Finding Genius Podcast

Derek Abbott opens up a decades-long mystery for listeners in this exploration of biomedical engineering technology applied to an unidentified dead man found on a beach in 1948. Listen and learn How electrical engineering techniques can marry medicine and biology to tackle tricky problems, How he has used everything from the cut of the Somerton man's tie to the mitochondrial find in three hair roots to tackle the mystery behind this corpse, and How bioinformatics, big data analytics, and deep learning are of importance for medicine, human identification, and forensics. Derek Abbott is a professor at the University of Adelaide in Australia. He has a physics and electrical engineering background and explains his field as bridging electrical engineering, medicine, and biology. Therefore, he can tackle tricky problems by utilizing biology and engineering. He believes in the importance of his academic role: "We work on difficult problems in a multidisciplinary manner," he says. "The problem isn't the goal," he adds; rather, "the tools and techniques we pick up on the way will serve society as a whole." This podcast takes an in-depth look at some of these techniques and tools regarding a curious mystery of our time. Professor Abbot has been working on human identification, and particularly on the curious case of the Somerton Man. He tells listeners how his field informs this work by taking us through the most interesting puzzles and solutions. A mysterious figure was found dead on a beach in Australia in 1948. There wasn't a scratch on him and no one knows how he died. This complete mystery has engaged the world and Derek Abbott is on the case. He describes some biomedical engineering techniques he has used as well as plain old detective work to decipher the significance of the note in the man's pocket, how his tie fabric was cut, and what could the women's phone number on the back of his copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam. He describes some amazing bioinspired engineering techniques including their attempts at mitochondrial work and other DNA workarounds, and explains the significance of the "graceful degradation of information." Listen in for a fascinating mystery and one man's dedication to following it to its end. For more about his work see his website: adelaide.edu.au/directory/derek.abbott Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK and find Derek on Twitter at @derek_abbott60.

Upgrading isn't just for phone systems. Quantum information science tackles the upgrade of old existing technologies, which run by classical physics laws, to those that function in the quantum realm. It's as easy as it sounds: Vlatko Vederal tells listeners what this entails and what possibilities researchers like him are working toward. Listen and learn What order researchers must move in to do this transfer, from quantum cryptography research to large-scale quantum computing, Why quantum cryptography offers a much more secure channel of communication, and What timeline will this upgrade follow and how soon might we be carrying around quantum laptops. Vlatko Vedral is a professor at University of Oxford in Quantum Information Science. He explains his field in helpful terms, comparing classical technologies with quantum technologies like quantum computing applications. His useful analogies give listeners a comprehensive picture of what this will look like and he provides a specific timeline. First, he says, quantum cryptography will take more of a center stage because it's the simplest one to begin with. Then there will be a shift towards implementing quantum memory, and finally, in the next ten years or so, we will see upgrades to large scale quantum computers. His explanation about how quantum cryptography helps elucidate the challenges for all quantum applications. Basically, if two people are trying to communicate using quantum bits, anyone eavesdropping is forced to a take measurement and collapse the communication to classical properties. This makes their listening-in detectable because that action will emit a lower fidelity, giving them away. He and Richard then discuss more fascinating potentials and the challenges they present, which tend to center on the error rate and physical necessities. For example, they must cool an atom to an extremely low temperature. As more cubits are added, the system gets hotter and noisier. Their only current solution is to do error correction, but researchers like Vedral are working towards better techniques. So listen in for these exciting possibilities. For more, see his website: quantumlah.org/research/group/vlatko. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Valkyrie has brought together some of the best minds to utilize artificial intelligence in operations management. This podcast presents a fascinating conversation on the latest ways artificial intelligence can impact decision making. Plug in, listen, and hear Ways this applied-sciences firm uses biologists, chemists, and physicists to deploy deep learning techniques, Some application examples, such as utilizing artificial intelligence in healthcare by developing prediction tools for a global ambulance company, and Methods they use for financial services, from actuarial to forecasting models and doubling down on quantum-driven hedge funds. Charlie Burgoyne, Valkyrie's CEO, educates listeners on the phenomenal potential of artificial intelligence in healthcare, financial services, government applications, and even the entertainment and transportation space. He tells listeners to think of his firm as a modern-day Bell Labs, basically a research institute turned industrial team. Valkyrie employs biologists, chemists, and physicists to work on different verticals, deploying algorithms and machine learning techniques to dramatically improve operational efficiencies and customer retention. He adds that while they do a degree of consulting, they're predominately scientists solving industrial problems. He shares some of these challenges that AI easily meets, such as helping the largest ambulance company in the world develop COVID modeling predication tools and resource allocation plans. For example, they can predict what counties are likely to have an outbreak of disease and why, and inform them how to best provide and allocate PPE accordingly. He adds that their most impactful projects live in the defense sector, identifying different types of behavior that help complex data systems adjust new data and develop supporting algorithms. But a nice vacation is also on their list of services, and they've recently helped a large cruise line identify which systems are creating failures, what can be optimized, and how they can develop operational capabilities to keep the ocean clean and still expand their operation. He finishes with an interesting discussion of their approach to financial services and where they go against the grain by embracing quantum-driven hedge fund models. Listen in to learn more about how Valkyrie deploys AI for a better future. For information about the company, see their website at valkyrie.ai. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

