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 105 - Do sugar taxes really work to reduce sugar consumption? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:59
Matt and guest hosts Hoda S. Abdel Magid and Geetika Kalloo discuss a study on whether a tax on sugar sweetened beverages reduces consumption in South Africa, they talk through ethical guidelines for peer reviewers, and…
Episode 104 - Do birthdays cause COVID? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:53
Matt and guest hosts Bertha Hidalgo and Rachel Widome review a study on whether COVID transmission was more likely after a birthday, they discuss teaching epidemiology online, and Matt is pretty shocked by how much a jou…
Episode 103 - More nurses, fewer deaths? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:23
Matt and Chris (in another summer two-person episode) review a new study on whether mandating the nurse to patient ratios can improve hospital outcomes, discuss what happened with the FDA approval of aducanumab, and Chri…
Episode 102 - Infecting mosquitos with a bacteria to prevent a virus? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:21
Matt and Chris (in a rare two-person episode) examine a study that tested infecting mosquitos with Wolbachia to prevent dengue, discuss whether we should be training students in “legal epidemiology”, and Chris tells us w…
Episode 101 - MDMA for PTSD? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 55:03
Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study on the effectiveness of MDMA for treatment of PTSD, they look at whether electronic passports for COVID vaccination are ethical and legal, and Matt goes into the history of peer revie…
Episode 100 - Is this show going down the tubes? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:36
Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study on the effectiveness of ear tubes for ear infections, they consider the role of funders in international research, and Don goes cicada hunting. Journal club article: Tympanostomy tube…
Episode 99 - A new drug for weight loss? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:05
Matt, Chris, and Jess examine a study of using a diabetes medication for weight loss for obesity, they discuss whether Africa needs unique solutions to COVID-19, and Jess is a bit sheepish. Journal club article: Weight l…
Episode 98 - Addressing malnutrition through the microbiome [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:35
Matt, Chris, and Jess look at a study of whether or not a new microbiota-driven supplement does better at combatting malnutrition than traditional approaches, they discuss the importance of code review, and Matt looks to…
Episode 97 - More walkies for health? Pets and diabetes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 47:05
Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study that asks whether pets and humans get diabetes in pairs, they debate who got the best of the new deal between Elsevier and University of California, and Chris and Matt share a love of…
Episode 96 - Is the key to concussions in saliva? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:04
Matt, Chris, and Don look at some new research on whether a saliva test can detect concussions, they discuss how to take down the anti-vaxx industry, and Matt gets saucy. Journal club article: Concussions study