Free Associations

Matt and guest hosts Hoda S. Abdel Magid and Geetika Kalloo discuss a study on whether a tax on sugar sweetened beverages reduces consumption in South Africa, they talk through ethical guidelines for peer reviewers, and Simone Biles makes a return appearance. Journal club article: Sugar sweetened beverage tax study

Matt and guest hosts Bertha Hidalgo and Rachel Widome review a study on whether COVID transmission was more likely after a birthday, they discuss teaching epidemiology online, and Matt is pretty shocked by how much a journal costs. Journal club article: COVID and birthdays study

Matt and Chris (in another summer two-person episode) review a new study on whether mandating the nurse to patient ratios can improve hospital outcomes, discuss what happened with the FDA approval of aducanumab, and Chris give us all the haikus he can. Journal club article: Nurse to patient ratio study

Matt and Chris (in a rare two-person episode) examine a study that tested infecting mosquitos with Wolbachia to prevent dengue, discuss whether we should be training students in “legal epidemiology”, and Chris tells us what happens when we drink with strangers. Journal club article: Wolbachia and dengue study

Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study on the effectiveness of MDMA for treatment of PTSD, they look at whether electronic passports for COVID vaccination are ethical and legal, and Matt goes into the history of peer review. Journal club article: MDMA for severe PTSD study

Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study on the effectiveness of ear tubes for ear infections, they consider the role of funders in international research, and Don goes cicada hunting. Journal club article: Tympanostomy tubes for ear infections

Matt, Chris, and Jess examine a study of using a diabetes medication for weight loss for obesity, they discuss whether Africa needs unique solutions to COVID-19, and Jess is a bit sheepish. Journal club article: Weight loss treatment study

Matt, Chris, and Jess look at a study of whether or not a new microbiota-driven supplement does better at combatting malnutrition than traditional approaches, they discuss the importance of code review, and Matt looks to the future on mRNA vaccines. Journal club article: Food intervention study

Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study that asks whether pets and humans get diabetes in pairs, they debate who got the best of the new deal between Elsevier and University of California, and Chris and Matt share a love of a specific food. Journal club article: Pets and diabetes study

Matt, Chris, and Don look at some new research on whether a saliva test can detect concussions, they discuss how to take down the anti-vaxx industry, and Matt gets saucy. Journal club article: Concussions study

Matt, Chris, and Jess examine a study that looks at whether opioids increase the risk of fractures, they discuss what is likely to happen with measles when COVID is over, and Matt worries about lawsuits. Journal club article: Opioids and fractures study

Matt, Chris, and Jess may be freaked out by clowns but apparently they help kids with pain, they discuss the ethics of paying people to get vaccinated, and Chris goes out of this world. Journal club article: Clown study

Matt, Chris, and Don examine a study that looks at whether smaller doses of yellow fever vaccine do just as well, they discuss whether one of the COVID vaccines is related to allergic reactions, and Chris gives us his best take on vaccines. Journal club article: Fractional dosing of yellow fever vaccine study

Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study that looks at whether spicy foods prevent gastrointestinal cancers in China, they debate the role of social media in public health messaging, and Matt repeats himself, yet again. Journal club article: Spicy food and GI cancer study

Matt, Chris, and Jess examine a study that looks at whether cannabis reduces the ability to drive well, they discuss whether COVID is affecting just the elderly, and Jess shows us she’s an animal lover. Journal club article: Cannabis and driving study

Matt, Chris, and Jess discuss a study that looks at whether babies born by C-section are more likely to have infectious illnesses after birth, they debate who should be allowed to critique public health (and who even is public health?), and Chris quizzes us on traffic. Journal club article: Mode of birth and infections study

Please enjoy this compilation of the best of Amazing and Amusing. Regular episodes will return in two weeks.

