UW Medicine Pulse

The liver is one of the hardest working organs in the human body, performing hundreds of jobs that keep us well. In this episode, meet UW Medicine physician Anne Larson, who has dedicated her career to keeping this important organ healthy and treating problems when they do come up.

Functions of the Liver – Learn some of the many important jobs the liver performs.

Liver Transplants -Listen as Dr. Larson describes the Liver Transplant program at UW Medicine.

In this episode of the podcast find out how UW Medicine researchers and practitioners are using video games, apps and other technologies to treat mental health issues from PTSD to Depression.

Treating PTSD – Debra Kaysen describes PTSD symptoms and how new technology is making treatment more accessible for all.

Empathetic Technology? -David Atkins describes new technology that is used to analyze the efficacy of counseling treatments.

Video Game Therapy -Listen as Pat Areán describes the great strides depression patients are making while playing a specially designed video game.

Not all cancers are the same. Not all treatments are one-size-fits-all either. Meet the researchers at UW Medicine who have developed new and innovative genetic tests that help target the right therapy for each individual patient, making treatment much more precise and effective.

Targeted Treatments – Jay Shendure describes how Precision Medicine is helping to fine tune cancer treatment.

Cell Free DNA -Learn how this type of blood test helps determine the origin of cancer for individual patients.

UW OncoPlex – Dr. Pritchard describes the innovative new test that is helping to find the best treatment for each individual patient.

If you or a loved one is suffering from a rare genetic disorder, the struggle to find a diagnosis and a cure is all too familiar. But thanks to the innovative work from UW Medicine doctors and researchers, it’s becoming much easier. In this episode learn about the technology now available that is connecting families with similar genetic codes and is helping them find answers about what might be the source of their genetic disorders.

Why MyGene2 Matters – Meet some of the patients who benefit from MyGene2.

What is MyGene2? – Meet Drs. Jessica Chong and Mike Bamshad, the doctors who created this valuable tool.

How MyGene2 Works – The doctors and patients who use MyGene2 describe how it works and its potential to change lives and make diagnosing specific disease easier.

According to new research by University of Washington’s School of Public Health, gunshot survivors are four times more likely to die from firearms than other patients. In this episode we meet the UW Medicine doctors who are heading this study and learn how they hope to change that statistic.

Gun Study – Meet Dr. Fred Rivara and Dr. Ali Rowhani-Rahbar as they discuss their gun violence research.

Emotional Toll – What damage does gun violence inflict on a victim’s mental psyche?

International Perspective – The doctors discuss some staggering gun violence statistics.

The cure for cancer will come in the form of immunotherapy; that much we know. In this episode of UW Medicine Pulse, find out how it works and how close doctors and researchers are to making it available to you and your family. Plus a deep look into prevention and comprehensive treatments.

Cancer Cure – Dr. Nora Disis discusses immunotherapy and how it may soon lead to a cure for cancer.

Cancer Prevention – Meet Dr. Elizabeth Swisher and hear about an innovative new plan to prevent ovarian cancer.

Cancer Treatment – Drs. Barbara Goff and Jason Rockhill discuss the best places to get treatment.

Dogs are our best friends. They live with us, bring us joy and unconditional love but unfortunately they don’t live very long. The average lifespan for dogs is 10 – 13 years. On this episode meet the researchers at UW Medicine who are setting out to change that! They’ve embarked on a new study using the drug rapamycin to elongate the most healthy years of a dog’s life. And they say, it could eventually work on people too.

Rapamycin – Learn more about the “wonder drug” that is being used to slow the aging process in dogs.

Clinical Trial – Is there evidence that rapamycin can delay aging and improve the health of older dogs?

Dog Aging – Will the knowledge gained by both Dr. Promislow and Dr. Kaeberlein’s studies someday translate into anti-aging medicine for humans?

Anyone who suffers with Kidney Disease knows how difficult a life on dialysis can be. It’s time consuming, uncomfortable and can make life very difficult. All that is about to change with a new device that could revolutionize dialysis treatment. The Wearable Artificial Kidney was just given the green-light to be fast-tracked through the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s approval process. On this episode of the podcast, learn about this new device, what it does and how it will change the lives of those suffering.

photo credits: Sandee Lee

Life With Dialysis – Chuck Lee, a dialysis patient, describes his life and diet with dialysis.

Benefits of WAK – Doctors discuss the benefits of 24hr dialysis.

Wearable Kidney Trials – Recently, a group of seven participants tested the Wearable Artificial Kidney for 24 hours in a hospital setting.

The Future – When might the Wearable Artificial Kidney be available for patients?

Though most infections of the Zika Virus are mild and cause few or no symptoms, the World Health Organization has declared a global public health emergency. So what is the concern? How bad is it? And who should be most careful? These questions and more are answered on this weeks podcast.

History of Zika - Dr. Coombs describes Zika from its beginnings and explains how the disease is spread.

Microcephaly Connection - Microcephaly, a birth defect that leads to babies being born with abnormally small skulls, seems to be linked to the Zika virus.

Preventing Zika - What measures are recommended to slow the spread of the Zika virus?

When illness strikes after normal business hours, the UW Medicine Virtual Clinic is open and ready to help. You can now get fast, efficient, quality medical care from the comfort of your home. Learn how this new clinic can help save you time and money on today's Pulse podcast.