Radio Health Journal
Each week, Radio Health Journal breaks down important news in medicine, science and technology with the help of world-renowned experts. Our three weekly segments will help guide you to a happier, healthier life – with some fun facts to share at dinner parties. Can magic mushrooms cure your depression? Have we outrun natural selection?
Hosted by Elizabeth Westfield, Greg Johnson and Maayan Voss de Bettancourt and produced by Kristen Farrah and Amirah Zaveri. New shows posted each Sunday by 5 a.m. EST. Subscribe, listen, and rate. If you’re looking for older episodes, you can find our entire segment catalog on our website radiohealthjournal.org. Also, check out the latest on Facebook and Instagram @radiohealthjournal and on X @RadioHealthJrnl.
1376
Reversing the Shortage in Primary Care Doctors
The shortage in primary care doctors is getting worse. We talk to Dr. Elizabeth Baxley about how to keep medical students in primary care.
10 min
1377
Reengineering the ICU
Hospital intensive care units appear to be a model of high tech, but systems engineers say ICU’s are actually models of inefficiency.
15 min
1378
Medical Notes 16-52
1 min
1379
Meeting the Needs of Twice Exceptional (2e) Stu...
Many people assume “2e,” or “twice exceptional” students don’t need any help because they’re so talented. But many gifted children are so bored in school they become disruptive and do poorly, so they’re not identified and their need for...
16 min
1380
Beat Deafness
Some people simply have no rhythm. A small percentage may be "beat deaf," the rhythmic equivalent of tone deafness.
11 min
1381
Healthcare Under Trump: What to Expect
Experts discuss what kind of healthcare reform to expect from the incoming Trump Administration.
19 min
1382
Affluenza
Rich people receive deference that the rest of us don’t, but how much can they get away with? Some young criminals have escaped jail by claiming “affluenza:” their wealthy parents instilled no moral compass, so they believed they could do...
10 min
1383
Drug Abuse and Personality
New science has discovered that certain personality types are predictably predisposed to addiction risk, and that educational efforts can be targeted to them effectively.
15 min
1384
God and Genome
Advancements in genetic science are often clouded in ethical controversy. Experts discuss a new platform where scientists and public can debate it, and from which education can be disseminated. Learn more at:
11 min
1385
The Psychology of Weight Loss Surgery
Patients who have bariatric surgery stand to lose not only lots of weight but often an identity which changes many of their relationships.
13 min
1386
Restoring Doctors' Compassion
Doctors have often been advised to avoid emotions regarding patients in order to keep their decisions objective. However, this has led many patients to believe doctors don’t care about them. A new movement in medicine seeks to reverse the trend and...
17 min
1387
PBC: Liver Autoimmune Disease
A variety of liver diseases may cause test results that mimic alcohol-related cirrhosis. One, known as PBC, is the second largest reason for liver transplants in women. A patient and an expert discuss.
13 min
1388
The Safety of Self-Driving Cars
Self-driving cars are being developed more rapidly than most experts thought possible. But even if they’re technically possible, can we be assured of their safety? Trust is a major hurdle to adoption of what could be a major step forward in...
18 min
1389
Emotional Support Animals
We discuss the mental health benefits of owning a dog, and the Americans with Disabilities Act requirements for emotional support animals.
12 min
1390
Yawning
Virtually all animals with a backbone yawn, but scientists don’t know what purpose it serves or why yawns are so contagious.
13 min
1391
The Benefits of Fear
During the Halloween season, many people seek out frightening experiences. This controlled fear has a psychological and developmental purpose, as an expert explains.
12 min
1392
DTC Genetic Testing
Direct to consumer genetic testing is now available to consumers to satisfy a variety of desires, however, risks come with what doctors say is incomplete knowledge.
17 min
1393
Vaccination Refusal
A new survey shows more pediatricians are experiencing vaccination refusal, and while the reasons are evolving, they still often result from misinformation.
17 min
1394
Adoption Psychology
People who are adopted have more psychological problems than others, yet they also tend to have other psychological strengths.
14 min
1395
Tickling (2016)
Tickling is a unique application of the sense of touch that surprisingly has developmental and cultural importance.
10 min
1396
Leprosy
Thanks in part to its Biblical past, the disfiguring disease leprosy carries more stigma than most diseases. We hear little about it today, but it still exists, and because it’s now treatable, often the stigma is worse than the disease. Learn more at
12 min
1397
Locked-In Syndrome
Some people who have a stroke in the brain stem suffer from a condition where they are fully aware yet cannot move a muscle, except for sometimes the eyes.
12 min
1398
EpiPen Price Hikes
The EpiPen brand has become synonymous with epinephrine injectors, which can save the life of a person suffering a severe allergic reaction. Recently there’s been outcry over large price hikes for the devices, which have forced some people to seek...
15 min
1399
Homesickness
What we now call “homesickness” used to be a medical diagnosis called “nostalgia,” and it was considered life-threatening. Today many people consider homesickness to be a childish emotion, but an expert says it’s nothing to be ashamed of. We...
11 min
1400
The Brain Science of Drunk Driving
Scientists are learning that people who repeatedly drive drunk are not all the same in the personalities and brain chemistries that motivate their behavior. An expert discusses new research suggesting different ways to reduce recidivism in each of...
17 min