
Radio Health Journal
Each week, Radio Health Journal breaks down important news in medicine, science and technology with the help of world-renowned experts. Our three weekly segments will help guide you to a happier, healthier life – with some fun facts to share at dinner parties. Can magic mushrooms cure your depression? Have we outrun natural selection?Hosted by Elizabeth Westfield, Greg Johnson and Maayan Voss de Bettancourt and produced by Kristen Farrah and Amirah Zaveri. New shows posted each Sunday by 5 a.m. EST. Subscribe, listen, and rate. If you’re looking for older episodes, you can find our entire segment catalog on our website radiohealthjournal.org. Also, check out the latest on Facebook and Instagram @radiohealthjournal and on X @RadioHealthJrnl.
Latest episodes

Jun 8, 2025 • 10min
Why Everything Is Tuberculosis To Best-Selling Author John Green
Even though we have developed fantastic antibiotics for tuberculosis, the disease continues to devastate communities – especially lower-income populations in developing countries. John Green, a best-selling author, dives into the disparities that exist within the world of tuberculosis and how we can get life-saving treatment to the millions that need it.
Learn More: https://radiohealthjournal.org/why-everything-is-tuberculosis-to-best-selling-author-john-green Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 8, 2025 • 13min
Why We Should Experiment On Pregnant Women
Experimenting on humans can be a dangerous and scary endeavor, but we’ve created guidelines to make sure that our clinical trials are the safest they can be. However, all of this effort is lost when it comes to pregnant women. We have very little data on how some of the most-used medications affect this population simply because it’s not researched. Our guest explains why we need to start including this population in clinical trials and how it can be done safely and effectively.
Learn More:
https://radiohealthjournal.org/why-we-should-experiment-on-pregnant-women Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 6, 2025 • 20min
One on one: Author John Green’s Mission to End Tuberculosis
In this podcast-exclusive episode, you'll hear the original interview audio between Radio Health Journal producer Polly Hansen and best-selling author John Green. The two have a conversation about his new book, Everything is Tuberculosis, and dive into Green’s personal experience traveling around the world to fight for TB awareness. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 4, 2025 • 3min
Medical Notes: The Mood Benefits Of Social Media, A New Tax For Food Companies, And Better Treatments For Your Ulcerative Colitis
A new breakthrough in ulcerative colitis treatment. Should food companies pay the FDA? The agency collects ‘user fees’ from pharmaceutical companies to help fund its safety research. Can doom scrolling actually benefit us?
Learn More:
https://radiohealthjournal.org/medical-notes-the-mood-benefits-of-social-media-a-new-tax-for-food-companies-and-better-treatments-for-your-ulcerative-colitis Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 1, 2025 • 10min
Does A Columbian Community Hold The Key To Curing Alzheimer’S Disease?
Researchers have been on a long journey to discover what may cause Alzheimer’s disease. Looking all over the globe, they thought the answer would lie in a mountain town in Columbia. Our expert explains the decades of research and drug testing, as well as the unassuming clue they now think could be the key to finding a treatment for this condition.
Learn More:
https://radiohealthjournal.org/does-a-colombian-community-hold-the-key-to-curing-alzheimers-disease/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jun 1, 2025 • 13min
Reducing The Trial-And-Error Approach To Antidepressant Medication
Imagine being able to find the best medication for your body on the first try. That’s what the field of pharmacogenomics is working towards. Our expert explains how our genes can predict a drug’s effect on our system and minimize the ‘trial-and-error’ approach to medicine.
Learn More:
https://radiohealthjournal.org/reducing-the-trial-and-error-approach-to-antidepressant-medication Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 28, 2025 • 3min
Medical Notes: How The Beauty Industry Is Threatening Your Pregnancy; The Best Test For Fertility Planning; And How Eating Veggies Helps Your Cells
Should pregnant women stay away from beauty products? A new saliva test that can help cancer patients. A promising step in understanding menopause. Here’s one more reason to have an abundance of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
Learn More:
https://radiohealthjournal.org/medical-notes-how-the-beauty-industry-is-threatening-your-pregnancy-the-best-test-for-fertility-planning-and-how-eating-veggies-helps-your-cells Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 25, 2025 • 12min
Aging Like An Olympian: The Exercises That Keep You Healthy And Independent
More than two decades after retiring, Joetta – a 4x Olympic athlete – laced up her spikes to get back into racing at age 62. This week, She explains how her training has adjusted to accommodate for her aging body, while our exercise expert lists the reasons why older adults need to be weightlifting and training fast-twitch muscles fibers.
Learn More:
https://radiohealthjournal.org/aging-like-an-olympian-the-exercises-that-keep-you-healthy-and-independent Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 25, 2025 • 10min
Re-framing Excuses: How Mental Weakness Sabotages Your Success
For many people, staying consistent is the hardest part of accomplishing goals. Dr. Haley Perlus, a sports psychologist, believes that the core of this issue is mental toughness. She explains how to trick yourself into staying consistent even when your motivation runs out.
Learn More:
https://radiohealthjournal.org/re-framing-excuses-how-mental-weakness-sabotages-your-success Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 22, 2025 • 16min
Producer Cuts: How To Provide Support in the Wake of a Traumatic Loss
'This segment is part of a new, podcast exclusive series called Producer's Choice. We'll be revisiting past shows that've left a lasting impact on the RHJ team, and providing behind-the-scenes insights on how the story came together. This segment focuses on grief.'
It can be difficult to figure out how to comfort someone dealing with a traumatic loss. Often, there’s a fear of not knowing what to say, which can leave the grieving person feeling more alone. Two bereaved mothers recount their experiences of losing their children, and detail what good support looks like.
Learn more at: radiohealthjournal.org/support-in-wake-of-traumatic-loss/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices