Science and Research Show

There are 26 million Americans with diabetes, and nearly 80 million with pre-diabetes. Though pre-diabetes may sound relatively harmless, it's not. Patients with the condition are at risk for developing not only diabetes, but also heart disease and stroke. Dr. Timothy Graham, Director of the University of Utah Diabetes and Heart Disease Prevention Clinic describes what pre-diabetes is, why there has been a rise in the condition over the past twenty years, and how he is working both in the clinic and the laboratory to reverse its effects in patients.

MacArthur Fellows, recipients of the highly-regarded “genius grants”, are chosen for their extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits. So, what makes someone a “genius”? In a conversation with 2020 fellow and U of U Health evolutionary geneticist Nels Elde, PhD, he explains his scientific research and how it unleashes his creativity.

Headlines are talking about a new one-size-fits-all type of cancer treatment. Are these claims real or are they just hype? Dr. John Phillips, professor of hematology at University of Utah Health has been involved with the potentially groundbreaking research. Learn more about what this study really means for cancer treatment and patients.

Millions of Americans with diabetes inject themselves with insulin every day, or multiple times a day, to manage their disease. While that’s hard enough the soaring price of the drug has made things that much harder. Nurse practitioner and researcher Dr. Michelle Litchman discusses the plight of people with diabetes who are having to undergo extremes such as foregoing basic needs and taking part in underground trading just to stay healthy.

Sedation is commonly used in the intensive care unit (ICU) to make patients who require mechanical ventilation more comfortable, and less anxious. But sedation can have serious side effects, including delirium, that can endanger a patient’s life. Dr. Richard Barton, Director of Surgical Critical Care at University of Utah Health, and Nick Lonardo, Pharmacy Clinical Coordinator, describe the hazards and how to avoid them. The research behind their recommendations was published in the American Journal of Respiratory Critical Care Medicine.

Anyone who has had back pain—and that’s nearly all of us—knows how debilitating it can be. Even more frustrating is that for many, that pain comes back, again and again, no matter what they try. Julie Fritz, Ph.D., associate dean for research in the College of Health talks about what makes back pain, and back pain treatment, different. She explains why the way to make progress is to match the right methods—be it physical therapy, mindfulness, or a combination of approaches—to the right person.

Despite major advances in treating and preventing heart disease, the condition is still a leading cause of death in the U.S. At the Utah Cardiac Recovery Symposium, Dr. Gary Gibbons, director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, outlined the institute’s strategic vision for improving the health of Americans in a conversation with Dr. Stavros Drakos, a cardiologist and professor of Internal Medicine at University of Utah Health. Photo credit: National Institutes of Health

The United States infant mortality rate ranks among the worst for wealthy nations, a clear sign that our nation’s health needs improving. This year’s Frontiers in Precision Medicine III symposium will focus on combining the best approaches from two seemingly disparate disciplines—population health and individualized medicine—to pave the way toward a brighter future. Symposium organizer and assistant professor of Population Health Sciences Adam Bress, Pharm D, explains controversies that will be addressed in dynamic and interactive panel-based discussions led by national experts in the fields of health disparities, big data, direct-to-consumer genetic testing, and more. The symposium will be held on March 16, 2018 on the University of Utah campus. Registration is free, and CME credits are available.

A new study reveals that patients receiving radiofrequency catheter ablation compared to traditional drug therapies for atrial fibrillation (AF) have significantly lower hospitalization and mortality rates. The findings are published in the New England Journal of Medicine. The study's lead author, cardiologist Nassir F. Marrouche, MD, discusses the research and what it means for patients.

High blood pressure is a major risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and can lead to potentially life-threatening heart attacks and strokes. A clinical trial called SPRINT has changed the way doctors look at blood pressure for long-term patient health. The Scope Radio's Julie Kiefer speaks with Dr. Brandon Bellow and Dr. Natalia Ruiz-Negrón about their new research, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, supporting new guidelines to lower blood pressure for long-term health-related quality of life.

There’s a real problem within the medical science community regarding reliability. Today, more and more science articles are being published, but many lack the reliability we can rely on. The Scope Radio’s Julie Kiefer talks with Melissa Rethlefsen and Melanie Lackey from University of Utah Eccles Health Science Library to discuss the problem of unreliability in modern science and the collaborative ways the University is working to address the problem.

