POPULARITY
Categories
Today on the program, a trip into the archive and a return to Episode 33, my conversation with Rex Pickett, author of the novel Sideways, which was adapted for the screen to great acclaim by Alexander Payne and Jim Taylor. (Payne and Taylor won the Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay.) Air date: January 7, 2012. Pickett is the critically acclaimed author of the novel Sideways, which was adapted into the iconic film of the same title. Sideways was nominated for five Academy Awards, winning for Best Adapted Screenplay, among 350 other plaudits. Pickett is the author of three Sideways sequels--the IPPY Gold Medal-winning Sideways Oregon (previously published as Vertical), Sideways Chile, and now Sideways New Zealand. He is also the author of The Archivist. Pickett is currently working on a post-Sideways New Zealand trilogy. A Southern California native, the Rex Pickett Papers are currently enshrined at Geisel Library on the campus of his alma mater, the University of California San Diego. *** Today's episode is brought to you by Rula. Thousands of people are already using Rula to get affordable, high-quality therapy that's actually covered by insurance. Visit www.rula.com/otherppl to get started. *** Otherppl with Brad Listi is a weekly podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, etc. Get How to Write a Novel, the debut audio course from DeepDive. 50+ hours of never-before-heard insight, inspiration, and instruction from dozens of today's most celebrated contemporary authors. Subscribe to Brad's email newsletter. Support the show on Patreon Merch Instagram TikTok Bluesky Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is a proud affiliate partner of Bookshop, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
What if the same brain states people spend years chasing through psychedelics could be accessed through meditation alone, and in as little as seven days? In this fascinating solo episode, Darin Olien explores groundbreaking new research from University of California San Diego, Harvard University, Massachusetts General Hospital, and University of Montreal suggesting that meditation may produce brain patterns remarkably similar to those observed during psychedelic experiences. From the suppression of the default mode network and increases in neural complexity to neuroplasticity, endogenous opioids, and measurable biological changes in the bloodstream, Darin unpacks the science behind one of the most powerful, and completely free tools available to human beings. He also walks listeners through a practical seven-day protocol combining focused-attention meditation, Vipassana, breathwork, walking meditation, and loving-kindness practices designed to help cultivate greater awareness, emotional resilience, cognitive flexibility, and inner peace. What You'll Learn The groundbreaking UC San Diego meditation study and its surprising findings Why meditation may create brain states similar to psilocybin What the default mode network is and how it shapes everyday thinking How meditation may reduce rumination, anxiety, and self-referential thought The concept of brain criticality and cognitive flexibility Why post-meditation blood samples stimulated neuronal growth How meditation influences neuroplasticity and whole-body biology The differences between Samatha and Vipassana meditation What advanced monks are teaching scientists about consciousness The limitations and caveats of current meditation research A practical seven-day meditation protocol anyone can begin Why meditation may be one of the most powerful health interventions available today Chapters 00:00:03 – Welcome to SuperLife 00:00:33 – Sponsor: Alkemis and the hidden toxicity of indoor air 00:00:57 – Conventional paints, petrochemicals, and endocrine disruptors 00:01:24 – Why VOCs and PFAS may be affecting your home environment 00:01:55 – Fire-resistant mineral paints and healthier living spaces 00:02:27 – Cradle to Cradle certification and sustainable design 00:03:23 – The meditation study Darin can't stop thinking about 00:03:33 – Scanning the brains and blood of meditators 00:03:44 – Brain activity resembling psilocybin experiences 00:04:09 – The promise of a seven-day meditation protocol 00:04:22 – Psychedelics, consciousness, and dissolving the sense of self 00:04:47 – Ancient practices and modern scientific validation 00:05:23 – Why meditation research is entering a renaissance 00:05:41 – Harvard, Massachusetts General Hospital, and advanced consciousness mapping 00:06:00 – University of Montreal's study of monks with 15,000+ hours of practice 00:06:16 – Why psychedelics and meditation are converging scientifically 00:06:37 – What listeners will learn in today's episode 00:06:54 – Breaking down the UC San Diego retreat study 00:07:18 – Thirty-three hours of meditation, breathwork, and group practice 00:07:42 – EEG scans, blood draws, and laboratory neuron testing 00:08:05 – Reduced activity in the default mode network 00:08:24 – The science of mental chatter and rumination 00:08:50 – Blood plasma stimulating new neuronal growth 00:09:02 – Neuroplasticity and new neural connections 00:09:29 – Increased cellular metabolism and endogenous opioids 00:10:13 – Samatha vs Vipassana meditation explained 00:10:42 – How different meditation styles reshape the brain 00:10:50 – Harvard's advanced meditation consciousness studies 00:11:18 – Mapping concentration states and consciousness cessation 00:11:46 – Ancient contemplative traditions meeting modern neuroscience 00:11:50 – Important limitations of the research 00:12:05 – Why advanced monks aren't average practitioners 00:12:20 – Correlation versus causation in psychedelic comparisons 00:12:48 – What may actually be happening inside the brain 00:13:03 – Understanding the default mode network 00:13:26 – Anxiety, depression, addiction, and overactive self-talk 00:13:53 – Why meditation and psilocybin share common neurological effects 00:14:10 – Beginner studies showing measurable brain changes 00:14:28 – Brain criticality and cognitive adaptability 00:14:48 – The most surprising finding: meditation changes the blood 00:15:05 – Meditation as a whole-body signaling event 00:15:18 – Better sleep, digestion, hormone balance, and recovery 00:15:39 – Neuroplasticity, immune function, metabolism, and pain regulation 00:15:56 – Why meditation may be the ultimate free medicine 00:16:10 – Introducing the seven-day meditation protocol 00:16:34 – Sponsor break: Alkemis Paint 00:19:02 – Building a research-backed at-home meditation practice 00:19:24 – Why consistency matters more than total hours 00:19:41 – Combining focused attention and open monitoring 00:19:53 – Days 1–3: Stabilizing attention 00:20:02 – Morning focused-attention meditation instructions 00:20:34 – Evening body scan practice 00:21:04 – Preparing the brain for deeper awareness 00:21:08 – Days 4–5: Opening awareness through Vipassana 00:21:31 – Letting thoughts, sensations, and sounds pass freely 00:21:39 – Evening box breathing for nervous system regulation 00:22:01 – Why days four and five often feel more challenging 00:22:11 – Days 6–7: Deepening and integrating the practice 00:22:27 – Walking meditation and embodied awareness 00:22:52 – Loving-kindness meditation and compassion training 00:23:02 – Vagal tone, heart rate regulation, and inflammation reduction 00:23:18 – Three rules that determine success 00:23:26 – Eliminating distractions and protecting attention 00:23:36 – Why you should never judge your meditation sessions 00:24:00 – Extending the practice beyond seven days 00:24:19 – Psychedelics, meditation, and the search for transformation 00:24:51 – What the medicine always teaches: sit with yourself 00:25:03 – The wellness industry's tendency to monetize stillness 00:25:20 – Why you don't need expensive tools to transform 00:25:36 – Meditation as radical self-reclamation 00:26:02 – Meeting yourself without distraction 00:26:17 – Final reflections and closing thoughts 00:26:29 – Outro and farewell Thank You to Our Sponsors Alkemis: Go to https://alkemispaint.com/ and use code DARIN10 for 10% off your order. Manna Vitality: Go to mannavitality.com/ and use code DARIN12 for 12% off your order. Join the SuperLife Patreon: This is where Darin now shares the deeper work: - weekly voice notes - ingredient trackers - wellness challenges - extended conversations - community accountability - sovereignty practices Join now for only $7.49/month at https://patreon.com/darinolien Find More from Darin Olien: Website: darinolien.com Instagram: @darinolien Book: Fatal Conveniences Platform & Products: superlife.com New Show: Roadmap to Happiness Key Takeaway "Perhaps one of the most profound discoveries emerging from modern neuroscience is that many of the states of awareness humans have sought through substances, rituals, and external interventions may already be available within us. Meditation is not simply a relaxation practice—it appears to be a biological, neurological, and consciousness-altering intervention capable of reshaping the brain, changing the body, and transforming how we experience reality. The question is not whether the door exists. The question is whether we are willing to sit still long enough to walk through it." Bibliography/Sources: Here is the fully formatted bibliography for the "Seven Days to a New Brain" episode. It is organized by category, formatted in strict APA Style (7th Edition), and includes a direct link for every single source : Primary Studies Brewer, J. A., Worhunsky, P. D., Gray, J. R., Tang, Y. Y., Weber, J., & Kober, H. (2011). Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 108(50), 20254–20259 . https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1112029108 Lieberman, J. M., Rahrig, H., Britton, W. B., et al. (2025). Toward a neuroscience of consciousness using advanced meditation. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews . https://meditation.mgh.harvard.edu/files/Lieberman_25_NeuroscienceAndBiobehavioralReviews.pdf Pascarella, A., Jerbi, K., et al. (2026). Meditation induces shifts in neural oscillations, brain complexity, and critical dynamics: Novel insights from MEG. Neuroscience of Consciousness . https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41287816/ Patel, H., et al. (2025). Intensive meditation retreat induces rapid changes in brain activity, blood-based biomarkers, and neurotrophic signaling. Communications Biology . https://today.ucsd.edu/story/meditation-retreat-rapidly-reprograms-body-and-mind Shinozuka, K., et al. (2025). Neuroelectrophysiological correlates of extended cessation of consciousness in advanced meditation [Preprint]. bioRxiv . https://meditation.mgh.harvard.edu/files/Shinozuka_25_bioRxiv.pdf Van Lutterveld, R., et al. (2025). An intensively sampled electroencephalography case study of advanced concentration absorption meditation (jhana) [Preprint]. SSRN . https://meditation.mgh.harvard.edu/files/VanLutterveld_25_SSRN.pdf Supporting Press Coverage & Explainers Harvard Gazette. (2026, January). Your brain on advanced meditation . https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2026/01/your-brain-on-advanced-meditation/ Medical Xpress. (2026, February). Study of 12 monks finds meditation heightens brain activity, reshaping neural dynamics . https://medicalxpress.com/news/2026-02-monks-meditation-heightens-brain-reshaping.html PsyPost. (2026). Brain scans of Buddhist monks reveal how different meditation styles alter consciousness . https://www.psypost.org/brain-scans-of-buddhist-monks-reveal-how-different-meditation-styles-alter-consciousness/ ScienceDaily. (2026, April 6). Scientists say 7 days of meditation can rewire your brain . https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2026/04/260406192913.htm UC San Diego Today. (2026). Meditation retreat rapidly reprograms body and mind. UC San Diego News Center . https://today.ucsd.edu/story/meditation-retreat-rapidly-reprograms-body-and-mind Université de Montréal. (2026, January 5). Meditation doesn't rest the brain, it reshapes it. UdeMNouvelles . https://nouvelles.umontreal.ca/en/article/2026/01/05/meditation-doesn-t-rest-the-brain-it-reshapes-it
What are "May Gray" and "June Gloom"? How does the southwestern U.S. monsoon season impact low-level clouds on the California coastline? In this episode, we talked with Dr. Rachel Clemesha, a Project Scientist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California - San Diego, to help answer those questions. Dr. Clemesha's research focuses on the climate of coastal California and western North America. She examines climate extremes, marine layer clouds and fog, relationships between regional weather phenomena and large-scale climate variability, and explores the consequent impacts on public and ecosystem health.Dr. Clemesha spoke with us about atmospheric rivers and how they influence wildfire risk, climate modeling for the North American monsoon, and her collaborative projects with a range of land managers and partners.---If you're enjoying this podcast, please consider rating us and/or leaving us a review on Apple Podcasts, Podcast Addict, or Podchaser. Thanks!Follow us on Twitter @RainShinePodNever miss an episode! Sign up to get an email alert whenever a new episode publishes (http://eepurl.com/hRuJ5H)Have a suggestion for a future episode? Please tell us!USGS Southwest CASC: https://www.swcasc.arizona.edu/
Our guests this week are two accomplished sexuality professionals – Ms. Sue Goldstein and Dr. Irwin Goldstein. Ms. Sue Goldstein, a graduate of Brown University, is Sexuality Educator and Clinical Research Manager at San Diego Sexual Medicine (SDSM), responsible for sexual medicine educational programming and clinical research. She works with the SDSM team to develop clinical research projects, write protocols and oversee clinical trials. Ms. Goldstein co-authored When Sex Isn't Good to provide education and empowerment to women with sexual dysfunction. She is an associate editor of Textbook of Female Sexual Function and Dysfunction, and Female Sexual Pain Disorders, and author of multiple peer reviewed papers. Ms. Goldstein is past president of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH). She served on committees in the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM) and Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA). She is also a member of the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors and Therapists (AASECT), the Association of Clinical Research Professionals (ACRP) and the International Society for Medical Shockwave Therapy. Ms. Goldstein, an ISSWSH Fellow, received the Distinguished Service Award from ISSWSH in 2017 as well as from SMSNA in 2017, and along with her husband, the Transformatory Team Award from ISSM in 2024. Dr. Irwin Goldstein has been involved with sexual dysfunction research since the late 1970s. He has authored more than 380 publications as well as multiple book chapters and edited 7 textbooks in the field. His interests include surgery for dyspareunia, sexual health management post cancer treatment, persistent genital arousal disorder/genital dysesthesia, physiologic investigation of sexual function, and diagnosis and treatment of sexual dysfunction in all genders. Dr. Goldstein is Director of Sexual Medicine at University of California San Diego East Campus, and sees patients in his private practice, San Diego Sexual Medicine. He is a Clinical Professor of Urology and Voluntary Clinical Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, & Reproductive Sciences at University of California San Diego. He is past Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Impotence Research, The Journal of Sexual Medicine, and Sexual Medicine Reviews. He is Past President of the International Society for the Study of Women's Sexual Health (ISSWSH) and the Sexual Medicine Society of North America (SMSNA). He holds a degree in engineering from Brown University and received his medical degree from McGill University. The World Association for Sexual Health awarded the Gold Medal to Dr. Goldstein in 2009 in recognition of his lifelong contributions to the field, in 2012 he received the ISSWSH Award for Distinguished Service in Women's Sexual Health, in 2013 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the SMSNA, and in 2014 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the International Society for Sexual Medicine (ISSM). He is happily married to his college sweetheart Sue, and together they have three children and five grandchildren. Sue and Irwin Goldstein have been titans in the field of sexology for some time now; they were there on May 14, 1998 when the first article on sildenafil (Viagra) was published with Irwin Goldstein as the first author. Listeners, if you would like to reach out to Ms. Sue Goldstein and/or Dr. Irwin Goldstein, check out the San Diego Sexual Medicine website! If you want to catch up on other shows, just visit our website and please subscribe! We love our listeners and welcome your feedback, so if you love Our Better Half, please give us a 5-star rating and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. It really helps support our show! As always, thanks for listening!
