Harvard Medical Labcast

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HMS scientists tackle a variety of important questions, ranging from how your neurons work to which genes play a role in particular diseases. Our podcast gives you the scoop on some of this work, providing context and highlighting the latest trends in med


    • Jan 19, 2018 LATEST EPISODE
    • infrequent NEW EPISODES
    • 16m AVG DURATION
    • 39 EPISODES


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    Latest episodes from Harvard Medical Labcast

    Episode 39: From Harvard to Hollywood

    Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2018 44:05


    Emmy-nominated alum combines medicine, media and storytelling

    Episode 38: Chew on This

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2017 20:36


    Reintegrating dental and medical care

    Episode 37: Blunt Scrutiny

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2016 23:30


    Tackling research gaps in marijuana use

    Episode 36: Challenging Common Knowledge

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 12, 2016 26:53


    Inside the mind of physician-economist Bapu Jena

    Episode 35: Connecting the Dots

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 22, 2016 21:03


    Improving transgender health care by unifying efforts across HMS

    Episode 34: Culture Clash

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 8, 2016 17:59


    Improving communication and reducing disparities at the doctor's office

    Episode 33: Genetics in Space

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 2, 2016 24:55


    Improving human health on and off the Earth's surface

    Episode 32: The A-Word

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 27, 2015 18:48


    Trying to catch Alzheimer's disease before symptoms appear

    Episode 31: Genetics of Sleep

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 23, 2015 19:16


    Tour a lab that studies slumbering fruit flies

    Episode 30: Object Lessons

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2015 23:40


    Inside the life of an anatomical museum curator

    Episode 29: Rx Poetry

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 16, 2015 26:15


    How doctors and patients can improve with the power of poems

    Episode 28: Medicine and Morality

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 10, 2015 21:19


    How do doctors resolve ethical dilemmas hidden in everyday patient care?

    Episode 27: Your Digital Phenotype

    Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2015 15:54


    John Brownstein mines social media to track disease

    Episode 26: Digging into Ancient DNA

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 15, 2015 16:37


    David Reich unravels prehistoric genetic code to explore human history

    Episode 25: The Future of Science

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 16, 2015 24:58


    Young researchers call for change to make scientific careers sustainable

    Episode 24: The Methodical Adventurer

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2013 7:21


    Stem cell researcher Amy Wagers enjoys the thrill of discovery.

    Episode 23: Psychosocial Healing

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 12, 2012 10:04


    A plastic surgeon finds new ways to soothe physical and emotional wounds.

    Episode 22: Heart Matters

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2012 10:15


    A husband-wife team studies the genetics of cardiac disease.

    Episode 21: The Case for Curiosity

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 25, 2012 9:22


    Basic science lays the foundation for tomorrow's medical breakthroughs.

    Episode 20: Evolution of the Patient-Doctor Relationship

    Play Episode Listen Later May 31, 2012 12:25


    A practicing physician with a leadership role in the HMS Division of Medical Ethics reflects on power shifts over the decades.

    Episode 19: Supreme Court Considers Health Reform

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 25, 2012 7:17


    Court's decision on the Affordable Care Act will shape policy for years to come. Gregory Curfman, an HMS assistant professor and executive editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, shares insight and analysis.

    Episode 18: Origins of Life

    Play Episode Listen Later Apr 20, 2012 7:06


    Nobel Laureate Jack Szostak is working to build primitive cells in the laboratory.

    Episode 17: 3D Mammography Gains Momentum

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 29, 2012 13:48


    A new imaging tool is poised to transform breast cancer screening. Plus, cancer researchers develop 3D tissue models and a radiologist shares her perspective.

    Episode 16: Metamorphosis of a Medical Student

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2012 16:18


    Experiences in the clinic during the third year of medical school spur a remarkable transformation. For the first time, future MDs begin to feel like doctors.

    Episode 15: Transforming Drug Discovery

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 17, 2011 10:06


    Marc Kirschner, head of the Harvard Medical School Department of Systems Biology, describes a new initiative that takes aim at the alarming slowdown in the development of new and lifesaving drugs. Plus, Professor of Genetics David Reich is studying DNA from an ancient finger bone to shed light on the dawn of humanity.