Infection from a common virus, cytomegalovirus (CMV), is the leading cause of non-genetic hearing loss in U.S. newborns. Even though the virus is far more prevalent than Zika, it remains relatively unheard of. ENT specialist Dr. Albert Park explains what can happen when infants are exposed to CMV while in the womb and steps that pregnant women can take to avoid infection. Park is carrying out a national clinical trial to determine whether he can lessen the impact of CMV in infants by treating them with antiviral medications.

Building a road map of all the nerve connections in the brain, including in the eye, is key to understanding what makes us who we are. Bryan Jones, Ph.D., an investigator at the Moran Eye Center, talks about his research building a connectome of the retina. He explains how he and his colleagues are approaching the massive project and how such work will inform an understanding of the way that the brain makes sense of the outside world and what goes wrong during disease.

Antibiotic-resistant bacteria are a big public health concern. These so-called superbugs are resistant to life-saving drugs that we take for granted. Dr. Barbara Jones, a pulmonologist with University of Utah Health and the VA IDEAS Center for Innovation, explains how the habits and attitudes of some doctors are fueling the problem and what can be done to change things.

Mice destined to get cancer live longer when they have plenty of social interactions, mental activity, and exercise. Huntsman Cancer Institute investigator Dr. Melinda Angus-Hill led a research study that revealed this surprising finding. She explains how an enriched lifestyle impacts cancer, what changes biologically, and the potential implications for people with cancer.

Recent studies show the majority of published research cannot successfully be replicated. This could potentially question the validity of tens of thousands of scientific studies. Hilda Bastian, chief editor of PubMed Commons, talks about what this means to the scientific field and how it could impact the general public.

For most people, a diagnosis of advanced heart failure signals an inevitable decline with no chance for recovery. However, a few years ago, doctors found a small yet signiLicant proportion of these patients can bounce back if their heart is given a chance to rest with help from a left ventricular assist device (LVAD). Scientist Sarah Franklin is investigating the responses of different sets of patients. She explains what she's searching for and how what she Linds may one day beneLit patients.

The White House has proposed a major budget cut in government agencies that fund scientific research, including the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bryan Jones, Ph.D., a scientist at the Moran Eye Center at the University of Utah, says the mere idea keeps him up at night. “I’m terrified,” he says. “The prospect of a 20 percent cut to the budget would be devastating to science and careers.” He explains why supporting scientific research is an investment in our future.

An aquatic snail from the Caribbean Sea could hold the secret to a new type of pain killer in its venom. Dr. Michael McIntosh, a scientist at University of Utah Health, is working to isolate pain-killing compounds that could serve as a non-addictive replacement for opioids. In this episode, Dr. McIntosh talks about what his early research has found, how these venoms work and the major changes it could make in the way doctors treat pain.

A three-foot shelled “worm” that looks like a unicorn’s horn? It just goes to show that the great blue planet we live on still holds some surprises. Naturalist Margo Haygood from the College of Pharmacy at the University of Utah tells the tale of how she and her colleagues came upon the odd beast and what it has taught them about the diversity of life on Earth. Learn more here.

In science, you may never know where your research will take you, and the results might be a surprise. Wesley Sundquist, Ph.D knows this as well as anyone. Dr. Sundquist is a University of Utah Professor of Biochemistry, and his research on how viruses function may hold the key to a new “delivery system,” which could allow for the transfer of small molecules between cells. On this episode of The Science and Research Show, we’re discussing how the research and understanding of viruses could lead to the next generation of nanomedicine and gene therapy.

It seems like every week there is some new health study in the news. One week coffee is good for your health. It’s causing cancer the next. Is it all right for scientists to get things wrong? According to Christie Aschwanden, lead science writer for FiveThirtyEight, there are always uncertainties in science. Being proven wrong is just part of the process. On this episode of The Scope, how to best approach science reporting and make informed decisions.

For years, scientists have known that someone who is thin could still end up with diabetes. Yet an obese person may be surprisingly healthy. Scott Summers, Ph.D., chair of nutrition and integrative physiology, and Bhagirath Chaurasia, Ph.D., assistant professor at the University of Utah College of Health explain their new research that points to an answer to that riddle: Accumulation of a toxic class of fat metabolites, known as ceramides, may make people more prone to type 2 diabetes. Their work was recently published online in Cell Metabolism; learn more here.

