Stanford Medicine Health Compass

Sean Spencer, MD, PhD, instructor of medicine, explores how he treats patients with challenging gastrointestinal issues, working with them to heal their guts and improve their microbiomes through a variety of tactics, including through introducing a variety of foods in small doses, adding more fiber and fermented foods to their diet, and giving “gut shots” of brine from fermented foods.Read more in Stanford Medicine magazine: https://stanmed.stanford.edu/gi-conditions-gut-brain-connections/

Laura Dassama, PhD, assistant professor of microbiology and immunology and of chemistry, is developing new a new type of therapy for patients who, like her, live with sickle cell disease, which is caused by a mutation in the gene that codes for hemoglobin, the protein responsible for the ability of red blood cells to carry oxygen. Dassama speaks to her experience with the illness and describes how her lab work takes inspiration from a form of hemoglobin active during fetal development, creating a new path of inquiry that she hopes will yield a new treatment for the condition. Read more in Stanford Medicine magazine: https://stanmed.stanford.edu/innovations-help-chronically-ill-thrive/#sicklecell

Drew Endy, PhD, associate professor of bioengineering, is well-versed in a wide range of ethical quandaries in science today. He’ll discuss what science’s most pressing ethical concerns are, with a focus on misuse of AI and the pros and cons of harnessing synthetic biology to create new solutions for intractable problems in health and medicine. Read more in Stanford Medicine magazine: https://stanmed.stanford.edu/ethical-genetic-engineering-benefit-society/ 

Euan Ashley, MB ChB, DPhil, chair of the department of medicine and professor of genetics and of biomedical data science, leads the MotrPac project, a research group that analyzes the effects of exercise on humans and animals. Ashley discusses what exercise does to the human body on a molecular level, why that matters, and how to incorporate exercise into daily life, including short bouts of “exercise snacks.” He also shares practical tips on how best to gain the benefits of exercise and how it can stave off disease.

Following part one of the Alzheimer’s episode, Sharon Sha, MD, MS, clinical professor of adult neurology, later speaks to the practical questions patients and families want to know about receiving an Alzheimer’s diagnosis and how she helps her patients navigate their health journeys.

In the first segment of a two-part episode, Michael Greicius, MD, MPH, professor of adult neurology, begins by discussing his research in understanding the genetic and molecular roots of Alzheimer’s disease and shares insights into the convoluted landscape of emerging treatments and whether they work.

When Bryant Lin, MD, physician and faculty member at Stanford Medicine, was diagnosed with stage 4 never-smoker lung cancer, he took it as an opportunity to do what he does best: teach. Lin launched a class diving into a variety of topics around cancer care, grappling with tough conversations, and the difficult choices that come with navigating drastic changes in one's health. In a conversation with Maya Adam, Lin shares his outlook and personal motivations to turn a daunting diagnosis into an opportunity to learn. Together they explore how, even amid a time of tumult, Lin finds meaning and hope through engaging young students in lessons of how to support and care for people facing similar diagnoses.

Maya Adam, MD, and her guests Victor Carrion, MD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral science, and Laura Roberts, MD, professor and chair of psychiatry and behavioral sciences, shine a spotlight on the global mental health crisis and share how research at Stanford Medicine is giving new hope to patients seeking clearer diagnoses and better treatments. Carrion explores the impact of trauma on young people, discusses how to help build resilience, and shares practical tools that help youth support their own mental health. Later, Roberts speaks to the state of the world’s mental health, including how the pandemic left lingering impacts on us all, how to restore mental balance, and why digital health could be a boon to broader accessibility to mental health tools.Website: https://med.stanford.edu/health-compass-podcast/mental-health-crisis.html

Maya Adam hosts Howard Chang, a Stanford professor specializing in dermatology and genetics, and Diana Dou, an immunology assistant professor at Duke University with a focus on autoimmune diseases. They discuss why women are disproportionately affected by autoimmune conditions, sharing insights on genetic factors like X chromosomes and regulatory RNAs. Personal experiences from their medical journeys reveal the critical need for deeper research into gender disparities in immunity, alongside the importance of mentorship and collaboration in science.

This episode discusses suicide and may be distressing for some listeners. If help is needed, the U.S. national suicide and crisis lifeline is available by calling or texting 988 or by chatting at 988lifeline.org.Maya Adam and Leanne Williams, PhD, professor of psychiatry and behavioral science, talk about tackling the stigma surrounding mental health challenges, a burden that still too often prevents those who need help the most from reaching out. In this episode, Williams shares her own searingly personal story about the loss of her partner, an ER physician who died by suicide, and how it motivated her work to prevent more tragedies. She underscores the need to identify the root causes of mental illness in the brain and explores the potential for bio-typing to bring precision and personalization to the field. She also emphasizes the importance of lifestyle changes to improve outcomes, the need to make technological advances more widely available and how, together, we can all help erase the shame around getting treatment.Website: https://med.stanford.edu/health-compass-podcast/mental-health-stigma.html