University of California Audio Podcasts (Audio)

Science communication expert Lisa Warshaw and scientist Rob Signer, Ph.D., offer a practical guide to turning complex research into clear, memorable stories. They explain why strong openings, simple messages, vivid analogies, and visual storytelling are essential to making science resonate. The talk includes tips on avoiding jargon, using soundbites effectively, and preparing for high-stakes moments like media interviews and conference Q&As. Warshaw draws on her experience in global biotech and healthcare communications, while Signer shares real-world lessons from academic science and public engagement. Together, they highlight how clarity and creativity can elevate a researcher’s voice, build trust with diverse audiences, and drive impact across fields. The session is filled with actionable insights for scientists aiming to connect their work with the world. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40460]

Jennifer Anger, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D. investigates interstitial cystitis (IC), also known as painful bladder syndrome, with a focus on improving care through research on sex, gender, and health disparities. Using Veterans Affairs (VA) data, Anger challenges the outdated belief that IC predominantly affects women. She explores how comorbidities such as PTSD and depression, common among veterans, influence bladder pain, and examines how factors like exercisJennifer Anger, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D. uses VA data to study interstitial cystitis.. She examines links between bladder pain, PTSD, depression, diet, and disparities to improve care across all gender identities.e, diet, and neighborhood deprivation impact symptoms. By including both cis and trans women as well as men, Anger seeks to advance more inclusive, data-driven understanding and treatment of IC across all populations. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40675]

Anthony Molina, Ph.D. highlights research and resources from the Stein Institute for Research on Aging that support healthy aging, with a focus on women’s health. He describes the institute’s work in training scientists, conducting clinical trials, and promoting community engagement. Key resources include a geroscience lab for biomarker discovery, new facilities for exposome and epigenetics research, and a clinical center for geriatric assessments. Molina also introduces the SAGE study—a 15-year prospective cohort project—and a “living lab” that enables real-world studies on technology and aging. The institute offers pilot funding for early-stage research and fosters intergenerational programs connecting older adults with medical students. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40767]

Dr. Steven Seyedin presents an overview of PSA recurrence and risk factors for assessment. A PSA test is a blood test used to detect prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels in the blood, which can be elevated in cases of prostate cancer and is a common screening tool. He explains how PET, CT, and MRI work, highlighting the precision of PSA PET in detecting cancer spread by targeting PSA proteins on tumor cells. This imaging method combines PET and CT to reveal metastatic disease with greater accuracy than traditional scans. Seyedin addresses the strengths of different imaging agents, emphasizing that access, not brand, is key. He also cautions against false positives, especially in bone lesions, which can mislead diagnosis. By improving staging accuracy, PSA PET supports better treatment planning and outcomes. Ongoing studies explore its use earlier in diagnosis, potentially replacing biopsy or MRI in select cases. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40805]

Prostate cancer and its treatments can significantly impact bone health, increasing the risk of fractures and weakening the immune system. Dr. Terence Friedlander explains how hormone therapy, radiation, and chemotherapy contribute to bone loss and highlights the importance of regular monitoring. He reviews the role of bone-building cells and the effects of osteopenia and osteoporosis, conditions that become more common with age and can be worsened by cancer therapies. Friedlander outlines tools like the Dexa scan and FRAX calculator to assess bone density and fracture risk, and discusses prevention strategies, including adequate calcium and vitamin D intake, weight-bearing exercise, and the use of medications like bisphosphonates and denosumab. He emphasizes proactive bone care for men with prostate cancer to help reduce complications and improve outcomes. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40812]

Gladys (Sandy) Ramos, M.D. outlines the comprehensive maternal care services at UC San Diego, emphasizing clinical excellence, innovation, and community impact. She highlights programs in diabetes and pregnancy, high-risk obstetrics, postpartum and HIV care, and maternal mental health. Ramos describes cutting-edge capabilities in fetal and placental imaging, including expertise in placenta accreta and genetic counseling. A fetal surgery program is launching soon, expanding access to specialized care and research. The department’s patient population closely reflects San Diego County’s demographics, which informs both clinical care and research priorities. Ramos also details a collaborative structure with multidisciplinary conferences and welcomes partnerships in research related to maternal, placental, and fetal health. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40669]

Is sacred space protective space? This question lies at the heart of the Sanctuary Movement. From the 1980s to the present, this practice has protected undocumented immigrants at risk of deportation by offering them refuge in churches, where federal immigration agents to this day still fear to tread. In this lecture, Lloyd Barba, Assistant Professor of Religion and Core Faculty in Latinx and Latin American Studies at Amherst College, asks how these houses of worship in the 1980s protected migrants from immigration enforcement authorities. What histories and testimonies rendered such spaces sacred and lent houses of worship qualities of safe refuge? And what is the applicability of these practices today? Series: "Ethics, Religion and Public Life: Walter H. Capps Center Series" [Public Affairs] [Humanities] [Show ID: 40877]

UCLA’s Avishek Adhikari, PhD, presents new research on the role of GABAergic neurons in the brain’s periaqueductal gray (PAG) region. Previously studied for their involvement in fear and defensive behaviors, these neurons were found to promote food-seeking behavior when activated—even in fully fed mice. Using calcium imaging and optogenetics, Adhikari’s team discovered that these neurons are active during food approach but suppressed during eating. The effect is stronger for high-value foods like chocolate or crickets and depends on the mouse’s prior experience with that food. A key finding is that these neurons influence behavior through a specific projection to the zona incerta, a subthalamic region. Rather than signaling hunger, this pathway appears to drive food seeking based on reward value, highlighting a new motivational circuit in the brain. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 40444]

