On this week's episode of the pod, we tackle the science and chemistry of love. We start out with a discussion of the social determinants of health including how relationships and social connectedness have a profound impact on our health and longevity. We discuss some recent studies of the impact of social ties (as well as a lack thereof) on health outcomes including depression, cardiovascular health, wound-healing, and immunity. While we focus on the impact of marriage and long-term partnership...
Mar 09, 2022•51 min•Season 2Ep. 12
We had the honor and privilege of speaking with Dr. Tom Frieden in August 2021 about the COVID-19 pandemic. For those who may not be familiar, Dr. Frieden is a physician, former Director of the CDC, former Health Commissioner for NYC, and currently serves as the President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, a public health organization focused on tackling cardiovascular disease and prevention of epidemics. During our chat, we covered many topics including: the Delta variant (which was the dominant...
Feb 23, 2022•34 min•Season 2Ep. 11
This week's podcast topic was selected by our Patreon subscribers (the Mad Scientists): Leaky Gut Syndrome. This topic is rife with misconceptions, so we brought in a guest host, Dr. Jessie Hoffman (Registered Dietitian and Assistant Professor/Researcher in Human Nutrition), to help break things down. We kick things off with a discussion of the term "Leaky Gut Syndrome" -- specifically, what it is used to describe and how the term gained popularity. We talk about how we digest food and the physi...
Feb 09, 2022•56 min•Season 2Ep. 10
On this episode of the pod we are joined by a special guest, Dr. Jay Van Bavel, who is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University, to discuss the anti-vaccine movement, cult-mentality, and the predilection for conspiratorial thinking. We summarize some factors that contribute to susceptibility to cult mentality and the rapid increase in these mentalities during the pandemic. We discuss some underlying reasons that lead to the distrust of experts and the concep...
Jan 26, 2022•1 hr•Season 2Ep. 9
On this week's episode, we tackle something that each and every one of us will experience whether we like it or not...aging. We discuss life expectancy as a metric and shifting demographics over time. We touch upon the impact of nature versus nature on the aging process and social determinants of health that may impact the quantity and quality of our lives. We zoom in on the cellular process of aging to discuss what happens to our bodies as we age. We discuss some well-known longitudinal studies...
Jan 12, 2022•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 8
On today's episode of the pod, we answer the question, "why do things taste different to different people?" This episode is a bit lighter than our usual content and is a sweet note on which to end 2021! We discuss the different components involved in taste including the detection of flavors, taste bud structure and function, as well as some determinants of individual taste preferences. We spend some time talking about taste receptor cells and their role in detecting flavors. Next, we describe ho...
Dec 22, 2021•1 hr 3 min•Season 2Ep. 7
On this week's episode of the pod we tackle yet another controversial topic: homeopathy! We kick things off with a discussion of the homeopathy industry and its growing popularity in the U.S. and around the world. We next dive into the history of homeopathy, how it came to be, and its two guiding principles. We discuss some of the most commonly used homeopathic remedies and how they are developed. Next, we discuss the science (or lack thereof) of homeopathic remedies and studies that have invest...
Dec 08, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 6
On this week’s episode of the pod, we tackle the common question: “do food sensitivity tests work?” To answer this, we bring on Dr. David Stukus, clinical allergist and immunologist. First, we discuss the differences between food allergies, intolerances, and the very vague term ‘sensitivity’. We chat about what true food allergy and intolerances are, and how they can be diagnosed. We then jump into the term food sensitivity, and the principle of many of these at-home food sensitivity tests. We s...
Nov 24, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 5
On this episode of the pod, we address myths and misconceptions about diabetes. We welcomed a very special guest who openly describes her life with type 1 diabetes (T1D). We discuss what diabetes is and do a brief overview of glucose and the glucose/insulin signaling pathway. We talk about the disease burden of diabetes and when it is typically diagnosed. We address common myths such as all cases of diabetes are the same and are caused by a bad diet and eating too much sugar, diabetes is curable...
Nov 10, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 2Ep. 4
On today's episode of the pod, we tackle a very controversial topic... chiropractic. We have lost count of the number of messages we have received on chiropractic and felt it was time to dig into the evidence. We start off the episode with a description of chiropractic, the history of the industry, and the training/credentials needed to become a chiropractor. We spend a little time talking about the title of "doctor" and how it can be misleading. Next, we do a deep dive into the literature. We d...
