YJBM Science News 33: Surroundings, Access, and Health

YJBM Science News 33: Surroundings, Access, and Health

This week’s episode of YBJM Science News discusses how our surroundings impact a variety of health outcomes. From air pollutants to sleep quality to pharmacy access and more, join Roxanna and Hanna as they discuss recent Yale-affiliated research in biology and medicine.

Papers featured in this episode and associated links:
“Early-Life Exposure to Air and Light Pollution Linked to Increased Risk of Pediatric Thyroid Cancer” – https://ysph.yale.edu/news-article/early-life-exposure-to-air-and-light-pollution-linked-to-increased-risk-of-pediatric-thyroid-cancer
“Perinatal Exposures to Ambient Fine Particulate Matter and Outdoor Artificial Light at Night and Risk of Pediatric Papillary Thyroid Cancer” – https://doi.org/10.1289/EHP14849
New York Times article on Environmental Health Perspectives journal – https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/29/science/science-journal-environment-trump.html
“Reduced Deep and REM Sleep Could be Early Markers of Alzheimer’s” – https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/reduced-deep-and-rem-sleep-could-be-early-markers-of-alzheimers/
“Lower slow wave sleep and rapid eye movement sleep are associated with brain atrophy of AD-vulnerable regions” – https://doi.org/10.5664/jcsm.11630
The Atherosclerosis In the Community Study – https://www5.cscc.unc.edu/aric9/
“Groundbreaking Study Highlights Critical Gap in Global Mental Health Research” – https://medicine.yale.edu/psychiatry/news-article/groundbreaking-study-highlights-critical-gap-in-global-mental-health-research/
“Psychiatric genetics in the diverse landscape of Latin American populations” – https://doi.org/10.1038/s41588-025-02127-z
Latin American Genomics Consortium – https://www.latinamericangenomicsconsortium.org/
“A New Metric to Identify – and Prevent – Pharmacy Deserts” – https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/a-new-metric-to-identify-prevent-pharmacy-deserts/
“Vulnerability Index Approach to Identify Pharmacy Deserts and Keystone Pharmacies” – https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.0715
“Timing of RSV Immunization Matters for Infant Protection” – https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/timing-of-rsv-immunization-matters-for-infant-protection/
“Estimated Effectiveness of Nirsevimab Against Respiratory Syncytial Virus” – https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.0380
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The Spread of Christianity in the Greek and Roman Empires with Professor Teresa Morgan

The Spread of Christianity in the Greek and Roman Empires with Professor Teresa Morgan

YDS Professor of New Testament and Early Christianity Teresa Morgan discusses what attracted Greeks and Romans to Christianity in the religion’s first centuries; how Greek and Roman societies shaped Christian teachings; and the challenges she faced as a female priest.

Host-Virus Interactions in the Human Airway: Interview with Tim Watkins

Host-Virus Interactions in the Human Airway: Interview with Tim Watkins

Why is a lower impact of COVID-19 seen in children compared to adults? In this episode of the YJBM podcast, co-hosts Delyar Khosroabadi and Amy Guan speak with Timothy Watkins, a graduate student in the laboratory of Dr. Ellen F. Foxman at the Yale School of Medicine. He shares what initially drew him to research and how his journey has evolved across disciplines. Tim also discusses the importance of understanding host-virus interactions, mechanisms underlying heightened nasal innate immunity in children, and some of the challenges he encounters in his work.

Secret Signals: How the Body Repairs, Reacts, and Reflects

Secret Signals: How the Body Repairs, Reacts, and Reflects

This week’s episode of YBJM Science News tackles two important parts of our bodies: skin and brain. From immune cells to lysosomes to brain networks and more, join co-hosts Majo and Hanna as they break down recent Yale-affiliated biological and biomedical research.
Papers featured in this episode:
Skin Injury May Bring on Food Allergies https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/skin-injury-may-bring-on-food-allergies/
Skin damage signals mediate allergic sensitization to spatially unlinked antigen https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciimmunol.adn0688
Neutrophils in the Immune System Help Build Healthy Skin
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/neutrophils-in-the-immune-system-help-build-healthy-skin/?utm_source=YaleToday&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=YT_YaleToday-Students_4-7-2025
Matrix-producing neutrophils populate and shield the skin https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-025-08741-5
Damaged Cell ‘Trash Cans’ May Contribute to Parkinson’s Disease https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/damaged-cell-trash-cans-may-contribute-to-parkinsons-disease/
The bridge-like lipid transport protein VPS13C/PARK23 mediates ER-lysosome contacts following lysosome damage
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41556-025-01653-6
Understanding the Transition from Early to Chronic Psychosis https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/understanding-the-transition-from-early-to-chronic-psychosis/
Connectome-based predictive modeling of early and chronic psychosis symptoms https://www.nature.com/articles/s41386-025-02064-9

