Free Associations

Free Associations

Author: Population Health Exchange Language: English Episodes: 156
Ever wonder what happens when you let a group of curious minds wander through the tangled undergrowth of health, medicine, and human life? That’s the essence of Free Associations, a podcast from the Population Health Exchange. We ditch the sterile lecture format to embrace the beautiful, often chaotic reality of science as it’s actually practiced. Each episode feels like a lively conversation you might overhear in a lab hallway or a community clinic, where ideas connect in unexpected ways. You’ll hear explorations that weave together personal stories, the latest research, and the natural world, all while keeping a firm footing in evidence. This isn’t about delivering tidy answers, but about reveling in the questions that make health and science so profoundly human. The result is a series of discussions that are as much about fitness for the mind as they are about the body, challenging assumptions and drawing lines between disciplines we often keep separate. Tune in for thoughtful, meandering dialogues that aim to make the complex landscape of population health feel more accessible and a lot more interesting. We’re here to follow the threads wherever they lead, and we invite you to come along for the ride.
Episodes
Episode 55 - Contraception and HIV risk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:07
Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study on whether commonly used contraception increases HIV risk, the gang discuss how to improve the communication of science, and Don finally does standup comedy. Journal club article: Con…
Episode 54 - Smells like an associational study [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:04
Matt, Chris, and Don discuss the relationship between ability to smell and mortality, the gang discuss the role that journals have to play in combating false medical claims, and Matt explains his concerns about the futur…
Episode 53 - And I would walk 10,000 steps [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:46
Matt, Chris, and Don determine whether you really need to walk 10,000 steps per day, the gang discuss a paper that had two discussion sections which came to two different conclusions, and Don enlightens us on whether cou…
Episode 52 - The best of Amazing and Amusing II [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:54
Matt, Chris, and Don have been traveling recently so for this episode we bring you another collection of the best of Amazing and Amusing. Enjoy!
Episode 51 - Doc, you really need a medical scribe… [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:35
Matt, Chris, and Don look at the impact of medical scribes on doctor productivity, the gang discuss a journal that only publishes unsurprising results, and Don grosses us out with facts about viruses. Journal club articl…
Episode 50 - Undetectable = untransmissible [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:38
Matt, Chris, and Don look at a study of the risk of HIV transmission when a person is successfully taking HIV treatment (spoiler: the risk is 0), the gang discuss what a “risk factor” is, and Matt channels his inner Harr…
Episode 49 - Rebroadcast: A tough pill to swallow? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:21
As we are nearing our 50th episode we wanted to take a look back at one of our favorites. Enjoy this rebroadcast of the poop pill episode. Journal club article: Fecal transplant study
Episode 48 - The social jetlag episode (it’s a thing) [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:27
Matt, Chris, and Don look at how living on the wrong side of a time zone affects your health, the gang discuss when it might be ok to conduct a trial without patient consent, and Matt wines. Journal club article: Time zo…
Episode 47 - Cannabis use and psychosis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:03
Matt, Chris, and Don look at a study of the impact of cannabis use on psychosis, the gang discuss something called ethics dumping, and Chris goes on a rant about naked mole rats. Journal club article: Cannabis study
Episode 46 - A breakthrough for postpartum depression? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:13
Matt, Chris, and Don look at a new treatment for postpartum depression, the gang discuss some statistical pitfalls in personalized medicine, and Chris schools us all on cat behavior. Journal club article: Brexanolone stu…