Health and Medicine (Audio)

Aging is the leading risk factor for cancer, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and heart disease, and Robert A.J. Signer, Ph.D., studies how aging stem cells shape pre-cancer and healthspan. As deputy director of the Sanford Stem Cell Discovery Center, Signer focuses on rare blood-forming stem cells that self-renew, generate all blood and immune cells, and normally sustain more than 35 trillion blood cells, including about 2 million new red blood cells every second. His group finds that these “Zen” stem cells slow protein production to limit damaging “trash,” but aging stresses overwhelm these defenses. Stress response programs such as HSF1 then help both healthy and mutant stem cells, fueling clonal hematopoiesis, a common, untreated pre-cancerous condition linked to cardiovascular disease, inflammation, cancer, and increased mortality. Series: "Stem Cell Channel" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41253]

How can Tai Chi be medicine? Sunny Pak, MD, MPH, shares simple movements that steady the mind, strengthen the body, and enhance qi flow. Series: "UCSF Honoring Origins of Mindfulness Series" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41317]

Why did Grandma ask you to drink that soup? Herbalist Yvonne Lau invites you to uncover the hidden secrets and timeless wisdom of Chinese herbs. Series: "UCSF Honoring Origins of Mindfulness Series" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41316]

Families with disabled students often face extra out-of-pocket costs—costs they wouldn’t have if their child weren’t disabled—to secure the same education other students receive for free, yet tax relief for those expenses is limited and unclear. Garret Hoff, J.D., argues that Internal Revenue Code Section 213 and its interpretations reflect a time when disabled people were not viewed as worth public money to educate, leaving families with arbitrary distinctions under the medical expense deduction. Hoff recommends the IRS revise Treasury Regulation 1.213-1(e)(1)(v)(a) to recognize a broader reading of Section 213, and he urges Congress to amend Section 529A, created by the ABLE Act, to lift contribution limits and make contributions tax deductible so families can fund qualified disability expenses through ABLE accounts. Hoff adds that lasting access and justice require cultural change, not only tax revisions. Series: "Autism Tree Project Annual Neuroscience Conference" [Public Affairs] [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41178]

How did Chinese herbs take root in America? Join herbalist Yvonne Lau as she explores the resilience and healing wisdom carried across oceans and generations. Series: "UCSF Honoring Origins of Mindfulness Series" [Health and Medicine] [Show ID: 41315]