Finding Genius Podcast

Biopsies for the diagnosis of cancer are usually invasive and potentially dangerous. In addition, there's no guarantee that this method will even result in a sample of tumor cells, due to the heterogeneity of tumors. In today's episode, Chamindie Punyadeera from the Queensland University of Technology discusses a new non-invasive tool called a liquid biopsy to detect early cardiovascular disease and three types of cancers. Rather than relying upon a sample of tumor tissue retrieved through biopsy, this new tool uses saliva or blood. This is a cost-effective and less dangerous process for the patient, and it eliminates the chances of missing cancer cells that are there, but just weren't accessed by the needle. This method makes early detection of cancer in the premalignant stage possible, as well as the stratification of patients at diagnosis to determine the stage of cancer. Tune in for all the details on this and more, including: What cell-free DNA is, where it's found, and how it can provide valuable information for cancer patients How biomarkers in saliva may be used to identify patients at high risk of heart failure (such as those suffering from type 2 diabetes or obesity) How this research will impact human health and medicine in the coming years

Gastroenterology specialist Dr. Paul Moayyedi describes why a network of researchers across Canada is studying causes and possibilities for relief for Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). This podcast explores: Why Dr. Moayyedi is a proponent of evidence-based medicine and how this directs the nature of his studies on bowel diseases and how gut bacteria affects health. How the Imagine Network, a live cohort study involving at least 8,000 participants, is the appropriate way to tackle the complicated microbiome of the bowel. What are roadblocks to current handling of Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis and how fecal transplants may be the best immediate solution. Dr. Moayyedi, Professor, Division of Gastroenterology at the Department of Medicine with MacMaster University, is principal investigator with Imagine Network, a study encompassing multiple disciplines, from gastroenterology specialists to psychiatrists, observing what changes in variables over time for IBS and IBD patients. While the study centers on bowel diseases, it looks at aspects in addition to the gut microbiome such as mental health, diet, and inflammation. Findings many benefit patients from Crohn's disease suffers to those testing for gastric cancer. He explains that the human gut, with the highest concentration of bacteria on the planet, is very difficult to study. Most diagnostics only offer a small snapshot. A colonoscopy, for example uncovers only a single element in gastric cancer, while many bowel diseases are for more complex. The Imagine Network approaches these diseases through multiple angles instead to get a fuller picture. One promising aspect of their work involves fecal transplants (which more accurately means the introduction of fecally-contaminated water), which changes the gut bacteria. They were the first to start randomized trials with fecal transplants and its effect on ulcerative colitis. They've found about a quarter of the patients found relief from the disease through these transplants. Dr. Moayyedi hopes they will encounter what drives such diseases through these studies. To get in contact or find out more, see www.imaginespor.com.

Diana Jabour describes the "building biology" of our homes. She explains: How bodily health connects to our building choices, from light bulbs to hard-wiring versus wireless systems. How electromotive forces, or EMF pollution, and electromagnetic radiation dangers affect the quality of our sleep and anxiety levels. What are some solutions, from quick and easy devices like foil screens to better design choices from the ground up. Diana Jabour, Environmental and Electromagnetic Radiation Specialist and owner of Jabour Environmental, believes we can be CEOs of our health. Her mother modeled research-driven selections alongside common sense for healthy choices in food and materials, and Jabour continues practicing what she learned from this inspiring figure. When she noticed her own family experiencing troubling symptoms after moving into a new home, she began researching. She then attended the Building Biology Institute in Santa Fe and Jabour added to her already solid understanding of EMF pollution and electromagnetic radiation dangers. She discusses the ways our homes handle the four elements of building biology: air quality, water quality, lighting quality, and electromagnetic fields. Jabour offers the good news that we can control our space and she explains how, from techniques to ensure we are sleeping in electric fields that are close to nature to understanding why "anything that says 'smart' is stupid," and how we can better protect ourselves from EMF pollution and electromagnetic radiation dangers. Finally, she describes how she does a walk-through for her clients and types of solutions she typically recommends. For more about these issues, see her company's web site at https://www.jabourenvironmental.com/;