While chronic kidney disease diagnosis is rare in children, its effects are profound. Furthermore, there's so much scientists don't know about kidney function. Keia Sanderson is hoping to change that. She specializes in chronic kidney disease treatment in pediatric patients and discusses avenues to advance treatment and prevention. This podcast gives her the perfect platform to explain How kidney disease is especially challenging to identity in children because chronic kidney disease stages are often asymptomatic in pediatric patients, Why preterm babies are vulnerable to certain conditions because of the development timing of the nephrons, and Why it's important to identity intervention measures before dialysis and kidney transplantation provide the only recourse. Keia Sanderson, MD, is an assistant professor of medicine in the Division of Nephrology and Hypertension at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine. Her job is a mix of teaching, clinical work, and research. In her clinical work, she takes care of children with kidney disease at all stages, including kids who receive transplants. Her current research is focused on kidney outcomes in children with complex medical histories, in particular children who've been born prematurely. She says that the challenge is oftentimes the asymptomatic nature of kidney disease in children. Therefore, she and other clinicians are often meeting kids with disease states that are irreversible and are turning toward dialysis treatment and transplantation. Dr. Sanderson gives listeners a special focus on the risks from preterm birth. Because preterm babies tend to have less nephron development, the nephrons that are present have to work overtime and are subject to hyper filtration. But because doctors have been able to identify this as a critical time, they are looking at ways to better manage preterm infant treatment. For example, what medications are they receiving that could affect kidney development? How are we feeding infants in this active development stage? How are we handling their oxygenation? While a clear pathway is not yet evident, she is hopeful she and other researches will find one. Currently, she's hoping to develop mathematical models to make better predications about the risk levels for different babies. For more information, see the UNC Kidney Center, the National Kidney Foundation, and talk to your primary doctor. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

