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 85 - Should I stay or should I go? Resuscitation and transport [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:01
Matt, Chris, and Jess go over a study that looks at whether it is better to try to resuscitate people on site or transport them to hospital, they discuss whether there is a role for a precision approach in public health,…
Episode 84 - Will convalescent plasma cure COVID? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:16
Matt, Chris, and Jess discuss a study on whether plasma from those who have recovered from COVID can be used to treat people with COVID, they explore whether masks might actually help make people immune to SARS-CoV-2, an…
Episode 83 - Does vaccinating moms against RSV protect babies? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:06
Matt, Chris, and Don examine a study that looks at whether vaccinating mothers against RSV prevents their babies from getting infected, they discuss attacks on health workers in the time of COVID, and Chris brings us all…
Episode 82 - Is Vitamin D a magic cure-all or a bust? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:14
Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study that looks at whether vitamin D can prevent getting tuberculosis, they debate whether citation hacking is really a thing, and Don reminds us all that there is still amusement in the a…
Episode 81 - A treatment to prevent influenza? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:29
Matt, Chris, and Jess discuss a study that looks at using an influenza treatment for prevention in exposed contacts, they debate whether we should be using lotteries to decide who gets scarce coronavirus treatments, and…
Episode 80 - The pro vs anti probiotics showdown [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:45
Matt, Chris, and Jess examine a study that looks at the effectiveness of probiotics in those in care homes, they discuss cognitive biases in relation to decisions about COVID policies, and Jess wows us with her first Ama…
Episode 79 - Gun ownership and suicide in California [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:17
Don, Chris, and Matt examine a study that looks at the impact of gun ownership and risk of suicide in California, they discuss whether we should be doing trials of coronavirus policies, and Matt proves he doesn’t know a…
Episode 77 - Does one pregnancy complication predict another? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:32
Matt welcomes guests Nedghie Adrien and Julie Petersen to discuss a study that looks at whether having a complication in a first pregnancy predicts having one in a second, they debate whether anyone should make clinical…
Episode 76 - Did Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why lead to suicides? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:23
Matt welcomes guests Lisa Bodnar and Jaimie Gradus to discuss a study that looks at the impact of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why on suicides, they discuss whether epidemiologists should be called “Doctor”, and Lisa fi…