Who Gets Sick?

What does it actually feel like to have an asthma attack with no inhaler, no insurance, and no good options? We start with Jess, a scene from Alison Kenner's Breathtaking that stopped me in class. Then we get into the data: why Philadelphia's air is worse along the I-95 corridor, and why medicine keeps handing out inhalers instead of asking harder questions. Asthma isn't just a medical problem. It's an urban planning problem.

Sources:

Asthma racial disparities:

• https://minorityhealth.hhs.gov/asthma-and-blackafrican-americans

• https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2114944

Philadelphia air quality + asthma:

• https://www.phillyvoice.com/philly-air-quality-asthma-highways-industry-redlining/

• https://theconversation.com/philadelphias-failing-air-quality-hits-hardest-in-neighborhoods-near-industry-and-highways-where-asthma-rates-soar-286744

• https://pubintlaw.org/cases-and-projects/city-council-testimony-on-environmental-health-disparities-and-environmental-racism-in-philadelphia/

Biomedicalization + social determinants:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7221057/

• https://www.annallergy.org/article/S1081-1206(21)01132-7/fulltext

Breathtaking:

• Kenner, A. (2018). Breathtaking: Asthma Care in a Time of Climate Change. University of Minnesota Press.

We're so back!! And we're starting with something crazy: did you know two people can live four miles apart in the same city and have a twelve year difference in life expectancy? This episode is all about why your zip code might matter more than anything your doctor tells you. We're talking redlining, Philly neighborhoods, and the hidden mystery of who gets sick where. Urban health, explained. Let's get into it!

I have some links attached for you to check out if you want to learn more!

Sources: 

Redlining history + health outcomes:

• https://ncrc.org/holc-health/

• https://www.buffalo.edu/ubnow/stories/2024/10/egede-redlining.html

• https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/11/19/911909187/in-u-s-cities-the-health-effects-of-past-housing-discrimination-are-plain-to-see

Life expectancy gaps across cities:

• https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11524-025-01023-5

Philadelphia specific:

• https://roundtriphealth.com/blog/addressing-philadelphias-major-health-disparities-with-better-mobility-options-to-primary-care/

• https://cdn.clinicaltrials.gov/large-docs/85/NCT03514485/Prot_000.pdf

Heat:

• https://www.enterprisecommunity.org/blog/mitigating-extreme-heat-risk-historically-redlined-areas

• https://www.npr.org/2020/01/14/795961381/racist-housing-practices-from-the-1930s-linked-to-hotter-neighborhoods-today

• https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0169204624000276

Who gets sick? It sounds simple. But the more I've studied health, the less simple it gets. I'm back with a new name, a new perspective, and a whole season of answers!

I am so excited to talk to all of you again & stay tuned for more eps!

Welcome to Episode 8: Homeopathy vs. Allopathy. This topic compares the two in a conversational way. We talk about their definition, functions, and the scientific reasoning behind both! As always check out the resources below:

https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/homeopathy-18117953/18117953

https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/medical-pseudoscience/homeopathy-scientifically-implausible#:~:text=Not%20only%20is%20there%20no,of%20chemistry%2C%20physics%20and%20biology

Until next time!

Sanya + Nirali

This is a special message for you about how are episodes will be changing!! LOOK OUT FOR EP 8!!! :))

Your Hosts,

Sanya and Nirali 🎙️

Welcome to Episode 7: Eugenics Historical Episode (Darwinism)! This topic is one of the most ethically involved, and it is super important for us to discuss it. As always, we have some of our sources attached to the caption, so feel free to check those out! Please make sure to like, follow, or rate this episode! Thank you!

Your Hosts,

Sanya and Nirali

https://www.britannica.com/science/eugenics-genetics 

https://philarchive.org/archive/WILEPV 

Further exploration: 
https://www.genome.gov/about-genomics/fact-sheets/Eugenics-and-Scientific-Racism

Welcome to EP 6: Neuroethics! This topic is becoming relevant in our society faster than ever but is not being talked about enough- that's where this podcast comes in! Join us in this fascinating episode! Please make sure to like, follow, and drop a rating! Thank you!

As always, here are some resources for you! Happy exploring :)!!

• https://www.physio-pedia.com/Neuroplasticity#:~:text=It%20was%20not%20until%201948,plastic%20changes%20in%20the%20brain'.
• 
  https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-brain-plasticity-2794886#toc-how-neuroplasticity-was-discovered
• https://www.dvrphx.com/advances-in-neuroimaging-exploring-the-brains-mysteries.html
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3497935/#:~:text=Brain%2Dcomputer%20interfaces%20(BCIs),that%20carry%20out%20desired%20actions.
• https://adf.org.au/drug-facts/cognitive-enhancers/#:~:text=Nootropic%20also%20known%20as%20'cognitive,There%20are%20many%20different%20nootropics.
• https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/4/354#:~:text=Transcranial%20magnetic%20stimulation%20is%20a,functional%20activity%20of%20specific%20brain

Until next time!

Sanya + Nirali

Welcome to EP 5: HeLa Cells and Immortality! HeLa cells is a revolutionary event that led to numerous medical breakthroughs! It was quite a positive and good thing in scientific research, however, the same cannot be said about the ethics behind how these cells were discovered. Join us in exploring HeLa cells and the fascinating concept of immortality! Please follow, like, and drop a rating for our podcast- we appreciate the you take out to listen!!

I highly recommend reading the Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot, if this has piqued your interest! As always, we have linked our sources in the captions for you guys to go exploring!! :)

• https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/henrietta-lacks-family-settles-lawsuit-over-the-use-of-her-cells-without-consent-180982644/  
• https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/henrietta-lacks  
• https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/henrietta-lacks/importance-of-hela-cells 
• https://osp.od.nih.gov/hela-cells/significant-research-advances-enabled-by-hela-cells/ 
• https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-020-02494-z 
• https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/5-ways-henrietta-lacks-changed-medical-science/ 
• https://learn.genetics.utah.edu/content/basics/telomeres#:~:text=An%20enzyme%20named%20telomerase%20adds,shorter%20and%20the%20cells%20age. 
• https://www.nih.gov/news-events/nih-research-matters/enzyme-active-cancer-also-protects-normal-cells 
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16955216/ 
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/4000-mondays/202308/the-pursuit-of-immortality-achieving-an-enduring-legacy 
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/4000-mondays/202308/the-pursuit-of-immortality-achieving-an-enduring-legacy:

Sanya + Nirali

Welcome to EP 4! We are so excited for you guys to listen. Please be sure to check out more of our episodes and make sure to follow, rate, and like! Also attaching some sources that we used (including the EctoLife Video) for you guys to explore:

Video (warning could be a little disturbing) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2RIvJ1U7RE

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-02901-1
https://daily.jstor.org/on-the-history-of-the-artificial-womb/

Sanya + Nirali

Welcome to EP3!! We are so excited for this part for you guys to listen! This one is more ethical bases and more focuses on analysis! We will be coming out with more episodes so please stay tuned in and we hope you enjoy!

Sanya + Nirali