The Discovery Dialogues Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

Can we eventually cure diabetes? In the Discovery Dialogues podcast series, we uncover the hidden stories behind the science—from the discovery of insulin to the invention of continuous glucose monitors to the excitement behind the latest blockbuster medications. This podcast is for anyone curious about how science changes lives—from students and researchers to history buffs and lifelong learners. Subscribe to Discovery Dialogues for more untold stories of science and medicine. Don’t forget to like, share, and leave a comment with your thoughts.

This Episode 2: The Race for Human Insulin- In the second episode of the ‪@DiscoveryDialogues‬ podcast, the hosts Dr. Ani Deshpande and Dr. Pam Itkin-Ansari narrate the exciting, behind-the-scenes stories in the race to make human insulin.  From freight trains rumbling through Indiana and Boeing 747s carrying a most unexpected cargo, we'll uncover the story of a Time Magazine cover star who stole the spotlight from British Royalty, a Japanese PhD student who wanted to be the fastest gene maker in the world, a multimillion dollar donor who wanted to remain anonymous and the ethical storm around what some believed was scientists trying to play God. Today, if you or your loved one has diabetes and needs to take insulin injections, the hormone that you're injecting is not extracted from cows or pigs like it was at the time of Banting's discovery. It is recombinant human insulin and we will recount the absolutely fascinating behind-the-scenes stories of the science and the drama of how we got there in episode two of the ‪@DiscoveryDialogues‬ Podcast. If this resonated, please like, subscribe, and share with your friends. If you are a fan of science stories told in an entertaining manner, or of podcasts and shows such as RadioLab, Hidden Brain, Ologies, Veritasium or Night Science, you might just like this series! 

 

 #diabetes #insulin #recombinantdnatechnology #dna #diabetestreatment #genentech #cityofhope #geneticengineering #podcast #medicalhistory #nobelprize #asilomar #biosafety #type1diabetes #type2diabetes #type2diabetestreatment #radiolab #veritasium #hiddenbrain #kurzgesagt #ted

Discovery Dialogues Podcast: Tracing the History of Diabetes   Can we eventually cure diabetes? In the Discovery Dialogues podcast series, we uncover the hidden stories behind the science—from the discovery of insulin to the invention of continuous glucose monitors to the excitement behind the latest blockbuster medications. This podcast is for anyone curious about how science changes lives—from students and researchers to history buffs and lifelong learners. Subscribe to Discovery Dialogues for more untold stories of science and medicine. Don’t forget to like, share, and leave a comment with your thoughts.   Episode 1 - Historical Origins Tracing the History of Diabetes- In the inaugural episode of the Discovery Dialogues Podcast, hosted by Dr. Ani Deshpande, we embark on a comprehensive journey through the history of diabetes. Featuring expert insights from Dr. Pamela Itkin Ansari, this episode explores the early descriptions of diabetes from ancient Egyptian, Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern civilizations. The discussion traces the pivotal scientific breakthroughs, from the identification of the pancreas as a crucial organ in diabetes, to the discovery of insulin and its transformative impact on treatment. The episode highlights groundbreaking experiments and the evolution of medical understanding, culminating in the life-saving insulin treatments that revolutionized diabetes care.   #diabetes #diabetesmanagement #diabetestreatment #banting #sushrutsamhita #sushruta #avicenna #podcast #medicalhistory #type1diabetes #type2diabetes #type2diabetestreatment #radiolab #veritasium #hiddenbrain #kurzgesagt #ted    

Can we eventually cure diabetes? In the Discovery Dialogues podcast series, we uncover the hidden stories behind the science—from the discovery of insulin to the invention of continuous glucose monitors to the excitement behind the latest blockbuster medications. This podcast is for anyone curious about how science changes lives—from students and researchers to history buffs and lifelong learners. Subscribe to Discovery Dialogues for more untold stories of science and medicine. Don’t forget to like, share, and leave a comment with your thoughts.

