Health and Medicine (Audio)

For people diagnosed with cancer, patient advocacy can play a vital role throughout the treatment process. At UC San Diego’s annual Prostate Cancer Patient Summit, keynote speaker and three-time MLB All-Star David Justice brought visibility and purpose to that message, underscoring the broad reach and lasting importance of speaking up for patients and families. [Health and Medicine] [Show ID:...

Alzheimer’s disease can begin developing years before memory and thinking problems become noticeable. Iris Broce-Diaz, Ph.D., of UC San Diego is developing accessible, noninvasive, and cost-effective tools to help primary care physicians and neurologists identify people at higher risk earlier. Her models combine information from cognitive assessments, brain imaging, genetics, and PET scans to...

Men with non-obstructive azoospermia may undergo microscopic testicular sperm extraction, or mTESE, without knowing whether sperm will be found. Kun Tan, Ph.D., of UC San Diego explains how molecular semen analysis could provide a noninvasive way to predict the procedure’s outcome. The assay uses stage-specific germ cell markers identified through single-cell RNA sequencing, then measures those...

Chronic pain in older adults can affect mobility, mood, sleep, social connection, and independence. Una Makris, M.D., M.Sc., UC San Diego and VA San Diego Healthcare System, explains why musculoskeletal pain is common later in life and why medications or procedures alone may not meet the needs of many patients. Drawing on her work in rheumatology and geriatrics, Makris describes how pain and...

As part of the 2026 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Chantel Burkitt, Senior Clinical Scientist, and Todd Dalberg, Pediatrician and Palliative Medicine Physician, Gilette Children's Hospital, discuss how to assess and manage pain for people with developmental disabilities. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41471]

As part of the 2026 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Corinne Melon, Managing Director, Phamaly Theatre Company, talks about accessible theater for people with disabilities. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41468]

Authentic autism representation begins with listening to autistic people and including them in stories about their lives. Seth Bakke, producer, writer and director of The Rescue, explains how his autistic cousin Aaron and a poem by autistic typer Peter Tran inspired the film. Bakke describes working with Aaron on screen, consulting the Tran family and adapting the set to support his needs....

Climate and environmental change affect reproductive health and pregnancy in important ways. Dr. Marya Zlatnik explains how petrochemicals, climate change, and everyday chemical exposures can shape reproductive resilience and pregnancy outcomes. Zlatnik helps clarify how people can protect reproductive well-being in a changing climate with informed, resilience-building choices. Series: "Osher...

As part of the 2026 Developmental Disabilities Conference, Dr. Althea Robinson Shelton, Associate Professor of Neurology and Pediatrics, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, discusses sleep in children with neurodevelopmental differences. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41466]

As part of the 2026 Developmental Disabilities Conference, moderator Judy Mark and panelists Elizabeth Barrios Gomez, Mulugeta Tadele, Kyungshil Choi discuss the challenges and solutions for serving immigrant clients. Series: "Developmental Disabilities Update" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41467]