Health and Medicine (Video)

As part of the 2026 Developmental Disabilities Conference, moderator Megan Cvitanovic leads a discussion with panelists Zorahida Preciado, Colette Patt, and Mechelle Johnson about resources for people with developmental disabilities who are living with aging parents. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41460]

Human brain organoids help researchers study neurodevelopmental disorders that are difficult to examine directly in developing brain tissue. Giorgia Quadrato, USC, uses cortical organoids derived from human pluripotent stem cells to examine SYNGAP1, an autism risk gene associated in the transcript with intellectual disability, epilepsy, and global developmental delay. Quadrato describes how SYNGAP1 appears in progenitor cells as well as neurons, and how SYNGAP1 haploinsufficiency is linked to disrupted radial glia organization, altered cell division, and faster maturation of cortical projection neurons. She also discusses newer work focused on enteric neurons, gastrointestinal symptoms, and gut motility. By connecting brain development, autism genetics, and the enteric nervous system, this research points to models that may help test therapies and better understand symptoms that affect families. Series: "Autism Tree Project Annual Neuroscience Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 41174]

As part of the 2026 Developmental Disabilities Conference, California State Senator Scott Wiener discusses healthcare access. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41455]

As part of the 2026 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Dr. Peter Bulova, Professor of General Internal Medicine, The University of Pittsburgh, discusses dementia in people with Down Syndrome. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41458]

Heart regeneration faces two connected challenges: replacing lost muscle and keeping transplanted cells safe and accepted by the body. Charles Murry, M.D., Ph.D., of USC explains why the adult heart heals major cardiomyocyte loss with scar tissue rather than new muscle, leading to progressive heart failure. Murry describes how stem cell derived cardiomyocytes can be manufactured at scale, transplanted into injured hearts, and tested for function in animal models. He also examines major barriers, including graft related arrhythmias, calcium handling stress, immune rejection, and the need for practical immunosuppression or immune edited cells. By connecting cell manufacturing, electrophysiology, immunology, and clinical trial planning, this research shows why heart regeneration is difficult and why careful translation matters for patients with severe heart injury. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 40853]

Fertility health affects conception and reproductive planning in important ways. Jennifer Ashby, DAOM, and Maren Shapiro, MD, explain how East Asian medicine principles and daily habits shape fertility optimization. Ashby examines Jing, Blood, Qi, Yin/Yang balance, and stress, while Shapiro examines sleep, nutrition, exercise, supplements, timing intercourse, and when to seek additional support, helping clarify how the body can be supported before pregnancy. This work helps explain conception readiness and points toward practical strategies for reproductive health. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41546]

As part of the 2026 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Dr. Paul Glassman, Professor and Associate Dean for Research and Community Engagement, College of Dental Medicine, California Northstate University, discusses dental care for people with developmental disabilities. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41462]

As part of the 2026 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Kavitha Murthi,Assistant Professor, Rutgers University, discusses occupational therapy for autistic people. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41463]

Hematopoietic stem cells make blood across the lifespan, but they do not all behave the same way. Stephanie Xie, Ph.D., Scientist at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, University of Toronto, examines how these rare cells self-renew, differentiate, and respond to inflammatory stress, asking whether differences in the stem cell pool help explain why aging affects people so differently. Xie identifies two hematopoietic stem cell subsets, including one that retains inflammatory memory after stress recovery, and connects this state to aging, clonal hematopoiesis, sickle cell disease, post-COVID recovery, and mortality risk markers in blood. Her research also raises questions about whether targeting the inflammatory environment, including through GLP-1 receptor agonists or metformin, could help mitigate clonal hematopoiesis. Understanding these patterns could clarify how inflammation shapes blood production, cancer risk, and immune health over time. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 41406]

Adolescent health affects the well-being of teen girls in important ways. Dr. Jenifer Matthews and Dr. David Becker explain how hormonal change and emerging technology shape physical and mental health. Matthews examines acne, PMS, and menstrual cycle irregularities, and offers integrative approaches to supporting teen hormonal balance, including key nutritional strategies and simple, safe herbal medicine options. Becker considers social media, AI companions, and integrative mental health care, helping clarify how teens can be supported through rapid change. This work helps explain common adolescent challenges and points toward practical, whole-person strategies. Series: "Osher WISE: Well-being and Integrative Science for Everyone" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41545]

As part of the 2026 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Claudia Center, Legal Director, Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund talks about the health policy landscape. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41453]

As part of the 2026 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Tamar Heller, Director, Institute on Disability and Human Development, University of Illinois Chicago, discusses aging and aging caregivers. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41459]

Rare disease research is creating new paths for diagnosis, treatment, and broader medical discovery. Gene therapy can repair or replace faulty genes, and work on cystinosis has led to a stem cell platform now being applied to Danon disease, Sanfilippo syndrome C, Friedreich's ataxia, and Alzheimer's research. Funding programs support gene therapy, clinical trials, and new platform approaches for rare diseases. CAR-T cell research is also advancing treatment possibilities for pediatric brain tumors, including early results in children with DIPG and diffuse midline glioma. A patient advocate shares her daughter's diagnostic odyssey and treatment for TUBB4A leukodystrophy. Together, these stories show why rare disease research matters beyond rarity. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 41402]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Steven Seyedin discusses radiation therapy. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41558]

