Dr. Claudia Kawas has devoted her life to studying the “oldest old,” the fastest growing segment of the population. And the groundbreaking findings her research has uncovered are surprising! She stops by the studio to discuss this “90+ Study” and asks us consider how the population will shift in the coming years.
To volunteer for the “90+ Study” call to 949-768-3635 or visit the website!
First year medical student, Graham Stephenson, stops by the studio to chat tech. We begin the conversation around the business side of what finances a hospital but quickly move into sectors where businesses are playing a part in revolutionizing medical care. We touch on Virtual Reality and 3D printing as potential future dimension relevant to medical care.
Listen to the episode here:
FUND DRIVE
KUCI, the station that hosts this show is currently having it’s annual fund drive. Help the station reach it’s goal of $10,000 dollars by making your pledge today! You can make your pledge easily online here. Or by calling in at 949-824-5824
Virtual Reality
Check out these impressive videos on the new Virtual Reality headsets that we discuss on today’s program:
Dr. Ben LaBrot, founder of Floating Doctors, stops by the studio to talk about his organization and global medical efforts. We hear vivid stories of how his team delivers medical care to the remotest corners of Panama. Although many patients have never seen a physician before, Floating Doctors keeps coming back to the villages to provide a continuum of primary care. We learn more about medical work in the global context, what it means to lack access to care, and crucial points that determine the success of an international medical effort.
Dr. LaBrot emphasizes that all talents are welcome to Floating Doctors. If you are interested in learning more, visit their website: http://floatingdoctors.com/
With approximately 12,000 new cases of spinal cord injury debilitating patients each year in the US, any restoration of function comes as good news. Recently researchers in Ohio managed to implant electrodes into the brain of a 24 year old man to control his arm muscles for the first time in the 4 years since his accident. He was able to grasp and manipulate objects. What could this mean for the future of brain-machine-interfaces? I explore in today’s podcast.
Some extras:
2015 statistics on spinal cord injuries. Some really interesting data that reveals the impact these injuries have on the patient. Take for example marital status:
Now the scientific article first reporting the technology that restores finger function in the quadriplegic man. Here is a description of the work from the New York Times the with less jargon.
The case report at the beginning was lifted from this article.
Today’s episode focuses on nutrition. Food is incredibly important to our long term health, after all this is the stuff our body has to work with. This episode is not at all a guide on what to eat; in fact it questions whether such a guide is even possible. But rather its a rumination on how food matters are complicated and intersect many aspects of our lives.
Music on today’s program:
Tough cases of chronic pain may last for decades without relief from traditional and non-traditional therapies, and may not even show outward symptoms apart from the patient’s own distress. Dr. David Schechter joins us on today’s program to discuss his unique approach for such patients. He is a family medicine and sports medicine physician based in Los Angeles, California. In the episode he talks about his holistic approach to the patient, treatments he prescribes, the medical community’s inertia against new ideas.
Radio edit:
Full Interview:
On this episode I consider the human body as a whole and try to take a big picture look at anatomy. I discuss the different systems at play and how the structure of their physical properties meets their physiological functions.
In this episode, medical student Winston Vuong discusses the battle against cancer. He begins with the diversity of cancers and how each interact with the human bodies in different ways. Compounding to the complexity are the differences between patients. The best therapies, as a result, must be customized to suite each need. Winston discusses this “personalized medicine” approach and picks a particularly exciting new finding to elaborate upon.
Today we are joined with leaders of the Orange County Needle Exchange (OCNEP). OCNEP began when a group of medical students realized that a needle exchange was needed in Santa Ana to stem the transmission of infectious diseases, especially amongst injection drug users. In the episode the founder, Kyle Barbour, explains the philosophy of harm reduction as a means of promoting public health. Marissa Lovio, a steering committee member, adds details about the process of becoming state certified and the inauguration of the exchange in February. Find out how you can get involved by contacting staff@ocnep.org or the website.
Interview With Kyle and Marissa.
You can now follow PILLS on Twitter and Facebook to see which guests are coming up, music we play in the background, and supplements from the episodes and other goodies.
Dr. Don Wei discusses his research on endocannabinoids and social behavior, along the way discussing the brain’s reward system and dopamine. These insights from neuroscience immediately show it’s utility in understanding drug addiction and other psychiatric illnesses.
You can now follow PILLS on Twitter and Facebook to see which guests are coming up, music we play in the background, and supplements from the episodes and other goodies.
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