Health Science Radio – Details, episodes & analysis

This episode features a discussion about autoimmune neurological diseases, 
including the rare stiff person syndrome (SPS) that affects Canadian 
superstar Céline Dion. Our guest is Amanda Piquet, MD, associate professor 
of neurology and director of the autoimmune neurology program at the 
University of Colorado School of Medicine. Piquet, whose team is conducting 
groundbreaking research on autoimmune neurologic disorders, has treated 
Dion’s SPS for over two years at UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital. 
Piquet calls the $2 million philanthropic investment her team received from 
the Céline Dion Foundation a turning point in the understanding of SPS and 
other autoimmune neurologic diseases.

In the wake of a loss, how do we reconcile the Five Stages of Grief with feelings that shift day to day? In this episode of Health Science Radio, licensed professional counselor and assistant professor of psychiatry Mandy Doria walks through some common misconceptions about grief, loss and healing. 

Content warning: death and dying. 

 This episode of CU Anschutz 360 focuses on the research into long COVID taking place at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. An important study involving CU Anschutz researchers ties into RECOVER, a national initiative seeking to uncover the long-term effects of COVID and develop treatments for long COVID patients. Kristine Erlandson, MD, an associate professor of medicine and infectious disease at the CU School of Medicine, shares insights into the study that developed a scoring system to help learn which adults, out of a cohort of nearly 10,000, may have long COVID. 

In this episode of the CU Anschutz 360 podcast, Terry Fry, MD, the inaugural executive director and Charles C. Gates Endowed Chair of the Gates Institute, explains how the institute is heading toward new frontiers of targeted cell and gene therapies for cancers and other rare diseases. Fry talks about the latest advances in chimeric antigen receptor (CAR T) cell therapies, which he helped pioneer at the National Institutes of Health. He talks about how the Gates Institute, which connects and centralizes campus resources into a seamless translational pathway, offers an incredible opportunity to help patients facing serious health issues. Thomas Flaig,  MD, CU Anschutz vice chancellor for research, co-hosts the discussion.

In this episode of the CU Anschutz 360 podcast, Casey Greene, PhD, the founding chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, offers insights into the rapid development of artificial intelligence and its implications for advancements in research and healthcare. He discusses ethical issues around AI, the rise of biobanks and personalized medicine, using technology to improve patient care, a general skepticism about the effectiveness of AI in medical care, and the peculiar, AI-related connection between chihuahuas and blueberry muffins. He also addresses the buzz around ChatGPT and large language models. Thomas Flaig, MD, CU Anschutz vice chancellor for research, co-hosts the discussion.

This episode of CU Anschutz 360 focuses on the Center for Combat and Battlefield Research at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. Launched in January 2019, the COMBAT Center conducts research that impacts clinical patient care, battlefield casualty and trauma care, and critical, large-scale societal issues including mental health. Using multidisciplinary and collaborative teams, the center conducts clinically relevant, translational research to get newly discovered treatments and devices into the hands of first responders and clinicians. The COMBAT Center is directed by Dr. Vik Bebarta, a colonel in the US Air Force Reserve and a researcher on the forefront of the toughest clinical challenges for civilian and military care. Thomas Flaig, MD, vice chancellor for research, co-hosts the discussion.

This episode of CU Anschutz 360 focuses on the mysterious and debilitating condition known as Down Syndrome Regression Disorder. DSRD is a severe neurological condition with symptoms such as loss of speech, inability to perform activities of daily life, hallucinations, delusions and insomnia. Scientists at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus, including Joaquin Espinosa, PhD, executive director of the Linda Crnic Institute for Down Syndrome, are teaming with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles researchers on the first-of-its-kind investigation into the causes and potential treatments for DSRD. Thomas Flaig, MD, vice chancellor for research, co-hosts the discussion.

This episode of CU Anschutz 360 focuses on a promising breakthrough therapy for patients with large B-cell lymphoma, an aggressive subtype of the disease. The clinical trial was led by Manali Kamdar, MD, clinical director of the lymphoma program in the Division of Hematology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. In the trial for relapsed patients or patients who didn’t respond to treatment initially, CAR T-cell therapy with lisocabtagene maraleucel showed significant improvement in keeping patients in remission when compared to the standard-of-care, which consisted of chemotherapy followed by stem cell transplantation. Thomas Flaig, MD, vice chancellor for research, co-hosts the discussion.