On this podcast, we sit down with experts and pioneers in the fields of medicine and technology to learn about everything from the scientific research of today to the innovation of tomorrow. Journey with us to tell the stories of Master Minds in the WashU community around us and beyond. www.mastermindspod.com
…
continue reading
Show Me the Science is the new podcast from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Missouri. Our podcast features stories that highlight the latest in groundbreaking research, clinical care and education at Washington University.
…
continue reading
Frame is a podcast exploring the role of the university in the non-academic lives of its students. Brought to you by three curious WashU seniors.
…
continue reading
In this podcast series, we break down the complex game that is elite college admissions and the strategies and pitfalls students need to adopt or beware of if they hope to win admission to one of America’s top colleges. “The Game” is hosted by Sam Hassell and brought to you by Great Minds Advising. Sam graduated from the University of Southern California and is a published scientist, having spent four years as a neuroscience researcher at Columbia University. Building upon his experiences in ...
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode 14 — Application Red Flags To Avoid
47:00
47:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
47:00
Admissions Masterclass Registration (8/7 via Zoom) In this episode, we cover the much more strategic attitude—versus a purely “instructions-following” mindset—students should take into the application process for each and every piece of information admissions officers will view, including components that might seem like pure “data entry.” We highli…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode 13 — The Truth About Summer Programs
1:25:49
1:25:49
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:25:49
Admissions Masterclass Registration (8/7 via Zoom) Think college summer programs are helping your case for admission to highly selective schools? Think again. In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the widely popular—and vastly overrated—college summer programs in which so many high school students enroll and why almost all of them fail to ac…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode 12 — An Extraordinary Applicant?
1:07:15
1:07:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:07:15
Admissions Masterclass Registration (8/7 via Zoom) In this episode, we dissect the candidacy of a student from the Wall Street Journal piece, "To Get Into The Ivy League, Extraordinary Isn't Always Enough These Days." The piece spotlights Kaitlyn Younger, a Texas high school senior with a 3.95/4.0 unweighted GPA in 11 AP courses, 1550/1600 SAT, top…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #36: Mapping the Human Genome with Dr. Eric Green, MD, PhD
1:13:44
1:13:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:13:44
On this episode, Will sat down with Dr. Eric Green, the director of the National Human Genome Research Institute (or NHGRI) since 2009, which is one of the research arms of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Prior to his appointment, Dr. Green trained at Washington University School of Medicine in the laboratory of Maynard Olson, and later as…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode 11 — “What Are My College Chances?” & Other Student Qs
1:35:46
1:35:46
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:35:46
In this episode, we respond to real questions in the popular online forum Reddit from students across the country. In particular, we cover answers to the following: Which letters of recommendation do I send? How important is course rigor freshman and sophomore year? How do you come up with your college essay topic? Which GPA do colleges use? What a…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode 10 – How To (Actually) Interpret Acceptance Data
1:06:31
1:06:31
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:06:31
Many students and families heavily rely on the college acceptance data (GPA/test scores vs. college outcomes) of past applicants from their high school to make high-stakes decisions about their school list, selection of early decision colleges, and likely overall college outcomes. In this episode, we break down how past college acceptance data is r…
…
continue reading
In this episode, we review the profile and applications of a premed student who was rejected from both of their early decision schools, roughly top-25 to top-35 national universities. This student attended a top-1% US high school, possessed a 3.9 unweighted GPA, 99th percentile test scores, took 15 AP/honors courses, and had what many would conside…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode 8 — School List Mistakes & Myths
1:05:49
1:05:49
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:05:49
In this episode, we cover many factors—including costly mistakes, myths, and traps—related to students’ school selection. In particular, we address the following: School Visits Why it doesn’t make sense to visit highly selective colleges before mid-11th grade Prioritization of best and best-fit colleges for visits, especially schools that offer bin…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode 7 — Building An Admissions “Hook”
1:37:15
1:37:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
1:37:15
In prior episodes, we’ve determined that top colleges seek not only students with excellent grades, course rigor, and test scores but also students with compelling admissions “stories” or “hooks” related to their academic/intellectual passions and how they will contribute to their future college—and hopefully, the world—in some specific, unique way…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #35: The Story of Ubiquitin with Dr. Aaron Ciechanover
38:54
38:54
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
38:54
