University of Iowa Insights

Researchers in the Department of Neurology at University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics are gaining valuable insight into how the brain works by studying patients with selective forms of brain damage. This edition of the “Iowa Insights” podcast examines the role of the world-renowned Iowa Neurological Patient Registry in this quest for knowledge about the brain. By figuring out what goes wrong when a particular region of the brain is damaged, researchers are given a window into how the brain functions. With the help of registry patients, they confirmed that the amygdala is the fear sensor of the human brain – a finding that could improve treatment of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder.

'Iowa Insights' podcast: Burn unit provides skillful, compassionate care Burns occur year-round, during events both remarkable and routine: a house fire or explosion, a cooking mishap, bath water that’s too hot—even summertime play on a scalding slide. The University of Iowa Burn Treatment Center, located at UI Hospitals and Clinics, treats these injuries with skill and compassion. The center treats more than 1,000 patients each year for burns, trauma, and complex wounds. Given the critical nature of the injuries, one might presume the center is a place of doom and gloom. Center director Barbara Latenser dispels these notions while discussing the center’s treatment techniques and educational efforts. "Iowa Insights" is a monthly audio magazine featuring interviews with some of the world's leading thinkers, researchers and teachers. The podcast is a collaborative project of the UI Office of University Relations and the Center for Media Production. This episode was produced by Christopher Clair and Nick Tomlonovic.

Sabah Hussein Enayah, an Iraqi mother of three, moved her family across the world for a pilot program that allows her to earn a Ph.D. at the University of Iowa. Hear about her journey – and how she’ll help her country – in this month’s “Iowa Insights” podcast.

UI researcher Craig Kletzing studies space weather with $30 million NASA grant. For better or worse, most of us have been affected by something called "space weather" without even realizing it. To learn more, and hear how UI researcher Craig Kletzing plans to use a $30 million NASA grant to study space weather, listen to the February edition of "Iowa Insights." Producers: Gary Galluzzo, UI News Services, and Nick Tomlonovic, Center for Media Production. Running Time: 6:00.

For most people the wail of an ambulance siren barely registers. It’s just part of the soundtrack of life in a city. But sirens signal more than an emergency. They announce that trained professionals are behind the wheel, poised to perform extraordinary tasks. At The University of Iowa, the Emergency Medical Services Learning Resources Center trains thousands of individuals in emergency procedures each year. In this edition of “Iowa Insights,” we visit with Doug York, the center’s director, to talk about the course work, the center’s experienced staff, and what it takes to be cut out for work that—quite literally—is a matter of life or death. “Iowa Insights" is a monthly audio magazine featuring interviews with some of the world's leading thinkers, researchers and teachers. The podcast is a collaborative project of the UI Office of University Relations and the Center for Media Production. This episode was produced by Christopher Clair and Nick Tomlonovic. For more information or to subscribe, visit http://news.uiowa.edu/iowa-insights/index.html. STORY SOURCE: University of Iowa News Services, 300 Plaza Centre One, Iowa City, Iowa 52242-2500 MEDIA CONTACT: Stephen Pradarelli, University News Services, 319-384-0007, stephen-pradarelli@uiowa.edu

‘Iowa Insights’ podcast: How community-based tourism will assist an African locale In developing countries, tourism profits often pad the pockets of foreign investors. But an organization called Travel for Change is helping one African community keep its tourism dollars. This edition of “Iowa Insights” features the University of Iowa women behind the effort: Urban and Regional Planning grad student MaryGrace Weber, and Swahili instructor Blandina Giblin. Listen at: http://tiny.cc/insights11-2010. “Iowa Insights" is a monthly audio magazine featuring interviews with some of the world's leading thinkers, researchers and teachers. The podcast is a collaborative project of the UI Office of University Relations and the Center for Media Production. This episode was produced by Nicole Riehl and Nick Tomlonovic. For more information or to subscribe, visit http://news.uiowa.edu/iowa-insights/index.html.

Could a chocolate a day keep preeclampsia at bay? Chocolate probably isn’t the first food that comes to mind when creating a healthful prenatal diet, but a recent study from the University of Iowa and Yale University found that regular consumption of the sweet treat is associated with a reduced risk of preeclampsia, a serious disorder that occurs in 4 to 5 percent of all pregnancies in the United States. This month’s edition of the “Iowa Insights” features the lead author of the study, UI professor of epidemiology Audrey Saftlas.

University of Iowa graduate student Kerry Howley discusses the chilling effect cryonics can have on relationships in her essay "Until Cryonics Do Us Part". The essay was published in the July issue of New York Times Magazine.

