Bonds on the Ballot
This election day, Virginians will vote on a bond referendum that higher education officials hope will allow them to expand college and university facilities around the state. But is a …
The Obesity Epidemic
Since 1980, the number of obese adult Americans has doubled. And the number of overweight adolescents has tripled. Psychiatrist Cindy Bulik (Virginia Commonwealth University/Medical College of Virginia) is researching the role genetics …
Shaky Knees and Pain
It’s the danger that awaits female athletes. Its victims have included soccer great Michelle Akers and basketball players Rebecca Lobo and Sheryl Swoopes. The torn ACL is a devastating knee …
Danger in the Air
It’s a disease that’s nothing short of frightening. Highly contagious and disfiguring, smallpox once killed about 30 percent of those who fell victim to it. Health officials declared it eradicated …
Women and Depression
By some estimates women are twice as likely as men to suffer from depression. Researchers have posited numerous theories for the gender difference: a variance in brain structure, reproductive function, …
Asthma and Synthetic Blood
Physicians often recommend that asthma sufferers get rid of their pets. But allergist Thomas Platts-Mills (University of Virginia) thinks in some cases that’s not what the doctor should order. A recent study …
“Smart Bombs” in the Cancer War
Radiation and chemotherapy are traditional weapons in the fight against cancer. John Roberts (Virginia Commonwealth University) says promising research is underway at the Massey Cancer Center that should help doctors take more …
Politics in the Old Dominion
We look at the significance of the Nov. 2nd vote—an election that some predict will result in Republican domination of Virginia politics. Why is politics in the Old Dominion described …
Aging in Rural Virginia
Too often older Americans suffer the ravages of illnesses and even dementia without knowing there are remedies. Anita Heisterman (University of Virginia)and Susan Garrett (Virginia Foundation for the Humanities) evaluate the efforts of …
Election ’98: Searching for the Ideal Candidate
In the wake of Lewinsky and Starr, pundits discuss the Congressional elections and the “Ideal Politician of the 21st Century.” Also: A look at Virginia political dynasties with analysts Bob Holsworth …
For Better or Worse: The Public and Political Ethics
Virginia Commonwealth University political scientist Scott Keeter joins Bob Roberts (James Madison University), author of The Public Integrity War, for a discussion of our national obsession with the ethical conduct of politicians. Roberts blames an …
High Anxiety: Understanding Social Disorders
Part I: Education professor Valerie Morprew of Longwood College shares new approaches for treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Find the segment audio here. Part II: Mark McCormick, a Virginia Commonwealth University psychiatrist and director of the …