UC San Diego (Audio)

Cardiovascular disease is a major threat to maternal health during pregnancy and the peripartum period, particularly for women with preexisting heart conditions. A UC San Diego cardiologist describes the development of a multidisciplinary cardio-obstetrics initiative designed to coordinate care for patients with congenital heart disease, heart failure, arrhythmias and coronary artery disease. The program brings cardiology and maternal-fetal medicine together with other specialties to establish consistent protocols, improve maternal and fetal outcomes, advance research and train future clinicians. As more people born with congenital heart disease survive into adulthood and consider pregnancy, the need for this specialized care continues to grow. Longitudinal surveillance is also helping researchers study outcomes and identify opportunities for better monitoring. Coordinated cardio-obstetrics care can help manage complex cardiovascular risks throughout pregnancy and delivery.

Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41641]

AI-powered cell imaging may help researchers identify biological differences that are difficult or impossible to see by eye. Yu-Hwa Lo, Ph.D., and Louise Laurent, M.D., Ph.D., describe a system that combines high-speed imaging, cell sorting, microfluidics, and artificial intelligence. The technology creates label-free images of cells, uses AI to classify them, and can isolate selected cells for deeper molecular analysis.

Laurent explains how the team is applying the system to human trophoblast stem cells, which give rise to specialized placental cells involved in nutrient transport, hormone production, blood vessel remodeling, and immune regulation. Lo describes how AI can distinguish cell populations and identify features that may not be apparent to human observers.

The researchers ultimately hope to connect imaging features with gene expression, proteins, and metabolism, allowing cell characteristics and behavior to be predicted from images alone. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41637]

Continuous glucose monitoring and wearable data are changing how researchers study pregnancy and women’s health. Gladys (Sandy) Ramos, M.D., explains why glucose control is difficult during pregnancy and how CGM can reveal patterns that finger-stick testing may miss. She also describes research on CGM use in type 2 and gestational diabetes, labor, and behavior change. Ben Smarr, Ph.D., shows how wearable data can track changes in temperature, heart rate, activity, respiration, menstrual cycles, pregnancy, and aging. Together, the speakers discuss personalized care, participant engagement, patient-driven innovation, and access to these tools. The goal is to learn from continuous data while recognizing limits in evidence, interpretation, and equity. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41636]

For people diagnosed with cancer, patient advocacy can play a vital role throughout the treatment process. At UC San Diego’s annual Prostate Cancer Patient Summit, keynote speaker and three-time MLB All-Star David Justice brought visibility and purpose to that message, underscoring the broad reach and lasting importance of speaking up for patients and families. [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41648]

Drawing from her remarkable life journey and her memoir, Conquering Me: A Memoir of Courage, Faith, and Transformation, pastor and author Jolinda Wade shares powerful reflections on overcoming adversity, embracing purpose, and the mentors, opportunities, and communities that help shape our futures. The mother of NBA Hall of Famer Dwyane Wade, she talks about how, before becoming an advocate for personal transformation, she spent years battling addiction, homelessness, incarceration and profound self-doubt.

This presentation is part of the UC San Diego Earl W. Edwards Lectureship on Athletics and Society, a public dialogue initiative that brings together influential voices from athletics, education, business and public life.

[Humanities] [Education] [Show ID: 41565]

Topology offers a way to organize complex data by looking for shape, structure, and relationships. Yusu Wang, Ph.D., UC San Diego, and Gunnar E. Carlsson, Ph.D., Stanford University, discuss how ideas from algebraic topology move from pure mathematics into data science, machine learning, and AI. Carlsson explains why topological data analysis helps identify meaningful groups in large data sets, how examples and accessible tools can make abstract math useful, and why interpretability matters as AI systems grow more complex. The conversation connects collaboration across fields, customer-focused entrepreneurship, and the need to train mathematicians and AI researchers to help formulate real-world problems. Their exchange shows how mathematical thinking can make powerful technologies more understandable, usable, and accountable. Series: "Data Science Channel" [Science] [Show ID: 41487]

Alzheimer’s disease can begin developing years before memory and thinking problems become noticeable. Iris Broce-Diaz, Ph.D., of UC San Diego is developing accessible, noninvasive, and cost-effective tools to help primary care physicians and neurologists identify people at higher risk earlier. Her models combine information from cognitive assessments, brain imaging, genetics, and PET scans to estimate the likelihood that mild cognitive impairment will progress within five years. Combining multiple measures improves the models’ ability to separate higher- and lower-risk patients. Broce-Diaz also plans to add women-specific factors, including menopause history, hormone therapy, reproductive history, endocrine markers, and symptoms. The goal is to support better referrals, guide monitoring, and help eligible patients consider treatment sooner. Earlier risk assessment could also strengthen clinical trials and make dementia care more useful across different health systems. Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41632]

Men with non-obstructive azoospermia may undergo microscopic testicular sperm extraction, or mTESE, without knowing whether sperm will be found. Kun Tan, Ph.D., of UC San Diego explains how molecular semen analysis could provide a noninvasive way to predict the procedure’s outcome. The assay uses stage-specific germ cell markers identified through single-cell RNA sequencing, then measures those markers in semen with qPCR. Because semen contains germ cells from different stages of sperm development, their molecular signals may reflect what is happening inside the testes. Tan shows how the assay predicts whether sperm retrieval was successful and can identify where sperm development may be blocked. The research could help couples planning IVF or ICSI avoid unnecessary surgery, reduce financial and emotional burdens, and receive more detailed information about male infertility before treatment.

Series: "Motherhood Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41630]

Archaeology can help communities understand environmental change, protect cultural heritage, and prepare for an uncertain climate future. Isabel C. Rivera-Collazo, Ph.D., of UC San Diego studies relationships among people, oceans, coastal ecosystems, and climate in Puerto Rico and the Caribbean. She explains how Hurricane Maria shifted her research from identifying theoretical vulnerabilities to supporting communities facing immediate risks. Her work combines archaeology with ecology, biology, geology, local histories, and community knowledge. Research on plants, fishing traditions, coral reefs, and coastal sites has supported sand dune restoration, heritage protection, and the creation of a marine protected area. Rivera-Collazo emphasizes that residents are experts on their own landscapes and should guide research priorities. Recovering knowledge from the past can strengthen identity, support ecosystem restoration, and help communities shape more resilient futures. Series: "Mi Universidad " [Science] [Education] [Show ID: 41490]

Chronic pain in older adults can affect mobility, mood, sleep, social connection, and independence. Una Makris, M.D., M.Sc., UC San Diego and VA San Diego Healthcare System, explains why musculoskeletal pain is common later in life and why medications or procedures alone may not meet the needs of many patients. Drawing on her work in rheumatology and geriatrics, Makris describes how pain and depression can reinforce each other, making it important to address both together. She highlights an age-friendly behavioral coaching approach that uses motivational interviewing, values-based goal setting, physical activity, and social support to help people reconnect with meaningful activities. By focusing on small, safe increases in movement, this research points to practical ways to support better function, quality of life, and healthy aging. Series: "Stein Institute for Research on Aging" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41172]