Health Science Radio

Pornography has never been easier to access and consume. While experts don’t agree on labeling its problematic use as “addiction,” its use targets the same areas of the brain as substances. And its use can be detrimental to health and well-being. We’re joined by licensed marriage and family therapist Danielle Sukenik, assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. She shares what the resear...

More than 1 in 10 adults over age 50 experience knee pain caused by osteoarthritis, and about 1 in 25 will go on to have knee replacement surgery. As our population ages, cases of osteoarthritis are expected to climb, meaning even more patients facing the prospect of knee replacement and rehabilitation. This episode of Health Science Radio features Jennifer Stevens-Lapsley, PT, PhD, FAPTA, professor of physical therapy and executiv...

Fueled by emotion-driven and easily shared social media, the current waves of online misinformation casting doubt on science have grown in size, frequency and intensity. This episode of Health Science Radio features two guests from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus who are passionate about preventing and reversing the trend: Aimee Bernard, PhD, associate professor of immunology and microbiology, and Laura Scherer, ...

As a teenager, Joshua Gowin, PhD, remembers sitting through DARE (Drug Abuse Resistance Education) classes and watching those frying pan-focused public service announcements: “This is your brain on drugs.” Gowin, assistant professor of radiology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, is the lead author on a recent study published in JAMA Network Open that explored the effects of both recent and lifetime cannabis use on b...

 Colorectal cancer has been upending the lives of younger people at disturbing rates in recent years, becoming the second most common type of cancer in people under age 50 in the U.S. today. By 2030, deaths are expected to double, and the disease is predicted to jump to the leading cause of cancer death in 20- to 49-year-olds. On this episode, we talk about epidemiological factors behind the rise in cases, the age groups affected, ...

 With mounting evidence about the dangers of alcohol to our health, just what is the impact of alcohol on cancer risk? On cardiovascular risk? On overall mortality? Those questions are answered on this episode of Health Science Radio, which features two University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus professors discussing the latest studies on alcohol and health. The two doctors also talk about the changing patterns of alcohol consu...

How the human body reacts to the transition to deep-space travel – and 
then adapts, or doesn’t, to lengthy periods in a microgravity environment – 
remains a largely understudied area. Our guest, Prem Subramanian, MD, 
PhD, chief of neuro-ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of 
Medicine, talks about how space travel, including long-duration spaceflight, 
affects the eyes and how advancements in n...

The fact that men and women are not the same is no longer completely 
overlooked in the medical world. Diseases, such as heart attacks, can 
present differently. Yet, an absence of research that includes women prior 
to the early 1990s has left studies into women’s health largely in “catch-up” 
mode. Our guest is Judy Regensteiner, PhD, director and co-founder of the 
Ludeman Family Center for Women’s Health Res...

Influenza season is ramping up, SARS-CoV-2 and respiratory syncytial virus 
(RSV) continue to evolve, and the bird flu outbreak is gaining steam in the 
United States. Against this ever-changing landscape of infectious disease, 
this episode centers on viruses and vaccines. Our guest is Jenna Guthmiller, 
PhD, assistant professor in the Department of Immunology and 
Microbiology at the University of Colorado Sch...

On this episode, two leading women’s health researchers provide a wide-ranging discussion on menopause – from basic science concepts and historical perspectives to hormone therapies and other clinical implications. Our guests are Nanette Santoro, MD, professor and E. Stewart Taylor Chair in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine (SOM), and Joshua Johnson, PhD, associate professo...

On this episode, Fernando Holguin, MD, professor of medicine and 
pediatrics in the Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine 
at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, shares insights into the 
health risks posed by increasing levels of air pollution. Dr. Holguin talks 
about what happens when people are exposed to fine particulate matter, 
how socioeconomic disparities contribute to gre...

This episode features a discussion about autoimmune neurological diseases, 
including the rare stiff person syndrome (SPS) that affects Canadian 
superstar Céline Dion. Our guest is Amanda Piquet, MD, associate professor 
of neurology and director of the autoimmune neurology program at the 
University of Colorado School of Medicine. Piquet, whose team is conducting 
groundbreaking research on autoimmune neurolog...

This episode features a discussion about treating cancer through immunotherapy, including tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte, or TIL, therapy. Our guest is Eduardo Davila, professor in the Division of Medical Oncology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Davila’s team has devised a novel technique to enhance all forms of cellular immunology. The scientists rejuvenate T-cells and improve their durability as well as their abi...

This episode of Health Science Radio features a discussion about the fast-growing field of neurotechnology and what it means for patients with paralysis or neurodegenerative brain diseases including Parkinson’s and epilepsy. Our guest is Cristin Welle, associate professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine with joint appointments in the Department of Neurosurgery and the Department of Physiology and Biophysics. Welle ...

 This episode features a discussion about a groundbreaking effort to restore vision in patients with age-related macular degeneration, or AMD. Our guest is Valeria Canto-Soler, associate professor of ophthalmology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. Dr. Canto-Soler shares the dreams behind her research and why she chose the CU Anschutz Medical Campus to develop retinal transplants. Her team is working toward one of th...

This episode features a discussion about osteoarthritis, a painful degenerative disease that affects 32.5 million Americans. With no existing effective regenerative therapy, treatments are limited to anti-inflammatory injections and, ultimately, expensive joint replacement surgery. Our guest is Karin Payne, PhD, associate professor of orthopedics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. She talks about an ambitious project...

This episode features a discussion about the burnout crisis among physicians and other healthcare professionals. The Association of Medical Colleges estimates that the United States will face a shortage of between 38,000 and 124,000 physicians by 2034. Our guest is Dr. Lotte Dyrbye, senior associate dean of faculty and chief well-being officer at the University of Colorado School of Medicine and a national thought leader in physici...