - Wildfires and medical visits

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2023 57:23


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Amruta Nori-Sarma examine a study of the effect of proximity to wildfires on medical visits, they discuss housing as harm reduction, and Matt goes to Olive Garden. Journal club article: Wildfire exposure and health care study

    Episode 138 - Can hearing aids prevent dementia?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2023 57:24


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Salma Abdalla examine a study on the use of hearing aids to prevent dementia, they discuss whether loneliness is a public health problem (and, as […]

    Episode 137 - A breakthrough for meningitis vaccination?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2023 53:49


    Matt and Jess go solo and Jess hosts for the first time! They discuss a study of the effectiveness of a new meningitis vaccine, whether active shooter drills do anything […]

    Episode 136 - The Best of Amazing and Amusing V (Chris Gill Edition)

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2023 60:59


    We are taking a one-month break this summer. Please enjoy this “best of” episode celebrating Chris’ contributions to the podcast.

    Episode 135 - Is coffee bad for your heart?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 30, 2023 61:50


    Matt, Jess, and Chris examine a crossover study of the effects of coffee consumption on heart health, they discuss the commercial determinants of health, and Chris gives a heartfelt goodbye […]

    Episode 134 - Did we have any effect on COVID?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 2, 2023 56:14


    Matt, Jess, and Chris discuss a complex ecologic study on the effect of various interventions for COVID, they debate whether living evidence syntheses can save science, and Chris updates us […]

    Episode 133 - Do masks work for COVID?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 4, 2023 58:02


    Matt, Jess, and Chris examine a meta-analysis on whether masks reduce respiratory virus transmission, they discuss the peer review madness, and Jess tells us about vibrating pills. Journal club article: […]

    Episode 132 - Gestational age at birth and cognitive outcomes

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 7, 2023 65:12


    Matt, Jess, and Chris discuss a study on the impact of gestational age at birth and cognitive outcomes, they debate who should be an author on an academic publication, and […]

    Episode 131 - Are magic mushrooms the answer to severe depression?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 3, 2023 59:33


    Matt, Jess, and Chris discuss a phase 2 clinical trial on the use of psilocybin to treat severe depression, they lament the state of health literacy, and Chris finds out […]

    Episode 130 - The best of Amazing and Amusing IV

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 10, 2023 48:00


    Please enjoy this compilation of the best of Amazing and Amusing. Regular episodes will return in February.

    Episode 129 - RSV during the COVID pandemic

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 13, 2022 58:38


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Leo Martinez discuss a study on the respiratory syncytial virus during the pandemic, they debate the value of the evidence in preprints, and Jess redesigns […]

    Episode 128 - Effects of racism on health in New Zealand

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 15, 2022 54:58


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Collette Ncube examine a study using different types of measurement to look at the effects racism has on health outcomes in New Zealand, they discuss […]

    Episode 127 - Synergistic mindsets to reduce stress

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 18, 2022 56:06


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Sarah Lipson examine a study on synergistic mindsets to reduce stress in adolescents, they discuss what it's like to study mental health, and Matt makes […]

    Episode 126 - Redlining and preterm birth

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 20, 2022 49:51


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Jonathan Jay examine a study on the impact of historical redlining and structural racism on preterm birth rates in New York City, they discuss firearm […]

    Episode 125 - All the pretty COVID models

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 23, 2022 56:07


    Matt, Chris (that's right, he's back for an episode), and guest host Brooke Nichols review one of the earliest COVID modelling papers, they discuss the importance and value of COVID […]

    Episode 124 - Cyclones and health

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2022 59:44


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Amruta Nori-Sarma examine the impact of cyclones on mortality in the US, they discuss the uneven impacts of global climate change, and Jess tells us […]

    Episode 123 - Cardiovascular risk factors in childhood

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 28, 2022 55:38


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Marcia Pescador Jimenez discuss the impact of cardiovascular risk factors in childhood and their relation to cardiovascular events as adults, they review the benefits of […]

    Episode 122 - Acetaminophen and blood pressure

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2022 51:06


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Junenette Peters examine a study on whether acetaminophen (paracetamol) increases blood pressure, they discuss what the best measure of the impact of the pandemic is, […]

    Episode 121 - Did the NFL defeat COVID?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 3, 2022 54:02


    Matt, Jess, and returning guest host Jacey Greece consider how well the NFL did with their COVID protocols, they discuss intervention mapping with respect to implementation science, and Jacey questions […]

    Episode 120 - Pesticides and glioma?

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 5, 2022 54:20


    Matt and Jess go it alone this week and discuss a study looking at whether pesticide ingestion on fruit and vegetables increases the risk for glioma, they examine the rise […]

    Episode 119 - Is free fruit and veg enough?

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 8, 2022 57:06


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Jacey Greece examine a study looking at whether giving free fruit and vegetables to school kids in Norway reduces BMI, they discuss the COVID new […]

    Episode 118 - A strong case for a viral cause of multiple sclerosis

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2022 46:44


    Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study looking at whether the very common Epstein-Barr virus is causally related to multiple sclerosis, they debate about a vaccine misinformation juggernaut, and Chris […]

    Episode 117 - What can VAERS tell us about vaccine exemptions?

