Heath & Wellness (HW) Series includes programs that present current and emerging public health concerns by introducing the latest research advances in medical science, disease prevention and physical and mental health.
Previous HW events have covered cancer, aging, addiction, Alzheimer’s disease, human microbiome, and dietary supplements.
Distinguished speakers have included Frank Giles, M.D., Chief of Oncology at the Lurie Children’s Hospital; Jack A. Gilbert, Ph.D., Director of the Microbiome Center and a Professor of Surgery at the University of Chicago, Group Leader for Microbial Ecology at Argonne National Laboratory, Associate Director of the Institute of Genomic and Systems Biology, Research Associate at the Field Museum of Natural History, and Senior Scientist at the Marine Biological Laboratory; T. Celeste Napier, Ph.D., Professor in the Departments of Pharmacology and Psychiatry at Rush University Medical Center, and is the Director for the Center for Compulsive Behavior and Addiction at Rush University.
A healthy athlete dies of complications from heatstroke during training. The medical examiner finds a legal botanical dietary supplement played a “significant role” in the death. How are regulatory agencies able to respond? What are dietary supplements and how are they regulated in the United States? How do I find information about dietary supplements I want to take? Continue reading “Dietary Supplements: Stories of Regulation, Safety, and Evidence”
According to popular media, there seems to be a new cure/treatment/fad for Alzheimer’s disease (AD) every few months. But sadly, the number of patients keeps rising, as does the fear and desperation of family, friends, and those at risk.
Continue reading “Why in the World Haven’t We Cured Alzheimer’s by Now?”
The human race, like all macrobiological life, evolved in a sea of microbes. There was no way to keep the bacterial and archaeal hoards at bay, so instead life evolved mechanisms to live with these invaders. The immune system was refined over millions of years to control our interaction with the microbial world, and even to use it as a mechanism of defense, food processing, and vitamin production. Continue reading “How the Indoor Microbiome Influence Health”
The drinking you do in your teenage years may affect your children.
Underage drinkers in the United States account for over 20 percent of all alcohol consumption in the United States. Over 90 percent of underage drinking is consumed in binge drinking patterns, defined as raising the blood alcohol level above the legal driving limit (0.08%) within two hours. Continue reading “C2ST Speakeasy: “Inherited Effects of Teenage Binge Drinking” with AnnaDorothea Asimes”
Almost every day, something about meditation and mindfulness appears in the news. The reports suggest that these practices will make us healthier, happier, keep our brains healthy, and make us more successful. Meditation is the new miracle intervention that improves everything for everyone. But what exactly are meditation and mindfulness? Continue reading “C2ST Speakeasy: “The Hype Versus the Science of Meditation and Mindfulness” with Dr. Marcia Grabowecky”
Zika Virus has been in the news lately. Until recently, it was known as a rare and unremarkable virus that was connected to a few small outbreaks. In 2015, the virus tore through South America, and carried a previously unseen side effect: severe birth defects. This has understandably caused a lot of concern about the spread and risk of contracting this disease, and leaves people with many important questions: Continue reading “C2ST Speakeasy: “The Summer of Zika” with Dr. Daniel Johnson”