Oct 27, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 3
On this week’s pod, we bring on a special guest to help us answer the question: are artificial sweeteners harmful? We begin with a brief discussion of what artificial sweeteners are, some common ones we use, and why they are no calorie. We then dive into the common myths, debunking claims that consuming artificial sweeteners cause weight cause, insulin resistance, cancer, infertility, and affect your microbiome (spoiler: they don’t). We also reiterate the fact that “the dose makes the poison”, a...
Oct 14, 2021•50 min•Season 2Ep. 2
We're back, friends! On this first episode of season 2, we answer the question, "what’s the update on variants and vaccine effectiveness?" We kick things off with a snapshot of the overall COVID-19 case rate, mortality and hospitalization data, and vaccine uptake. Next, we define some terminology-- specifically the difference between efficacy and effectiveness. We then discuss clinical trial and real-world effectiveness data for the three vaccines currently in use in the United States (Pfizer, M...
Sep 29, 2021•51 min•Season 2Ep. 1
On this week's episode of the pod, we answer a question that we receive quite frequently: What are the current effective COVID-19 treatments? We spend some time discussing how attempts have been made to repurpose existing medications for treatment which saves time rather than developing new ones from scratch. We kick things off with remdesivir-- the only FDA-approved treatment for adults and some children who require hospitalization. We discuss how remdesivir works and present some real-world ev...
Jun 23, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 41
On this episode of the pod, we answer the question, "are probiotics beneficial?" We kick things off with a description of probiotics and, more generally, all the microorganisms that live in symbiosis with us (collectively called the microbiome). We discuss the complexity of our microbiome and the fact that no two people have the same microbial cells (not even twins)! We spend some time talking specifically about the gut microbiome and different bacterial species that it is composed of. Next, we ...
Jun 14, 2021•55 min•Season 1Ep. 40
On this episode of the pod, we continue our conversation on e-cigarettes. Last week, we focused on the harms of nicotine itself, but this week we start our discussion on the harms of other ingredients in e-cigarettes including toxic chemicals and heavy metals. We spend some time discussing popcorn lung-- a serious lung disease caused by e-cigarette use. We discuss the flavorings in e-cigarettes and some recent research conducted on their impact on health outcomes including vascular issues, cardi...
Jun 07, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 39
On this episode of the pod, we address the question: are e-cigarettes harmful? We kick things off with an introduction to e-cigs -- what they are, and the different types of e-cigs on the market. We discuss the global e-cigarette and vape market and the blurred lines between the vaping and tobacco industries. We spend some time discussing how e-cigarettes compare to traditional, combustible cigarettes. We talk about e-cigarette smoking rates and how they are on the rise among teenagers. We tackl...
May 31, 2021•54 min•Season 1Ep. 38
On this episode of the pod, we answer the question: How do tattoos work? We kick things off with a summary of the tattooing process and some statistics on how common tattooing is (broken out by demographics). We talk about the various reasons why people get tattooed -- some of which are cultural and/or religious. We summarize some history of tattoos as far back as several thousands of years ago. We then dig into the science of modern tattoos and detail the immune response that is triggered when ...
May 25, 2021•49 min•Season 1Ep. 37
On this week's episode of the pod we tackle something that over 40% of Americans are currently battling-- pandemic-related anxiety, specifically COVID anxiety, OCD-related anxiety, hypochondria (and cyberchondria) and “returning to normal” anxiety. May is Mental Health Awareness Month, and we’ve gotten a lot of Heard from the Herd questions regarding how to manage mental health issues directly related to pandemic. We kick things off by defining the different types of anxieties that people are ex...
May 18, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 36
On this week’s episode of the pod, we continue our discussion on the basics of cancer. We briefly review the fact that cancer is a catch-all phrase for hundreds of different illnesses, all ultimately linked to dysregulation of normal cellular processes. We elaborate on some cellular processes that break down during the development of cancer, particularly with regard to gene mutations. While last week we touched on broad risk factors for cancer, today we highlight some viral infections that can l...
May 11, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 35
Please note: We experienced some unavoidable technical difficulties during recording, which you may notice throughout the episode. We are always working to improve quality and appreciate your patience and support! On this week’s episode of the pod, we take a break from discussing COVID-19 to discuss something that has undoubtedly touched all of our lives—cancer. We kick things off with a population health summary of cancer incidence and prevalence, to understand its disease burden in the US and ...
