Jacob Blitstein

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Science Podcast: Dr. Falh on Cancer

Dr. William Fahl has a long history at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He completed his B.S in zoology and chemistry in 1972 and went on to complete his Ph.D in physiology and oncology here in 1975. He is now a Professor of Oncology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and runs a research lab in the McArdle Laboratory for Cancer Research. His lab's main interests involve finding a way to enable cells to protect their genomes against natural, environmental, or chemotherapy induced toxins. In this podcast, Dr. Fahl discusses the modern day approach to combating cancer as well as his lab's recent discoveries. One of these, which is a focus of this podcast, is the development of a protective drug molecule to prevent hair follicles from deteriorating during chemotherapy. This molecule is applied via a topical lotion which is absorbed into the scalp which then acts as a vasoconstrictor on hair cells and prevents them from receiving the toxic chemotherapy drugs which cause hair loss. This discovery is currently in clinical trials. If successful, this revolutionary discovery by Dr. Fahl and his lab has the potential to completely eliminate the adverse side effect of hair loss due to chemotherapy. 

Inactive Fragile X proteins prevent neuron maturation

Recent technological advancements such as high-throughput genome sequencing and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) have allowed researchers to discover more about the human body and its inner biological secrets than ever before. Scientists are now able to uncover the sequences of entire genomes for almost any organism on the planet.

Machine-learning program used 3-D tissue chip to distinguish neurotoxins

The United States has been one of the world’s leading countries in terms of scientific innovation throughout the past few decades. This would not be possible without the over $400 billion our government invested in research and development grants. It is no surprise that the University of Wisconsin-Madison is a major contender for this money as it is one of the nation’s top research universities with an over $2 billion endowment in the year of 2013.

Flu shots give important protection

Just as Madison makes its annual seasonal transition from fall to winter it also enters a season of a different type; the flu season. Every year starting in early October and lasting until the end of May, the contagious seasonal influenza virus spreads across the United States causing widespread illness and sometimes severe, life-threatening complications. While regular hand washing, not sharing food and avoiding touching your hands to your face have been shown to decrease the likelihood of getting infected with the virus, the single most effective way to prevent getting the virus is to get the seasonal flu shot at the start of the flu season each year.

Stem cells allow new way to create muscle cells

Stem cells were first discovered at the University of Toronto in the 1960s and have since become one of the most promising fields in biological research. Stem cells are undifferentiated cells that have the ability to differentiate into a variety of specialized cells under the right conditions.

Exercise program for elderly reduces injury risks

Modern advancements in medicine have allowed the human population to live longer than ever before. There are currently more elderly citizens on our planet than there have ever been. By definition, a person is referred to as elderly or older if they are at least 65 years old. In 2009, the elderly population in the U.S. consisted of 39.6 million people, or about 13 percent of our nation’s population. This number is expected to almost double by 2030 due to a larger younger population that is expected to live longer.

Football players and flies taking hits for brain research

Have you ever had a concussion or any other head-related injury resulting in a permanent or temporary change in cognition? Concussions and other Traumatic Brain Injuries are one of the most serious public health problems in the United States. TBIs occur when a force to the head causes the brain to strike the inside of the skull resulting in swelling and sometimes even bleeding in the brain. These injuries are extremely common in falls, car accidents and many sports-related injuries.

Taylor: Return of Senate Democrats up to Walker

Current Mifflin protests lacking traditional spirit

\Zombie"" protesters of last year lacked focus, substantial message.

Christopher Day Science Podcast

Genetically modified organisms (GMO) are any living organisms that have their genome artificially manipulated in a laboratory by genetic engineering. GMOs have been a topic of controversy as they have become a norm in our nation’s food supply in the past decade. While many people are veered away by the idea of having a natural food’s DNA changed in a lab, these changes have allowed food to last longer, be resistant to temperature and even have increased nutrients as seen in “golden rice”. This fear of the “unnatural” has caused a movement to require all GMO foods to be labeled in grocery stores. This podcast features horticulturist Greg Bothwell and UW-Madison genetics professor Dr. Christopher Day.

Nuclear Fusion podcast

Laila El-Guebaly is a Distinguished Research Professor with the UW-Madison Fusion Technology Institute, which is helping lead nuclear fusion research in the United States. Laila and her colleagues in the FTI collaborate with over 70 national and international fusion research teams with the goal of developing nuclear fusion power plants that can be an environmentally attractive source for energy instead of fossil fuels. Laila has written numerous publications and textbook chapters about different aspects of the nuclear fusion process. In this podcast, we discuss the role of nuclear energy in the United States, nuclear fusion vs. nuclear fission, problems nuclear energy faces as well as Laila's research efforts with the FTI.Audio editing by: Trina La Susa