Harvard Medical Labcast

Jonathan and Christine Seidman —both professors at Harvard Medical School—run a household and a lab together. They’ve been collaborating for decades to explore the causes of hereditary heart disease, especially hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and their skills in this area complement each other perfectly. Jonathan Seidman is a PhD and geneticist while Christine Seidman—who also has an appointment at Brigham and Women’s Hospital—is an MD and cardiologist.

Medical innovations build upon basic, curiosity-driven research—that is, research done in yeast and flies and other organisms without a specific application in mind. In this podcast, four scientists argue that it is essential for labs to continue exploring how life works. After listening to the podcast, read the related feature story.

Robert Truog—an HMS professor and a senior associate in critical care medicine at Children’s Hospital Boston—reflects on the evolving patient-doctor relationship. He recently authored a perspective piece on the topic in the New England Journal of Medicine. In addition to being a practicing physician, Truog has a master’s degree in philosophy, and he holds a leadership role in the HMS Division of Medical Ethics.

Last month, the Supreme Court heard oral arguments in a case with sweeping implications for U.S. health care. Gregory Curfman, an HMS assistant professor and executive editor of the New England Journal of Medicine, scored a coveted ticket to the proceedings. He shared insight and analysis with faculty and students during a recent Medical Education Grand Rounds presentation on campus. At issue is the constitutionality of the Affordable Care Act, which was passed by Congress in 2010. The court’s decision—expected in June—could influence the race for the White House and shape health care policy for years to come. Extended audio is available from this HMS event.

Jack Szostak, an HMS professor of genetics at Massachusetts General Hospital, shared the 2009 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for work he completed in the 1980s on telomeres, the protective caps at the ends of chromosomes. But he hasn’t worked on telomeres in years. In fact, he completely shifted fields in the early 1990s. Now he’s working to build primitive cells in the laboratory. Learn more about Szostak in the Spring 2012 issue of Harvard Medicine magazine.

HMS Instructor of Radiology Phoebe Freer explains the benefits of tomosynthesis, an imaging tool developed at Massachusetts General Hospital to enhance breast cancer screening. During a tomosynthesis exam, a camera moves in an arc over the patient, taking a series of low-dose images, which get stitched together by software. Radiologists use the resulting 3D compilation to find tumors that might be hiding and scrutinize potential problem areas before worrying patients. This podcast also explores 3D tissue models developed in the Brugge laboratory to study cancer. Plus, Professor of Radiology Tina Young Poussaint at Children's Hospital Boston shares her perspective.

Everything changes during the third year of medical school. Leaving classrooms for the clinic, students begin to apply lessons learned from textbooks, lectures and labs to real patients. And for the first time, future MDs begin to feel like doctors. Learn about this intense—and rewarding—year, known at Harvard Medical School as the Principal Clinical Experience, or PCE. Listen as students and faculty members share, based on personal experiences, how the approach fosters mentoring, communication and empathy. Interviewees include HMS student Kat Wakeham and her mentor David Hirsh, an HMS assistant professor of medicine at Cambridge Health Alliance.

Marc Kirschner, head of the Harvard Medical School Department of Systems Biology, describes a new initiative that takes aim at the alarming slowdown in the development of new and lifesaving drugs. Plus, Professor of Genetics David Reich is studying DNA from an ancient finger bone to shed light on the dawn of humanity. Image by Martin Sorger.

Elsie Taveras, an assistant professor of population medicine and of pediatrics at HMS, discusses a new Institute of Medicine report on early childhood obesity. Plus, Assistant Professor of Cell Biology Stephen Liberles explores how mice and rats sense predators. Image by Nazdravie/iSockphoto.

Harvard Medical School Professor of Systems Biology Pam Silver is engineering organisms that produce fuel and even food. Find out how she’s working to build a sustainable future through synthetic biology. Plus, Nancy Keating, an HMS associate professor of health care policy, sheds light on one aspect of the debate over the rising costs of health care.

According to research by Elizabeth Klerman, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, most adults should be getting 8.5 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Learn about her study and about the benefits of a good night’s sleep. Plus, HMS Associate Professor of Medicine Julia Wang explores what causes the immune system to attack healthy cells and tissues by mistake. Photo by Jojomarie/stock.xchng.

A draft sequence of the human genome was first published in 2001. Ten years later, David Altshuler, Harvard Medical School professor of genetics, discusses how the Human Genome Project has changed the landscape of biomedical research. Plus, a study by HMS Professor of Neurobiology Qiufu Ma sheds light on the relationship between itch and pain. Image by Clix/stock.xchng.

HMS Associate Professor of Medicine Ted Kaptchuk defines placebo effects as the self-healing capabilities embedded in the ritual of medicine. Find out why he’s trying to understand the magnitude, duration and boundaries of these effects. Plus, in the process of studying the genetic roots of a horrific disease, HMS Professor of Cell Biology Bjorn Olsen and colleagues discover a new way to create adult stem cells. Photo by Christopher Bernard/iStock.

We ask some Bostonians to envision a doctor of the future and bring their questions about medical training to HMS Dean for Education Thomas Michel. We also speak with medical students who are learning that research isn’t easy. Plus, a new topical cream disables herpesvirus in a molecular two-punch knockout. Photo by Jan Reiss.

HMS professor Peter Sorger shares his perspectives on the emerging field of systems biology, and we visit the lab of Roy Kishony, where researchers are using mathematical models to probe the evolution of drug resistant bacteria. Plus, the best-laid plans of mice and men have gone awry again; scientists tell us how differences in the mouse and human brain are complicating Alzheimer’s research. For supplemental information, listen to an extended interview (mp3) with Peter Sorger.

Adrian Ivinson, director of the Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center, explains why researchers need to collaborate to tackle neurodegenerative diseases, and reporter Yvonna Reekie brings us the latest on autism spectrum disorders. Plus, a team has discovered how beetles and bacteria form a symbiotic relationship—one that ultimately results in the destruction of pine forests.

HMS professor David Altshuler discusses the relationship between human genetic variation and disease, and HMS professor George Church explains the complexities of the Personal Genome Project. Plus, we learn whether drug sales are influenced by direct-to-consumer advertising. For supplemental information, listen to an extended interview (mp3) with David Altshuler.

Nobel Laureate Eric Chivian discusses the connection between biodiversity and human disease, and Yvonna Reekie examines the emerging problem of drug-resistant tuberculosis, which is plaguing countries worldwide. Plus, using an innovative approach, researchers halt the spread of HIV in an animal model. For supplemental information, listen to an extended interview (mp3) with Eric Chivian.

HMS associate professor of medicine Stephanie Woolhandler shares her views on universal healthcare, and Yvonna Reekie takes you for a ride on the Family Van, which provides free education, counseling, support and healthcare to Boston’s economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Plus, biology enters “The Matrix” through a new computer language.

HMS professor of neurobiology Margaret Livingstone uses art to understand how we perceive and process visual stimuli, and HMS professor of pediatrics Charles Nelson employs noninvasive techniques to measure the brain activity of children while they look at faces. Plus, you’re more microbe than mammal—at least according to your latest cell count. For supplemental information, listen to an extended interview (mp3) with Margaret Livingstone as well as an extended interview (mp3) with Charles Nelson.