Take a stunning journey across Earth as seen from space, captured by the astronauts of ISS 69 on July 30, 2023. This film soars over the Greek islands, Turkey’s rolling mountains, cloud-covered Ukraine, the Volga River flowing into the Caspian Sea, and a glowing sunset over Mongolia. The breathtaking visuals are set to music by Steve Thomas Guitar, featuring tracks adapted from his Folktales and Fusions album, with performances by Chris Cheek (alto sax), Rosie Caine (harp), Josh Metz (bass), and Claire Arenius (percussion). Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 40957]

Sheng Zhong, Ph.D. pioneers technologies that advance women’s reproductive health. Zhong develops a minimally invasive method to analyze extracellular RNA secreted by embryos during IVF. By sequencing tiny samples of spent culture media, they generate comprehensive RNA profiles and use machine learning to identify biomarkers that predict embryo quality with accuracy comparable to traditional imaging. This breakthrough offers a gentler, data-driven alternative for assessing embryo viability, with the potential to improve live birth rates and support families navigating infertility. Zhong’s research highlights the power of molecular innovation to transform fertility care and address critical challenges in women’s health. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40676]

The land we now call Scripps Oceanography has been home to the Kumeyaay people for thousands of years. A history of encroachment, colonization and displacement from coastal lands has challenged Kumeyaay ocean traditions and practices. Today, Kumeyaay-Iipay-Tipay people are actively revitalizing Indigenous ocean culture. As part of Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series, Stan Rodriguez and Priscilla Ortiz Sawah of the Iipay Nation of Santa Ysabel, and Andrew James Pittman of the Los Coyotes Band and Cupeño Indians, talk about the history of the Kumeyaay culture in the region. Through community efforts, they are rebuilding traditional ha kwaiyo (tule boats), harvesting ha shupill (grunion) and teaching language about the ocean (ha silowik). These intergenerational practices embody Indigenous resilience, resistance and revival — nurturing and evolving Indigenous ocean knowledge, culture and traditions. Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Humanities] [Science] [Show ID: 40596]

Join Fadel Zeidan, Ph.D. for a guided meditation. Follow along as he teaches simple breathing techniques and short practices designed to build focus and calm the nervous system. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40783]

Andrea Z. LaCroix, Ph.D. presents major public health trends affecting women across the lifespan, from rising maternal mortality and chronic disease risks linked to pregnancy complications to the ongoing need for improved menopause care. She highlights innovative research, including digital tools for menopause education, studies on cancer survivorship, and efforts to predict healthy aging using epigenetic clocks and physical activity data. LaCroix shows how decades of research continue to shape strategies for aging with preserved cognitive and physical function, aiming to help more women thrive into their 90s and beyond. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40766]

Dr. Kelly Fitzgerald explains current standards of care for metastatic hormone-sensitive prostate cancer, focusing on treatment strategies shaped by both clinical trial data and emerging imaging technologies. She defines key terms such as poly- and oligometastatic disease and outlines how newer imaging methods like PSMA PET scans are reshaping diagnosis. She describes the shift from traditional androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) to intensified ADT, where additional agents—such as chemotherapy or novel hormone therapies—are shown to improve survival. Fitzgerald also reviews ongoing questions around triplet therapy and the potential benefits of local treatments like radiation. She highlights the importance of patient-specific factors and the evolving definitions that influence treatment decisions in this complex disease landscape. Series: "Prostate Cancer Patient Conference" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40809]

Linda Brubaker, M.D. emphasizes the urgent need to advance women’s health research beyond its traditional focus on reproduction, pregnancy, menopause, and breast cancer. She highlights the biological, social, and lifestyle factors that affect women across the lifespan and calls for greater inclusion of women in clinical research. Brubaker announces her leadership of a new JAMA initiative to centralize women’s health content and promote rigorous scientific studies. She stresses that conditions like menopause and aging impact all areas of medicine and should be understood by all clinicians. Brubaker encourages collaboration, innovation, and resilience in pursuing high-quality science to support personalized care, healthy aging, and improved outcomes for all women. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40677]

Antoni J. Duleba, M.D. outlines the broad scope of reproductive endocrinology and infertility, emphasizing care across a woman’s lifespan—from adolescence through menopause. He explains common endocrine conditions like polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, and menstrual disorders, all of which can affect fertility and overall health. Duleba highlights advances in fertility preservation, especially for patients undergoing cancer treatment, and notes the rising need for such services as more women delay childbearing. He also addresses efforts to improve hormonal therapies, IVF outcomes, and treatments that target inflammation and the microbiome. In addition to medical innovation, he points to social and financial barriers that continue to limit access to reproductive care. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40672]

As part of the 2025 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Dr. Diane Cullinane talks about the spectrum of therapeutic approaches for working with people with autism. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 40615]

In their 2020 documentary series Move, French filmmakers Thierry Demaizière and Alban Teurlai take viewers on a tour of the world of dance, shining a spotlight on the artists that shape the art of movement. In this program, UCSB's Stephanie Batiste talks with Jon Boogz and Lil Buck, who have shown throughout their careers that street dance is a form of high art - with artistry and originality. Series: "Carsey-Wolf Center" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 40738]