This podcast describes a cutting-edge application of analytical chemistry. When you listen, you will learn: How Dr. McCall's lab uses liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry together to identify and locate pathogen microbes in bodily organs. How identifying their location leads to creating compounds that help the body fight their effects. Why this new pathogen management is centered on metabolomics testing rather than killing the microbes. Laura-Isobel McCall, Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma, specializes in chemical cartography of host-microbe interactions. She runs the McCall Lab, where they practice the application of analytical chemistry to map disease-causing microbes in mammalian organ systems. The McCall Lab explores the interaction between pathogens, the microbiome, and the host to develop drugs that are capable of metabolism modulation. Through metabolomics testing and chemical cartography, Dr. McCall's lab is working on compounds to counter the effects of pathogens such as parasites. Much of their work focuses on neglected diseases, often potentially deadly, such as trypanosoma cruzi, which is present in the United States. Dr. McCall explains how locating and mapping microbes with 3D technology and metabolomics testing opens up an understanding of how these pathogens function. This has led to identifying how important timing is in treating against the effects of such pathogens: the extent of tissue damage and the eventual dormant stage of a parasite are factors of time, for example. Furthermore, developing compounds to bolster how the host deals with the energy demand of the pathogen is more effective than simply targeting the pathogen. Future work of the lab includes applying these techniques to other types of pathogens, improving the compounds to help patients, and connecting this work to other location-centered diseases. For more information, see the McCall Lab page at http://mccall-lab.oucreate.com/ and find them on twitter as @LabMccall.

Jordan Stern, MD, Founder & CEO of BlueSleep, a successful sleep health and wellness company, talks about the diagnosis of sleep apnea and his company's solutions for better sleep. Dr. Stern is an award-winning head and neck surgeon, and a New York Times bestselling author. He is board-certified in otolaryngology and sleeps medicine. Dr. Stern discusses his background and the massive epidemic of sleep apnea, a condition of which most people do not even know they have. The sleep expert and researcher discusses various sleep conditions including hypopnea, which is shallow breathing, an abnormally low respiratory rate. The condition is regularly defined by a significantly decreased amount of air movement into the lungs, so much so that it can cause oxygen levels in the blood to drop. Hypopnea is often due to partial obstruction of the upper airway. Dr. Stern describes how the oxygen in your blood drops when you suffer from hypopnea. The sleep doctor discusses the various risk factors for sleep apnea, the primary one being weight gain. He states that as we age, many people tend to gain weight, and this weight gain can often bring about sleep apnea. Continuing, Dr. Stern explains how BlueSleep can provide testing and treatment for various sleep disorders, as he discusses snoring causes and effect and snoring treatment in detail. The sleep doctor goes on to discuss CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) devices, oral appliances, snoring causes and effect, snoring treatment and more. In this podcast: How snoring treatment can help many people get a better night's sleep What you can do to beat sleep apnea Hypopnea vs apnea

In this podcast, Dr. Abramson will explain: How the pain in the jaw, ears, face, and head can have multi-dimensional causes that can be treated through TMJ dentistry. How TMJ treatments involve hands-on manipulations and a specially-designed splint that can free up the jaw to settle in a pressure-free position. Why Dr. Abramson's Oasys appliance is unique among sleep apnea treatments because of its ability to enable nasal breathing. Dr. Mark Abramson is sleep apnea and TMJ specialist in Northern California. After facing an injury in his teen years, his resolve to pursue healing strengthened and he has spent 40 years developing a treatment program that brings together the mind-body connection in dentistry. In this podcast, he describes the complex ways the mouth and jaw, two main centers of growth, interact within the muscular-skeletal complexes of our upper body. The extent to which we are mouth breathers, how our tongue grows, and what types of orthodontics we've had an all affect TMJ pain we may experience or whether we struggle with sleep apnea. Dr. Abramson describes the numerous medical evaluations patients will undergo before they seek TMJ treatments or sleep apnea treatment. Because pain is multi-dimensional with primary and referred pain, patients struggle with understanding causes. Dr. Abramson uses a comprehension of these interplays to develop special splints and sleep apnea appliances as well as cranial osteopathic manipulation to treat patients. For more information, see Dr. Abramson's office web site: https://www.drtmjsleepapnea.com/ For information on practitioners that use his Oasys system, see: http://oasyssleep.com/

