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 145 - Tweets and changes in racial sentiments [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:13
Matt, Jess, and guest host Allegra Gordon discuss a study using tweets to see if there have been changes in racial sentiment over time, they debate whether in-person or remote work is better for paradigm shifts, and Alle…
Episode 144 - Human mobility and economic segregation [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:54
Matt, Jess, and guest host Jonathan Jay discuss a study using cell phone data to see if living in cities gives us better economic integration, they explore whether AI will be developing our hypotheses in the future, and…
Episode 143 - Workplace interventions for cardiometabolic health [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:19
Matt, Jess, and guest host Amruta Nori-Sarma examine a study testing the effect of a workplace intervention for cardiometabolic health, they discuss mental health as a human right, and Amruta tells us about the power of…
Episode 142 - A blood-based screening for cancer? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:32
Matt, Jess, and guest host Salma Abdalla discuss a study testing the efficacy of a blood-based cancer screening tool, they debate the role of the workplace in mental health, and Salma sees if she can pronounce the word “…
Episode 141 - Do taxes and warning labels affect meat purchases? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:41
Matt, Jess, and first-time guest host Allegra Gordon discuss a study of the effect of taxes and warning labels on purchases of red meat, they lament the impact of disinformation campaigns, and Matt tells us how AI is goi…
Episode 140 - Neighborhood environment and childhood physical fitness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:13
Matt, Jess, and guest host Jonathan Jay discuss a study on child opportunity in the built environment and physical fitness, they debate whether to get rid of discussion sections, and Jon invites us to consider the Golden…
Episode 139 - Wildfires and medical visits [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:23
Matt, Jess, and guest host Amruta Nori-Sarma examine a study of the effect of proximity to wildfires on medical visits, they discuss housing as harm reduction, and Matt goes to Olive Garden. Journal club article: Wildfir…
Episode 138 - Can hearing aids prevent dementia? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:24
Matt, Jess, and guest host Salma Abdalla examine a study on the use of hearing aids to prevent dementia, they discuss whether loneliness is a public health problem (and, as usual, descend into talking about COVID), and S…
Episode 137 - A breakthrough for meningitis vaccination? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:49
Matt and Jess go solo and Jess hosts for the first time! They discuss a study of the effectiveness of a new meningitis vaccine, whether active shooter drills do anything more than scare kids, and debate the best movie ca…