Listen & subscribe on Apple, Spotify, YouTube.Welcome everyone to the weekly San Diego Tech News!I'm Neal Bloom from Rising Tide Partners.This week, I'm flying solo on the mic to unpack a busy week in San Diego tech.Before we dive in, we wanted to thank you and ask our listeners to help us grow the show, leave a review and share with one other person who should be more plugged in with the SD Tech Scene. Thank you for the support and for helping us build the San Diego Startup Community!Topics CoveredSuja IPO & San Diego's Consumer Brand Pipeline* Suja Life IPO* Coca-Cola's early investment thesis* San Diego as a premium wellness and consumer products launchpad* Comparison to other recent San Diego consumer brand IPOs* Why San Diego may be one of America's best “test markets” for health & lifestyle brandsStone Brewing, Sapporo & Maria Stipp's Exit Track Record* Stone Brewing acquisition news* The evolution of San Diego's craft brewing ecosystem* Maria Stipp's leadership journey across:* EcoATM* Lagunitas* Stone Brewing* Suja* Siete Foods board involvement* The importance of experienced operators recycling through ecosystemsFirestorm Labs Is on an Absolute Heater* Firestorm Labs raises $82M Series B* New $30M defense contract* Distributed manufacturing and edge logistics* “Factories in shipping containers”* Why modern defense tech is increasingly about adaptability and rapid production* Firestorm hosting the first annual Hardtech 50 Release PartyHardtech 50 + Next Wave 30* Why it became impossible to stop at just 50 companies* San Diego's growing density across:* aerospace* robotics* autonomy* semiconductors* energy* ocean tech* manufacturing* - The rise of interdisciplinary founders and “things that move atoms”UCSD's Deep Tech Infrastructure Push* University of California San Diego and advanced engineering initiatives* Supercomputing, fusion, AI infrastructure, and scientific tooling* The importance of compute, cooling, energy, and simulation infrastructure* The long-term impact of institutions like:* Qualcomm* General Atomics* San Diego Supercomputer Center* Navy-affiliated researchReferenced article: UCSD Guardian coverageScripps + San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance* Scripps Institution of Oceanography* San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance* Conservation, climate science, oceanography, and AI converging* Why proximity between institutions creates innovation densityReferenced article: Scripps announcement This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit risingtidepartners.substack.com/subscribe
Co-hosts David Fell, MD, and Justin C. Muste, MD, sit down with Allen C. Ho, MD, director of Retina Research at Wills Eye Hospital, and Curtis Heisel, MD, MBA, a vitreoretinal surgery fellow at the University of California San Diego, to discuss the gene therapy landscape in retina. They share their journeys in the space, the therapies under investigation, and how fellows can get involved.
A nivel regional los países de Latinoamérica están incrementando su capacidad de producción petrolera, el único que no lo está haciendo es México.Pemex a pesar de todos los esfuerzos financieros que se le han hecho no pudo mejorar su capacidad por la aplicación de políticas equivocadas.Una conversación con Paul Alejandro Sánchez, analista del sector energético y profesor invitado en la Universidad de California-San Diego.Visita la sección de Finanzas de El Sol de México para estar al día del contexto económico. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Internationally celebrated Cambodian American composer Chinary Ung has been awarded one of the highest honors in the U.S., a lifetime membership at the American Academy of Arts and Letters.享誉国际的柬埔寨裔美国作曲家洪靖年荣获美国最高荣誉之一,成为美国艺术文学院终身会员。Ung will be officially inducted in May. The 77-year-old composer was chosen based on his artistic merit in music composition.洪靖年将于5月正式就职。这位77岁的作曲家因其在音乐创作方面的艺术成就而被选中。Ung says he owes his success to his own Cambodian identity.洪靖年说他的成功归功于自己的柬埔寨身份。It is my culture. It's what I learned it from the rice field that I spoke of. What touches me the most and I think I am proud to say that I am a Cambodian.这是我的文化。这是我从我所说的稻田中学到的东西。最让我感动的是,我可以很自豪地说我是一名柬埔寨人。Ung got a scholarship to study clarinet in the U.S. in 1964, and later received a Doctor of Musical Arts from Columbia University in 1974.洪靖年于1964年获得奖学金赴美学习单簧管,后于1974年获得哥伦比亚大学音乐艺术博士学位。His music is known for incorporating Eastern characteristics into Western classical settings.他的音乐以将东方特色融入西方古典背景而闻名。In spirit my music yes does carry the background of the culture in Cambodia.在精神上,我的音乐确实承载着柬埔寨文化的背景。Without that background, I wouldn't be able to compose, let's say, Inner Voices.没有那样的背景,我就无法创作出,比如说,《内心的声音》。The twenty-minute award-winning piece Inner Voices was Ung's second orchestral work following a hiatus between 1974 and 1985.获奖作品《内心的声音》时长二十分钟,是洪靖年继1974年至1985年间沉寂后的第二部管弦乐作品。Ung turned his attention to the rescue of surviving relatives and the rebuilding of the editions of Cham court music.洪靖年将注意力转向了幸存亲属的救援以及占婆宫廷音乐版本的重建。In 1989, Inner Voices made him the first American to win the prestigious Grammy Award.1989年,《内心的声音》让他成为首位获得久负盛名的格莱美奖的美国人。Ung said the piece was his attempt to embrace the expressions of many cultures in a singular musical language, and he got the inspiration from a dream.洪靖年表示,这部作品是他尝试用一种独特的音乐语言来融合多种文化的表达,他的灵感来自于一个梦。In the dream I thought I had receive an invitation to attend a ritual, and I heard the chanting about a text在梦里,我觉得自己收到了参加一场仪式的邀请,我听到有人在念诵一段经文,that this young Cambodian lady, a teenager, decided to commit suicide, and left that text to her parent to set it into music, into song, funeral song, during her funeral.说的是一位年轻的柬埔寨少女,一个十几岁的孩子,决定自杀,还留下这篇文字让她的父母在她的葬礼上把它谱成曲子,编成葬歌。Tapping into his dream to compose Inner Voices only employed what he calls the interaction within himself to create an art that speaks to a global audience.利用自己的梦境来创作《内心的声音》,仅运用了所谓的自我内在对话,创作出一部能与全球听众产生共鸣的艺术作品。You are not only looking outward and what could be learned and so forth, but don't forget that another 50% is the intangible.你不仅要向外看,思考可以学到什么等等,但别忘了,另外50%是无形的东西。It is your feeling, which is not yours when you go deeper, you hit on archetype of dimension and so forth, and that could be share globally.这是你的感受,当你深入探究时,它就不再完全属于你了,你会触及到维度的原型等等,而且这种感受可以在全球范围内共享。Today Ung is a distinguished professor of music at University of California San Diego, and works to preserve and innovate Cambodian traditional music.如今,洪靖年是加利福尼亚大学圣地亚哥分校的杰出音乐教授,致力于保护和创新柬埔寨传统音乐。
On the heels of Artemis II, our cultural obsession with space colonization continues, even as we face increasing global resource constraints and planetary health declines. Techno-optimists, including some of the wealthiest among us, dream of a future where we mine, travel to, and colonize other planets – all in the hopes of bypassing the problems we now face on Earth. But from the perspective of physics and ecology, how feasible is space colonization – and are these interplanetary ambitions blinding us to the miracle of the planetary spaceship we already inhabit? In this episode, Nate welcomes back astrophysicist Tom Murphy and eco-interventionist DJ White, two longtime friends with deep roots in both space science and ecological reality, to examine the surging cultural fascination with space mining and off-world colonization. Drawing on decades of experience with NASA missions, lunar laser ranging, and biophysical research, Tom and DJ outline the economic impossibility of asteroid mining, the physiological brutality of long-duration spaceflight, and the absurdity underlying dreams of Mars colonization. Both guests also argue that space colonization has, at its core, become a convenient story that lets humanity off the hook for the damage being done here at home. What if the real tragedy isn't that we can't reach the stars – it's that we've stopped paying attention to the planetary home we're already on? If the most brilliant minds drawn to space exploration redirected that energy toward the living systems collapsing around us right now, what might become possible? And what if we could recognize that the complexity, beauty, and intelligence we hope to discover elsewhere in the cosmos is, improbably and urgently, still here? (Conversation recorded on February 24th, 2026) About Tom Murphy: Tom Murphy is a Professor Emeritus of the Department of Physics and the Department Astronomy and Astrophysics at the University of California San Diego. He retired in 2023 and moved to Washington State to focus more on the predicament of modernity and its ecological incompatibilities. He is the author of Energy and Human Ambitions on a Finite Planet, creator of the Metastatic Modernity video series, and continues to explore long-term human success through his Do the Math blog. About DJ White: DJ White is a co-founder of Greenpeace International and founder of EarthTrust. He has played a leading role in protecting dolphins, whales, sea turtles, and countless other marine animals, including successfully stopping a national dolphin drive kill and breaking the deadlock in capping the Kuwait oil fires. Additionally, he helped end the world's largest and most destructive global fishery – pelagic driftnetting – and created the lab which first demonstrated self-awareness in the universe outside the great apes. Show Notes and More Watch this video episode on YouTube Want to learn the broad overview of The Great Simplification in 30 minutes? Watch our Animated Movie. --- Support The Institute for the Study of Energy and Our Future Join our Substack newsletter Join our Hylo channel and connect with other listeners
The trial they said would never be done! Huge congrats to the Alliance for Clinical Trials in Oncology who have recently opened the ASPIRE trial, a phase III randomised trial of ADT + apalutamide (doublet), vs ADT + apalutamide + docetaxel chemotherapy (triplet) for men with mHSPC. 1200 men will be recruited from more than 300 sites across the US with many sites already open and recruiting. This is the key trial which will answer the question of whether there is an overall survival benefit of adding chemo to the ADT/ARPI doublet which we all agree is standard of care. We chat with study chair Dr Deepak Kilari (Medical College of Wisconsin) and Dr Rana McKay (University of California San Diego), and learn all about the rationale for ASPIRE, the study design, and the novel genomic stratification factors.Your usual hosts are Renu Eapen and (chemo-sceptic) Declan Murphy! This is a Themed Podcast supported by our Gold Partners, Johnson & Johnson Pharmaceuticals. Links:Alliance website with study details Urology Times coverage Clinical Trials registration
In this episode, hosts Brianna Lennon and Eric Fey speak with Lauren Prather and Thad Kousser, the co-directors of the Center for Transparent and Trusted Elections based at the University of California-San Diego.They spoke about some of the research they have done, which shows simple and effective ways for election administrators to connect with their constituents and grow trust in elections. This includes office tours, video office tours, simple and “authentic” social media videos and more.
Findings from one of the first comprehensive surveys of the impacts of the surge of federal agents are out — and they show there were broad negative effects on people in the Twin Cities. The U.S. Immigration Policy Center at the University of California San Diego is behind the research. Between mid-February and early March, they surveyed more than 700 people in Minneapolis and more than 600 people in St. Paul. Tom Wong, the director of the center, joined Minnesota Now to break down the economic, health, education, and public safety impacts the study found.