    Episode 14: Under 6 and overweight

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 26, 2011 11:21


    Elsie Taveras, an assistant professor of population medicine and of pediatrics at HMS, discusses a new Institute of Medicine report on early childhood obesity. Plus, Assistant Professor of Cell Biology Stephen Liberles explores how mice and rats sense predators.

    Episode 13: Building a sustainable future

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 23, 2011 10:55


    Harvard Medical School Professor of Systems Biology Pam Silver is engineering organisms that produce fuel and even food. Find out how she's working to build a sustainable future through synthetic biology. Plus, Nancy Keating, an HMS associate professor of health care policy, sheds light on one aspect of the debate over the rising costs of health care.

    Episode 12: Are you getting enough sleep?

    Play Episode Listen Later May 23, 2011 8:51


    According to research by Elizabeth Klerman, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital, most adults should be getting 8.5 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Learn about her study and about the benefits of a good night's sleep. Plus, HMS Associate Professor of Medicine Julia Wang explores what causes the immune system to attack healthy cells and tissues by mistake.

    Episode 11: Human genome turns 10

    Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2011 10:19


    A draft sequence of the human genome was first published in 2001. Ten years later, David Altshuler, Harvard Medical School professor of genetics, discusses how the Human Genome Project has changed the landscape of biomedical research. Plus, a study by HMS professor of neurobiology Qiufu Ma sheds light on the relationship between itch and pain.

    Episode 10: Powerful placebo

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 10, 2011 9:23


    Find out why HMS Associate Professor of Medicine Ted Kaptchuk is trying to understand the magnitude, duration and boundaries of placebo effects. Plus, in the process of studying the genetic roots of a horrific disease, researchers discover a new way to create adult stem cells.

    Episode 9: How to make a doctor

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2009 16:54


    We ask some Bostonians to envision a doctor of the future and bring their questions about medical training to HMS Dean for Education Thomas Michel. We also speak with medical students who are learning that research isn't easy.

    Episode 8: Working the system

    Play Episode Listen Later Nov 26, 2008 16:57


    HMS professor Peter Sorger shares his perspectives on the emerging field of systems biology, and we visit the lab of Roy Kishony, where researchers are using mathematical models to probe the evolution of drug resistant bacteria.

    Episode 7: Inside the brain's black box

    Play Episode Listen Later Oct 30, 2008 16:54


    Adrian Ivinson, director of the Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center, explains why researchers need to collaborate to tackle neurodegenerative diseases, and reporter Yvonna Reekie brings us the latest on autism spectrum disorders.

    Episode 6: Your genome, your future

    Play Episode Listen Later Sep 30, 2008 18:54


    HMS professor David Altshuler discusses the relationship between human genetic variation and disease, and HMS professor George Church explains the complexities of the Personal Genome Project.

    Episode 5: Striving for global health

    Play Episode Listen Later Aug 21, 2008 17:27


    Nobel Laureate Eric Chivian discusses the connection between biodiversity and human disease, and Yvonna Reekie examines the emerging problem of drug-resistant tuberculosis.

    Episode 4: And coverage for all?

    Play Episode Listen Later Jul 24, 2008 12:37


    HMS associate professor Stephanie Woolhandler shares her views on universal healthcare, and Yvonna Reekie takes you for a ride on the Family Van, which provides free education, counseling, support and healthcare to Boston's economically disadvantaged neighborhoods.

    Episode 3: The art of perception

    Play Episode Listen Later Jun 20, 2008 13:48


    HMS professor of neurobiology Margaret Livingstone uses art to understand how we perceive and process visual stimuli, and HMS professor of pediatrics Charles Nelson employs noninvasive techniques to measure the brain activity of children.

    Episode 2: The secrets of aging

    Play Episode Listen Later May 15, 2008 13:24


    HMS associate professor of pathology David Sinclair is getting under the hood of the molecular machinery that drives longevity, and HMS assistant professor of medicine Anne Fabiny is preparing students for an aging population.

    Episode 1: The science of social networks

    Play Episode Listen Later Feb 7, 2008 13:09


    HMS professor of medical sociology Nicholas Christakis examines how social networks affect our health, and an HMS student relies on social networking websites to rally the Kenyan diaspora.

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