A factor found in umbilical cord blood could become the basis for a new therapy to fight sepsis, a leading cause of death in hospitals, explains Christian Con Yost, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Utah. He is corresponding author on a study published in The Journal of Clinical Investigation, showing that when given to mice, the newly discovered factor countered signs of sepsis, such as fever, fluctuations in respiratory rate, and death. Yost explains the research and next steps.

When we rise out of bed in the morning, the pressure within our eyes changes massively - by 100-fold - and yet no damage is done. David Krizaj, Ph.D., Moran Eye Center investigator and professor of ophthalmology at the University of Utah, has discovered mechanisms that protect cells within the eyes from fluctuations in pressure, and has found that a drug that targets the so-called mechanosensor also blocks signs of glaucoma, a disease linked to high eye pressure and a leading cause of blindness. Krizaj explains how the work is leading to a new understanding of how the eye works, and how this knowledge could lead to a new therapy for the disease. Learn more about the research in Scientific Reports.

Genome sequencing - reading our complete set of DNA instructions - is a powerful tool for understanding and diagnosing disease, and has become integral to precision medicine, a movement to bring the right treatment to the right person and the right time. Does that mean that everyone should have their DNA sequenced? Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D., director of the National Human Genome Research Institute, discusses this and other questions brought forth by the rapid rise of genomic technologies with Lynn Jorde, Ph.D., chairman of the department of human genetics at the University of Utah and executive director of the Utah Genome Project.

Some diseases are so rare and unusual that doctors have never seen anything like it. An excruciating journey for both families and doctors, figuring out what’s wrong can take years, if an answer is ever found at all. Using a computer tool developed by Aaron Quinlan, Ph.D., he and his team recently uncovered the genetic causes behind nearly one dozen previously unsolved cases, all infants with severe seizures. Quinlan describes GEMINI, and how it is helping he and his colleagues at the USTAR Center for Genetic Discovery to understand rare disease genetics.

The unexpected death of a child is tragic under any circumstance, but it becomes even more so when the reason why is unknown. Martin Tristani-Firouzi, M.D., a pediatric cardiologist at the University of Utah, leads the Sudden Death in the Young Center which is searching the DNA of the deceased for an explanation of why they died unexpectedly. He explains what they are searching for and how results from a genetic autopsy could also save other members of the family.

If you're a scientist, systematic reviews - a survey of published results to answer a specific research question - may not be as easy to carry out as you think. Melissa Rethlefsen and Mellanye Lackey from the Eccles Health Sciences Library at the University of Utah and the Center for Clinical and Translational Science (CCTS) Systematic Reviews Core explain common pitfalls and ways to avoid them. They discuss the full timeline of the process, from making sure to ask the right question to begin with, to carefully thinking through methodologies, to registering guidelines, and finally publishing the report.Links mentioned in the podcast:ProsperoCochranePRISMAMOOSE

Nearly anyone who has worked in research is familiar with the frustrating scenario: a postdoc leaves for another job, and with him goes all sorts of valuable knowledge. It’s become loud and clear that results from many published scientific studies are unreliable. While ethical violations like fraud clearly contribute to the problem, so does a seemingly more benign and much more common issue, poor data management. Darell Schmick, research librarian at the Eccles Health Sciences Library at the University of Utah, describes scenarios that could happen as a result of poor data management, and ways to overcome them. Learn more at the upcoming Research Reproducibility Conference.

All too often an answer to the simple question of “what is making me sick?” does not come easily. Current methods for figuring out what viruses or bacteria are causing infection come with the risk of being too slow, or failing to find the culprit altogether. Taxonomer is a genomics-based pathogen surveillance tool that could provide the basis for a new way of diagnosing infectious disease. In this podcast Scope Radio talks with Gabor Marth, D.Sc., co-director of the USTAR Center for Genetic Discovery, and creator of iobio, software that gives Taxonomer characteristics that make it accessible and intuitive. Marth explains the advantages of Taxonomer over current clinical tests and the number of other ways in which it can be used. Learn more.

There’s more than one good reason to get a flu shot while pregnant. Julie Shakib, D.O., M.P.H., assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine and medical director of the Well Baby and Intermediate Nursery, describes her research showing that the flu vaccine not only benefits the mom, but the baby, too. She explains how it works, and why that is a crucial time for the baby to receive the benefits of the flu vaccine. Learn more.