HEALTH NEWS Choline intake in pregnancy linked to lower inflammation Fatty acids found to influence immune defense during chronic infections Online shopping and social media use linked to higher stress levels Scientists Discover Natural Compounds With Unexpected Benefits for Skin, Anti-Aging, and Heart Health Discrimination damages the body—and makes victims age faster Choline intake in pregnancy linked to lower inflammation Cornell University, February 5 2026 (Eurekalert) A new Cornell University study suggests that choline, a nutrient many pregnant people consume too little of, may play an underappreciated role in keeping inflammation in check during pregnancy. Choline is an essential nutrient involved in many biological processes, including cell membrane structure, neurotransmitter production, methylation, immune cell receptor agonism, and fetal brain development, and some of these biochemical processes play a role in the regulation of inflammation. It is found primarily in eggs, meat, fish, dairy and some legumes and cruciferous vegetables. Researchers analyzed data from more than 1,300 pregnant participants enrolled in the Alberta Pregnancy Outcomes and Nutrition (APrON) cohort, one of the most detailed long-running pregnancy nutrition studies in North America. They found that higher recent dietary choline intake was associated with lower levels of inflammation in the third trimester. Most strikingly, participants with the highest choline intakes had dramatically lower odds of having clinically elevated inflammation than those with the lowest intakes.The current recommendation for choline during pregnancy is 450 mg, but there's some evidence that that may not be enough. Fatty acids found to influence immune defense during chronic infections University of California at San Diego, February 5 2026 (Medical Xpress) Our immune system implements an array of strategies to combat threatening infections. White blood cells called cytotoxic T lymphocytes or "CD8 T cells" are soldiers of the immune system, serving as defensive agents that fight invading pathogens. When CD8 T cells reach the point of exhaustion, their protective capabilities decline and the immune system is much less effective. University of California San Diego immunologists have now studied the influences related to metabolism and the environment surrounding CD8 T cells. Their study led to intriguing new insights on the role of fatty acids in chronic infections and other persistent conditions, such as tumors. The research focused on metabolites, including small molecules such as amino acids, sugars, and lipids, in mice that play key roles in metabolism and its many functions and pathways. The study examined how such metabolites circulating in the blood change during short-lived or long-lasting viral infections. They discovered that an ongoing viral infection causes a brief but striking shift in the availability of nutrients in the early stages after infection. They saw levels of fatty acids increase during the first week after infection, associated with infection-induced changes in eating behavior and fat breakdown. At the same time, a special group of exhausted CD8 T cells with stem-like properties was found to absorb and store more fat than other T cells. These cells were able to use fatty acids as an energy source to power their mitochondria, the cell's energy producers. When fatty acids were provided later during chronic infection, the number of stem-like T cells expanded. Online shopping and social media use linked to higher stress levels Aalto University (Finland), January 9 2026 (News-Medical) Planning to save time by doing your shopping online? If so, it's possible you're not doing your well-being any favors. A study from Aalto University in Finland has found that online shopping is more strongly linked to stress than reading the news, checking your inbox or watching adult entertainment. Previous studies have shown that social media and online shopping are often used to relieve stress. However, the new results show that a rise in social media use or online shopping is linked to an increase in self-reported stress across multiple user groups and across devices. The study found that users of YouTube and streaming services, as well as online gamers, also reported increased stress levels. For people experiencing high-stress, time spent on social media was twice more likely to be linked to stress as compared to time spent on gaming. Somewhat surprisingly, people who spent a lot of time on news sites reported less stress than others. On the other hand, those who already experienced a lot of stress didn't spend much time on news sites. Overall, the study found a strong connection between internet use, in general, and heightened stress, especially among those who already experienced a lot of stress in daily life. Women reported more stress than men, and the older and wealthier the participant, the less stress they experienced. Scientists Discover Natural Compounds With Unexpected Benefits for Skin, Anti-Aging, and Heart Health Meijo University (Japan), February 5, 2026 (SciTech Daily) Scientists have found that certain natural compounds produced by algae and cyanobacteria may offer benefits beyond sun protection, including support for skin health and cardiovascular function. In lab experiments, two mycosporine-like amino acids were found to do more than soak up ultraviolet light. They also slowed down a major enzyme tied to blood pressure control, while showing antioxidant and anti-aging activity. One enzyme, Porphyra-334, is abundant in edible seaweed, which is already consumed widely in many countries. This raises the possibility that everyday foods may contain underappreciated bioactive compounds worthy of further health-related research.These compounds, called mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), are produced by seaweeds and other tiny organisms that spend their lives exposed to intense light. MAAs work like built in sun filters by absorbing ultraviolet (UV) radiation before it can harm cells. One of the most notable findings came from experiments on the inhibiting the angiotensin-converting enzyme ACE, a key regulator of blood pressure. Many widely prescribed hypertension drugs work by blocking ACE. Both compounds reduced the activity of this enzyme in laboratory tests, marking the first report of such an effect for MAAs. Although the observed effects were moderate and measured outside the human body, the discovery opens a new direction for future research. Discrimination damages the body—and makes victims age faster University of Montreal, January 19 2026 (Medical Xpress) Has being discriminated against as an LGBTQ+ person been so bad, the stress so heavy, that the victim can literally feel it in their bones? Well, it turns out that's exactly what happens: discrimination damages the body and brain. That's the conclusion of a new study by researchers at Université de Montréal, who found that discrimination against sexually and gender-diverse people leaves measurable biological traces in the body—so much so, it should be considered a chronic health burden. Published in Psychoneuroendocrinology, the study was done on 357 Montreal adults aged 18 to 79: They included 129 cisgender sexual minority men and women, 96 transgender and non-binary people, and 72 cisgender heterosexual men and women. UdeM researchers measured the participants' allostatic load, the cumulative biological wear-and-tear associated with chronic stress. They looked at 16 biomarkers affecting the subjects' cardiovascular, metabolic, neuroendocrine and immune systems. Results show that major life experiences of discrimination and daily microaggressions were positively associated with allostatic load. This means that these two types of discriminatory events independently contribute to physiological dysregulation, creating a cumulative health burden and accelerated aging. The study revealed significant disparities: people on the male spectrum (cisgender and transgender men) had the highest levels of allostatic load, while sexual minority men (bisexual and gay) also showed high levels of biological stress.
Pam Simon, MSN, CPNP, CPON, Stanford Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program (SAYAC), Palo Alto, CA and H. Irene Su, MD MSCE, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA Recorded on January 20, 2026 Pam Simon, MSN, CPNP, CPON Nurse Practitioner & Program Manager Stanford Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Program (SAYAC) Palo Alto, CA H. Irene Su, MD MSCE Professor Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Fellowship Director Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility Co-Director, Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology Research Innovations Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Sciences Director, Moores Cancer Center Leadership Academy University of California San Diego San Diego, CA In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Irene Su, Professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences at UC San Diego, and Pam Simon, Nurse Practitioner and Program Manager of the Stanford Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer Program at Stanford Medicine. They discuss fertility risk across treatment types, approaches to fertility preservation and reproductive survivorship planning, insurance and access considerations, and the cultural and sociodemographic factors that shape care. They also share strategies to support shared decision-making and promote psychosocial well being for AYA patients and survivors. Tune in for practical insights to strengthen your approach to fertility care for AYAs. Mentioned on this episode: OncofertilityRisk.com The Alliance for Fertility Preservation Additional Blood Cancer United Resources: Blood Cancer United Accredited and Non-Accredited Healthcare Professional Education Blood Cancer United Resources for Patients
What does day-to-day interventional radiology look like in the military? Here's a firsthand account. Dr. John York, interventional radiologist at University of California San Diego with 37 years of active duty in the Navy joins host Dr. Ally Baheti to share his experiences and perspectives on being an interventional radiologist in the military. --- SYNPOSIS Dr. York recounts his path to the military and how it ultimately led him to interventional radiology. He reflects on his deployments to Afghanistan and Djibouti, highlighting the clinical complexity, operational challenges, and fulfilling aspects of delivering image-guided care in high-acuity environments. Dr. York recounts several remarkable cases from his deployments, including the management of a vertebral artery aneurysm. He underscores how strong foundational training enables creative problem-solving in resource-limited settings. Dr. York also shares his experience as senior medical officer on the USS Theodore Roosevelt during the initial COVID-19 outbreak, offering insight into the clinical, operational, and administrative challenges he faced. He highlights how adaptability and creative problem-solving are essential to managing complex cases in dynamic environments. --- TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - Introduction02:53 - Journey to Medicine: From Naval Academy to Medical School05:55 - Choosing Interventional Radiology08:11 - Military Medical Experience: Portsmouth and Beyond11:38 - First Deployment: Challenges and Adaptations14:38 - Case Studies: Trauma and Innovation in Afghanistan26:15 - A Unique Procedure in a Combat Zone28:49 - Transitioning Back to Civilian Life31:07 - Challenges in Combat Zones34:22 - Deployment in Djibouti38:25 - COVID-19 on the USS Theodore Roosevelt45:50 - Reflections on Military Service
Amy Liu is Founder and CEO of best-selling sensitive skin-friendly beauty brand Tower 28. After graduating from the University of California San Diego, Amy got her MBA in marketing and entrepreneurship from the University of Southern California. She led a successful 20+ year career as a beauty executive, building some of the fastest-growing prestige brands including Smashbox, Kate Somerville, and Josie Maran Cosmetics. But as a longtime eczema sufferer, she couldn't enjoy the best part of working in beauty: trying out all the products! She saw this challenge as an opportunity, and so in 2019, Amy launched Tower 28: a beauty company designed to be a safe space for sensitive skin. Tower 28's award-winning SOS skincare line is the first to earn seals of approval from the National Psoriasis Foundation, National Rosacea Society, and National Eczema Association— a testament to its commitment to skin-safe, effective formulations. It's also the only beauty brand to 100% adhere to the National Eczema Association's Ingredient Guidelines across all skincare and color products, ensuring the entire line is free of every known skin irritant.Follow Amy Liu hereFollow Tower 28 Beauty hereShop Tower 28 Beauty here - Use code THEBIGMOVE20 for 20% off your purchase at https://www.tower28beauty.com/ Follow The Big Move Podcast hereFollow Host Em here Listener Note: This episode touches on sensitive topics, including febrile seizure in children and the Los Angeles fires, which may be hard to hear for some listeners.
On this podcast, I'm honored to welcome Dr. Marci Reiss. Marci's story begins where so many hopeful stories begin—with a future wide open. In her mid-twenties, newly married, on her way to medical school, life felt full of promise. And then, over a single Valentine's Day weekend, everything changed. What began as a headache and a walk along the beach became a medical crisis. A frightening diagnosis. A sentence that would quietly govern the next fourteen years of her life. “You have Crohn's disease,” a doctor said—and walked out of the room. With those words, Marci entered a world of hospitals, procedures, chronic pain, and relentless uncertainty. She was hospitalized 162 times. She survived sepsis twice. She watched every corner of her life—marriage, motherhood, work, identity—bend under the weight of being chronically ill. But this is not only a story about suffering. It's a story about resilience. About misdiagnosis. And about the staggering consequences of human certainty when it goes unchallenged. Fourteen years later, a world-renowned physician discovered the truth: Marci never had Crohn's disease at all. Her illness had been caused by medications prescribed for a disease she didn't have. When those medications stopped, her health returned. So what does someone do with fourteen years lost to an illness that wasn't real—but whose pain absolutely was? Marci chose to turn loss into purpose. She devoted her life to helping others still living inside that prison—people whose bodies hurt, whose voices are doubted, whose identities have been reduced to diagnoses. Her wisdom isn't born from textbooks alone, but from lived experience: helping people find clarity in chaos, reclaim identity beyond illness, and remember who they are beneath medical labels. She has helped build integrated models of care at major institutions including the Mayo Clinic, Vanderbilt University, and the University of California San Diego—bringing mental and emotional health into spaces that once focused only on the body. This is a conversation about grief and healing. About the fragility of certainty. And about reclaiming a life after everything you thought you knew falls apart. I'm deeply grateful to share it with you. ——
On this podcast, I'm honored to welcome Dr. Marci Reiss. Marci's story begins where so many hopeful stories begin—with a future wide open. In her mid-twenties, newly married, on her way to medical school, life felt full of promise. And then, over a single Valentine's Day weekend, everything changed. What began as a headache and a walk along the beach became a medical crisis. A frightening diagnosis. A sentence that would quietly govern the next fourteen years of her life. “You have Crohn's disease,” a doctor said—and walked out of the room. With those words, Marci entered a world of hospitals, procedures, chronic pain, and relentless uncertainty. She was hospitalized 162 times. She survived sepsis twice. She watched every corner of her life—marriage, motherhood, work, identity—bend under the weight of being chronically ill. But this is not only a story about suffering. It's a story about resilience. About misdiagnosis. And about the staggering consequences of human certainty when it goes unchallenged. Fourteen years later, a world-renowned physician discovered the truth: Marci never had Crohn's disease at all. Her illness had been caused by medications prescribed for a disease she didn't have. When those medications stopped, her health returned. So what does someone do with fourteen years lost to an illness that wasn't real—but whose pain absolutely was? Marci chose to turn loss into purpose. She devoted her life to helping others still living inside that prison—people whose bodies hurt, whose voices are doubted, whose identities have been reduced to diagnoses. Her wisdom isn't born from textbooks alone, but from lived experience: helping people find clarity in chaos, reclaim identity beyond illness, and remember who they are beneath medical labels. She has helped build integrated models of care at major institutions including the Mayo Clinic, Vanderbilt University, and the University of California San Diego—bringing mental and emotional health into spaces that once focused only on the body. This is a conversation about grief and healing. About the fragility of certainty. And about reclaiming a life after everything you thought you knew falls apart. I'm deeply grateful to share it with you. ——
On this episode of the Energy Security Cubed Podcast, Joe talks with David Mares about the American intervention in Venezuela, what it means for the Venezuelan people and energy industry, and what would need to happen to build a better future for Venezuelans. You can find David's book "Resource Nationalism and Energy Policy" here: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/resource-nationalism-and-energy-policy/9780231202947/ // Guest Bio: - David R. Mares is Distinguished Professor Emeritus and Institute of the Americas Endowed Chair for Inter-American Affairs Emeritus at the University of California San Diego's Department of Political Science, as well as the Baker Institute Scholar for Latin American Energy Studies at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy at Rice University // Host Bio: - Joe Calnan is VP Energy and Calgary Operations at the Canadian Global Affairs Institute // Reading recommendation: - "The Grey Wolf: A Novel", by Louise Penny: https://www.amazon.ca/Grey-Wolf-Novel-Inspector-Gamache-ebook/dp/B0CQHLDW2T - "The Black Wolf: A Novel", by Louise Penny: https://www.amazon.ca/Black-Wolf-Novel-Inspector-Gamache-ebook/dp/B0DPJ5W41H // Interview recording Date: January 9, 2026 // Energy Security Cubed is part of the CGAI Podcast Network. Follow the Canadian Global Affairs Institute on Facebook, Twitter (@CAGlobalAffairs), or on LinkedIn. Head over to our website at www.cgai.ca for more commentary. // Produced by Joe Calnan. Music credits to Drew Phillips.
Thank you to Portland, Oregon's own actor, writer, producer, and director Johnny Ray Gill for coming on my show for an interview! Johnny discussed playing Bobby Trey in Amazon's Cross TV show, what we can expect from his character in Season 2 this coming February, and his upcoming debut album Screenplays. He spoke about his experience on Chicago PD, True Blood, and his work with his own production company First Flock Pictures. Johnny also talked about why some notable celebrities are sell outs, his time at Temple and University of California San Diego, and more! Follow Johnny Ray Gill on Instagram and X: @johnnyraygill Follow me on Instagram and X: @thereelmax Website: https://maxcoughlan.com/index.html. Website live show streaming link: https://maxcoughlan.com/sports-and-hip-hop-with-dj-mad-max-live-stream.html. MAD MAX Radio on Live365: https://live365.com/station/MAD-MAX-Radio-a15096. Subscribe to my YouTube channel Sports and Hip Hop with DJ Mad Max: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCE0107atIPV-mVm0M3UJyPg. Johnny Ray Gill on "Sports and Hip-Hop with DJ Mad Max" visual on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9fAGEnofC5I.