May 03, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 34
On today’s episode of the podcast, we provide an update on the Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 vaccine and walk through the details of the ACIP hearing on safety-- and the ultimate decision to lift the pause. We describe thrombosis with thrombocytopenia syndrome (TTS), treatment considerations, and side effects to monitor. We reiterate that the benefits outweigh the small risk for this adverse event and the rigorous monitoring of these events should instill confidence in our vaccine surveillance ...
Apr 26, 2021•1 hr 16 min•Season 1Ep. 33
On this episode of the pod, we return to our discussion on COVID-19. We present updates on the state of COVID-19 with regards to number of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths. We also provide updates on vaccine rollout and the percentage of the population that has been partially and fully vaccinated. We also share some CDC-generated forecasts for next month. We spend some time discussing variants-- in particular the B.1.1.7 variant (also known as the UK variant) which is now the dominant strain ...
Apr 19, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 32
On this week’s episode, we are continuing our discussion on Lyme disease. After a brief refresher of some key points from last week’s episode, we focus on the physical manifestations of Lyme disease, including signs and symptoms. We then discuss the diagnostic method, with an emphasis on some of the unreliable labs that use unproven tests to overreport Lyme diagnoses. We also cover the approved (and effective!) treatments for Lyme disease and why there is no longer an available vaccine. We switc...
Apr 12, 2021•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 31
On this week’s episode, we start our discussion about Lyme disease, an infection that is riddled with misconceptions and misinformation. First, we open the conversation with a primer on ticks as disease vectors, including an overview of different tick species and the array of different tick-borne pathogens that exist. We then discuss Lyme disease specifically, a bacterial infection caused by Borrelia burgdorferi that is transmitted by specific species of ticks. We spend some time focusing on how...
Apr 05, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 30
On this week’s episode, we take a trip into the past to discuss the history of vaccines. We start with an overview of smallpox, a debilitating illness that has plagued humans for thousands of years, and how attempts to prevent smallpox resulted in the first rudimentary immunizations through the process of variolation. Over time, variolation evolved to the first instances of vaccinations, and we detail Edward Jenner’s famous accounts of using cowpox to immunize individuals against smallpox. From ...
Mar 29, 2021•1 hr 1 min•Season 1Ep. 29
On this week's episode of the pod, we discuss the history of epidemiology. We kick things off with a definition of the term and clarify that epidemiology is not specific to infectious disease but rather all diseases, as well as their risk factors. We take a trip down memory lane and revisit the different eras of epidemiology including the sanitary era, the infectious disease era, the risk factor and black box epidemiology era, and what many call the eco-epidemiology era of today. We dig into som...
Mar 22, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 28
On this week's episode of the pod we talk about our respective careers in STEM. We discuss the paths that led us here, our education and training, and the different fields that one can pursue with advanced degrees in a STEM field ranging from academia to applied science. Andrea discusses her relatively linear path from a child fascinated by bugs to her PhD in immunology, and Jess describes her more circuitous route leading her to a DrPH. We welcome our first ever guest to the pod, Dr. Bill Gallo...
Mar 15, 2021•56 min•Season 1Ep. 27
On this week's pod, we continued the fun of exploring the science (or lack thereof) behind some popular old wives' tales! We tackled the old adage (pun intended) that pulling out a grey hair will result in two more growing in its place. Next, we discuss whether it's safe to swim within an hour of eating. We then revisited a topic we've covered in the past-- taking vitamin C to "cure" a cold (we do a deep dive on our "Spilling the Immuni-Tea" episode if you want to check that out). Next, we tackl...
Mar 08, 2021•50 min•Season 1Ep. 26
On this episode of the pod, we take a little break from COVID-19 to debunk some common old wives' tales related to health. Lots of listeners wrote in with many great ideas, so this will be a two-parter! We kick things off by breaking down the old adage, "feed a cold, starve a fever" (and we recommend changing it to "feed a cold, feed a fever"). Next, we tackle the myth that you’ll get sick from being outside in the cold and/or going outside with wet hair in the winter (remember...correlation doe...
Mar 01, 2021•47 min•Season 1Ep. 25
On this week’s podcast episode, we get back to COVID-19 vaccine discussions, but with a different angle: focusing on the vaccine manufacturing, development, and deployment pipelines. We start with the U.S. and global statistics for vaccination rates, and then focus on a discussion of the parameters that impact the access to vaccines for countries around the world. We summarize the currently utilized vaccines globally and which countries are utilizing them, before focusing on the bottlenecks thro...
Feb 22, 2021•1 hr 2 min•Season 1Ep. 24