"As a flu researcher," says Stacey Schultz-Cherry, "it's frustrating to hear 'it's just flu.'" This podcast helps listeners gain a much better understanding about the constant effort to pin down strains for vaccines and the need for better spillover maintenance. She explains Why researching infectious viruses like influenza in high-risk populations is vital for their health, How the influenza virus structure, like the RNA-segmented construction, makes these strains recombine, and Why even if it is not 100% effective, a flu vaccine will still prevent you from getting severe disease and ending up in the hospital. Stacey Schultz-Cherry is a member of St. Jude Faculty and specializes in flu research. Her lab just received funding to make flu vaccines more effective for at-risk populations, populations who experience much less efficacy with the vaccine. But she takes this podcast opportunity to educate listeners about the vaccine itself and influenza causes and the microbiology of viruses. She clears up several misunderstandings. For example, she says the reason scientists can't just give one shot with 20 different strains is because of the interactions between the strains. One strain can outgrow another, for example, or your body might mount a higher response to one component over another. But scientists are researching how to make this possible. She also teaches listeners about the yearly process of sequencing strains that are out there and taking data from around the world to make the best predictions possible and choose the four strains it seems best to include. Why is it so complicated? Well, she says, influenza is an RNA virus that is segmented. So each gene has its own segment. That means in can recombine it unpredictable ways. Furthermore, there's something called "virus drift," with an error-prone polymerase. This equates to a genetic drift. The endless possible combinations are mostly not a problem for humans, but those that do spillover cause the bird flus that are so deadly. She also explains the nomenclature of the different strains, why the flu vaccine can help keep you out of the hospital, and more. For more good influenza resources, she suggests the CDC section on flu, the WHO pages that address the data, and Trevor Bedford's site at Fred Hutch. Her lab's website also provides information. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Early in his studies, Nils Pilotte realized he wanted to pursue research with direct human applications and neglected tropical diseases fit that bill. This podcast explores this sorely-needed research and ways scientists like Nils Pilotte are making a difference. Listen and learn How soil-transmitted helminths steal nutrition from their human host, How Lymphatic filariases position themselves to block the lymphatic system, causing damaging elephantiasis, and What exciting molecular diagnostic techniques are in the works, like testing mosquito feces rather than mosquitos themselves. Nils Pilotte is a postdoctoral researcher with the Williams' Lab at Smith College. He works primarily in diagnostic methods in parasitology and focuses on filarial worms and soil-transmitted helminths diagnosis in particular. These worms cause devastating health issues in underserved communities and he works not only to eradicate infestations now but also prevent future resurgences. He gives the podcast audience a solid background on how both soil-transmitted helminths and filarial worms, which are transmitted by insect vectors, progress through life cycles via complex host relationships. Filarial worms, for example, must utilize two animal hosts to realize their adult reproduction stage. He treats listeners with his enthusiasm for studying this coevolution, speculating on the amazing science behind their adaptations. But this coevolution is more than just interesting. Researching the signaling between pathogen and host is key to developing methods for diagnosis of parasitic infections. "Cross-talk" is a phrase scientists use for this exchange. Because parasites developed clever ways to disguise themselves, understanding this cross-talk is at the forefront of understanding pathogenicity. Dr. Pilotte addresses various ways they are looking at this signaling that might aid better diagnostics. He also addresses ways he and others work to make diagnostics less expensive and more accessible. For example, he's working on a method to increase their testing of mosquito infection by testing their excreta, or feces, for the presence of pathogen material. It's much easier and simpler to collect the mosquito feces than the mosquitoes themselves. Listen in for more smart advances scientists are using to make the world healthier. For more about Nils Pilotte, see his researchgate page or search for him in Google scholar. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Parasites are a neglected area of medicine and Rick Maizels is working to change that. But his research also lends surprising findings in the human immune response to parasites: allergy relief. With Professor Maizels' accessible language and explanations, this podcast explores an exciting step forward in both parasitology and allergy research. Listen and learn What his "proof principal" studies on intestinal tract parasites has shown regarding response to dust mites and other asthma-producing allergens, How the "good cop" of the immune response, the regulatory T-cell, is affected by a protein product released by hookworms, and What are other exciting therapeutics possible from parasitology research such as wound healing and hookworm vaccines. Rick Maizels is a professor of parasitology at the University of Glasgow and gives listeners a clear lesson in the latest science of parasite research. He leads listeners into the complex interchanges of cellular and molecular immunology to explain how parasites have the ability to dampen our immune system in ways that are sometimes beneficial for us. He explains that parasites are a neglected area of medicine because they tend to infect the poorest parts of the world. Unfortunately, past research money and efforts have gone to the needs of wealthier world communities. But parasitologists are working hard to change that. As they increased this research, they noticed a reciprocal relationship between the prevalence of helminths and allergies. In other words, helminths presence is inversely related to the presence of allergies, as if parasites dampen "diseases of modernity." Professor Maizels explains this in more detail and says there's a common theme: it involves the "good cop" of the immune cell—the regulatory T-cell. The regulatory T-cell makes sure that the immune response doesn't go into overdrive or start attacking innocuous materials like the dust mite. It turns out that the parasite can affect the host gene expression in human body with products it releases. For example, the hookworm release a protein that binds to the T-cell, instructing it to make more. The overall effect is to dampen the immune system. He discusses more studies along these lines and the effect on conditions like ulcerative colitis and celiac disease. They've also found some parasites have wound healing properties, healing and preventing infections in their entry point into the host. Harnessing these findings can address parasitic infections in poorer communities and offer therapeutics like vaccines to work for immunity against helminths. Listen in to learn about additional exciting discoveries. For more see, Professor Maizels' lab website: maizelslab.org. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0my