BUFFALO, NY - December 17, 2025 – A new #research paper was #published in Oncotarget (Volume 16) on December 15, 2025, titled “Machine learning-based survival prediction in colorectal cancer combining clinical and biological features.” In this study, led by Lucas M. Vieira from the University of Brasília and the University of California San Diego, researchers used machine learning to predict survival in patients with colorectal cancer. They built a model by combining biological markers with clinical data. This approach could help improve prognosis and guide treatment strategies for one of the world's most common and deadly cancers. The team analyzed data from over 500 patients, using clinical details such as age, chemotherapy status, and cancer stage, along with molecular features like gene expression and microRNAs. Their goal was to improve how clinicians identify high-risk patients and make outcome predictions more precise. Researchers evaluated three different patient data scenarios using different machine learning techniques. The best-performing was an adaptive boosting model, which achieved 89.58% accuracy. This approach showed that integrating clinical and biological data led to significantly better predictions than using either data type alone. Among the biological markers, the gene E2F8 was consistently influential in all patient groups and is known to play a role in tumor growth. Other important markers included WDR77 and hsa-miR-495-3p, which are also associated with cancer development. Key clinical predictors included cancer stage, patient age, lymph node involvement, and whether chemotherapy was administered. “The proposed method combines biological and clinical features to predict patient survival, using as input data from patients from the United States, available in the TCGA database.” Unlike earlier models that relied on either clinical or molecular data alone, this study demonstrates the added value of combining both. Ensemble methods, which merge multiple learning algorithms, provided more stable and consistent results across all patient groups tested. These research findings could lead to new tools that help clinicians better predict how a patient's disease might progress or respond to treatment. The study also highlights the importance of collecting complete clinical information, such as lifestyle factors, which were missing from the dataset but could enhance future predictions. Overall, the study demonstrated how machine learning can support more accurate and personalized survival predictions in colorectal cancer. It also points to potential future research on markers like E2F8, which may be useful for monitoring or targeted therapy. DOI - https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.28783 Correspondence to - Lucas M. Vieira - lvieira@health.ucsd.edu Abstract video - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cy7UL5ZUKuI Sign up for free Altmetric alerts about this article - https://oncotarget.altmetric.com/details/email_updates?id=10.18632%2Foncotarget.28783 Subscribe for free publication alerts from Oncotarget - https://www.oncotarget.com/subscribe/ Keywords - cancer, colorectal cancer, machine learning, feature selection, non-coding RNAs, genes To learn more about Oncotarget, please visit https://www.oncotarget.com and connect with us on social media: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/Oncotarget/ X - https://twitter.com/oncotarget Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/oncotargetjrnl/ YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@OncotargetJournal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/oncotarget Pinterest - https://www.pinterest.com/oncotarget/ Reddit - https://www.reddit.com/user/Oncotarget/ Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0gRwT6BqYWJzxzmjPJwtVh MEDIA@IMPACTJOURNALS.COM
Former U.S. Senator, former university president, and Senior Fellow at AEI Ben Sasse, joined The Guy Benson Show today to discuss a few stories surrounding falling education standards and collegiate athletics. One story involves new University of California San Diego report showing incoming freshmen lacking basic middle-school-level math skills, which he says reflects a much deeper national problem in education. Sasse and Benson also discussed Harvard's stunning grade inflation and the rise in students at elite schools claiming disabilities to gain academic advantages. Finally, Sasse and Benson discussed the current overcorrections in NIL and the college football playoff system need to be reined in to restore balance so that college sports does not remain a "junior professional sports league." Listen to the full interview below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Former U.S. Senator, former university president, and Senior Fellow at AEI Ben Sasse, joined The Guy Benson Show today to discuss a few stories surrounding falling education standards and collegiate athletics. One story involves new University of California San Diego report showing incoming freshmen lacking basic middle-school-level math skills, which he says reflects a much deeper national problem in education. Sasse and Benson also discussed Harvard's stunning grade inflation and the rise in students at elite schools claiming disabilities to gain academic advantages. Finally, Sasse and Benson discussed the current overcorrections in NIL and the college football playoff system need to be reined in to restore balance so that college sports does not remain a "junior professional sports league." Listen to the full interview below! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.Listen closely for your chance to win awesome prizes from Heli Life! Throughout 2025, every episode of The Hangar Z Podcast will reveal a secret word. Once you catch it, head to contests.verticalhelicasts.com to enter!This two-part series was recorded on location in San Diego at the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Air Support Hangar, as part of the 2025 Blades of Valor Road Tour.The 2025 Blades of Valor Tour took us to four agencies across four states, showcasing their exceptional work through print, video, and right here on the podcast.The Blades of Valor tour wouldn't be possible without the support of Airbus and Massif Flight Suits.The San Diego Police Department Air Support Unit has an outstanding program supporting airborne law enforcement operations throughout the city and county of San Diego.During this conversation, we are privileged to speak with Matt Zdunich, sergeant of the San Diego Police Department Air Support Unit. Sgt Zdunich comes from a family of dedicated San Diego police officers.A graduate of Marine Corps Officer Candidates School and University of California San Diego, Sgt Zdunich was hired by SDPD right after college and started the police academy the same week as his finals. He earned a master's degree in public administration from National University after five years on the force.Sgt Zdunich has been with SDPD for 24 years. His first 10 years were at Central Division, where he gained experience in patrol, SWAT, FTO, crime suppression, undercover narcotics, and acting sergeant roles. He's been part of the Air Support Unit for over 13 years, progressing from tactical flight officer (TFO) to pilot, then to TFO trainer, flight instructor, and now chief pilot. In February 2025, he was promoted to sergeant and will soon oversee maintenance and safety, while continuing his duties as a TFO, pilot-in-command, and trainer.These conversations highlight the importance of solid leadership, a great unit culture, and utilizing emerging technology to make your unit more effective and efficient.Want more from our time with the SDPD Air Support Unit? A full profile is landing soon on verticalmag.com. Until then, dive into Jack Schonely's look at how San Diego is applying FLIR tech to elevate aerial policing, and relive our 2025 Blades of Valor Road Tour through the incredible video captured by Lloyd Horgan. Stay tuned — we're gearing up for another year as the Blades of Valor Road Tour continues in 2026.Thank you to our sponsors CNC Technologies, Metro Aviation and Quantum Helicopters.
Mind Wandering and Mental Focus with Arnaud Delorme Arnaud Delorme is a university professor at Paul Sabatier University in Toulouse, France. He is also an adjunct faculty member at the Schwarz Center for Computational Neuroscience at the University of California San Diego and a consulting research scientist at the Institute of Noetic Sciences. His research encompasses pure neuroscience methods as well as the neuroscience of mind wandering, meditation, and so-called mediums, and he is the author of Why Our Minds Wander: Understand the Science and Learn How to Focus Your Thoughts. Arnaud explores the neuroscience of mind wandering, explaining how spontaneous thought arises, why it is universal, and how it relates to meditation and brain networks. He discusses the default mode network, metacognition, and how awareness of wandering thoughts reveals the dynamic nature of consciousness. Delorme also shares practical insights into tuning the mind through meditation and understanding the evolutionary, emotional, and creative roles of mind wandering. New Thinking Allowed host, Jeffrey Mishlove, PhD, is author of The Roots of Consciousness, Psi Development Systems, and The PK Man. Between 1986 and 2002 he hosted and co-produced the original Thinking Allowed public television series. He is the recipient of the only doctoral diploma in “parapsychology” ever awarded by an accredited university (University of California, Berkeley, 1980). He is also the Grand Prize winner of the 2021 Bigelow Institute essay competition regarding the best evidence for survival of human consciousness after permanent bodily death. He is Co-Director of Parapsychology Education at the California Institute for Human Science. (Recorded on November 7, 2025) Check out New Thinking Allowed’s AI chatbot. You can create a free account at awakin.ai/open/jeffreymishlove. When you enter the space, you will see that our chatbot is one of several you can interact with. While it is still a work in progress, it has been trained on 1,600 NTA transcripts. It can provide intelligent answers about the contents of our interviews. It’s almost like having a conversation with Jeffrey Mishlove. For a short video on How to Get the Most From New Thinking Allowed, go to For a complete, updated list with links to all of our videos, see https://newthinkingallowed.com/Listings.htm. Check out the New Thinking Allowed Foundation website at http://www.newthinkingallowed.org. There you will find our incredible, searchable database as well as opportunities to shop and to support our video productions – plus, this is where people can subscribe to our FREE, weekly Newsletter and can download a FREE .pdf copy of our quarterly magazine. To order high-quality, printed copies of our quarterly magazine: https://nta-magazine.magcloud.com/ If you would like to join our team of volunteers, helping to promote the New Thinking Allowed YouTube channel on social media, editing and translating videos, creating short video trailers based on our interviews, helping to upgrade our website, or contributing in other ways (we may not even have thought of), please send an email to friends@newthinkingallowed.com. To join the NTA Psi Experience Community on Facebook, see https://www.facebook.com/groups/1953031791426543/ To download and listen to audio versions of the New Thinking Allowed videos, please visit our new podcast at https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/new-thinking-allowed-audio-podcast/id1435178031. You can help support our video productions while enjoying a good book. To order a copy of New Thinking Allowed Dialogues: Is There Life After Death? click on https://amzn.to/3LzLA7Y (As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.) To order the second book in the New Thinking Allowed Dialogues series, Russell Targ: Ninety Years of ESP, Remote Viewing, and Timeless Awareness, go to https://amzn.to/4aw2iyr To order a copy of New Thinking Allowed Dialogues: UFOs and UAP – Are We Really Alone?, go to https://amzn.to/3Y0VOVh To order a copy of Charles T. Tart: Seventy Years of Exploring Consciousness and Parapsychology, go to https://amzn.to/41jIX1o To order a copy of Charles T. Tart: Seventy Years of Exploring Consciousness and Parapsychology, go to https://amzn.to/4oOUJLn Download and read Jeffrey Mishlove’s Grand Prize essay in the Bigelow Institute competition, Beyond the Brain: The Survival of Human Consciousness After Permanent Bodily Death, go to https://www.bigelowinstitute.org/docs/1st.pdf To order Why Our Minds Wander, by Arnaud Delorme, go to https://amzn.to/4o3L3Lt
Welcome to The Hangar Z Podcast, brought to you by Vertical HeliCASTS, in partnership with Vertical Valor Magazine.Listen closely for your chance to win awesome prizes from Heli Life! Throughout 2025, every episode of The Hangar Z Podcast will reveal a secret word. Once you catch it, head to contests.verticalhelicasts.com to enter!This two-part series was recorded on location in San Diego at the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) Air Support Hangar, as part of the 2025 Blades of Valor Road Tour.The 2025 Blades of Valor Tour took us to four agencies across four states, showcasing their exceptional work through print, video, and right here on the podcast.The Blades of Valor tour wouldn't be possible without the support of Airbus and Massif Flight Suits.The San Diego Police Department Air Support Unit has an outstanding program supporting airborne law enforcement operations throughout the city and county of San Diego.During this conversation, we are privileged to speak with Matt Zdunich, sergeant of the San Diego Police Department Air Support Unit. Sgt Zdunich comes from a family of dedicated San Diego police officers.A graduate of Marine Corps Officer Candidates School and University of California San Diego, Sgt Zdunich was hired by SDPD right after college and started the police academy the same week as his finals. He earned a master's degree in public administration from National University after five years on the force.Sgt Zdunich has been with SDPD for 24 years. His first 10 years were at Central Division, where he gained experience in patrol, SWAT, FTO, crime suppression, undercover narcotics, and acting sergeant roles. He's been part of the Air Support Unit for over 13 years, progressing from tactical flight officer (TFO) to pilot, then to TFO trainer, flight instructor, and now chief pilot. In February 2025, he was promoted to sergeant and will soon oversee maintenance and safety, while continuing his duties as a TFO, pilot-in-command, and trainer.These conversations highlight the importance of solid leadership, a great unit culture, and utilizing emerging technology to make your unit more effective and efficient. Want more from our time with the SDPD Air Support Unit? A full profile is landing soon on verticalmag.com. Until then, dive into Jack Schonely's look at how San Diego is applying FLIR tech to elevate aerial policing, and relive our 2025 Blades of Valor Road Tour through the incredible video captured by Lloyd Horgan. Stay tuned — we're gearing up for another year as the Blades of Valor Road Tour continues in 2026.Thank you to our sponsors Airbus, CNC Technologies and SHOTOVER.
