Tackling Alzheimer's disease has seemed to take up a lot of headlines lately - from drugs reducing the severity of symptoms to new research studies revolutionizing how we understand its causes, the media has been nothing short of enthralled by recent advances. However, the initial step of diagnosis is often overlooked despite being a key component of this story. Today, we're chatting with Dr. Venkat Shastri about how his company ALZPath developed a blood test for a protein marker to catch Alzheimer's early on and help prevent its progression. Join us to learn about how we can cut costs of expensive testing and the power of visualizing 5 to 10 years into the future!
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Dr. Venkat Shastri is the CEO of ALZPath and the De Sanctis professor of engineering and entrepreneurship at the University of San Diego. He has a PhD in electrical and computer engineering and has been involved in many related startups. He has also previously conducted research at the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory and Yale University along with serving as a consulting professor at Stanford University.
Check out ALZPath: alzpath.bio/

Many of us have heard about the issue of lead pipes contaminating our water supply. Though it's been well established that this could improve the health of millions of Americans, the challenge in moving forward is deciding whether the immense upfront costs of replacing pipes is worth it from a financial standpoint. To tackle this issue, we're discussing with Ronnie Levin, a Harvard professor who previously worked at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Tune in to hear about how the brilliant simplicity of her cost-benefit analysis approach pushed the EPA to commit to replacing all of the USA's lead pipes in the next decade for better health outcomes.
​Ronnie Levin is an instructor in Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health’s department of environmental health. In May of 2023, she published a study demonstrating that the resulting health benefits of replacing lead pipes would be around $9 billion and result in an additional minimum of $2 billion in infrastructure benefits -- all by using analysis methods she developed during her time working at the EPA for 40 years.

Some of the greatest scientific advancements of all time were made completely on accident or weren't recognized until far after the discoverer's death. But how do you stay motivated as a scientist when things don't go according to plan? To tackle this topic, we're interviewing Dr. Karikó, a Nobel Prize winner who's had her fair share of ups and downs through decades of researching mRNA. Join us in a conversation about her thoughts on prioritizing health through hard work, future applications of mRNA technology, and the power of focusing on self-improvement amidst a world full of comparisons.
Dr. Katalin Karikó is a Hungarian-American researcher known for her work in mRNA technology. In 2023, she was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine along with Dr. Drew Weissman for the applications of her work in modifying mRNA to develop COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Karikó is also a senior vice president at BioNTech and an adjunct professor of Neurosurgery at the University of Pennsylvania. 

One of the most important ways that we're inspired to discuss topics on this podcast is through science journalism: that is, reading the latest news in STEM fields to stay updated on new innovations! However, considering the sheer volume of science content available on the Internet, it's crucial to know how to navigate this scene. Today, we chatted with Max Levy to discuss key takeaways in this field from his experience as a researcher turned journalist. Tune in to hear about how he comes up with unique stories, balancing individual interests with the need of the consumer, and the power of following your passion to create the best content.
​Max Levy is a freelance science journalist based in Los Angeles, California, with a Ph.D. in chemical & biological engineering from the University of Colorado, Boulder. He specializes in writing, editing, and fact-checking across a wide array of science topics, making complex scientific concepts accessible and engaging for a broad audience. His work has been featured on WIRED, Quanta Magazine, The Atlantic, Drug Discovery News, Smithsonian, TED-Ed, Veritasium, Vox, and more.
Check out his magazine, Sequencer, here: www.sequencermag.com/

Tune in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday as we publish new episodes for this season! Be sure to check our website for additional resources and follow @learnonpodcast on Instagram to be notified whenever a new episode comes up. Thank you all for our support and we'll see you very soon with more episodes!

It's finally here: the finale of season 5! 20 episodes later, we've gone on an exciting exploration together through the depths of digital health, the twists and turns medical technology, and the pathways through artificial intelligence. To wrap up the season, we're chatting with Dr. Alan Lightman, an accomplished physicist, novelist, and essayist. He was the first professor at MIT to receive dual faculty appointments in science and humanities, so we'll be discussing the importance of connecting science and humanities in order to explore the world around us. Tune in as we journey through big ideas about the meaning of consciousness, humanity's role in the universe, and getting started as a kid interested in science.
Check out Dr. Lightman's books: cmsw.mit.edu/profile/alan-lightman/ 
Read Dr. Lightman's articles in the Atlantic: www.theatlantic.com/author/alan-lightman/

Today, we're joined by Dr. Alex Schepart, a pharmacist who is currently a Medical Director at the pharmaceutical company Shionogi Inc. Tune in to hear about the challenges of integrating AI into drug development and healthcare that you may not have considered, ways to stay most informed about the latest scientific discoveries, and the way to build a "board of directors" of effective mentors in order to bolster your growth as a student and professional.
Check out the podcast Alex co-hosts, which dives deeper into the world of pharmacy: www.industrypharmacist.org/podcast.php
Start learning about the basics of AI here (created by yours truly!): projectneurify.org/