The US Food and Drug Administration recently announced that, for the development of certain drugs, it will be phasing out animal testing in favor of more effective, human-centered methods — like AI-based models, organoids and organ-on-a-chip systems. Artificial intelligence can predict a drug’s behavior in the human body. Organoids are clusters of lab-grown human cells that mimic individual organs, which can be used to assess a drug’s safety. Organs-on-a-chip are thumb drive sized translucent ch...
Jul 03, 2025•1 min
Aquatic animals are fascinating, and many opportunities exist for training in a variety of disciplines relating to aquatic animal health. Veterinary students at the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine who hope for careers in the field can tailor their curriculum by pursuing a certificate in aquatic animal health; others, including graduate students and other professionals can hone their knowledge in areas such as aquatic animal care and conservation. On this show, Dr. Iske Larki...
Jul 03, 2025•48 min
Several years ago, researchers at the University of Oxford studied the relationship between people’s self-reported alcohol intake and their brains. They concluded that, when it comes to brain health, there is no such thing as a safe level of alcohol to drink. More bad news to follow: At the end of the day, alcohol is alcohol, and any amount is bad for our health. Part of this is due to what happens when you have a drink. Your body turns ethanol from alcohol into a substance that can damage your ...
Jul 02, 2025•2 min
Artificial intelligence, or AI, went from a science-fiction trope to a pervasive phenomenon found in people’s daily lives in the blink of an eye. And while this new, digital-based intelligence may be artificial, the impact it can have on developing brains is very real. That’s why the American Psychological Association recently issued a report calling for education on the potential dangers of AI and for guardrails to be put into place. The report focuses on young people, ages 10 to 25, and points...
Jul 01, 2025•2 min
Much like feeling behind in class, comparing how hard you work to everyone else doesn’t always help — and a new study suggests it might even hurt. Researchers at The Ohio State University surveyed nearly 700 students in an introductory chemistry course and found something surprising: Students who believed they had to work harder than their peers were less likely to believe they were good at science. This effect, called comparative effort, was harmful for both men and women, especially when it ma...
Jun 30, 2025•2 min
Do you feel that? It starts with a throbbing pain in your head and becomes so much more. The headache leads to nausea, a ringing sensation in your ears, maybe even a sensitivity to light. You might feel like you’re going to vomit. The only way to tamp down these symptoms is to go to a dark room and get horizontal, an ice pack on your head. The Cleveland Clinic says somewhere between 1 and 2% of people worldwide suffer from chronic migraines. More women get them than men. But there are several st...
Jun 27, 2025•2 min
Some people are just built differently. In the case of the Haenyeo [hen-yeo], however, the formula is a little nature, a little nurture and a whole lot of cold water. The Haenyeo are all-female divers from Jeju [jee-joo] Island, South Korea, known for freediving in frigid seas without any breathing gear. Sometimes, they even do it during pregnancy. A new study looked at why their bodies can do this, and found the answer lies in their DNA — and a lifetime of practice. Researchers compared 30 Haen...
Jun 26, 2025•2 min
We’ve all been there. You climb into bed, needing to sleep before a big day at work. Your mind races, one thought interrupting another. Hours go by while you toss and turn, but your mind is still running like a treadmill. Will your thoughts ever cease? Some doctors say there may be a solution and a way to turn your brain off, so you can get some much-needed shut-eye. It’s called cognitive shuffling. Cognitive shuffling is essentially a word game, created by a cognitive scientist in 2009 who had ...
Jun 25, 2025•2 min
You do it at work. You do it at home. Sometimes you even do it while out with friends or family. Everyone knows that yawning is a common sign of sleepiness, but you may not know it can also be a sign of a serious sleep deficit that may jeopardize your long-term health. When you fail to get a good night’s sleep of at least seven hours, experts say you increase your likelihood of several conditions, including diabetes, depression, high blood pressure, obesity and even stroke. The truth is our body...
Jun 24, 2025•2 min
Close your eyes. When you think of the word “vacation,” where are you? A tropical island, lying on the beach with a drink in your hand as waves gently wash ashore? Maybe you’re on the trails, hiking through nature at a national park. How about another country, soaking in the history and sampling decadent cuisine? From planning your itinerary to the expense and then the avalanche of emails and work when you return, sometimes a vacation can seem like too much trouble. But your health depends on it...
Jun 23, 2025•2 min
Join us on Animal Airwaves-Live as we welcome Dr. Chi-Yen Wu, a veterinary dermatology specialist, to discuss ear infections in dogs. Dr. Wu will explore why dogs suffer from itchy, painful ears, focusing on allergies as the primary trigger. He’ll help pet owners recognize signs of ear trouble and explain when to seek veterinary care and how specialists can help with persistent cases. Listeners will learn about advanced treatment options for chronic ear problems that haven’t responded to standar...
Jun 20, 2025•48 min
Anybody who’s ever tried to rouse a sleeping teenager (or who has been a teenager themselves) is probably aware that it can be a tough task. But it’s not without good reason. Research has shown that adolescents require more sleep than adults and children. Now, a new study drives home just how crucial the amount and quality of sleep is to teens’ brain health. The sleep patterns of more than 3,000 adolescents were studied, with researchers classifying the teens into three categories. The first inc...
Jun 20, 2025•2 min
For years, the longstanding medical treatment for inflammation-related lost sense of smell was to prescribe oral vitamin D supplements. But sometimes you just have to turn convention on its head. Researchers at the University of Florida and Northwestern University, in a study published earlier this year, reduced nasal inflammation and improved the sense of smell in mice by using a vitamin D nasal spray. The inflammation was caused by cigarette smoke. But the researchers said the potential treatm...
Jun 19, 2025•2 min
There’s nothing quite like a heaping portion of sauerkraut to accompany a nice sausage or potato dish. While the tangy, fermented cabbage dish is deeply rooted in German culture today, it has actually been consumed by humans for at least 2,000 years, dating back to ancient Rome. Besides its appealing salty-tangy combo punch and preservative qualities cultivated in the fermenting process, a new study shows how sauerkraut is also good for our gut microbiome. Its health benefits might also be a tes...
Jun 18, 2025•2 min
It’s June, and that means it’s Paul McCartney’s birthday. On June 18, the former Beatle turns 83. Happy birthday, Paul. So, it’s a great time to remind the world about the obscure if important role played by the Beatles in an unlikely field — medicine. The scientist who is thought to have been most responsible for the invention of the CT scanner is Godfrey Hounsfield. Many millions of people have received a CT scan, widely called a CAT scan. A computed tomography scan helps doctors diagnose many...
Jun 17, 2025•2 min