China’s college exam, the gaokao, is fetishized as the ultimate test, yet a lesser-known story is how it entrenches regional education discrimination. Its role at social engineering is also clear, with AI suddenly becoming the sixth most popular major in China, on command from above. This month, the Little Red Podcast sets the first ever podcast gaokao. The intrepid test-takers are Edward Vickers from Kyushu University, co-author of Education and Society in Post-Mao China and host of the Asian Education Podcast, Karron Huang, who is studying for a Masters in early childhood education at the University of Melbourne and sat the gaokao in 2015, and Ruixue Xia from the University of California San Diego who coauthored The Highest Exam: How the Gaokao Shapes China. Image: c/- Karron Huang. Morning gaokao study session, Foshan No. 1 High School, Guangdong, 2015. Transcripts are available at https://ciw.anu.edu.au/podcasts/little-red-podcastSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
The University of California San Diego is one of the best public colleges in America. So it was fairly shocking when the school released a report on the steep decline in academic preparedness of its freshman. The number of incoming students in need of remedial math has surged in the past few years. These students did not fail high school math. Many of them got straight A's. Other colleges have seen similar trends: declining mathematical ability from students who aced their high school tests. I think that there are several ways to frame the problem we're looking at here. One is that American kids can't do math: That's the headline of a recent Atlantic article by Rose Horowitch. Another frame, as Kelsey Piper writes in the online magazine The Argument, is that grades have stopped meaning anything. I think that the full story is somewhere in between. The age of grade inflation is also the age of achievement deflation. We are giving more and more A's to students who are learning less and less. There is a lot of talk these days about America moving into a postliterate future. One piece of evidence for this is declining test scores for literacy among students and adults. Fewer people talk about a post-numerate future. The problem here is bigger than UC San Diego. National assessments in the U.S. and even throughout the developed world show that people are getting worse at math. But why? Today we have three guests to help us answer these questions. Rose Horowitch of The Atlantic, Kelsey Piper of The Argument, and Joshua Goodman, an associate professor of education and economics at Boston University. We talk about plummeting math scores for American students, why it's happening, and why it matters at a moment when carbon-based humans seem to be getting dumber at the very moment that silicon-based machines are getting smarter. If you have questions, observations, or ideas for future episodes, email us at PlainEnglish@Spotify.com. Host: Derek Thompson Guests: Rose Horowitch, Kelsey Piper and Joshua Goodman Producers: Devon Baroldi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Many parts of female sexual anatomy have long been misunderstood, but the clitoris is chief among them. Throughout history, the clitoris is something that has repeatedly been discovered, described, and then forgotten. In today's show, we're going revisit one of my favorite conversations from the archives and talk all about the history and science of the clitoris. My guest is Dr. Maria Uloko, a board certified urologist specializing in comprehensive sexual health, reconstruction and prosthesis. A former clinical professor at the University of California San Diego, Dr. Uloko is now the CEO of MUMD Sexual Medicine Consulting and the founder of VULVAi, an innovative patient advocacy tool that employs AI to aid patients grappling with vulvovaginal issues. Some of the specific topics we explore in this episode include: Why has it taken so long for us to gain a solid scientific understanding of the clitoris? How many nerve endings are actually in the clitoris? How can a better understanding of clitoral anatomy help to improve sexual health and pleasure? Is there really a difference between clitoral and vaginal orgasms? What is the role of testosterone in clitoral health and wellness? You can visit Maria’s website to learn more about her work. Got a sex question? Send me a podcast voicemail to have it answered on a future episode at speakpipe.com/sexandpsychology. *** Thank you to our sponsors! Passionate about building a career in sexuality? Check out the Sexual Health Alliance. With SHA, you’ll connect with world-class experts and join an engaged community of sexuality professionals from around the world. Visit SexualHealthAlliance.com and start building the sexuality career of your dreams today.*** A bad mattress can ruin your intimate life. If you want to upgrade your sleep, check out Brooklyn Bedding, where you can try a 120-night comfort trial. Go to brooklynbedding.com and use my promo code JUSTIN at checkout to get 30% off sitewide. *** Want to learn more about Sex and Psychology? Click here for previous articles or follow the blog on Facebook, Twitter, or Bluesky to receive updates. You can also follow Dr. Lehmiller on YouTube and Instagram. Listen and stream all episodes on Apple, Spotify, or Amazon. Subscribe to automatically receive new episodes and please rate and review the podcast! Credits: Precision Podcasting (Podcast editing) and Shutterstock/Florian (Music). Image created with Canva; photos used with permission of guest.
Welcome to Ozempic Weightloss Unlocked. Today, we are diving into the latest news and updates on Ozempic, a drug reshaping how we think about weight loss, health, and lifestyle.In the past year, millions of people have turned to Ozempic, part of a group of medications called GLP-1 receptor agonists. Originally created to manage blood sugar for people with type 2 diabetes, Ozempic's appetite-suppressing effects have made it a sought-after tool for weight management. According to the Pennington Biomedical Research Center, these medications were developed from a compound first found in the saliva of the Gila monster lizard. It is amazing to think that a hormone from a desert reptile is now changing lives in clinics around the world.One of the most important updates is accessibility. The White House recently announced a deal with drug makers Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk to cut prices for Ozempic and related drugs. The average monthly cost, once more than one thousand dollars, could now be as low as fifty to three hundred fifty dollars a month, depending on your insurance. Kim Fisher of the UC Davis Innovation Institute for Food and Health says around one in eight adults in the United States—about forty-one million people—have already used GLP-1 drugs. Lower prices open the door for many more people to take advantage of these treatments.For listeners looking for alternatives to injections, there is more good news. Novo Nordisk recently released results from a study on an oral pill version of Ozempic's sister drug, Wegovy. The New England Journal of Medicine reports that this once-daily pill resulted in an average weight loss of sixteen point six percent—almost identical to the weekly injection. While the pill is not yet approved by the Food and Drug Administration, it may become a game-changer for those seeking a needle-free option. Novo Nordisk says they hope to set a new benchmark for oral weight loss medications pending approval.If you are wondering whether these drugs only affect the scale, the answer is no. According to research from UC Davis and the University of California San Diego, GLP-1 drugs not only promote weight loss, but may also offer broader health benefits. Some of the latest studies show that these medications can lower cardiovascular risk, benefit blood pressure, and even reduce the risk of major events like heart attacks and stroke.Researchers at UC San Diego found that GLP-1 use among people with colon cancer was tied to much lower death rates—fifteen point five percent for those on the drugs, versus thirty-seven point one percent for those who were not. While the exact reasons are still being studied, experts believe these medications reduce inflammation, improve insulin sensitivity, and might even directly inhibit the growth of cancer cells.The way GLP-1 drugs work is by mimicking a natural hormone produced in your gut after eating. They help your body feel full longer, lower blood sugar, and curb cravings—especially for sweets and fatty foods. Patients often report that the constant mental chatter about food is quieter, making it easier to stick to healthy habits.With all the benefits, it is important to mention common side effects. Many users experience nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, particularly when starting or increasing doses. Doctors recommend pairing treatment with a nutrient-dense diet, regular exercise, and enough protein to help preserve muscle mass.Experts are also discussing the need for ongoing research into the long-term effects and best practices for managing side effects. As these drugs become more widely used, scientists are working to make sure weight loss translates into lasting improvements for health and well-being.That is all for today's episode of Ozempic Weightloss Unlocked. Thank you for tuning in. To stay up to date on the next wave of news and breakthroughs, remember to subscribe. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.aiThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Welcome to Ozempic Weightloss Unlocked, where we decode the latest breakthroughs, news, and hidden truths about one of the world's most talked-about weight loss drugs. Today, the buzz is about change—how new research, fresh delivery methods, and evolving regulations are reshaping the Ozempic story. Let us start with what is most recent. There is a big development: needles may no longer be necessary. According to reporting in Popular Mechanics and new data published in The New England Journal of Medicine, Novo Nordisk, the maker of Ozempic and Wegovy, has released results for a daily oral version of semaglutide, the active ingredient in Ozempic. In their clinical trial, this pill matched the weight loss produced by the weekly injection, with an average of 16.6 percent reduction in body weight. About a third of participants lost more than 20 percent. While side effects like nausea and vomiting were reported at higher rates than placebo, this new pill could make using these drugs more accessible than ever.Access is also the hot topic in pricing. Until this year, monthly Ozempic prescriptions could cost up to $1,350 without insurance support. But after new negotiations, many users will soon pay $50 to $350 per month, depending on dosage and coverage. Lower prices are expected to make these drugs far more widely available.So, how well does Ozempic stack up in its primary role? Ozempic was first approved to treat type two diabetes, with weight loss as a major secondary effect. Harper Clinic Utah reports that, in clinical trials, people using Ozempic lost on average between 10 and 15 percent of their body weight over a little more than a year. But real world success depends on how consistently people use it and whether they also improve their diet and exercise habits.Now a common question—how does Ozempic compare to newer weight loss options like Zepbound and Wegovy? The main distinction is the active ingredient. Ozempic uses semaglutide, which triggers the body to release the hormone GLP-1, helping you feel fuller and slow digestion. Zepbound uses tirzepatide, which mimics both GLP-1 and a second hormone called GIP, and results from major trials suggest it can lead to more dramatic weight loss—up to 21 percent of body weight in some studies. However, Ozempic remains covered by insurance for diabetes, while Zepbound is less often covered.Beyond weight, a new area of research is exploring how Ozempic could affect long-term health conditions. According to ScienceDaily, a recent large-scale analysis found that when people stop using prescription weight loss drugs like Ozempic, they tend to regain much of their lost weight, underscoring the need for ongoing treatment or lifestyle change. But these medicines may do much more than affect weight. Recent studies at University of California San Diego found that people with colon cancer who were on GLP-1 drugs were less than half as likely to die within five years. Another new UVA study, covered by Fox News and ScienceDaily, points to dramatically lower death rates in cancer patients who use GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic—potentially because they lower inflammation and improve metabolic health.There is also new investigation about Ozempic's possible use in treating long COVID. According to research covered by ClickOnDetroit, anecdotal reports suggest that some people taking GLP-1 drugs for weight loss also experienced improvement in their post-COVID symptoms, and new clinical trials are underway.Despite these major advances, affordability and access remain challenges. The latest KFF Health Tracking Poll says that about one in eight adults in the United States are now taking a GLP-1 medication like Ozempic, Wegovy, or Zepbound. But half of those surveyed still find the drugs financially out of reach, even as prices are starting to come down.What does all this mean for lifestyle and health? The current scientific consensus is clear: these drugs do not replace needed changes in eating habits and physical activity. As physicians emphasize, Ozempic works best as part of a treatment plan that includes real lifestyle change.As you can see, Ozempic and drugs like it are not just a story about slimming down—they are opening doors to better health, new medical research, and greater access for millions. Thank you for tuning in to Ozempic Weightloss Unlocked. Make sure to subscribe so you do not miss the next episode covering the evolving science and your questions about Ozempic and weight loss. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai. Some great Deals https://amzn.to/49SJ3QsFor more check out http://www.quietplease.aiThis content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
First up on the podcast, increased carbon dioxide emissions sink more acidity into the ocean, but checking pH all over the world, up and down the water column, is incredibly challenging. Staff Writer Paul Voosen joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss a technique that takes advantage of how sound moves through the water to detect ocean acidification. Next on the show, we visit the lab of University of California San Diego professor Alysson Muotri at the Sanford Consortium, where he grows human brain organoids—multicellular structures that function like underdeveloped brains. Muotri used organoids to compare a protein that appears to be protective in human brains against the effects of lead toxicity with the archaic version of the protein that was present in our extinct cousins, like Denisovans and Neanderthals. His work suggests lead exposure differently affected our ancestors and our archaic cousins, possibly helping us survive to the present day. Finally, stay tuned for the last in our six-part series on books exploring the science of death. This month, host Angela Saini talks with astrophysicist Katie Mack about how the universe might end and her 2021 book The End of Everything: (Astrophysically Speaking). This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
First up on the podcast, increased carbon dioxide emissions sink more acidity into the ocean, but checking pH all over the world, up and down the water column, is incredibly challenging. Staff Writer Paul Voosen joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss a technique that takes advantage of how sound moves through the water to detect ocean acidification. Next on the show, we visit the lab of University of California San Diego professor Alysson Muotri at the Sanford Consortium, where he grows human brain organoids—multicellular structures that function like underdeveloped brains. Muotri used organoids to compare a protein that appears to be protective in human brains against the effects of lead toxicity with the archaic version of the protein that was present in our extinct cousins, like Denisovans and Neanderthals. His work suggests lead exposure differently affected our ancestors and our archaic cousins, possibly helping us survive to the present day. Finally, stay tuned for the last in our six-part series on books exploring the science of death. This month, host Angela Saini talks with astrophysicist Katie Mack about how the universe might end and her 2021 book The End of Everything: (Astrophysically Speaking). This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this essential episode of Parallax, Dr Ankur Kalra welcomes Dr Monica Tincopa, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of California San Diego, for a crucial conversation about Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) and its profound implications for cardiovascular care. Dr Tincopa guides listeners through the recent transformation from NAFLD to MASLD, explaining why this nomenclature change represents more than just terminology, instead reflecting a deeper understanding of metabolic health that directly impacts cardiology practice. The conversation explores practical screening strategies that cardiologists can implement immediately, including the use of FIB-4 risk stratification and recognizing incidental findings on cardiac imaging. Dr Tincopa shares insights on when to refer patients to hepatology specialists and how the shared risk factors between MASLD and cardiovascular disease create opportunities for comprehensive patient care. This episode equips cardiologists with essential knowledge to identify at-risk patients within their existing practice, understand the cardiovascular implications of liver disease, and optimize care coordination for patients with overlapping metabolic conditions. Questions and comments can be sent to "podcast@radcliffe-group.com" and may be answered by Ankur in the next episode. Host: @AnkurKalraMD and produced by: @RadcliffeCardio Parallax is Ranked in the Top 100 Health Science Podcasts (#48) by Million Podcasts.