Can researchers better utilize our cellular powerhouses to fight infection? Yes, according to this podcast, but it's all about timing and balance. James Phelan's research into when cells utilize glycolysis and what that might achieve for infectious diseases has turned the cancer field on its head. Listen in to learn about metabolic pathway research that has therapeutic-changing potential. He addresses How he characterized cellular metabolism along the sequence from Barrett's esophagus to esophageal cancer, Why the discovery of cells primarily using glycolysis for energy at a key point in the disease progression was a major finding, and How this finding translated to tuberculosis (TB) research and a way to fight infection in its early stages. James J. Phelan is a postdoctoral research fellow at Trinity College in Dublin. He spent most of his PhD work developing an expertise in cellular metabolism, specifically in the context of esophageal cancer. He explains how he carefully examined the metabolic pathways accompanying the progression from Barrett's esophagus to cancer of the esophagus. Barrett's esophagus, or intestinal metaplasia, indicates a distortion of cells and is the biggest risk factor for esophageal cancer. He found that as patients progress from this inflammatory esophageal condition to cancer, their cells use an aggressive form of metabolism called glycolysis, which involves a higher flux of cytokines and chemokines, both damaging to tissue. In other words, glycolysis is a cancer-specific form of metabolism. He brought this findings into the infectious disease and immunology field and found that glycolysis has a contrasting role in an infectious disease context. However, it started with a similarity: as with cancer patients, infectious disease patients are burdened with high inflammation. The goal of therapeutics is to reduce inflammation, particularly with TB, one of his specialties. Here's where it gets tricky and innovative: if glycolysis as the main metabolic pathway is turned on early for TB, it will help eradicate the infection. They've found an iron binder in clinical trials for COVID-19 that can turn on glycolysis in macrophages infected with TB and clear the infection. By using this compound, they can switch on glycolysis and turn on cytokines, which are actually very harmful in the late stage of TB. But in the early stage, they are curative. He explains this surprising finding in more detail as well as therapeutic possibilities such as in vaccinations and other ways this research may help inform vaccines and the immune response. For more, see his website at Trinity College. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

Curious about the pandemic's impact on the housing finance system? This podcast has the answers. Richard Koss takes listeners through every element, translating the global housing watch into an understandable format. Listeners will learn How his company puts large housing market data sets online for the sake of transparency, How the cyclical and structural elements of the housing market responded to the pandemic, and What he sees in the next six months regarding real estate and the importance of emerging markets and world finances. Richard Koss is the Chief Research Officer at Recursion, a company in the big data mortgage finance field. They take enormous data sets related to the mortgage market and place that data in the cloud. Then, as part of what they call "data democratization," they provide digital tools that allow interested users to access that data to supplement policy or inform trading practices or research strategies. He says the lack of transparency before 2008 was part of the problem that lead to the global financial crisis. The importance of housing finance transparency was not lost on Recursion's founders. As a data expert, he's also in a great position to help listeners get a handle on today's housing market and better understand the economics of global housing solutions. He explains in clear and accessible language what the market has looked like since March in structural and cyclical terms, addressing the labor and housing struggles. He explains that housing trends look a little like the 60s—we're seeing flight out of the city into the suburbs and exurbs. The big question is how long this will persist. He tells listeners what predictions the banks, big companies, and financial lenders are betting on but gives enough information to help listeners come to their own conclusions. Listen in for some great insights into current directions of housing markets. For more about his company and their take on housing markets, see recursionco.com. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK

"Nothing replicates with nucleic acid and evolves through natural selection and is not alive, so I think it's time for viruses to join the pantheon of life," says Dr. White, bringing a fresh perspective to the topic of whether viruses should be considered living or nonliving. Press play to learn why he says viruses are "perfect" parasites, and to explore the following: How viruses get sick Who's winning the battle against multidrug-resistant organisms, and the critical role viruses play What allows a virus to transfer genetic information without replicating itself In what way phages have exhibited protective mechanisms for the host and interact with the host immune response Dr. Richard Allen White III is a virologist and the owner of Raw Molecular Systems (RMS), LLC. His current work is focused on diagnostics and biotherapeutics to combat COVID-19, as well as repurposing bacteriophage to tackle multidrug resistance. He provides unique insight on a handful of compelling questions about viruses, which leads to a discussion of how viruses take over the host's macrophages and trigger cell-to-cell infection, a phage Vibrio that's triggered by a quorum-sensing molecule, viral modification and what it means, virus and host cell interactions, viral evolution and how a virus changes over time, viral tropism, current treatments for the rabies virus, how viruses hold the key to wiping out the growing threat of multidrug-resistant organisms, and more. Tune in, and learn about Dr. White's company by visiting https://www.rawmolecularsystems.com/. Available on Apple Podcasts: apple.co/2Os0myK