EpisodeReplay: Thinking Visually: The Talents of Dyslexics
Few disorders are more common—and more misunderstood—than dyslexia. Recent research suggests the regions of the brain associated with visual and spatial thinking are larger in dyslexics, while regions responsible for …
EpisodeShaky 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 …
EpisodePet Therapy
Sandra Barker (VCU) is the director of a new center at the Medical College of Virginia studying the health benefits to humans of interacting with companion animals. One of the services …
EpisodeDanger 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 …
EpisodeWomen 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, …
EpisodeWalking Away From Diabetes
More than 10 million Americans are at high risk of developing diabetes and 60 million are already afflicted. The numbers are especially alarming for minority populations in the United States. …
EpisodeReplay: Leaded Gasoline and Big Business: A Poisonous Combination
In the early 1920s, scientists working for General Motors made a discovery they believed could eliminate the engine knock that plagued early automobiles. By adding lead to gasoline, they were …
EpisodeThe History of Fat
We are a culture obsessed with weight, barraged with messages to thin down and images of the fit and trim. But fat did not always mean flawed. The painful bustles …
EpisodeThinking Visually: The Talents of Dyslexics
Few disorders are more common—and more misunderstood—than dyslexia. Recent research suggests the regions of the brain associated with visual and spatial thinking are larger in dyslexics, while regions responsible for …
EpisodeAsthma 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 …
EpisodeLeaded Gasoline and Big Business: A Poisonous Combination
In the early 1920s, scientists working for General Motors made a discovery they believed could eliminate the engine knock that plagued early automobiles. By adding lead to gasoline, they were …
Episode“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 …