 

This Episode 3: Insulin as a weapon - Deadly Venoms, Life-saving Medicines This episode of the Discovery Dialogues Podcast, hosted by Ani Deshpande and Pam Itkin-Ansari, explores the astonishing world of animal venoms and their unexpected role in developing groundbreaking medical treatments. The episode begins with the tragic and intriguing story of a young man, Charles Garbut, who died after being stung by a cone snail at the Great Barrier Reef. The discussion then dives into the fascinating biology of cone snails, their deadly venoms, and the groundbreaking discovery of insulin within their toxins by Dr. Helena Safavi. The hosts explore how this discovery could revolutionize diabetes treatment by leading to faster-acting insulins. The episode also covers historical and contemporary examples of venom-derived medications, like Captopril, derived from Brazilian pit viper venom, and Integrilin, inspired by rattlesnake venom. The episode ends on an uplifting note with the story of Lelia Bullion, a young girl with Type 1 diabetes, and her life-saving relationship with her diabetic alert dog, Gizmo. Through these stories, the episode highlights the potential of animal venoms in modern medicine and their profound impact on diseases like diabetes.

This is a video about Episode 3 If this resonated, please like, subscribe, and share with your friends. If you are a fan of science stories told in an entertaining manner, or of podcasts and shows such as RadioLab, Hidden Brain, Ologies, Veritasium or Night Science, you might just like this series! #diabetesawareness #diabetes #insulin #venom #podcast #kiwanis #bloodsugarlevels #bloodsugar #medicalhistory #diabetestreatment #insulindiabetes #type1diabetes #hypoglycemia #type2diabetes #type2diabetestreatment #radiolab #veritasium #hiddenbrain #kurzgesagt #ted

Can we eventually cure diabetes? In the Discovery Dialogues podcast series, we uncover the hidden stories behind the science—from the discovery of insulin to the invention of continuous glucose monitors to the excitement behind the latest blockbuster medications. This podcast is for anyone curious about how science changes lives—from students and researchers to history buffs and lifelong learners. Subscribe to Discovery Dialogues for more untold stories of science and medicine. Don’t forget to like, share, and leave a comment with your thoughts. This Episode - HBA1C-The Secret in Your Blood:  Sugar is the fuel of life, but we are drowning in it in the modern world, consuming 30 times more than our ancestors ever did. Where does all that excess sugar go, and what quiet damage might it be causing inside us? Join us as we explore a fascinating chemical reaction that links golden toast and grilled meat to chronic disease, and uncover the astonishing story of a medical breakthrough born in a place no one saw coming. From ancient sugar refineries in India to plantations in the Americas, from a mysterious illness in Kenya to malaria in British soldiers in India, and finally to the Iranian Revolution, join us in Episode 4 of the Discovery Dialogues podcast. If this resonated, please like, subscribe, and share with your friends. If you are a fan of science stories told in an entertaining manner, or of podcasts and shows such as RadioLab, Hidden Brain, Ologies, Veritasium or Night Science, Veritasium, you might just like this series!

learners. Subscribe to Discovery Dialogues for more untold stories of science and medicine. Don’t forget to like, share, and leave a comment with your thoughts.   This Episode: Sensing Sugar Spikes - The Remarkable Story Behind Painless Glucose Monitoring.  From a childhood shaped by war to a career of world-changing inventions, this episode follows the remarkable life of Adam Heller and his breakthroughs that led to a new kind of continuous glucose monitor. We also hear the podcaster's first-hand experience as a non-diabetic learning to use a CGM and real-world testimonials from families navigating diabetes. Chapters: see timestamps below to jump around. If this resonated, please like, subscribe, and share with your friends. If you are a fan of science stories told in an entertaining manner, or of podcasts and shows such as RadioLab, Hidden Brain, Ologies, Veritasium or Night Science, Veritasium, you might just like this series!   #diabetes #a1c #hba1c #bloodsugarmonitoring #medicalhistory #podcast #DiscoveryDialogues #veritasium #continuousglucosemonitor #cgm #type2diabetes #type1diabetes #diabetesmonitor #glucoselevels #hiddenbrain #npr #radiolab #kurzgesagt #ted 