Pre-cancer and cancer can begin when stressed blood-forming stem cells lose their normal controls. Catriona Jamieson, M.D., Ph.D., UC San Diego, explains how inflammation-linked editing enzymes, repetitive elements in the genome, and stem cell stress shape the progression from myeloproliferative neoplasms to acute myeloid leukemia. Jamison examines how spaceflight accelerates stem cell aging, how some astronauts mobilize a resilient regenerative stem cell population, and how tumor organoids in space help reveal drug responses by activating the enzyme ADAR1. This work helps explain how cancer starts, why it can return, and how space-based research may speed the development of therapies that stop malignant stem cells before disease advances. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 41473]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Spencer Behr discusses PSMA PET and functional imaging. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41557]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Jonathan Chou discusses targeted therapies. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41563]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. David Oh discusses immunotherapy. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41562]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Stacey Kenfield, ScD, discusses diet and exercise. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41555]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Will Chen discusses PET-directed radiation for Oligometastatic Disease. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41559]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Arpita Desai discusses metastatic hormone sensitive prostate cancer. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41560]

As part of the 2026 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Robin Wilson-Beattie, Disability and Sexual and Reproductive Health Educator, discusses sexual health. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41469]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Ivan de Kouchkovsky discusses radioligand therapy. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41561]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Julian Hong discusses radiation therapy. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41551]

Space healthcare depends on connected health data that can follow people wherever care happens. Peter DeVault, Epic, explains how electronic health record tools built for hospitals, labs, and patients can also support healthcare in space. DeVault describes patient-facing tools like MyChart, interoperability across health systems, structured genomics and pharmacogenomics in the patient record, and Cosmos, Epic's patient data aggregation platform with about 300 million longitudinal records. He also examines AI capabilities that can generate possible future health scenarios and expand to telemetry and molecular data collected before, during, and after a mission. This work helps explain how records, data sharing, and predictive tools could support astronaut health and resilience and why those capabilities may be necessary for the future of space medicine. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 41481]

Understanding the causes of autism matters for families, public health, and public trust in science. Jonathan Sebat, Ph.D., UC San Diego, explains what research actually shows about the causes of autism and how scientists separate strong evidence from misleading correlations. Sebat examines genetics, de novo mutations, twin studies, developmental regression, and the interplay of genes and environment, helping clarify why autism cannot be reduced to a single trigger. He also addresses why rising diagnoses do not necessarily reflect a simple rise in symptoms and why better research design is essential when studying environmental influences. This work helps explain what science does and does not support and points toward a more rigorous understanding of autism. Series: "Autism Tree Project Annual Neuroscience Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41177]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Samuel Washington discusses active surveillance of prostate cancer. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41549]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, the UCSF Patient Services Committee and California Prostate Cancer Coalition present a panel discussion on resources. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41554]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Peter Carroll discusses biochemical recurrence. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41556]

As part of the 2026 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Hari Srinivasan, Rishi Jena, and Héctor Manuel Ramírez discuss mental health and self advocacy. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41456]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Carissa Chu discusses surgery for prostate cancer. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41550]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Terence Friedlander discusses optimizing bone health. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41540]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. I-Chow (Joe) Hsu discusses brachytherapy. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41552]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Matthew Cooperberg discusses focal therapy. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41553]

Autism research affects how autistic people and families receive support, care, and opportunities to participate in daily life. A panel with autistic, family, clinical, and research perspectives discusses the world of autism research and how it can better serve the people it is meant to support. The program examines quality of life priorities, co-occurring conditions, accessible study design, community trust, fair compensation, and the need to include people often left out of research. Panelists also consider how researchers can communicate more clearly, involve autistic people and families earlier, and move beyond theory toward work with real-world value. Their perspectives help clarify why autism research must be shaped by the needs, experiences, and priorities of autistic people and families. Series: "Autism Tree Project Annual Neuroscience Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41176]

Brain aging and disease research can gain new insights from space. Aline M.A. Martins, Ph.D., UC San Diego, explains how neuroscience studies in space use brain organoids, proteomics, and single-cell analysis to understand cognition decline, space-induced neurosenescence, and disease-related changes. Martins examines molecular markers of senescence, mitochondrial impairment, and neuroinflammation in organoid models, including Rett syndrome, while also comparing how space affects organoids of different ages. She shows that space can accelerate aging-related changes and affect cell types differently, helping clarify how space biology may speed drug discovery and reveal biomarkers for disease. This work helps explain how space research can inform treatments on Earth and points toward faster preclinical testing and broader understanding of brain disease. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 41478]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Benjamin Breyer discusses sexual wellness. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41537]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Cornelia Ding what to look for on the prostate cancer biopsy report. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41533]

As part of the 2026 Developmental Disabilities Conference, UCSF's Dr. Joan Jeung discusses trauma informed care. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41457]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Javid Moslehi discusses managing the cardiovascular effects of ADT. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41539]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Lindsay Hampson discusses managing lower urinary tract symptoms. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41536]

As part of the 2026 UCSF Patient Conference on Prostate Cancer, Dr. Michael Rabow discusses how to manage ADT-related adverse effects. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41538]