Finding Genius Podcast

Dr. Brian Hooker is an Associate Professor of Biology at Simpson University. He specializes in microbiology and biotechnology and has a keen interest in the importance of inoculation and the safety of childhood inoculation. He has written numerous articles about childhood inoculation side effects including allergies, developmental delays, infections, and neurodevelopmental disorders. He is currently interested in the association between the cv1-9 inoculation and subsequent health issues such as the number of adverse events and deaths thought to be related to the inoculation. Click on play to learn: How inoculation has become lucrative for pharmaceutical companies. What studies of uninoculated children reveal about the side effects of childhood inoculation. What long-term and acute effects are being associated with childhood and cv1-9 inoculation. Childhood inoculations are meant to protect children from serious and potentially fatal diseases such as measles, polio, diphtheria, mumps, rubella, and others. Sometimes, a child has an adverse reaction after getting inoculate that may be linked to the inoculation itself. Some of those reactions include developmental delays, autism, allergies, ear infections, ADD, and ADHD. However, the medical community does not acknowledge any links between childhood inoculation and these types of reactions. Dr. Hooker has an interest in medical epidemiology and adverse events and has been doing research on childhood inoculation and possible reactions. Using data retrieved through 2016 from the Inoculation Safety Datalink, his studies have found that uninoculated children seem to have fewer chronic disorders and appear to be healthier than children who received inoculations on schedule. Some adverse reaction events surrounding the cv1-9 inoculation have lead to questions about the safety, testing, and effectiveness of the inoculation. The issue of mandated inoculation by corporations and educational institutions and the possibility of a inoculate passport have raised questions relating to the infringement of the civil rights of U.S. citizens. Dr. Horn discusses these issues, the power of big pharma companies, and inoculation pros and cons. To learn more visit: childrenshealthdefense.org childrenshealthdefense.org/defender Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/30PvU9C

Janet Hays, founder of Healing Minds NOLA, is a formidable advocate for those who suffer from severe mental illness in New Orleans and across the country. She works tirelessly to bring those afflicted with mental illness, their families, and other stakeholders together to find a path to more productive and humane treatments of mental illness.  Click on play to learn: Why someone who is mentally ill ends up being incarcerated instead of being admitted to a hospital for treatment. How anosognosia impairs a person’s ability to acknowledge their mental illness and subsequent refusal of treatment. What the vision is for assisted outpatient treatment (AOT). Janet Hays has been instrumental in New Orleans in shining a spotlight on the mismanaged mental health care system for more than six years. Having witnessed the inadequacies of mental health care in the United States, Hays has made it her life’s work to advocate for better ways to care for the mentally ill. Her vision includes residential treatment communities, assisted outpatient treatment, and even clubhouses to provide a venue for the mentally ill to reconnect to the community and make new friends.  One of the issues that impedes medical treatment is anosognosia, a medical condition that impairs the ability of the individual recognize that they suffer from mental illness. They are unaware of their mental health condition, or they do not understand it correctly. The perception of their mental health can shift back and forth over time which adds to the belief that the person is denying the condition to avoid seeking treatment.  One of the proposed plans for the treatment of mental illness is AOT, a community-based program of providing mental health treatment under civil court commitment. One of the objectives of the AOT program is to unite and encourage the mental health system in taking responsibility for collecting the necessary evidence of mental illness and prepare a petition for AOT to present to the court so the individual can receive the treatment they need. To learn more visit: https://healingmindsnola.org https://treatmentadvocacycenter.org Episode also available on Apple Podcast: http://apple.co/30PvU9C @HealingMindsNO

Imagine feeling perfectly healthy and heading to your doctor for a simple cholesterol check, only to be told your blood work indicates that you may have an extremely rare, aggressive form of cancer. This is how most people are diagnosed with T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL). Dr. Marco Herling specializes in this type of cancer and shares his insights with listeners. Press play to learn: The difference between leukemia and lymphoma How the study of T-cell prolymphocytic leukemia (T-PLL) has led to a change in its name, and why it matters The most common physiological findings in patients who end up with a T-PLL diagnosis Why T-PLL is mostly a disease of the elderly, and the one exception  Dr. Herling is an adjunct assistant professor in the Department of Hematopathology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center who was drawn to the study of T-PLL precisely because it is so rare and so understudied. In fact, he explains that most doctors struggle to diagnose it correctly and refer patients to the proper treatment. This lack of understanding exists even in large-volume academic centers and major university hospitals.   In Western and European countries, the incidence of T-PLL is low, at about one to two cases per one million each year. “International networking is of the essence in order to make progress in this disease,” says Dr. Herling. He explains how T-PLL is generally diagnosed, the signs and symptoms of the disease, theories about why and how it develops, and possible ways to detect and eliminate it earlier on. He also talks about the current efforts being made to further the study and understanding of T-PLL, which hold promise for an eventual effective treatment. Interested in learning more? Tune in, and visit https://herlinglab.com/.  Episode also available on Apple Podcast: http://apple.co/30PvU9C

