University of California Video Podcasts (Video)

Dr. Elisseeff is a leading expert in the field of tissue engineering. She directs the Translational Tissue Engineering Center where she and her team of scientists study stem cells, develop new biomaterials, and design new technologies for regenerative medicine. The goal of her lab is to engineer technologies to repair lost tissues. Specifically, Elisseeff's lab examines hydrogels as a scaffold for tissue engineering. Hydrogels are ideal due to their high water content for nutrient and waste transport, and their ability to encapsulate cells and to implant in a minimally invasive manner. The lab is currently focused on developing synthetic-biological hydrogels with highly controlled physical properties and biological function. The discovery of human embryonic stem cells has created the possibility to regenerate any tissue from a single, totipotent cell population. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Education] [Show ID: 37017]

UC Consortium launches first clinical trial using CRISPR to correct the gene defect that causes Sickle Cell Disease. Dr. Mark Walters of UCSF talks about a new CRISPR gene therapy developed by scientists and physicians at UC Berkeley, UCSF and UCLA. The trial aims to directly correct the sickle mutation in blood stem cells that causes them to create deformed red blood cells, leading to the debilitating and painful disease. It will be the first time clinical researchers attempt to correct the faulty beta-globin gene in a patient's own cells with non-virally delivered CRISPR gene correction tools. Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 37368]

One fourth of American school children have vision problems. Ophthalmologist Dr. Maanasa Indaram and optometrist Leila Shirazi explore eye conditions in children and how they are treated. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 37147]

Just another YouTube video documenting the crazy antics of squirrels hell-bent on reaching peanuts? No, these videos are part of a study to understand the split-second decisions squirrels make routinely as they race through the tree canopy, jumping from branch to branch, using skills honed to elude deadly predators. How do they decide whether or not to take a leap? How do they assess their biomechanical abilities to know whether they can stick the landing? Understanding how squirrels learn the limits of their agility could lead to robots with better control to nimbly move through varied landscapes, such as the rubble of a collapsed building in search of survivors. It could also lead to a better understanding of movement problems that come with age. Series: "UC Berkeley News" [Health and Medicine] [Science] [Show ID: 37367]

This short film showcases two community-engaged graduate student research projects. “Historic Places Merced” is an online database developed by graduate students that permits residents to co-produce an inventory of historical places in downtown Merced, including the social memory of lived experiences. “Merced: A City of Arts and Culture,” studies the opinions of residents about creating an inclusive downtown arts and culture district for a diverse Merced. These projects were funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. Series: "Critically Human" [Education] [Show ID: 37333]

The band La Santa Cecilia, named for the patron saint of music, is dedicated to voicing the experience of a new bicultural generation in the United States. Their music is rooted in their Mexican heritage, but also inspired by traditions of bossa nova, rumba, bolero, tango, jazz, rock, and klezmer. They have made seven albums, and their 2013 release Treinta Días won the Grammy for Best Latin Rock Album (Alternative or Urban). They have also been nominated for two Latin Grammies, and their album El Valor was named one of the best of the year by NPR’s Alt Latino. Series: "Critically Human" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 37329]

Glaucoma is the progressive loss and thinning of the tissue forming the optic nerve. UCSF experts explain that glaucoma isn't just one disease. They also look at risk factors, how it's diagnosed, and new treatment options, as well as explore promising research on the horizon. Series: "Mini Medical School for the Public" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 37146]

Scott Lippman, MD, Ludmil Alexandrov, PhD, and Hannah Carter, PhD discuss the genetic, lifestyle-related, and environmental risk factors identified in cancer prevention. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 37281]

This short film showcases two graduate student community-engaged research projects related to youth and access to resources in the San Joaquin Valley. One is on the experience of collaborating with local youth as they research and produce a comic book about historical inequities in Merced and the other is on the process of cannabis legalization in Merced and an inquiry into whether new tax revenues are being allocated to youth services as intended. These projects were funded by the Henry Luce Foundation. Series: "Critically Human" [Education] [Show ID: 37332]

Sweden is mostly known internationally for being a pop music powerhouse, but they also have an equally vibrant folk and world music scene less well known to the outside world. Sallyswag is a nine-woman power band that has taken that scene by storm, weaving together its roots in dance hall, Balkan, R&B, Swedish folk, hip-hop, and afro-beat to create an entirely original sound that’s been electrifying audiences since their foundation in 2014. They took home the Newcomer of the Year award at the 2015 Swedish Folk and World Music Gala for being a “refreshing sucker punch” (approximate translation) and have been performing to rave reviews on their national circuit ever since. This was Sallyswag’s first concert for a North American audience. Presented by UC Merced UpstART. Series: "Critically Human" [Arts and Music] [Show ID: 37326]