UC San Diego (Audio)

Blood-forming stem cells replenish the blood and immune system, making them important targets for gene therapy and transplantation. Cynthia Dunbar, M.D., explains how genetic barcodes let scientists track individual stem cell clones over time. Long-term studies in nonhuman primates reveal stable contributions from blood stem cells and unexpected persistence among certain natural killer immune cells. Dunbar reviews successes and safety concerns in gene therapy, including leukemias associated with some integrating viral vectors. She compares these approaches with CRISPR gene editing, examining challenges in precise gene insertion, stem cell recovery after transplantation, and age-related clonal hematopoiesis. She also addresses treatment costs, intensive preparation for transplantation, and barriers to patient access. These insights help researchers evaluate new treatments more carefully and work toward safer, more accessible care. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 40858]

A vocalist of extraordinary emotional power and authenticity, Daneen Wilburn opens the fall Intersections Concert Series with an evening rooted in gospel tradition, soul expression, and personal testimony. Having performed since childhood, Wilburn brings a voice shaped by both spiritual tradition and lived experience. Her celebrated return to the stage after raising her family has made her one of San Diego’s most moving and sought-after performers.

Blending gospel, jazz, blues, and soul, Wilburn transforms every performance into an intimate act of storytelling. Series: "Arts Channel " [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 41660]

Photography makes environmental changes visible that are difficult to recognize in everyday life. James Balog, Founder and Director of the Earth Vision Institute, describes his shift from celebrating nature’s beauty to documenting how human activity reshapes the planet. His photographs range from endangered wildlife and towering trees to mines, wildfires, and the atmosphere above Earth. Through the Extreme Ice Survey, Balog uses time-lapse cameras to show glaciers retreating over time, making climate change visible through recorded images. Drawing on his work and the films Chasing Ice and The Human Element, he examines the connections between people, land, air, water, and ice. Balog also considers society’s reliance on fossil fuels and the possibility of constructive environmental action. His images show why these changes matter to people and future generations.

Series: "Jeffrey B. Graham Perspectives on Ocean Science Lecture Series" [Science] [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 41838]

Kristin Hannah is an award-winning and bestselling author of more than 20 novels, including The Nightingale. Her 2024 novel, The Women, is a historical fiction about female nurses in the Vietnam War. Hannah wrote it during the Covid pandemic lockdown, seeing similarities to the nation's political division of the Vietnam era. A theme of Hannah's writing is the marginalization of women and the power of female friendship. In front of a packed house, Hannah joins host Dean Nelson for a lively conversation at Point Loma Nazarene University. Series: "Writer's Symposium By The Sea" [Humanities] [Show ID: 41658]

Heart repair is moving beyond a single strategy. Catriona Jamieson, M.D., Ph.D., Ehtisham Mahmud, M.D., FACC, FSCAI, Eric Adler, M.D., Karen Christman, Ph.D., and set designer Robert Brill discuss approaches to preventing and repairing heart damage. Mahmud describes a model linking cardiovascular care, training and clinical research. Adler explains how patient skin cells can be turned into beating heart cells to study genetic cardiomyopathies and develop targeted therapies. Christman discusses injectable extracellular matrix materials designed to reduce inflammation, limit scar formation and support repair after a heart attack. Brill connects the science to The Heart, a theatrical work shaped by medicine, organ donation and community. Together, the discussion shows how collaboration across medicine, bioengineering and the arts can expand approaches to heart disease and healing. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 41544]

As we age, experiences of loss often become more common, but so can our capacity for resilience. Danielle Glorioso, executive director of the Stein Institute for Research on Aging, explores the psychological and emotional processes that help older adults adapt to bereavement and other significant life losses. Drawing on current research and clinical insights, participants will learn how resilience develops over time and how it supports healing during periods of grief. Rather than viewing grief as a disorder to overcome, Glorioso reframes it as a natural, adaptive response to attachment that can coexist with personal growth, strength, and healthy aging. Series: "Osher UC San Diego Distinguished Lecture Series" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41700]

Vaginal microbiome research may offer new ways to understand infections, fertility, preterm birth and other areas of women’s health. Pita Navarro, co-founder and chief scientific officer of Evvy, joins Cynthia Gyamfi-Bannerman, M.D., M.S., of UC San Diego Health, to explain how patient-contributed samples and health information can support research and product development. Navarro describes Evvy’s direct-to-consumer testing model, its work to build a large metagenomic data set and the importance of distinguishing established findings from emerging evidence. She also discusses clinical validation, patient trust, academic partnerships and the challenges of bringing scientific discoveries into everyday care. Their conversation shows why successful health startups need more than promising science: they must solve meaningful problems, fit real-world workflows and stay close to the patients they aim to serve.

Series: "UC San Diego Women's Health Symposium" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41657]

Gladys (Sandy) Ramos, M.D., is a UC San Diego Health perinatologist and professor who cares for patients with complex pregnancies, including those affected by diabetes. She explains how immigrating from Peru, learning from her grandmother and wanting to serve Spanish-speaking communities shaped her work. Ramos also describes feeling out of place in college and not getting into medical school on her first attempt. Research, mentors, supportive peers and a UC Irvine medical school preparation program helped her strengthen her skills and confidence. Today, she uses her bilingual skills and cultural knowledge to build trust, discuss nutrition and health beliefs, and help patients work toward safe pregnancies and healthy babies. Her experience also shapes the guidance she gives students pursuing medicine.

Series: "Career Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Education] [Show ID: 41599]

Social isolation may influence how the body recovers from pelvic floor injury after childbirth. Lindsay Burnett, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor and physician-scientist at UC San Diego, studies factors during pregnancy and postpartum that may affect pelvic floor muscle recovery, including medications, diet, exercise and social interaction. Her research grew from clinical observations connecting patients’ perceptions of traumatic births with physical outcomes such as fecal incontinence. In a preclinical model, social support was associated with improved pelvic floor muscle regeneration and distinct metabolic changes. Burnett is investigating metabolites involved in wound healing and skeletal muscle regeneration, along with possible connections between social interaction, the gut microbiome and systemic metabolism. The research offers a biological perspective on why emotional and social support may matter during postpartum recovery.

Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41640]

Grecia Paola Siono Gutierrez and Jose Enrique Siono Gutierrez share how family, mentorship and community shaped their path from Mexicali to studying electrical engineering at UC San Diego. The siblings describe beginning at community college, transferring together and adjusting to classrooms where they often saw few students who shared their background. Grecia discusses finding support through the Raza Resource Centro, the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers and research mentorship, while Jose explains how studying music strengthened his discipline and inspired projects connecting sound and electrical engineering. They also reflect on their parents’ sacrifices, the importance of role models and their own support for one another. Their advice to students is to seek supportive communities, learn from setbacks and keep pursuing ambitious goals even when the path is not straightforward. Series: "Career Channel" [Science] [Education] [Show ID: 41495]