With the introduction of checkpoint inhibitors into non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) management, who's on point for planning, administering, and optimizing combination therapies? Is it still the urologist, or does medical oncology play a more significant role now than it did before? In this episode of the BackTable 2025 NMIBC Creator Weekend™ series, host Dr. Bogdana Schmidt sits down with Dr. Tyler Stewart, medical oncologist from the University of California San Diego, to discuss the contemporary role of medical and surgical oncology in treating non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.---This podcast is supported by:Ferring Pharmaceuticalshttps://www.ferring.com/home-classic/people-and-families/uro-uro-oncology/bladder-cancer/---SYNPOSISThe conversation covers the efficacy and safety of checkpoint inhibitors like pembrolizumab, the importance of a multidisciplinary approach, and the challenges of balancing systemic and localized treatments. They also touch upon the potential future role of biomarkers in reducing invasive procedures and improving patient outcomes.---TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Introduction02:04 - The Role of Medical Oncologists in Bladder Cancer12:58 - Combination Therapies and Patient Outcomes21:18 - The CREST Study26:59 - Managing Adverse Events34:44 - Collaboration Between Urologists and Oncologists41:06 - Conclusion and Final Thoughts---RESOURCESCREST Trialhttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41591-025-03738-zCISTO Studyhttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37980511/
Psychologists Off The Clock: A Psychology Podcast About The Science And Practice Of Living Well
Have you ever found yourself holding onto feelings of guilt or shame long after a difficult experience or mistake? In this episode, Jill sits down with Dr. Carolyn Allard, a leading voice in trauma-focused psychology and research. Together, they unpack the complex nature of guilt and shame, especially when these emotions become non-adaptive in the face of trauma or hardship. Carolyn, who is also the author of Transform Your Guilt and Shame: Evidence-Based Strategies to Heal from Trauma and Adversity, shares how to recognize the difference between guilt and shame and introduces the idea of “non-adaptive guilt and shame” (NAGS). You'll gain insight into how these emotions link to moral injury and other trauma responses, and walk away with actionable tools such as hindsight bias and justification analysis to better understand, challenge, and manage them.Listen and Learn: How guilt and shame differ lies in focus, as guilt is about actions and shame is about identity, and why they matterHow moral injury can emerge from situations where individuals face impossible choices that conflict with their values, leading to lasting feelings of guilt and shameWhy we feel non-adaptive guilt and shame often comes down to distorted beliefs about responsibility, justification, and values, and how understanding these patterns helps us break free from self-blame and move toward self-compassionHow hindsight bias can trick us into unfair self-judgment, and by reflecting on our choices and context at the time, we can gain a clearer, kinder perspectiveUnderstanding the difference between accountability (being answerable) and responsibility (having control or intention) and how this helps us untangle guilt and shame, process mistakes effectively, and break the self-reinforcing cycles of trauma that impair our ability to act according to our valuesResources: Transform Your Guilt and Shame: Evidence-Based Strategies to Heal from Trauma and Adversity: https://bookshop.org/a/30734/9781433843419 Carolyn's Website: https://www.carolynallardphd.com/Connect with Carolyn on Social Media: Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/carolynallardphd.bsky.social Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/p/Carolyn-Allard-PhD LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/carolyn-allard-99749155/About Carolyn B. AllardCarolyn B. Allard ,PhD, ABPP, is internationally recognized for her trauma-focused research and clinical expertise. She is a licensed, board-certified clinical psychologist, Distinguished Professor and Program Director of the Clinical Psychology PhD Program at Alliant International University. Before that, she directed a trauma clinic at the VA San Diego Healthcare System and served as clinical faculty at the University of California San Diego. Carolyn also serves on the executive council of the American Psychological Association's Trauma Division and its scientific journal's editorial board, and has over 200 scientific publications and presentations. For over 20 years, she has been providing therapy, training and consultation in empirically supported therapy for posttraumatic distress; and conducting research focused on socio-cultural and contextual predictors of posttraumatic distress and treatment outcomes. She co-developed Trauma Informed Guilt Reduction (TrIGR), the evidence-based therapy that is the basis of her latest book, Transform Your Guilt and Shame, a self-guided workbook. Besides making psychology accessible, Carolyn is passionate about traveling and promoting compassion. Visit CarolynAllardPhD.com for more information.Related Episodes:118. Moral Injury and Shame with Lauren Borges and Jacob Farnsworth416. Trauma and PTSD Treatment with Robyn Walser383. What My Bones Know: C-PTSD with Stephanie Foo417. Busting Trauma Treatment Myths with Emi Nietfeld405. Taming the Inner Critic with Holly Yates and Shawn Whooley341. Self-Forgiveness with Grant Dewar279. ACT for Healing Black Racial Trauma with Jennifer Shepard PayneSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
This series of Voices of Student Success focuses on the use of generative artificial intelligence in higher education and how technology can support student success goals. While AI tools have proliferated in education and workplace settings, not all tools are free or accessible to students and staff, which can create equity gaps regarding who is able to participate and learn new skills. To address this gap, San Diego State University leaders created an equitable AI alliance in partnership with the University of California San Diego and the San Diego Community College District. Together, the institutions work to address affordability and accessibility concerns for AI solutions, as well as share best practices, resources and expertise. In the latest episode of Voices of Student Success, James Frazee, San Diego State University's chief information officer, discusses the alliance and SDSU's approach to teaching AI skills to students. Hosted by Inside Higher Ed Student Success reporter Ashley Mowreader, this episode is sponsored by TimelyCare. Read a transcript of the podcast here.
In this episode of Bowel Sounds, hosts Dr. Peter Lu and Dr. Jason Silverman talk to Dr. Amber Hildreth, pediatric gastroenterologist and transplant hepatologist at Rady Children's Hospital and Assistant Professor at the University of California San Diego. She is also a clinician scientist at the Rady Children's Institute for Genomic Medicine. We discuss how genetic testing is transforming the way we care for children with rare GI and liver diseases.Learning objectivesRecognize key differences between various types of genetic testing.Discuss several applications of genetic testing in care for children with GI disorders.Understand the role of the genetic counselor in integrating genetic testing into GI practice.Support the showThis episode may be eligible for CME credit! Once you have listened to the episode, click this link to claim your credit. Credit is available to NASPGHAN members (if you are not a member, you should probably sign up). And thank you to the NASPGHAN Professional Education Committee for their review!As always, the discussion, views, and recommendations in this podcast are the sole responsibility of the hosts and guests and are subject to change over time with advances in the field.Check out our merch website!Follow us on Bluesky, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for all the latest news and upcoming episodes.Click here to support the show.
Southern Oregon University Percussion Professor Terry Longshore stops by to talk about his job at the University, building a program, and his very active chamber and freelancing performance career (02:35), growing up in Fresno (CA) and his early background on a variety of instruments (32:20), attending Fresno State University for his first undergrad degree, playing regular gigs, and what he learned majoring in computer programming (42:40), his non-music job out of undergrad, then heading to Sacramento State (CA) to study music (56:40), his time as a grad student at the University of California-San Diego and learning under the mentorship of Steven Schick (01:07:30), his first teaching position in North Dakota and how he negotiated for a better job title (01:19:15), and settles in for the Random Ass Questions, including segments on percussion stereotypes, impressions, challenging circumstances, making hummus, wedding songs, great movies and books, and being inspired by music he's currently performing (01:26:45).Finishing with a Rave on the 2013 film About Time (01:59:15).Terry Longshore Links:Terry Longshore's websiteTerry Longshore's SOU pageTerry Longshore's Marimba One page'Rogue Valley SymphonyPrevious Podcast Guests mentioned:Steven Schick in 2025Hannah Weaver in 2021Other Links:Tessa BrinckmanGrant RuizJuri SeoShawn GlydeDavid GlydeGuide to Teaching Percussion - Ronald HollowayDaniel Kennedy“Third Construction” - John Cage“Synchronisms No. 5” - Mario DavidovskyGeorge LewisMiller PucketteBeginners trailerA Fine Balance - Rohinton MistryThe River Why - David James DuncanBraiding Sweetgrass - Robin Wall KimmererJustin DeHart“Got My Mind Set on You” - George HarrisonHow to Read a Book - Monica Wood"Losing Earth” - Adam SchoenbertRaves:About Time trailer
Jessie Rain Anne Smith is a Qualified Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Teacher, trained through the University of California San Diego's Mindfulness-Based Professional Training Institute. She has also completed Dr. David Treleaven's Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness training, and was one of a select few chosen by Dr. Treleaven for mentorship in 2022.Episode Summary:In this episode of the Concussion Coach Podcast, Bethany Lewis welcomes Jessie Rain Smith, a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher and founder of Mindful Concussion. Following her own car accident and brain injury in 2013, Jessie was advised to use mindfulness but discovered that while some practices were incredibly powerful, others were detrimental, leading to panic and dissociation.Jessie shares her personal concussion journey and the realization that recovery can be a long, winding path. She and Bethany dive into a crucial discussion on the dual nature of mindfulness for the injured brain. They explore its profound benefits for attention, nervous system regulation, and emotional control, while also highlighting the potential perils of common practices like body scans and intense interoceptive awareness that can be overly cognitive or dysregulating.Jessie explains her modified approach, which prioritizes "nurturing anchors of attention" and "concentration practices" to build safety and regulation before moving into more challenging work. This episode is an essential listen for anyone in the brain injury community—survivors and caregivers alike—looking to harness the healing power of mindfulness in a safe, effective, and trauma-informed way.Key Discussion Points:Jessie's Concussion Story: The onset of symptoms days after her car accident and her journey through the healthcare system.The Surprise of Prolonged Symptoms: The realization at 2.5 years post-injury that recovery was not linear and required a fundamental shift in lifestyle and activity levels.The Role of the Nervous System: How a pre-existing state of dysregulation (e.g., from previous trauma) can influence concussion recovery.Defining Mindfulness: Moving from being "lost in thought" (worries, regrets) to landing in the present moment.The Power of Mindfulness for brain injury:Attentional Control: Practicing the muscle of bringing focus back to the present, which is directly beneficial for cognitive fatigue and focus issues.Nervous System Regulation: Learning that symptoms are not a threat, moving away from the "fight, flight, or freeze" response (faulty neuroception).Resources Mentioned: Jessie's Website: www.mindfulconcussion.caSign up for her free bi-monthly Zoom mindfulness sessions for survivors.Read her blog (including the post on mindful chocolate eating!).Jessie's Upcoming Book: The Power and Perils of Mindfulness for Brain Injury (To be released). Follow her on social media for updates and to give feedback on drafts.Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: The work of Dr. David Treleaven (davidtreleaven.com), author of Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness: Practices for Safe and Transformative Healing.Free Guide from Bethany: "The 5 Best Ways to Support Your Loved One Dealing with a Concussion." Available at www.theconcussioncoach.com.Bethany's Coaching Program: For a free consultation on her concussion coaching program, visit www.theconcussioncoach.com.Viktor Frankl quote: "Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom."Connect with the Guest:Website: mindfulconcussion.caEmail: jessie@mindfulconcussion.caSocial Media: Follow Jessie on LinkedIn and Facebook for updates on her book and to participate in her social media feedback campaign.Disclaimer: The information in this podcast is for educational and awareness purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Please consult with your healthcare provider for any medical concerns.
Dr. Pedro Barata and Dr. Rana McKay discuss the integration of innovative advances in molecular imaging and therapeutics to personalize treatment for patients with renal cell and urothelial carcinomas. TRANSCRIPT Dr. Pedro Barata: Hello, I'm Dr. Pedro Barata, your guest host of By the Book, a podcast series featuring insightful conversations between authors and editors of the ASCO Educational Book. I'm a medical oncologist at University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and an associate professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio. I'm also an associate editor of the ASCO Educational Book. Now, we all know the field of genitourinary cancers (GU) is evolving quite rapidly, and we have new innovations in molecular imaging as well as targeted therapeutics. Today's episode will be exploring novel approaches that are transforming the management of renal cell and urothelial carcinomas and also their potential to offer a more personalized treatment to patients. For that, joining for today's discussion is Dr. Rana McKay, a GU medical oncologist and professor at University of California San Diego. Dr. McKay will discuss her recently published article titled, “Emerging Paradigms in Genitourinary Cancers: Integrating Molecular Imaging, Hypoxia-Inducible Factor-Targeted Therapies, and Antibody-Drug Conjugates in Renal Cell and Urothelial Carcinomas.” Our full disclosures are available in the transcript of this episode. And with that, Rana McKay, great to have you on the podcast today. Dr. Rana McKay: Oh, thank you so much, Dr. Barata. It's really wonderful to be here with you. So, thanks for hosting. Dr. Pedro Barata: No, thanks for taking the time, and I'm looking forward to this conversation. And by the way, let me start by saying congrats on a great article in the Educational Book. Really super helpful paper. I'm recommending it to a lot of the residents and fellows at my own institution. I would like to first ask you to kind of give our listeners some context of how novel approaches in the molecular imaging as well as targeted therapeutics are actually changing the way we're managing patients with GU, but specifically with renal cell carcinoma and urothelial carcinoma. So, what are the areas you would call out as like being big areas for innovation in this context, and why are they important? Dr. Rana McKay: Very good question. And I think this is really what this article highlights. It highlights where are we going from an imaging diagnostics standpoint? Where are we going from a therapeutic standpoint? And I think if we have to step back, from the standpoint of diagnostics, we've seen PET imaging really transform diagnostics in prostate cancer with the advent of PSMA PET imaging, and now PSMA PET imaging is used as a biomarker for selection for theranostics therapy. And so, we're starting to see that enter into the RCC landscape, enter into the urothelial cancer landscape to a lesser extent. And I think it's going to potentially be transformative as these tools get more refined. I think when we think about therapeutics, what's been transformative most recently in the renal cell carcinoma landscape has been the advent of HIF2α inhibition to improve outcomes for patients. And we have seen the approval of belzutifan most recently that has reshaped the landscape. And now there's other HIF2α inhibitors that are being developed that are going to be further important as they get refined. And lastly, I think when we think about urothelial carcinoma, the greatest transformation to treatment in that context has been the displacement of cisplatin and platinum-based chemotherapy as a frontline standard with the combination of enfortumab vedotin plus pembrolizumab. And we've seen antibody-drug conjugates really reshape treatment and tremendously improve outcomes for patients. So, I think those are the three key areas of interest. Dr. Pedro Barata: So with that, let's focus first on the imaging and then we'll get to the therapeutic area. So, we know there's been a paradigm shift, really, when prostate-specific targets emerged as tracers for PET scanning. And so, we now commonly use prostate-specific membrane antigen, or PSMA-based PET scanning, and really transform how we manage prostate cancer. Now, it appears that we're kind of seeing a similar wave in renal cell carcinoma with the new radiotracer against the target carbonic anhydrase IX. What can you tell us about this? And is this going to be available to us anytime soon? And how do you think that might potentially change the way we're managing patients with RCC today? Dr. Rana McKay: First, I'll step back and say that in the context of PSMA PET imaging, we have actually been able to better understand RCC as well. So, we know that PSMA is expressed in the neovasculature of tumors, and it can actually be used to detect renal cell carcinoma tumors. It has a detection rate of about 84% when used for detection. And so, you know, I don't think it's just restricted to carbonic anhydrase IX, but we will talk about that. So, PSMA expressed in the neovasculature has a detection rate of around 84%, particularly if we're looking at clear cell RCC. CAlX is overexpressed in clear cell RCC, and it's actually used in diagnosing renal cell carcinoma when we think of CAlX IHC for diagnosing clear cell RCC. And now there are CAlX PET tracers. The first foray was with the ZIRCON study that was actually an interestingly designed study because it was designed to detect the likelihood of PET imaging to identify clear cell RCC. So, it was actually used in the early diagnostics setting when somebody presents with a renal mass to discriminate that renal mass from a clear cell versus a non-clear cell, and it was a positive study. But when I think about the potential application for these agents, you know, I think about the entire landscape of renal cell carcinoma. This is a disease that we do treat with metastasis-directed therapy. We have certainly seen patients who've undergone metastasectomy have long, durable remissions from such an approach. And I think if we can detect very early onset oligometastatic disease where a metastasis-directed therapy or SABR could be introduced - obviously tested in a trial to demonstrate its efficacy - I think it could potentially be transformative. Dr. Pedro Barata: Wonderful. It's a great summary, and I should highlight you are involved in some of those ongoing studies testing the performance of this specific PET scanning for RCC against conventional imaging, right? And to remind the listeners, thus far, for the most part, we don't really do FDG-PET for RCC. There are some specific cases we do, but in general, they're not a standard scanning. But maybe that will change in the future. Maybe RCC will have their own PSMA-PET. And