Most of us go to the doctor about once a year, or at least we should in order to get a routine check-up and some blood tests done. This visit allows for an important dialogue about our health, including information about our biochemistry such as how much sodium, potassium, or glucose is in our system at the time of the appointment. However, it can be hard to keep up with the changes the doctor recommends because it's easy to forget about them when life seems to get in the way. What if there was a way to monitor your own personal biochemistry in real-time? You had a salad for lunch instead of a donut, and you went for a walk after work instead of sitting on the couch; if you could get the biochemical data associated with those lifestyle changes in real-time, you might be more likely to continue implementing healthful changes and paying attention to the way your body responds to different stimuli. Until now, the technology that would allow for this simply hasn't existed. On today's episode, CEO of Profusa, Ben Hwang, talks about a new and affordable technology that puts the power of biochemical data in the hands of the user. Unlike other biochemical sensors that don't last longer than a couple of days or weeks, the Profusa sensor can last for years, which means it's affordable and more convenient for you. Interested in learning more? Tune in to discover: How the Profusa sensor overcomes the body's foreign body response, which allows it to remain in the body for years What iochemical the Profusa sensor is currently able to detect, and which biochemicals it will be able to detect in the near future How the Profusa technology can be developed further Learn more at https://profusa.com/.

Cyanobacteria are photosynthetic microorganisms that release toxins, and they're also the building blocks of life itself. Under healthy conditions, the environment in which cyanobacteria live serves as a system of checks and balances wherein cyanobacteria do not overpopulate. When this system of checks and balances is disturbed, such as by human intervention, changes in temperature, or any number of other factors which influence the rate at which cyanobacteria grow, the toxins they produce end up dominating the whole ecological sphere in which they exist, and continuously change the chemical and biological conditions in the water. This overpopulation is happening globally in nearly every place you can find water, whether in the sea, lakes, or reservoirs for irrigation, and it's having devastating consequences for environmental and human health. BlueGreen Technologies Ltd has developed the first-ever solution to dealing with large-scale algal blooms and restoring the health and use of bodies of water around the world. Eyal Harel is the CEO and co-founder of this company, and he joins the podcast to explain how their products work, and why they show so much more promise than any solution which has come before it. By tuning in, you will learn: How BlueGreen Water Technologies Ltd has manipulated previously-used algaecides in a way that allows them to float on water and release over time By what standards water is deemed safe for drinking, and why they are problematic How BlueGreen Technologies Ltd products are performing so far, and what the company is working to accomplish in the near future Learn more by visiting http://bgtechs.com/about/.

Janet Bennett, author and sleep expert, provides an overview of her comprehensive sleep program (ijustwanttosleep.com) that is helping people find a way to get better, more restful sleep. Bennett is an experienced, successful Speech Pathologist in private practice who is passionate about helping people end their suffering and find new pathways to quality sleep. Bennett explains that snoring is a definite sign that a person's sleep is not ideal. Snoring indicates mouth breathing which may be preventing one's body from going into that deep REM sleep that we all need to feel refreshed come morning. Bennett explains how snoring can lead to sleep apnea, and she talks about the importance of educating people about the signs. While many people seem to think they cannot breathe well through their nose, and thus resort to mouth breathing, the truth is—they can, and simply need to relearn or train themselves on how to nose breath again. Bennett explains how her program trains people to put the tip of their tongue at a certain spot on the palette, which can help them immensely. The good sleep entrepreneur talks about CPAP (continuous positive airway pressure) machines, and provides information about the changes in the industry. Bennett discusses mouth breathing in detail, and she expounds upon the various tongue exercises that anyone can use to retrain their tongue to hold itself at the roof of the mouth, which enables you to breathe naturally through the nose. She talks about snoring causes and effects, snoring treatment, and the hundreds of snoring sufferers she has worked with through the years. And her work produces results, which she discusses. Bennett provides some impressive stats regarding improvement and the results seen after people utilize her program. In this podcast: What are the signs of poor sleep? Techniques to prevent mouth breathing How to retrain your tongue to help with better airway flow

Around the world, there are thousands of variations on religion and faith-based practices, and religion itself can happen on many levels—within your own self, within your family, within your church, within different churches of the same sect, and so on. Today's episode is the first in a new series on religions around the world. Richard Jacobs will explore all aspects of the continuum on which religions and faith fall, and dive into a number of topics with guests who are eager to share their personal experiences with faith and religion. Tune in for a discussion with Jay Wesley Richards, Research Assistant Professor in the Busch School of Business at the Catholic University of America, and New York Times bestselling author. You will discover: What led Jay Wesley Richards to convert from a follower of Protestantism to Catholicism How to reconcile the notion of papal authority and abuse of power with the Catholic faith and the Catholic church How Jay Wesley Richards perceives and approaches his interactions with people of different faiths and religions