Can we eventually cure diabetes? In the Discovery Dialogues podcast series, we uncover the hidden stories behind the science—from the discovery of insulin to the invention of continuous glucose monitors to the excitement behind the latest blockbuster medications. This podcast is for anyone curious about how science changes lives—from students and researchers to history buffs and lifelong learners. Subscribe to Discovery Dialogues for more untold stories of science and medicine. Don’t forget to like, share, and leave a comment with your thoughts.   This Episode: Sensing Sugar Spikes - The Remarkable Story Behind Painless Glucose Monitoring.  From a childhood shaped by war to a career of world-changing inventions, this episode follows the remarkable life of Adam Heller and his breakthroughs that led to a new kind of continuous glucose monitor. We also hear the podcaster's first-hand experience as a non-diabetic learning to use a CGM and real-world testimonials from families navigating diabetes. Chapters: see timestamps below to jump around. If this resonated, please like, subscribe, and share with your friends. If you are a fan of science stories told in an entertaining manner, or of podcasts and shows such as RadioLab, Hidden Brain, Ologies, Veritasium or Night Science, Veritasium, you might just like this series!   #diabetes #a1c #hba1c #bloodsugarmonitoring #medicalhistory #podcast #DiscoveryDialogues #veritasium #continuousglucosemonitor #cgm #type2diabetes #type1diabetes #diabetesmonitor #glucoselevels #hiddenbrain #npr #radiolab #kurzgesagt #ted 

Can we eventually cure diabetes? In the Discovery Dialogues podcast series, we uncover the hidden stories behind the science—from the discovery of insulin to the invention of continuous glucose monitors to the excitement behind the latest blockbuster medications.

In this episode of the Discovery Dialogues Podcast, hosts Ani Deshpande and Pam Itkin-Ansari explore the fascinating paradox of how nature’s deadliest defenses have become some of modern medicine’s greatest allies. The discussion journeys from medieval folklore to the cutting edge of longevity research, revealing how "plant poisons" were transformed into blockbuster diabetes treatments.

Episode 7:  How GLP-1 Was Discovered: From Gastric Bypass Mysteries to a Blockbuster Drug Class The episode explores the explosive rise of GLP-1 drugs (Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro) and their broad impacts, then traces the scientific history behind them. Hosts Ani Deshpande and Pam Itkin-Ansari introduce pioneers Jens Juul Holst, Svetlana Mojsov, and David Nathan, starting with the 1970s surprise that gastric bypass could normalize blood sugar within days, before weight loss, suggesting gut hormones (the incretin effect) stimulate insulin. Researchers pursued glucagon-like peptides, aided by Joel Habener’s anglerfish work that enabled cloning the glucagon gene and revealed additional peptides. Early synthesized candidates failed until Mojsov predicted the correct active, shortened GLP-1 form, confirmed by Holst’s gut purification and strong pancreas experiments showing glucose-dependent insulin stimulation. Nathan then led double-blind human studies demonstrating GLP-1 safely boosted insulin and stabilized glucose, while noting the remaining challenge that native GLP-1’s effects vanish without continuous infusion, setting up the next episode. 

Can we eventually cure diabetes? In the Discovery Dialogues podcast series, we uncover the hidden stories behind the science—from the discovery of insulin to the invention of continuous glucose monitors to the excitement behind the latest blockbuster medications.

In this episode of the Discovery Dialogues Podcast, hosts Ani Deshpande and Pam Itkin-Ansari explore the fascinating paradox of how nature’s deadliest defenses have become some of modern medicine’s greatest allies. The discussion journeys from medieval folklore to the cutting edge of longevity research, revealing how "plant poisons" were transformed into blockbuster diabetes treatments.

 

learners. Subscribe to Discovery Dialogues for more untold stories of science and medicine. Don’t forget to like, share, and leave a comment with your thoughts.   This Episode: Sensing Sugar Spikes - The Remarkable Story Behind Painless Glucose Monitoring.  From a childhood shaped by war to a career of world-changing inventions, this episode follows the remarkable life of Adam Heller and his breakthroughs that led to a new kind of continuous glucose monitor. We also hear the podcaster's first-hand experience as a non-diabetic learning to use a CGM and real-world testimonials from families navigating diabetes. Chapters: see timestamps below to jump around. If this resonated, please like, subscribe, and share with your friends. If you are a fan of science stories told in an entertaining manner, or of podcasts and shows such as RadioLab, Hidden Brain, Ologies, Veritasium or Night Science, Veritasium, you might just like this series!   #diabetes #a1c #hba1c #bloodsugarmonitoring #medicalhistory #podcast #DiscoveryDialogues #veritasium #continuousglucosemonitor #cgm #type2diabetes #type1diabetes #diabetesmonitor #glucoselevels #hiddenbrain #npr #radiolab #kurzgesagt #ted