Is cancer its own separate organism? While we believe that it may not be most of the time, some instances of contagious cancer variants do not die with the host. Listen in to learn: How cancers may first arise Why metastatic sites hold vital clues to begin understanding metastasis  How to backtrack a tumor to see how it may have formed  Courtenay C. and Lucy Patten Davis Endowed Chair in Lung Cancer Research, James DeGregori, shares his expertise on various forms of cancer and the theoretical questions of the future. Many people think that random mutations may be the root cause of many forms of cancer. However, new research disputes this, and specialists have begun on a new research path of carcinogens and their effects on the body. While they may cause a higher rate of mutations in the area they affect, carcinogens seem to have many other impacts as well. The critical component of the speculation surrounding cancer is the "why?" of the developing tumors in specific areas that may not be favorable for it. By determining the traits present in particular cells where the tumor began, the genetics can be deciphered, providing a complete image of cancer's development. Visit degregori-lab for more information. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/30PvU9C

You may be familiar with cicadas but are you aware of the vast impact they have on the environment. A cicada emergence can leave lasting effects on the world around them. Press play to learn: What years cicadas emerge Why cicadas live most of their life underground What Samuel Ramsey plans on studying next Samuel Ramsey, founder and director of the Ramsey Research Foundation, joins the podcast to discuss his research regarding parasitic insects and the wondrous world of cicadas. While many refer to them as locusts, there is much that distinguishes cicadas, and they have a vast benefit on the world around them. Unlike what we may have previously believed, cicadas bring benefits that can have favorable effects on crops and the ecosystem they emerge in. From having a boon on growth and providing vast energy sources for animals across the ecosystem, the 13 and 17-year broods can have an incredible impact. By studying emergence patterns and the lifespans of cicadas, information can be gleaned on many natural systems. Search for Samuel Ramsey on Twitter at @drsammytweets Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/30PvU9C

Dr. George Calin holds M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Carol Davila University of Medicine in Bucharest, Romania. He completed cancer genomics training at the University of Ferrara in Italy and was a post-doctor fellow at the Kimmel Center in Pennsylvania. The focus of his work is exploring new RNA therapeutic options for cancer patients. Click on play to learn: Why research on non-coding RNAs is important and what makes them special. How studies of ultraconserved gene sequences led to the discovery of distinct signatures in human cancers. How combinatorial therapeutics for small RNAs shows promise in treating cancers. Dr. Calin is the Principal Investigator at the Calin Laboratory at MD Anderson. He is currently working on all aspects of molecular biology and biomarkers with a focus on deadly cancers such as ovarian, gastric, colon, pancreatic, and cholangiocarcinoma. It has become evident in recent cancer research that the genomic complexity of cancer cells is more significant than originally assumed. For more than 30 years, the focus was on the development and testing of new gene therapy strategies involving protein-coding genes. The research done by Dr. Calin and his colleagues has led to the concept that small non-coding RNAs knowns as microRNA genes (miRNAs) are involved in the production of human tumors. His research also showed that another family of ncRNAs, ultraconserved genes (UCGs) plays a role in cancer initiation, progression, and the mechanisms of a predisposition to cancer. Looking to the future, the results of the studies of miRNAs and ncRNAs has led to the possibilities of combinatorial therapeutics that are customized for a specific cancer patient. Dr. Calin believes that there is a strong need to focus on the early diagnosis of cancer which has the potential to increase the survival of cancer patients significantly. To learn more visit: mdanderson.org/research Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/30PvU9C