Bulldog Days Live 2025

Bulldog Days Live 2025

For their third annual Bulldog Days Live episode, Hannah and Mark interview three recently admitted students about how they chose to spend their time in high school. The students share their insights on balancing schoolwork, extracurricular activities, social life, work, family, and everything else on their path to applying to college. Admissions officers Skylar and John discuss how the admissions office produces an action-packed three-day campus preview program, including two world-class performance showcases. Hannah and Mark also share dozens of pearls of wisdom submitted by audience members about prioritizing commitments and finding balance.

Anesthesiologist’s role in trauma-informed care

Anesthesiologist’s role in trauma-informed care

In this episode, Dr. Blake Mergler, Dr. Reid Mergler, and Dr. Caoimhe Duffy examine the crucial role of anesthesiologists in recognizing and addressing trauma during labor. Their thorough narrative review highlights the importance of trauma-informed care, which shifts the focus from “what is wrong with the patient” to “what has happened to the patient.” The trio discusses how anesthesiologists can embrace this mindset, promoting empathy and understanding without judgment.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39231043/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39897428/

From Learning to Leading | Brian Petula | From Corrections to Purpose: Leadership on the Frontline

From Learning to Leading | Brian Petula | From Corrections to Purpose: Leadership on the Frontline

In this inspiring episode of the Connected Leadership podcast, Peter Boyd sits down with Brian Petula a lawyer, entrepreneur, EMT, and Pennsylvania Department of Corrections officer, who shares his powerful journey from rural roots to a purpose-driven life of service. A former student of the Connected Leadership course, Brian reflects on how the course shaped his leadership style, the importance of living with purpose, and his frontline experience transforming lives in corrections. This conversation is a deep dive into authentic leadership, system change, and human potential.

Anika Singh Lemar Confronts Connecticut’s Housing Crisis

Anika Singh Lemar Confronts Connecticut’s Housing Crisis

Clinical Professor of Law Anika Singh Lemar talks about the struggle to build more affordable housing in Connecticut and the three clinics she leads at the Law School that work on housing issues. She also discusses her ideas about making it easier to build housing.

https://law.yale.edu/yls-today/news/podcast-anika-singh-lemar-confronts-connecticuts-housing-crisis

YJBM Science News 31: Clues to Cancer Care

YJBM Science News 31: Clues to Cancer Care

This week’s episode of the YJBM Science News podcast is all about papers that identify or help narrow down potential new targets and tools for cancer therapeutics. From protein modifications to autoantibodies to epigenetic markers and more, join co-hosts Majo and Roxanna as they break down recent Yale-affiliated biological and biomedical research.

Papers featured in this episode:
“Turnover atlas of proteome and phosphoproteome across mouse tissues and brain regions” – https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2025.02.021
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/protein-turnover-mapping-may-offer-clues-for-alzheimers-cancer-treatment/
“A lupus-derived autoantibody that binds to intracellular RNA activates cGAS-mediated tumor immunity and can deliver RNA into cells” – https://doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.adk3320
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/lupus-related-antibody-shows-promise-in-enhancing-cancer-treatment-efficacy/
“BRCA2 prevents PARPi-mediated PARP1 retention to protect RAD51 filaments” – https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-025-08749-x
https://news.yale.edu/2025/03/26/how-inherited-cancer-risks-can-be-used-effective-personalized-therapy
“An in vivo screen identifies NAT10 as a master regulator of brain metastasis” – https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.ads6021
https://medicine.yale.edu/news-article/a-genetic-screen-identifies-a-new-master-regulator-of-brain-metastasis/

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https://medicine.yale.edu/yjbm/

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