University of Iowa senior Kyle Vint talks about his experience on the university’s small but mighty debate team. Iowa Debate, which celebrates its 150th anniversary this year, captured its fourth national title since 2000 and won its seventh straight district title. Associate professor of geoscience Chris Brochu speaks about his investigation into existing fossil collections, which shows that crocodiles of about two million years ago were more diverse than previously thought. And Kate Fitzgerald, Iowa’s assistant director of residence life, shares summer shopping suggestions for students eager to outfit their first residence hall room, and provides practical advice for parents preparing for move-in day.

Pediatrician Linda Cooper-Brown discusses picky eaters and how to encourage kids to eat a balanced diet; Susan Assouline of the College of Education's Belin-Blank Center explains how the UI is establishing the first national center for twice-exceptional students; and student Abbie Gruwell talks about her trip to the Climate Exchange in Copenhagen and her involvement with environmental causes.

Ann Campbell, professor of management sciences, discusses the transportation logistics needed to bring relief supplies to Haiti and to rebuild the country’s infrastructure; international programs professor Maureen McCue discusses a class she is teaching that will visit Haiti at the end of the semester and provide earthquake relief; and history professor Leslie Schwalm talks about her new book, “Emancipation’s Diaspora,” explaining how the end of slavery in the South changed Iowa and the Midwest.

UI Pentacrest Museums Director Pam White talks about the UI Museum of Art’s post-flood partnership with the Figge Art Museum in Davenport, the museum’s presence on campus, and the process of envisioning a new art museum. Jon Kuhl, of the Public Policy Center and professor of electrical and computer engineering, speaks about his federally-funded study of a mileage-based system that might one day replace the current motor fuel tax; and Internal Medicine Professor Beverly Davidson talks about her research to develop treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.

Leisure Studies Professor Ben Hunnicutt explains how work-sharing arrangements have been used to preserve jobs during past recessions, Counseling Psychology Professor John Westefeld discusses suicide prevention and Dietician Denise Albert of University of Iowa Health Care provides tips for weight management during the holidays.

Rachel Marie-Crane Williams, an associate professor of art, talks about how she uses art classes to inspire incarcerated women and teens; Pam Hoogerwerf of the University of Iowa Children's Hospital discusses the Safety Store, a hospital resource that offers low-cost child safety products and guidance on how to use them; and associate professor of urban and regional planning Paul Hanley talks about his graduate students, who bring sustainability to small-town Iowa through an educational outreach project.

Iowa Writers’ Workshop student Benjamin Nugent discusses his book “American Nerd: The Story of My People;” Law Professor Randy Bezanson explains his new book, “Art and Freedom of Speech;” and Beth Hochstedler of the University Hygienic Laboratory describes a new game that highlights the many professions in public health.

David Perlmutter, the new director of the School of Journalism and Mass Communication, chats with Nicole Riehl about how the school is responding to major changes in the media industry; Dr. Judith Crossett, a geriatric psychiatrist with University of Iowa Health Care, speaks with Becky Soglin about maintaining emotional wellbeing later in life; and Jim Elmborg, director of the School of Library and Information Science, talks with John Riehl about a grant that will help address a shortage of teacher-librarians in schools across Iowa.

Hancher Executive Director Chuck Swanson explains how the Joffrey Ballet is raising money to help Hancher Auditorium and the School of Music recover from the 2008 flood. He tells the story behind the university's extraordinary relationship with the Joffrey.

Liz Christiansen, director of the Office of Sustainability, describes Iowa’s current conservation efforts and how the university is bringing the issue of sustainability into the classroom; Nonfiction Writing Program director Robin Hemley discusses his book “Do-Over!” which chronicles his present-day recreations of humiliating experiences from his childhood; and College of Engineering Dean Barry Butler explains the college’s leadership role in the Iowa Alliance for Wind Innovation and Novel Development, or IAWIND.

University of Iowa campus planning director Rod Lehnertz explains how the university plans to live with the Iowa River one year after the historic flooding of 2008. English professor Stephen Kuusisto describes new disability studies courses he's teaching. And engineering professor Craig Just talks about a handheld device invented at the UI that costs less than $10 and turns unpotable water into safe drinking water.

University of Iowa sociologist Christine Whelan discusses her new study on what men and women want in a partner. Scott King of the Office of International Students and Scholars describes the university’s efforts to recruit Iraqi students. And Jeff Schott of the UI Institute of Public Affairs explains how local governments can react to the economic recession.