Matt, Chris, and Don are joined by Dean Sandro Galea for a live episode where we discuss a study that looks at whether decreases in COVID mortality are due to improvements in treatment, take audience questions, and Don measures our ears. Journal club article: Trends in COVID-19 mortality study

Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study that looks at whether survival after bariatric surgery is increasing, they lament patterns of prescribing hydroxychloroquine, and Matt gets prideful. Journal club article: Bariatric surgery study

Matt, Chris, and Don examine a study that looks at whether social media micro-influencers can increase flu vaccine uptake, they discuss an alliance of western states to review COVID vaccine safety data, and Chris gets batty. *Editor’s note: Horseshoe bats are insectivores, not fruit bats. Journal club article: Micro-influencers study

Matt, Chris, and Jess go over a study that looks at whether it is better to try to resuscitate people on site or transport them to hospital, they discuss whether there is a role for a precision approach in public health, and Chris tells us about his back yard. Journal club article: Transport and resuscitation […]

Matt, Chris, and Jess discuss a study on whether plasma from those who have recovered from COVID can be used to treat people with COVID, they explore whether masks might actually help make people immune to SARS-CoV-2, and Jess has the solution to forgetting your mask at home (though maybe not for everyone). Journal club […]

Matt, Chris, and Don examine a study that looks at whether vaccinating mothers against RSV prevents their babies from getting infected, they discuss attacks on health workers in the time of COVID, and Chris brings us all down with a new COVID study. Journal club article: Maternal RSV vaccination study

Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study that looks at whether vitamin D can prevent getting tuberculosis, they debate whether citation hacking is really a thing, and Don reminds us all that there is still amusement in the amazing and amusing. Journal club article: Vitamin D and TB prevention study

Matt, Chris, and Jess discuss a study that looks at using an influenza treatment for prevention in exposed contacts, they debate whether we should be using lotteries to decide who gets scarce coronavirus treatments, and Matt shows he really does read the reference section. Journal club article: Influenza prevention study

Matt, Chris, and Jess examine a study that looks at the effectiveness of probiotics in those in care homes, they discuss cognitive biases in relation to decisions about COVID policies, and Jess wows us with her first Amazing and Amusing. Journal club article: Probiotics study

Don, Chris, and Matt examine a study that looks at the impact of gun ownership and risk of suicide in California, they discuss whether we should be doing trials of coronavirus policies, and Matt proves he doesn’t know a thing about hens. Journal club article: Handguns and suicide study

Don and Chris are back with Matt to go over a study that looks at the impact on survival in those who got tuberculosis and smallpox vaccination in Denmark, they discuss whether it is ethical to expose people to coronavirus in vaccine trials, and Chris gets snotty. Journal club article: BCG and vaccinia vaccination study

Matt welcomes guests Nedghie Adrien and Julie Petersen to discuss a study that looks at whether having a complication in a first pregnancy predicts having one in a second, they debate whether anyone should make clinical decisions based on non-significant trial results, and Nedghie updates us on the latest in toilet technology. Journal club article: […]

Matt welcomes guests Lisa Bodnar and Jaimie Gradus to discuss a study that looks at the impact of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why on suicides, they discuss whether epidemiologists should be called “Doctor”, and Lisa finally uses the word ‘twizpipe’ correctly. Journal club article: 13 Reasons Why study

Matt, Jen, and guest Hailey Banack from The University of Buffalo discuss a study that looks at the effect of a new drug to treat adolescent obesity, they discuss the rise of armchair epidemiologists, and Jen reminds us of a past public health success. Journal club article: Adolescent obesity study

Matt, Jen, and guest Kerry Keyes from Columbia University discuss a study that looks at the effect of digital media on health of adolescents, they debate whether COVID research is moving too fast, and Kerry warns us about taking medical advice from cartoons. Journal club article: Digital media and mental health study

Matt, Jen, and guest Laura Sampson discuss a study that looks at the effect of fish oil on cardiovascular disease, they get into the weeds on the proportional hazards assumption (no hate mail please), and Matt sits down to do some coloring. Journal club article: Fish oil study

