Health Science Radio

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 the most ambitious goals in its field – transplanting cells that can regenerate both pigmented and photoreceptor cells in the retina and restore vision for the blind.

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 that received an award of up to $39 million from the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and its aim to end osteoarthritis. The Colorado-based multidisciplinary team is on the forefront of developing a minimally invasive therapy that regenerates cartilage and bone cells – essentially allowing a joint to heal itself.

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 physician burnout. Dr. Dyrbye explains the magnitude of the problem, identifies the predictors of burnout, and shares ideas on reducing the stressors facing healthcare professionals.

This episode features a discussion about new and exciting neuroscience-based treatments that are aimed toward recovery from chronic pain. Our guest is Dr. Yoni Ashar, an assistant professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, who shares the promising findings of a study that used pain reprocessing therapy, or PRT, for a sizeable group of chronic back pain sufferers. Dr. Ashar explains how PRT works and how it could offer a pathway to helping to relieve other common chronic pain, including migraine headaches.

In this episode of CU Anschutz 360, Daniel LaBarbera, PhD, director of the Center for Drug Discovery, talks about harnessing technology and innovation to speed the development of new therapies. He discusses robotic automation, quantum computing and building bridges over the ‘valley of death.’

In this episode of CU Anschutz 360, Angelo D’Alessandro, PhD, shares his fascination with blood science and how it led him into biochemistry, molecular genetics and metabolomics. A steadfast collaborator, D’Alessandro explains why multidisciplinary research is so important to science, especially in the area of personalized medicine.

This episode of CU Anschutz 360 focuses on the research into long COVID taking place at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. An important study involving CU Anschutz researchers ties into RECOVER, a national initiative seeking to uncover the long-term effects of COVID and develop treatments for long COVID patients. Kristine Erlandson, MD, an associate professor of medicine and infectious disease at the CU School of Medicine, shares insights into the study that developed a scoring system to help learn which adults, out of a cohort of nearly 10,000, may have long COVID.

In this episode of the CU Anschutz 360 podcast, Terry Fry, MD, the inaugural executive director and Charles C. Gates Endowed Chair of the Gates Institute, explains how the institute is heading toward new frontiers of targeted cell and gene therapies for cancers and other rare diseases. Fry talks about the latest advances in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR T) cell therapies, which he helped pioneer at the National Institutes of Health. He talks about how the Gates Institute, which connects and centralizes campus resources into a seamless translational pathway, offers an incredible opportunity to help patients facing serious health issues. Thomas Flaig, MD, CU Anschutz vice chancellor for research, co-hosts the discussion.

In this episode of the CU Anschutz 360 podcast, Casey Greene, PhD, the founding chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, offers insights into the rapid development of artificial intelligence and its implications for advancements in research and healthcare. He discusses ethical issues around AI, the rise of biobanks and personalized medicine, using technology to improve patient care, a general skepticism about the effectiveness of AI in medical care, and the peculiar, AI-related connection between chihuahuas and blueberry muffins. He also addresses the buzz around ChatGPT and large language models. Thomas Flaig, MD, CU Anschutz vice chancellor for research, co-hosts the discussion.

This episode of CU Anschutz 360 focuses on the Center for Combat and Battlefield Research at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Launched in January 2019, the COMBAT Center conducts research that impacts clinical patient care, battlefield casualty and trauma care, and critical, large-scale societal issues including mental health. Using multidisciplinary and collaborative teams, the center conducts clinically relevant, translational research to get newly discovered treatments and devices into the hands of first responders and clinicians. The COMBAT Center is directed by Dr. Vik Bebarta, a colonel in the US Air Force Reserve and a researcher on the forefront of the toughest clinical challenges for civilian and military care. Thomas Flaig, MD, vice chancellor for research, co-hosts the discussion.

This episode of CU Anschutz 360 focuses on the mysterious and debilitating condition known as Down Syndrome Regression Disorder. DSRD is a severe neurological condition with symptoms such as loss of speech, inability to perform activities of daily life, hallucinations, delusions and insomnia. Scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, including Joaquin Espinosa, PhD, executive director of the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, are teaming with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles researchers on the first-of-its-kind investigation into the causes and potential treatments for DSRD. Thomas Flaig, MD, vice chancellor for research, co-hosts the discussion.

This episode of CU Anschutz 360 focuses on a promising breakthrough therapy for patients with large B-cell lymphoma, an aggressive subtype of the disease. The clinical trial was led by Manali Kamdar, MD, clinical director of the lymphoma program in the Division of Hematology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. In the trial for relapsed patients or patients who didn’t respond to treatment initially, CAR T-cell therapy with lisocabtagene maraleucel showed significant improvement in keeping patients in remission when compared to the standard-of-care, which consisted of chemotherapy followed by stem cell transplantation. Thomas Flaig, MD, vice chancellor for research, co-hosts the discussion.

Moksha Patel is a successful senior instructor at CU School of Medicine. He has been dealing with severe OCD his whole life. When he came to CU Anschutz as a fellow in hospital medicine, his advisors intervened. After a year of clearing insurance and procedural hurdles, Patel underwent deep brain stimulation - an invasive surgery that delivers currents to the brain through generators in the chest. He and Rachel Davis, MD, talk about the procedure and how it happened.

In this episode of CU Anschutz 360, Johnson expounds on why humans tend to overeat and gain weight, and why it’s rooted in nature. What do we have in common with hibernating bears, sperm whales and emperor penguins? What triggers fat storage for animals and how can we learn from them to understand the human metabolic condition?

This episode of CU Anschutz 360 explores Alzheimer's research, featuring the inspiring teamwork of Diego Restrepo, PhD, and Maria Nagel, MD. Their random meeting in 2018 led to focused study and insights into the triggers, or accelerants, of Alzheimer’s as well as potential therapies for this devastating disease. Thomas Flaig, MD, vice chancellor of research, also joins the discussion.

Media relations senior director David Kelly speaks with Iñigo San Millán, a researcher at the CU School of Medicine and trainer of super athletes, including the most recent two-time Tour de France winner. Doctor San Millan uses his work with athletes, including a stint as a cyclist and soccer player himself, to learn more about how our metabolism affects cancer, diabetes and other diseases. He implores exercise is the most powerful medicine in the world, and it holds secrets that are dramatically changing the way we look at physical and mental health

In this episode of CU Anschutz 360, Emily Hemendinger, LCSW, explores the positive and negative consequences of social media use on our mental health. She asserts that the COVID-19 pandemic, when social media use skyrocketed, caused a mental health crisis.

It’s Real: Doctor, Patient Face Mysterious Long COVID

When the pandemic struck last spring, rural health experts at CU and the Colorado Hospital Association fanned out to ask rural healthcare leaders what was working and what wasn’t amid the public health crisis. The result is a 134-page playbook that is getting rave reviews from healthcare leaders and policymakers nationwide.

CU Cancer Center’s Cathy Bradley works to put treatment within everyone’s reach.