It’s been estimated that up to half of scientific studies are irreproducible, they can’t be replicated, and this is a big problem. A new study illustrates a case in point, calling into question previous results suggesting that cancer prevents Alzheimer’s. Heidi Hanson, Ph.D., M.S., a Huntsman Cancer Institute research associate and research assistant professor of family and preventive medicine at the University of Utah School of Medicine, discusses the research and reasons behind the contradictory findings. She also talks about why irreproducibility in research is pervasive and suggests some ways for overcoming it. Learn more about the research published in The Journals of Gerontology: Series B.

Mitochondria, tiny organelles within our cells, pack a big punch. They function as powerhouses that generate energy for the cell. Malfunctioning mitochondria, explains Adam Hughes, assistant professor of biochemistry at the University of Utah, impacts a number of processes, such as aging and development of disease. He describes his latest research, published in eLife, discovering a never-before seen cellular structure dedicated to remodeling mitochondria that might be called into action in response to stress or other environmental cues.

When parents of autistic teens have high expectations, they are more likely to have the skills they need to live independently, reports a study published in the Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders. The transition to adulthood can be difficult for people with autism. Suddenly, subsidized educational and social supports disappear, and they and their families are left on their own. “Many describe that period as ‘falling off a cliff’,” says Anne Kirby, Ph.D, assistant professor of occupational therapy at the University of Utah. She explains her search for factors that predict who will succeed on their own as adults, and how parents’ expectations might influence their child’s outcomes.

A randomized clinical trail led by Huntsman Cancer Institute investigators finds that a combinatorial chemotherapy reduces precancerous polyps by 75 percent in patients at high-risk for cancer. This advance represents the first prevention therapy against the leading cause of death, cancer of the small intestine, for patients with a genetic condition that leads to a 100 percent lifetime risk for developing cancer. Co-author of the study published in JAMA, and Utah Genome Project investigator Deb Neklason, Ph.D., explains how an investigation of families represented in the Utah Population Database identified the genetic cause of the disorder, making this work possible. She also describes how discovery of the new therapy could inform prevention strategies against other types of cancers, including sporadic colon cancer.

Imagine this: during a skin self-exam you notice a growth or mole that looks suspicions but you aren’t sure. You take a picture of it with your phone using a special app that allows others to vote whether or not they think you should do something about it. The next day, you wake up and learn that 38 percent of the people that looked at it you should see a dermatologist. Sound crazy? Maybe, but it works. Jakob Jensen is a communication researcher at University of Utah who won a $2.2 million National Institutes of Health Director’s New Innovator Grant to implement a system just like that. He talks about how he came up with the idea and why it works.

Just as our immune system kicks into gear to fight off the cold or flu, it can also mount a defense against cancer, but typically isn’t strong enough to defeat it. Mingnan Chen, Ph.D., assistant professor of pharmaceutics and pharmaceutical chemistry at the University of Utah, is developing a system to boost our body’s own defenses that he anticipates could one day become the basis for a cancer vaccine. He and graduate student Peng Zhao describe their approach, recently published in Theranositcs, their progress, and its advantage over other therapeutic strategies.

Researchers have unexpectedly found that a drug that has been used for the past 50 years to treat heart failure and high blood pressure also inhibits infection by the Epstein Barr virus, which causes mono and is associated with several cancers. Lead author of the study, Sankar Swaminathan, M.D. chief of infectious disease at University of Utah Health Care, discusses how he came upon this chance finding, and the potential broader implications for treating other illnesses caused by herpes virus, including shingles, mono, herpes, and meningitis. Read the study in PNAS and learn more here.

With three sets of breast cancer screening guidelines giving conflicting sets of recommendations, it’s no wonder that patients and physicians are confused. A new study shows that adding to the confusion are the guidelines themselves. Senior author Angie Fagerlin, Ph.D. sciences says that more often than not, cancer screening guidelines either leave out important information about the benefits, or harms, of certain recommendations. She talks about what the study reveals about guidelines for many types of cancers, and what’s next. Learn more.

It may be unsettling to realize, but roughly eight percent of our DNA is viral in origin, meaning it came from infections our ancestors battled long ago. New research published in the journal Science by University of Utah geneticists Cédric Feschotte, PhD, Nels Elde, PhD, and Edward Chuong, PhD, looks at how our bodies have repurposed the viral remnants to defend ourselves against infections by viruses and other pathogens. Feschotte and Chuong explain the research and why our defenses, and those of other mammalian species, may have arrived upon this solution repeatedly throughout evolution.