Matt, Jen, and guest Laura Sampson examine a study that looks at the risk of accidents from cycling to work, they discuss an impressive response to a mistake in a research study, and Laura gives us the skinny on doctors’ coffee consumption habits. Journal club article: Cycling and accidents study

Matt, Jen, and guest Jennifer Weuve discuss a study that looks at whether elective and non-elective C-sections are leading to increased BMI in kids, they discuss a blog that asks whether bad statistical practices are crowding out good ones, and Matt breaks out his dance moves. Journal club article: C-section study

Matt, Jen, and guest host Jennifer Weuve discuss a study that looks at whether exposure to kids with chicken pox protects adults from shingles, they ask whether blinding in randomized trials really matters, and Jen survives a podcast episode that feels like a year on Mars. Journal club article: Chicken pox and shingles study

The gang paused their usual format this week to discuss how they are all dealing with the changes that have come about due to COVID-19. We got Chris, Matt, Don, Jen and newcomer Laura (and even a guest appearance by Nick) all on Zoom. We’ll be back to our regular format in two weeks.

Matt and Jen discuss a long-term follow up study of a drug to prevent breast cancer, they ask whether papers in predatory journals get cited, and Matt lets it all out watching guilty pleasure movies on planes. Journal club article: Breast cancer prevention study

Matt and Jen discuss a study on the hotspotting of healthcare, they raise a toast to the error detectors, and Jen instructs us on surviving encounters with wildlife. Journal club article: Hotspotting healthcare

Matt, Chris, and Jen examine a study on the social determinants of homicides, they discuss whether Mendelian randomization will save epidemiology, and Matt goes for the old BMJ Christmas edition. Journal club article: Social determinants of homicides

Matt, Chris, and Jen discuss a study modeling the impact of improvements in quality of care, they discuss a poorly thought through letter from a group of publishers to the president, and Jen teaches us about worm memories. Journal club article: Quality of care impact

Matt, Chris, and Jen examine a study on new treatments for Ebola, they discuss whether retracted papers should still be cited, and Chris and Jen have the same Amazing and Amusing. Journal club article: Ebola treatment study

Matt, Chris, and Jen discuss a study on whether Apple Watches can detect atrial fibrillation, they discuss a proposal to limit researchers to one published paper per year, and Matt wants to clown around. Journal club article: Smartwatches and atrial fibrillation

Matt, Chris, and Jen discuss a study on whether taking blood pressure medication at night is better than taking it during the day, they discuss the harms that come from hyping medical research (and what we can do about it), and Matt finally has an amazing and amusing that goes in the amazing direction. Journal […]

Matt, Chris, and Jen discuss a study on whether playing professional soccer increases the risk of death from neurodegenerative disease, they vent about how much it costs in time and money to reformat papers for journal submission, and Jen gives Chris and Matt an early Christmas present. Journal club article: Soccer and neurodegenerative disease

Matt and Jen examine a study from South Korea on the effects of low dose radiation on cancer, we discuss a fascinating study that was retracted and republished because of a coding error, and Matt shares Star Wars secrets gleaned from a figure in a research paper. Journal club article: Low dose radiation and cancer […]

Matt and Jen discuss a new set of surprising recommendations around eating red meat, we skip the second segment entirely because we had so much to say on segment 1, and Jen reveals who has been killing all the cane toads. Journal club article: Red meat recommendation study

Matt, Chris, and Jen discuss a case series on California’s Extreme Risk Protection Law, the gang discuss why it’s so difficult to talk about science on controversial topics, and Chris gets serious about classical music. Journal club article: Extreme risk protection law study

Matt, Chris, and Jen discuss a study on the relationship between sugary drinks and cancer, the gang discuss how to improve nutritional epidemiology, and Jen gets us all up to speed about avocados. Journal club article: Sugary drinks and cancer

Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study on a new treatment for sickle cell disease, the gang discuss some advances in registered reports, and Matt figures out which celebrity he should publish a paper with. Journal club article: Sickle cell treatment study