to your point, there's also emerging data about the role of PSMA-PET scanning in RCC as well, as you very elegantly summarized. Wonderful. So, let me shift gears a little bit because you did, in your introduction, you did highlight a novel MOA that we have in renal cell carcinoma, approved for use, initially for VHL disease, and after that for sporadic clear cell renal cell carcinoma. We're talking about hypoxia-inducible factor 2-alpha inhibitors, or HIF2α inhibitors, such as belzutifan. But there's also others coming up. So, as a way to kind of summarize that, what can you tell us about this breakthrough in terms of therapeutic class, this MOA that got to our toolbox of options for patients with advanced RCC? Tell us a little bit what is being utilized currently in the management of advanced RCC. And where do you see the future going, as far as, is it moving early on? Is it getting monotherapy versus combinations? Maybe other therapies? What are your thoughts about that? What can you tell us about it? Dr. Rana McKay: Belzutifan is a first-in-class HIF2α inhibitor that really established clinical validation for HIF2α as a therapeutic target. When we think about the activity of this agent, the pivotal LITESPARK-005 trial really led to the approval of belzutifan in patients who were really heavily pretreated. It was patients who had received prior IO therapy, patients who had received prior VEGF-targeted therapy. And in the context of this study, we saw a median PFS of 5.6 months, and there did seem to be a tail on the curve when you looked at the 12-month PFS rate with belzutifan. It was 33.7% compared to 17.6% with everolimus. And then when we look at the response rate, it was higher with belzutifan on the order of 22-23%, and very low with everolimus, as we've previously seen. I think one of the Achilles heels of this regimen is the primary PD rate, which was 34% when used in later line. There are multiple studies that are testing belzutifan in combination across the treatment landscape. So, we have LITESPARK-011, which is looking at the combination of belzutifan plus lenvatinib in the second-line setting. We've got the MK-012 [LITESPARK-012] study, which is looking at belzutifan in various combinations in the frontline setting. So there is a combination with IO plus belzutifan. And so this is also being looked at in that context. And then we also have the LITESPARK-022 study, which is looking at pembrolizumab with belzutifan in the adjuvant setting. So there's a series of studies that will be exploring belzutifan really across the treatment landscape. Many of these studies in combination. Additionally, there are other HIF2α inhibitors that are being developed. We have casdatifan, which is another very potent HIF2α inhibitor. You know, I think pharmacologically, these are different agents. There's a different half-life, different dosing. What is going to be the recommended phase 3 dose for both agents, the EPO suppression levels, the degree of EPO suppression, and sustainability of EPO suppression is very different. So, I think we've seen data from casdatifan from the ARC-20 trial from monotherapy with a respectable response rate, over 30%, primary PD rate hovering just around 10%. And then we've also seen data of the combination of casdatifan with cabozantinib as well that were recently presented this year. And that agent is also being tested across the spectrum of RCC. It's being looked at in combination with cabozantinib in the PEAK-1 study, and actually just at the KCRS (Kidney Cancer Research Summit), we saw the unveiling of the eVOLVE-RCC trial, which is going to be looking at a volrustomig, which is a PD-1/CTLA-4 inhibitor plus casdatifan compared to nivo-ipi in the frontline setting. So, we're going to see some competition in this space of the HIF2α inhibitors. I think when we think of mechanism of action in that these are very potent, not a lot of off-target activity, and they target a driver mutation in the disease. And that driver mutation happens very early in the pathogenesis. These are going to be positioned much earlier in the treatment landscape. Dr. Pedro Barata: All these studies, as you're saying, look really promising. And when we talk about them, you mentioned a lot of combinations. And to me, when I think of these agents, it makes a lot of sense to combine because there's not a lot of overlapping toxicities, if you will. But perhaps for some of our listeners, who have not used HIF2α inhibitors in practice yet, and they might be thinking about that, what can you tell us about the safety profile? How do you present it to your patients, and how do you handle things like hypoxia or anemia? How do you walk through the safety profile and tolerability profile of those agents like belzutifan? Dr. Rana McKay: I think these drugs are very different than your traditional TKIs, and they don't cause the classic symptoms that are associated with traditional TKIs that many of us are very familiar with like the rash, hand-foot syndrome, hypertension, diarrhea. And honestly, these are very nuanced symptoms that patients really struggle with the chronicity of being on a chronic daily TKI. The three key side effects that I warn patients about with HIF2α inhibitors are: (1) fatigue; (2) anemia; and (3) hypoxia and dysregulation in the ability to sense oxygen levels. And so, many of these side effects - actually, all of them - are very dose-dependent. They can be very well-managed. So, we can start off with the anemia. I think it's critically important before you even start somebody on belzutifan that you are optimizing their hemoglobin and bone marrow function. Make sure they don't have an underlying iron deficiency anemia. Make sure they don't have B12 or folate deficiency. Check for these parameters. Many patients who have kidney cancer may have some hematuria, other things where there could be some low-level blood loss. So, make sure that those are resolved or you're at least addressing them and supplementing people appropriately. I monitor anemia very closely every 3 to 4 weeks, at least, when people start on these medications. And I do initiate EPO, erythropoietin, should the anemia start to worsen. And I typically use a threshold of around 10g/dL for implementing utilization of an EPO agent, and that's been done very safely in the context of the early studies and phase 3 studies as well. Now, with regards to the hypoxia, I think it's also important to make sure that you're selecting the appropriate individual for this treatment. People who have underlying COPD, or even those individuals who have just a very high burden of disease in their lung, lymphangitic spread, pleural effusions, maybe they're already on oxygen - that's not an ideal candidate for belzutifan. Something that very easily can be done in the clinic before you think about initiating somebody on this treatment, and has certainly been integrated into some of the trials, is just a 6-minute walk test. You know, have the patient walk around the clinic with one of the MAs, one of the nurses, put the O2 sat on [measuring oxygen saturation], make sure they're doing okay. But these side effects, like I said, are very dose-dependent. Typically, if a patient requires, if the symptoms are severe, the therapy can be discontinued and dose reduced. The standing dose is 120 mg daily, and there's two dose reductions to 80 mg and 40 mg should somebody warrant that dose modification. Dr. Pedro Barata: This is relatively new, right? Like, it was not that we're used to checking oxygen levels, right? In general, we're treating these patients, so I certainly think there's a learning curve there, and some of the points that you highlight are truly critical. And I do share many of those as well in our practice. Since I have you, I want to make sure we touch base on antibody-drug conjugates as well. It's also been a hot area, a lot of developments there. When I think of urothelial carcinoma and renal cell carcinoma, I see it a little bit different. I think perhaps in urothelial carcinoma, antibody-drug conjugates, or ADCs, are somewhat established already. You already mentioned enfortumab vedotin. I might ask you to expand a little bit on that. And then in renal cell carcinoma, we have some ADCs as well that you include in your chapter, and that I would like you to tell us what's coming from that perspective. So, tell us a little bit about how do you see ADCs in general for GU tumors, particularly UC and RCC? Tell us a little bit about the complexity or perhaps the challenges you still see. At the same time, tell us about the successes. Dr. Rana McKay: Stepping back, let's just talk about like the principles and design of ADCs. So, most ADCs have three components. There's a monoclonal antibody that typically targets a cell surface antigen, which is conjugated by a linker, which is the second component, to a payload drug. And typically, that payload drug has been chemotherapy, whether it be topoisomerase or whether it be MMAE or other chemotherapeutic. We can start in the RCC space. There's been multiple antibody-drug conjugates that have been tested. There's antibody-drug conjugates to CD70, which is expressed on clear cell RCC. There's been antibody-drug conjugates to ENPP3, which is also expressed on RCC. There's antibody-drug conjugates to CDH6. And they have different payloads, like I said, whether it be topoisomerase I or other microtubule inhibitors. Now, when we think about kidney cancer, we don't treat this disease with chemotherapy. This disease is treated with immunotherapy. It is treated with treatments that target the VEGF pathway and historically has not been sensitive to chemo. So, I think even though the targets have been very exciting, we've seen very underwhelming data regarding activity, and in some context, seen increased toxicity with the ADCs. So, I think we need to tread lightly in the context of the integration and the testing of ADCs in RCC. We just came back from the KCRS meeting, and there was some very intriguing data about a c-Kit ADC that's being developed for chromophobe RCC, which is, you know, a huge unmet need, these variant tumors that really lack appropriate therapeutics. But I just caution us to tread lightly around how can we optimize the payload to make sure that the tumor that we're treating is actually sensitive to the agent that's targeting the cell kill. So, that's a little bit on the ADCs in RCC. I still think we have a long way to go and still in early testing. Now, ADCs for UC are now the standard of care. I think the prototypical agent, enfortumab vedotin, is a nectin-4-directed ADC that's conjugated to an MMAE payload and was the first ADC approved for advanced urothelial, received accelerated approval following the EV-201 trial, which was basically a multicenter, single-arm study that was investigating EV in cisplatin-ineligible patients with advanced urothelial carcinoma, and then ultimately confirmed in the EV-301 study as well. And so, that study ended up demonstrating the support superiority of EV from an overall survival standpoint, even PFS standpoint. Building on that backbone is the EV-302 study, which tested EV in combination with pembrolizumab versus platinum-based chemotherapy in the frontline setting. And that was a pivotal, landmark study that, like I said, has displaced platinum therapy as a frontline treatment for people with advanced urothelial carcinoma. And when we think about that study and the median overall survival and just how far we've come in urothelial cancer, the median OS with EV-pembro from that trial was 31 and a half months. I mean, that's just incredible. The control arm survival was 16 and a half months. The hazard ratio for OS, 0.47. I mean this is why when this data was presented, it was literally a standing ovation that lasted for several minutes because we just haven't seen data that have looked that good. And there are other antibody-drug conjugates that are being tested. We've all been involved in the saga with sacituzumab govitecan, which is a trophoblast cell surface antigen 2 (Trop-2) targeted ADC with a topoisomerase I payload. It was the second ADC to receive approval, but then that approval was subsequently withdrawn when the confirmatory phase 3 was negative, the TROPiCS-04 trial. So, approval was granted based off of the TROPHY-U-01, single-arm, phase 2 study, demonstrating a response rate of around 28% and a PFS of, you know, about 5 and a half months. But then failure to show any benefit from an OS standpoint. And I think there's a lot of controversy in the field around whether this agent still has a role in advanced urothelial carcinoma. And I think particularly for individuals who do not have molecular targets, like they're not HER2-amplified or have HER2-positivity or FGFR or other things like that. Dr. Pedro Barata: Fantastic summary, Rana. You were talking about the EV, and it came to mind that it might not be over, right, for the number of ADCs we use in clinical practice in the near future. I mean, we've seen very promising data for ADC against the HER2, right, and over-expression. It also can create some challenges, right, in the clinics because we're asking to test for HER2 expression. It's almost like, it's not exactly the same to do it in breast cancer, but it looks one more time that we're a little bit behind the breast cancer field in a lot of angles. And also has vedotin as a payload. Of course, I'm referring to disitamab vedotin, and there's very elegant data described by you in your review chapter as well. And it's going to be very interesting to see how we sequence the different ADCs, to your point as well. So, before we wrap it up, I just want to give you the opportunity to tell us if there's any area that we have not touched, any take-home points you'd like to bring up for our listeners before we call it a day. Dr. Rana McKay: Thank you so much. I have to say, you know, I was so excited at ASCO this year looking at the GU program. It was fantastic to see the progress being made, novel therapeutics that really there's a tremendous excitement about, not just in RCC and in UC, but also in prostate cancer, thinking about the integration of therapies, not just for people with refractory disease that, even though our goal is to improve survival, our likelihood of cure is low, but also thinking about how do we integrate these therapies early in the treatment landscape to enhance cure rates for patients, which is just really spectacular. We're seeing many of these agents move into the perioperative setting or in combination with radiation for localized disease. And then the special symposium on biomarkers, I mean, we've really come a long, long way. And I think that we're going to continue to evolve over the next several years. I'm super excited about where the field is going in the treatment of genitourinary malignancies. Dr. Pedro Barata: Oh, absolutely true. And I would say within the Annual Meeting, we have outstanding Educational Sessions. And just a reminder to the listeners that actually that's where the different teams or topics for the Educational Book chapters come from, from actually the educational sessions from ASCO. And your fantastic chapter is an example of that, right, focusing on advanced GU tumors. So, thank you so much, Rana, for taking the time, sharing your insights with us today on the podcast. It was a fantastic conversation as always. Dr. Rana McKay: My pleasure. Thanks so much for having me, Dr. Barata. Dr. Pedro Barata: Of course. And thank you to our listeners for your time today. You will find the link to the article discussed today in the transcript of this episode. I also encourage you to check out the 2025 ASCO Educational Book. You'll find an incredible wealth of information there. It's free, available online, and you'll find, hopefully, super, super important information on the key science and issues that are shaping modern oncology, as we've heard from Dr. McKay and many other outstanding authors. So, thank you, everyone, and I hope to see you soon. Disclaimer: The purpose of this podcast is to educate and to inform. This is not a substitute for professional medical care and is not intended for use in the diagnosis or treatment of individual conditions. Guests on this podcast express their own opinions, experience, and conclusions. Guest statements on the podcast do not express the opinions of ASCO. The mention of any product, service, organization, activity, or therapy should not be construed as an ASCO endorsement. Follow today's speakers: Dr. Pedro Barata @PBarataMD Dr. Rana McKay @DrRanaMcKay Follow ASCO on social media: @ASCO on X (formerly Twitter) ASCO on Bluesky ASCO on Facebook ASCO on LinkedIn Disclosures: Dr. Pedro Barata: Stock and Other Ownership Interests: Luminate Medical Honoraria: UroToday Consulting or Advisory Role: Bayer, BMS, Pfizer, EMD Serono, Eisai, Caris Life Sciences, AstraZeneca, Exelixis, AVEO, Merck, Ipson, Astellas Medivation, Novartis, Dendreon Speakers' Bureau: AstraZeneca, Merck, Caris Life Sciences, Bayer, Pfizer/Astellas Research Funding (Inst.): Exelixis, Blue Earth, AVEO, Pfizer, Merck Dr. Rana McKay: Consulting or Advisory Role: Janssen, Novartis, Tempus, Pfizer, Astellas Medivation, Dendreon, Bayer, Sanofi, Vividion, Calithera, Caris Life Sciences, Sorrento Therapeutics, AVEO, Seattle Genetics, Telix, Eli Lilly, Blue Earth Diagnostics, Ambrx, Sumitomo Pharma Oncology, Esiai, NeoMorph, Arcus Biosciences, Daiichi Sankyo, Exelixis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Merck, Astrazeneca, Myovant Research Funding (Inst.): Bayer, Tempus, AstraZeneca, Exelixis, Bristol Myers Squibb, Oncternal Therapeutics, Artera
First up on the podcast, Staff Writer Rodrigo Pérez Ortega joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about a megafauna megafind that rivals the La Brea Tar Pits. In addition to revealing tens of thousands of bones from everything from dire wolves to an ancient human, the site has yielded the first DNA from ammoths that lived in a warm climate. Next on the show, the Tijuana River crosses the U.S.-Mexican border from Tijuana to San Diego—bringing with it sewage, industrial waste, and stinky smells. News Intern Nazeefa Ahmed talks with Kimberly Prather, an atmospheric chemist at the University of California San Diego about detecting both air and water pollution around the river and the steps needed for cleanup. Finally, the latest in our series of books exploring the science of death. This month, host Angela Saini talks with philosopher Susana Monsó about her ook Playing Possum: How Animals Understand Death. Content warning for this segment: The interview contains descriptions of dead baby animals. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi; Rodrigo Perez Ortega; Angela Saini Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Dr. Ganesh Anand is an Associate Professor of Chemistry as well as Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at The Pennsylvania State University (or Penn State University) at the University Park campus. He is also an elected Board Member of the International Society for Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry (HDX-MS). Research in Ganesh's lab examines molecular switches. He wants to know how molecules interact with one another and how they switch from one state to another. These tiny molecular switches act almost like electrical switches turning on and off the functions of different molecules. He also does research on viruses and how they change shape to infect their hosts. Beyond his scientific interests, Ganesh has also been passionate about music for as long as he can remember. He takes voice lessons now and enjoys singing in choirs in his free time. He received his bachelor's degree in pharmacy and his master's degree in biological sciences from Birla Institute of Technology and Science in India. Next, Ganesh attended Rutgers University where he earned his PhD in biochemistry. Afterwards, he conducted postdoctoral research as a Howard Hughes Medical Institute Research Fellow at the University of California San Diego. Ganesh served on the faculty in the Department of Biological Sciences at the National University of Singapore for over a decade before accepting a faculty position at Penn State where he is today. His lab is recognized as a Waters World Center of Innovation in Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Mass Spectrometry. Ganesh is founding member and former Director of the Singapore National Laboratory for Mass Spectrometry (SingMass) and the former Vice President of the Singapore Society for Mass Spectrometry. In this interview, he shares more about his life and science.
