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 75 - A new treatment for adolescent obesity? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:38
Matt, Jen, and guest Hailey Banack from The University of Buffalo discuss a study that looks at the effect of a new drug to treat adolescent obesity, they discuss the rise of armchair epidemiologists, and Jen reminds us…
Episode 74 - Which is worse, social media or eating potatoes? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 50:31
Matt, Jen, and guest Kerry Keyes from Columbia University discuss a study that looks at the effect of digital media on health of adolescents, they debate whether COVID research is moving too fast, and Kerry warns us abou…
Episode 73 - Is fish oil all that useful? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 54:19
Matt, Jen, and guest Laura Sampson discuss a study that looks at the effect of fish oil on cardiovascular disease, they get into the weeds on the proportional hazards assumption (no hate mail please), and Matt sits down…
Episode 72 - Is it worth the risk to bike to work? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:16
Matt, Jen, and guest Laura Sampson examine a study that looks at the risk of accidents from cycling to work, they discuss an impressive response to a mistake in a research study, and Laura gives us the skinny on doctors’…
Episode 71 - Are C-sections increasing BMI in kids? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:00:50
Matt, Jen, and guest Jennifer Weuve discuss a study that looks at whether elective and non-elective C-sections are leading to increased BMI in kids, they discuss a blog that asks whether bad statistical practices are cro…
Episode 70 - Can kids with chicken pox protect you from shingles? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 59:01
Matt, Jen, and guest host Jennifer Weuve discuss a study that looks at whether exposure to kids with chicken pox protects adults from shingles, they ask whether blinding in randomized trials really matters, and Jen survi…
Episode 69 - An informal chat about COVID-19 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:30
The gang paused their usual format this week to discuss how they are all dealing with the changes that have come about due to COVID-19. We got Chris, Matt, Don, Jen and newcomer Laura (and even a guest appearance by Nick…
Episode 68 - Long-term follow up on a new prevention for breast cancer [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:59
Matt and Jen discuss a long-term follow up study of a drug to prevent breast cancer, they ask whether papers in predatory journals get cited, and Matt lets it all out watching guilty pleasure movies on planes. Journal cl…
Episode 67 - What is hotspotting healthcare and does it work? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:16
Matt and Jen discuss a study on the hotspotting of healthcare, they raise a toast to the error detectors, and Jen instructs us on surviving encounters with wildlife. Journal club article: Hotspotting healthcare
Episode 66 - Social determinants of homicides in the US [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:03:26
Matt, Chris, and Jen examine a study on the social determinants of homicides, they discuss whether Mendelian randomization will save epidemiology, and Matt goes for the old BMJ Christmas edition. Journal club article: So…