Dr. Eliot Peyster is a heart transplant surgeon at the University of Pennsylvania Cardiovascular Institute. He is a member of the primary cardiology treatment team that specializes in cardiovascular conditions. In addition to heart transplant as a tool for treating end stage heart disease, Dr. Peyster is interested in the possibilities of using tissue samples from heart biopsies to study the heart at a microscopic level. Click on play to learn: What role inflammatory mediators plays in heart disease. How heart transplants and left ventricular assist devices are being used to treat people with severe heart disease. How computer vision analysis may be used to as a screening tool for high-risk heart disease in the future. Dr. Peyster describes coronary vascular disease as a leading cause of death, a disease of aging. Ischemic myopathy is generally understood regarding what causes heart blockages and how they relate to heart failure. However, too little is known about the role genetic and environmental factors play in the development of heart disease. Grading pathology slides from the biopsies of heart transplant patients has been somewhat problematic. A current concern is the grading criteria for tissue biopsies of the heart during the first year after a heart transplant. Rarely do the pathologists agree with each other when they assign a grade to this type of biopsy. The inconsistency of grading leads to confusion, making it more difficult to conduct multicenter research. Dr. Peyster and his colleagues have found a way to digitize the pathology slides. They have programmed a Computer-Assisted Cardiac Histologic Evaluation Grader to read the slides of the tissue samples from transplant patients to further study CMD. The hope is that a preventative approach can be developed to prevent small vessel disease To learn more visit: pennmedicine.org Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/30PvU9C

What dictates your decision to buy one type of cereal over the other? Cost? Nutritional content? Or is something else…like the colors of the packaging, or the nostalgic association you have with it from childhood? The truth is, you might not even be consciously aware of why you make the product purchases you do. But rest assured…others are studying this topic very closely. Press play to learn: How to distinguish between and understand the deep drivers vs. random factors of decision-making How to bridge the disconnect between perceptual and mathematical models of probability in product purchase decisions Whether and how to use large amounts of unstructured data in decision-making processes Amit Gandhi is a professor at the University of Pennsylvania and applied economist at Microsoft, where he specializes in industrial organization and econometrics. In simpler terms, he focuses on the use of data in economic models and decision-making processes, whether at the organization, industry, or individual level. He explains the most common deep drivers of decision-making and their impact on behavioral outcomes, but draws special attention to the ‘random’ factors that impact decisions, but have no real connection to deep drivers like cost and utility. “Do you want to try to design choice architectures that make those things go away, or do you recognize them as part of the human condition and build your product strategy in such a way as to accommodate them?” asks Gandhi. Most of his current research is about answering this question. Tune in for all the details, and learn more about Gandhi’s work by finding him on Google Scholar. Episode also available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/30PvU9C

How does understanding molecular evolution hold the key to significant advances in technology and preserving life? By studying it, there may even be clues to how to survive on planets other than Earth. Press play to learn: How synthesizing unnatural DNA building blocks is possible If we can test Martian geology to determine its base properties Why the "Vitamin C Gene" was integral to evolution A distinguished fellow and part of the Foundation for Applied Molecular Evolution, Steven Benner, discusses his research in molecular evolution and testing the viability of sustaining life on other planets.  By understanding the basis of molecular DNA and its four natural bases, researchers can begin expanding that number to eight or even 12. This opens the possibility that various lifeforms may not have the same basis for evolution and developed using different mechanisms. By adapting to the world as the established systems were destroyed through phenomena like climate change, primates' DNA shifted and allowed the beings to evolve. This may be a similar trend to how humans will evolve to face future challenges. Visit https://primordialscoop.org to learn more. Episode also available on Apple Podcast: http://apple.co/30PvU9C

Nicholas (Nik) P. Money is a Professor and Director of the Western Program at Miami University. He has spent most of his professional career studying fungi and other microorganisms and has published several books on the topics. His new book, Nature Fast and Nature Slow, was released in the summer of 2021 and focuses on biology from a unique perspective, the timing of life.  Click on play to learn: How miniscule units of time can be used to study fast mechanisms over slivers of time.  Why Professor Money chose to focus his new book on the passing of time. What the prospects may be for human life extension. The subtitle of Nik Money’s new book is, “How Life Works, From Fractions of a Second to Billions of Years.” He captures the reader’s attention with thought provoking statements about how quickly time seems to pass, shares the concept of milliseconds, and discusses nature slow which stretches out over billions of years.  The book explores the timetable of the universe in ten chapters with each chapter focusing on a particular slice of time beginning with nature fast. In the first chapter, Money discusses the evolution of nematocysts and expands on the evolution of the branches of the tree of life including sea slugs, anemones, comb jellies, and flatworms.  Each chapter in the book opens a new world of information on evolutionary changes over time. The author discusses specific topics such as bowhead whales, bats, and bristlecones. He is already planting the seeds of a new book that focuses on nature big and small. To learn more visit: https://themycologist.com Episode also available on Apple Podcast: http://apple.co/30PvU9C