Mini-brains in space. Did you know that we can study something called brain organoids, effectively mini-brains, in the special conditions in space, on the International Space Station, and that such studies may help us with diseases like Alzheimers, Autism or Parkinsons? My guest this week is Prof. Alysson Muotri from the University of California San Diego. He and his team have flown such brain organoids to the ISS many times already. Don't miss this episode on what I consider one of the most exciting intersections of space and biology, and ultimately a potential source of massive positive impact right here on Earth!
Dr. Benjamin Bergen is a Cognitive Science professor at the University of California San Diego, the author of the book, What the F, and was featured on the Netflix series “The History of Swear Words.” Here he shares what makes a word bad, discusses the future of cussing, the efficacy of word prohibition & the cultural influence of cursing etymology around the world.This episode originally aired August 22, 2022.If you like this episode, you'll also like episode 245: IS SKIPPING SMALL TALK AN OPTION? UBERS, ELEVATORS & FAMILY [REMASTERED]Guest: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-bergen-a89b763/ | https://www.amazon.com/Benjamin-K-Bergen/e/B00DVR8POC/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dskHost: https://www.meredithforreal.com/ | https://www.instagram.com/meredithforreal/ | meredith@meredithforreal.com | https://www.youtube.com/meredithforreal | https://www.facebook.com/meredithforrealthecuriousintrovert Sponsors: https://www.jordanharbinger.com/starterpacks/ | https://uwf.edu/university-advancement/departments/historic-trust/
Professor Gert Cauwenberghs has been working toward building brain-scale systems for decades. At the University of California San Diego, he's now one of the leaders of the Neuromorphic Commons hub, also known as Thor, which will give the wider community access to neuromorphic hardware and simulators. In this episode of Brains and Machines, he talks to Dr. Sunny Bains of University College London about his approach to making systems that use minimal energy, are highly interconnected at all levels, and are surprisingly flexible. Discussion follows with Dr. Giulia D'Angelo from the Czech Technical University in Prague and Professor Ralph Etienne-Cummings of Johns Hopkins University.
Meet Jessica MannI have loved creative writing since I was young, writing short stories and poetry. Uplift is my debut novel. I have always loved birds and animals, too, and was inspired to write UPLIFT to give them a voice. What if readers could “see” the world through their eyes? And could a compelling, relatable story help inspire greater respect and compassion for these creatures?NatureBeing in nature is where I feel most at home, and it has been a lifelong source of joy and inspiration.I have always been curious and enjoyed learning about the natural world, and this led me to become a Master Naturalist, as well as co-found the Teton Valley chapter.Earlier WorkI was founder and CEO of Green Futures Unlimited, a sustainability consultancy. I also taught at the University of California-San Diego sustainable business program.I was Director of Environmental Health & Safety for Pfizer, Inc. where I was honored to win the prestigious Pfizer Achievement award.I attended the University of Michigan where I earned a MPH from the School of Public Health and a BS from the School for Environment and Sustainability. Go Blue! Connect with Jessica MannLinkedin: http://linkedin.com/in/jessicabmannUplift on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jessica-Mann/author/B0DG74TZP3?ref=ap_rdr&isDramIntegrated=true&shoppingPortalEnabled=trueConnect with Host Terry LohrbeerIf you are a Boomer and feel you would make a great guest please email Terry with your bio and any other info you would like to share at: terry@kickassboomers.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/2658545911065461/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrylohrbeer/Instagram: kickassboomersTwitter: @kickassboomersWebsite: kickassboomers.comTerry's editing company:Connect to Premiere Podcast Pros for podcast editing:premierepodcastpros@gmail.comLEAVE A REVIEW and join me on my journey to become and stay a Kickass Boomer!Visit http://kickassboomers.com/ to listen to the previous episodes. Email terry@kickassboomers.com
I am so excited to say that my guest on the GWA Podcast is the esteemed American artist, Lorna Simpson. Working across photography to painting, video to collage, Simpson is a multimedia artist who – since the 1980s – has gained widespread acclaim for her pioneering approach to conceptual photography. Whether it's fusing text with image, obscuring her subject's identity, using techniques such as repetition, collage or manipulation – Simpson has conjured a plethora of ways to reinvent the image, and, by doing so, raises questions about gender, race, memory, and history. Her work, mostly centred on the female body, is full of seemingly open-ended narratives – as she has said: “I think the idea of identity or persona is interesting to me in that it is malleable and fluid. And that has always been part of the work in terms of [thinking about] who gets to determine who we are. Do we get to determine that, and what are the parameters of that, given the society that we live in?” Engaging with found images and objects, whether that be cut-outs from Ebony or Jet Magazines, or photographs she finds on eBay, which she melds with inks or collages of jewels, Simpson has continuously reconfigured what painting and photography means. Born in 1960, and raised in Queens and Brooklyn in a childhood that put the arts first, Simpson received her BFA from the School of Visual Arts, New York, and following that, an MFA from the University of California San Diego, where she began to focus on the portraits of Black women she found in magazines, adding suggestive phrases from elsewhere. By 1990, she had a major exhibition at MoMA, and throughout the decades has continued to push boundaries with her seemingly limitless approach to materials. But in 2015, she turned to painting, showing her first nine-feet-tall canvases at the Venice Biennale, and this month will present a major exhibition – that considers the entirety of her painting practice – at the Metropolitan Museum of Art here in New York – where we are recording today. Titled “Source Notes”, it will feature Simpson's monumental and spellbinding paintings, which, steeped in monochromatic blues, silvers, blacks and greys, appear in settings that evoke the cosmological or natural world. An extension of her photographic work, Simpson's paintings see the manipulated figure and body pressed into landscapes akin to waterfalls or meteorites, and I can't wait to find out more… https://lsimpsonstudio.com/ Lorna Simpson: Source Notes – https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/lorna-simpson-source-notes?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=&utm_term=lorna%20simpson%20art&utm_content=39536&mkwid=s&pcrid=743882408399&pmt=b&pkw=lorna%20simpson%20art&pdv=c&slid=&product=&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=22399716678&gbraid=0AAAAADmlGN7UtMbglt7UAR4dicGAOa9Vx&gclid=CjwKCAjw24vBBhABEiwANFG7ywIA72_JjPaxVUdfQSWW_h8NFYNWzddlSHz6KV38M9zgiG4rs_9UNxoCVFkQAvD_BwE https://www.hauserwirth.com/artists/2860-lorna-simpson/ -- THIS EPISODE IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED BY THE LEVETT COLLECTION: https://www.famm.com/en/ https://www.instagram.com/famm_mougins // https://www.merrellpublishers.com/9781858947037 Follow us: Katy Hessel: @thegreatwomenartists / @katy.hessel Sound editing by Mikaela Carmichael Music by Ben Wetherfield
When our good friends encounter challenges,A default response for many of us is often:To have their backTo show up fullyTo be kindTo put judgment aside, And to remind them that they are not alone. When we turn this practice, of being for someone, toward ourselves, particularly in the face of:obstacles, hardships, adversity, and failure,it's called self-compassion.A practice that involves recognizing our own suffering, and meeting it with love, As we learn to become a good friend to ourselves. Over time learning to listen less to the harsh whispers of the inner critic, And more to the encouraging words from that wiser part of us - Our inner ally.When we practice in this way, the door to a more sustainable and expansive experience opens, And we have the opportunity to walk through it and into the rest of our life with greater resilience, ease, wellbeing, and balance.Today's guest, Megan Prager, is Director of Compassion Programs at the University of California San Diego's Center for Mindfulness. Megan is one of the leading teachers of mindful self compassion in the US.She hosts retreats, classes, and experiences that offer the opportunity to learn mindfulness, compassion, and a whole host of practices that foster an opportunity to learn to become better friends to ourselves. Today we are going to take a deep dive into Megan's journey to becoming the teacher and leader she is today. A journey that was marked by her own experiences of adversity, suffering, and (particularly at the beginning) skepticism of the very practices she now teaches.We'll also get into the fiercer aspects of self-compassion that involve:Boundary setting, Fnding the courage to show up in integrity, And how self-compassion can be helpful in the challenging and uncertain times we find ourselves in. For more on Megan, her classes, retreats, teacher trainings, and various other offerings, please visit mindfullabs.comDid you find this episode inspiring? Here are other conversations we think you'll love:On Wholeness, Service, and Enduring Happiness | Stephanie HarrisonEmbracing the Journey From 'Doing' to 'Being' with Amy DongEnjoying the show? Please rate it wherever you listen to your podcasts. Thanks for listening!Support the show
Premiums are rising. Insurers are leaving markets. But people keep building in risk-prone areas, and the climate disasters just keep coming. Can insurance markets adapt? In this episode, Shayle talks to Dr. Judd Boomhower, an assistant professor of economics at the University of California-San Diego and a faculty research fellow at the National Bureau of Economic Research. He studies how insurance markets are reacting to climate change. Shayle and Judd cover topics like: Why insurers are limiting coverage in California, Florida, and other high-risk markets How disaster insurance, unlike auto or health insurance, faces a flood of claims all at the same time How catastrophe models (or “cat models” for short) work and why AI and other improvements struggle the solve the fundamental problem: a lack of historical data needed to predict future events The challenges of private “black-box” catastrophe models that can't be reviewed by third parties Reinsurance markets and why they're not attracting more capital to shore up insurers The pros and cons of parametric insurance, an emerging category of insurance products Undercapitalized “fly-by-night” insurers that risk insolvency and failing to pay out claim Recommended resources NBER: How Are Insurance Markets Adapting to Climate Change? Risk Classification and Pricing in the Market for Homeowners Insurance Brookings: “How is climate change impacting home insurance markets?” Credits: Hosted by Shayle Kann. Produced and edited by Daniel Woldorff. Original music and engineering by Sean Marquand. Stephen Lacey is executive editor. Catalyst is brought to you by Anza, a platform enabling solar and storage developers and buyers to save time, reduce risk, & increase profits in their equipment selection process. Anza gives clients access to pricing, technical, and risk data and tools that they've never had access to before. Learn more at go.anzarenewables.com/latitude. Catalyst is brought to you by EnergyHub. EnergyHub helps utilities build next-generation virtual power plants that unlock reliable flexibility at every level of the grid. See how EnergyHub helps unlock the power of flexibility at scale, and deliver more value through cross-DER dispatch with their leading Edge DERMS platform, by visiting energyhub.com.