With so many tasks vying for your attention, why spend precious time sending out short 140 character Twitter messages? Sara Yeo, PhD (@sarakyeo), assistant professor of communication, explains the advantages of communicating via Twitter, who you can expect to reach, and how you can use it to your advantage.

Medical advances have improved outcomes for heart attack patients, even for the sickest patients who undergo cardiogenic shock, a condition where the heart can’t pump enough blood to meet the body’s needs. Yet a new study published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology reveals that over half of all heart attack patients either die or are rehospitalized within one year after being discharged. Among those who experienced cardiogenic shock the outlook is particularly poor within the first 60 days after initial treatment, with 34 percent of these patients either dying or returning to the hospital within that period. Study author Rashmee Shah, M.D. , assistant professor of cardiology at the University of Utah School of Medicine, talks about what these findings mean, and what needs to happen next.

For the first time, the Anticoagulation Forum has published clinical guidance statements for managing blood clots in the veins, or venous thromboembolism. Dan Witt, PharmD, Professor of Pharmacotherapy at the University of Utah, is a lead author on statements regarding warfarin management. He explains what prompted the new set of guidance statements, how they differ from existing guidelines, and why they will be of value to practitioners who encounter this condition.

Older adults who are otherwise healthy are at earlier risk for death if they have low blood levels of bicarbonate, a main ingredient in baking soda. Kalani Raphael, M.D., an associate professor of internal medicine at the University of Utah and nephrologist at the VA Salt Lake Health Care System, explains the surprising results of his research. Why might low bicarbonate levels indicate poor health, and how might doctors use this information in the future? Read the study in Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Some estimates say that as many as half of the scientific discoveries made in certain disciplines cannot be replicated. Irreproducible research is a big problem that could be undermining credibility in science. Tom Parks, Ph.D., vice president for research at the University of Utah, describes factors that have brought us to this point, and steps toward resolving them.

At the heart of precision medicine is taking into consideration that each person is unique. Two people with the same disease can have very different outcomes depending on their specific genetic milieu, a complication that is largely overlooked in research and therapeutics. Clement Chow, Ph.D., assistant professor of human genetics at the University of Utah, explains why science has been slow to acknowledge genetic variation, and describes his research on how an individual’s overall genetic makeup influences manifestation of retinitis pigmentosa, a genetic disease that causes blindness. Learn more in his review “Bringing genetic background into focus” and read about his retinitis pigmentosa research in Human Molecular Genetics.

Though it may be hard to get past the “ick factor”, fecal transplants—putting fecal matter from a healthy donor into a patient’s intestine—is proving to be a surprisingly effective way to treat serious infections such as Clostridium difficile. However, so far the therapy has not been as successful in treating chronic conditions such as Chron’s or inflammatory bowel disease. June Round, PhD, assistant professor of pathology at the University of Utah, describes her research demonstrating that not all fecal transplants are the same. She explains the biological reasons behind why some are better than others, and how these findings may improve fecal transplant therapy in the future. The work was recently published in the journal, Nature Communications.

New research suggests that small changes in brain connectivity early in life may lead to big changes that contribute to autism and intellectual disabilities. The study, which explores how disruption to the gene Kirrel3 affects the developing brain, could help explain why some people with mutations in the gene develop these conditions. Megan Williams, PhD, assistant professor of neurobiology and anatomy at the University of Utah, explains the research and what's next. The work was published in the journal eLife on November 17, 2015.

Results from the landmark Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT) shows that a blood pressure target of 120 mmHg, lower than current guidelines, significantly reduces risk for heart failure, heart attacks and death. Implementing these findings into medical guidelines would be expected to affect at least 16.8 million Americans and could greatly reduce the incidence for heart disease in this country. Adam Bress, PharmD, assistant professor of pharmacotherapy at the University of Utah College of Pharmacy, explains who would most likely be affected by guideline changes, and the tough choices that physicians and patients could be faced with. His research was published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

We’re all familiar with the power of smell: a Thanksgiving turkey roasting in the oven may lure you into the kitchen, while the stench of rotting trash can cause you to run the other way. However little is known about how odors can trigger very different neurological responses and behaviors. Matt Wachowiak, USTAR professor of neurobiology and anatomy at the University of Utah is collaborating with a large, interdisciplinary team to crack the olfactory code. Wachowiak explains the barriers he and his team are facing, how they are approaching the problem, and what they hope to accomplish.