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 8, 2022 54:55


    Matt, Chris, and Don examine a study that looked at whether changes in reports to the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System are linked to a vaccine exemption change in California […]

    Episode 116 - Could a bigger house prevent hypertension?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 25, 2022 50:02


    Matt, Chris, and Jess discuss a study looking at the relationship between livable space and hypertension, they consider what we have learned from the 2001 anthrax attacks in the US, […]

    Web – How can health communications campaigns contribute to reducing opioid overdoses?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 13, 2022


    In this webinar, Abbi Monssen, MPH describes her role as a communications specialist on an in-progress community-engaged implementation research study to reduce opioid-related overdose deaths (NIH HEALing Communities Study). She […]

    Episode 115 - HIV self-testing kits in Zambia

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 11, 2022 52:06


    Matt, Chris, and Jess examine a study looking at whether giving pregnant women HIV self-testing kits can increase HIV testing and access to care for male partners in Zambia, they […]

    Episode 114 - Daily COVID testing in schools

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2021 47:12


    Matt, Chris, and Don examine a study of the effect of daily COVID-19 testing in the UK for school contacts to stay in school rather than isolate, they discuss issues […]

    Episode 113 - Does HPV vaccination prevent cervical cancer in the UK?

    Play Episode Listen Later Dec 14, 2021 47:33


    Matt, Chris, and Don examine a study of the effect of the UK's HPV vaccination policy, they discuss the dangers of meta-analyses in relation to Ivermectin, and Matt gets catty. […]

    Episode 112 - COVID-19, heart attacks, and stroke

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 30, 2021 53:24


    Matt, Chris, and Jess discuss a complex study of the effect of COVID-19 on heart attacks and strokes, they discuss the mild influenza season (or at least Matt and Jess do), and Chris tells us how many fish we need to catch to decide the color of the fish in the lake. Journal club article: […]

    Episode 111 - Convalescent plasma and COVID

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 16, 2021 50:09


    Matt, Chris, and Jess examine a study of the effect of convalescent plasma on recovery from COVID-19, they discuss the implications of an increase in gun violence prevention research funding, and Matt gets lyrical. Journal club article: Convalescent plasma study

    Episode 110 - The Doppler Effect

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 2, 2021 49:55


    Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study on whether or not Doppler ultrasound has played a role in declining fetal mortality in Norway, they talk about vaccine sharing, and Matt explains just how his getting older is preventing him from preparing for this show. Journal club article: Doppler ultrasound study

    Episode 109 - Cannabis and car crashes

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2021 56:40


    Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study on the role of cannabis in car crashes, they talk about something called “lay epidemiology”, and Chris gets mellow. Journal club article: Cannabis and car crashes study

    Episode 108 - White privilege and health

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2021 56:55


    Matt and guest hosts Lori Dean and Dustin Duncan discuss a study on how white privilege affects health, they talk through the role of neighborhoods and health, and Lori tells us about her new favorite TV show. Journal club article: White privilege and health study

    Episode 107 - Migraine prevention AND treatment?

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 21, 2021


    Matt and guest hosts Michelle Caunca and Sarah Ackley discuss a study on a new treatment to stop migraines, they talk about stitching together multiple datasets to study lifecourse epidemiology, and Michelle tells us about how doctors react to observational epidemiology. Journal club article: Migraine treatment study

    Episode 106 - Obamacare and medical debt

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 7, 2021 45:50


    Matt, Jess, and guest host Erica Walker discuss a study on whether The Affordable Care Act reduced medical debt, they consider the role epidemiologists play in communicating information about COVID, and Erica fights off various wild animals. Journal club article: ACA and medical debt study

    Episode 105 - Do sugar taxes really work to reduce sugar consumption?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 24, 2021 55:59


    Matt and guest hosts Hoda S. Abdel Magid and Geetika Kalloo discuss a study on whether a tax on sugar sweetened beverages reduces consumption in South Africa, they talk through ethical guidelines for peer reviewers, and Simone Biles makes a return appearance. Journal club article: Sugar sweetened beverage tax study

    Episode 104 - Do birthdays cause COVID?

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 10, 2021 50:53


    Matt and guest hosts Bertha Hidalgo and Rachel Widome review a study on whether COVID transmission was more likely after a birthday, they discuss teaching epidemiology online, and Matt is pretty shocked by how much a journal costs. Journal club article: COVID and birthdays study

    Episode 103 - More nurses, fewer deaths?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 27, 2021 48:23


    Matt and Chris (in another summer two-person episode) review a new study on whether mandating the nurse to patient ratios can improve hospital outcomes, discuss what happened with the FDA approval of aducanumab, and Chris give us all the haikus he can. Journal club article: Nurse to patient ratio study

    Episode 102 - Infecting mosquitos with a bacteria to prevent a virus?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 13, 2021 54:21


    Matt and Chris (in a rare two-person episode) examine a study that tested infecting mosquitos with Wolbachia to prevent dengue, discuss whether we should be training students in “legal epidemiology”, and Chris tells us what happens when we drink with strangers. Journal club article: Wolbachia and dengue study

    Episode 101 - MDMA for PTSD?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 29, 2021 55:03


    Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study on the effectiveness of MDMA for treatment of PTSD, they look at whether electronic passports for COVID vaccination are ethical and legal, and Matt goes into the history of peer review. Journal club article: MDMA for severe PTSD study

    Episode 100 - Is this show going down the tubes?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 15, 2021 59:36


    Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study on the effectiveness of ear tubes for ear infections, they consider the role of funders in international research, and Don goes cicada hunting. Journal club article: Tympanostomy tubes for ear infections

    Episode 99 - A new drug for weight loss?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 1, 2021 57:05


    Matt, Chris, and Jess examine a study of using a diabetes medication for weight loss for obesity, they discuss whether Africa needs unique solutions to COVID-19, and Jess is a bit sheepish. Journal club article: Weight loss treatment study

    Episode 98 - Addressing malnutrition through the microbiome

    Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2021 57:35


    Matt, Chris, and Jess look at a study of whether or not a new microbiota-driven supplement does better at combatting malnutrition than traditional approaches, they discuss the importance of code review, and Matt looks to the future on mRNA vaccines. Journal club article: Food intervention study

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