In this episode, Will sat down with Dr. Aaron Ciechanover, biologist and Distinguished Research Professor in the Rappaport Faculty of Medicine at the Technion, Israel Institute of Technology. Dr. Ciechanover is renowned for his work in studying the method that cells use to degrade and recycle proteins. While in the laboratory of Avram Hershko, they…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode 6 — Rejected Valedictorian Essay Analysis
36:37
36:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
36:37
She was the Valedictorian of her high school. Perfect GPA in over twenty advanced classes, taking Calculus BC by 10th grade and college math courses by 11th grade. All perfect or near-perfect test scores, tennis captain, multiple leadership positions, a scholarship to a prestigious math program, and state math champion. To boot, as a female applyin…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode 5 — The Biggest College Essay Mistake
56:32
56:32
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
56:32
Summer is upon us, and many rising seniors—if they haven’t already—are turning their attention to college applications. Among the most important components they will be tackling is the Common Application “Personal Essay”, often simply called “the college essay.” For almost all students, this will be the most important essay colleges read, and for s…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #34: Uncovering New Worlds with Prof. Tansu Daylan, PhD
44:44
44:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
44:44
Today, we sat down with Professor Tansu Daylan, astrophysicist, Assistant Professor of Physics, and faculty fellow at the McDonnell Center for the Space Sciences here at WashU. Dr. Daylan works with data from NASA’s Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite on the discovery and characterization of exoplanets. He is also interested in researching the pa…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode 4 — What Top Colleges Look For & How To Build It
45:35
45:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
45:35
College admissions has never been more competitive: high GPAs, strong test scores, and a well-rounded resume—once sufficient for an acceptance—are now common features of most applications to highly selective colleges. In this episode, we reveal what top colleges nowadays seek: students with compelling admissions stories centered around a focused ac…
…
continue reading
When many parents applied to college around three decades ago, college lists and outcomes assumed a fairly predictable, linear order. You had your “safeties,” schools to which you were almost certain to be admitted, your “targets,” schools to which you could reasonably expect to be admitted, and “reaches,” schools to which you would most likely not…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode 2 — Breaking Down Single-Choice & Restrictive Early Action
21:07
21:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:07
You’ve probably heard of Early Action, but do you know what Single-Choice and Restrictive Early Action are? Seven of the top colleges (Stanford, Harvard, Yale, Princeton, CalTech, Georgetown, and Notre Dame) offer one of these unique sub-types of Early Action that place significant restrictions on the other colleges to which students under these pl…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode 1 — One Thing Every Junior Must Do Now
40:04
40:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
40:04
While many students and parents are caught up with AP exams, senior course selection, college visits, college essays, requesting teacher letters of recommendation, in this episode, we reveal the one thing that absolutely every high school junior must do right now if they want to ensure they are on the path to admissions success at top colleges. And…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #33: Discovering Hepatitis C Virus with Dr. Charles Rice, PhD
51:34
51:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
51:34
Today we sat down with Dr. Charles Rice, the Maurice R. and Corinne P. Greenberg Professor in Virology at Rockefeller University. Dr. Rice is an expert in RNA viruses, viruses that use RNA as opposed to DNA in their genome, and studies the body’s innate immune response to infection. However, he is most known for his work on Hepatitis C Virus, which…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #32: Autophagy and ATD with Dean David H. Perlmutter, MD
44:03
44:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
44:03
Today, we sat down with Dr. David H. Perlmutter, the George and Carol Bauer Dean of Washington University School of Medicine, executive vice chancellor for medical affairs, and the Spencer T. and Ann W. Olin Distinguished Professor. Dean Perlmutter leads one of the largest medical schools in the country, currently ranked #2 in NIH funding among US …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #31: How to Fix a Broken Heart with Dr. James Cox, MD
51:48
51:48
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
51:48
In this episode, we’re talking to the “father of cardiac arrhythmia surgery”, Dr. James Cox. The former Division Chief of Cardiothoracic Surgery here at WashU Med, Dr. Cox developed surgical procedures for multiple cardiac arrhythmias, including the Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, atrioventricular nodal reentry tachycardia, automatic atrial tachyca…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #30: Crystallizing GPCRs with Dr. Brian Kobilka, MD
45:44
45:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
45:44
Today, I sat down with Dr. Brian Kobilka, Professor in the Department of Molecular and Cellular Physiology at Stanford University School of Medicine. Dr. Kobilka is an expert on a class of receptors called G protein-coupled receports, or GPCRs, that are essential in a majority of biological processes including light, flavor, and odor perception and…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #29: Merging Neutron Stars with Prof. Mark Alford, PhD
54:42
54:42
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
54:42
Today, we sat down with Professor Mark Alford, theoretical physicist and former chair of the Department of Physics at Washington University. Prof. Alford researches the physics of ultra-high density matter, such as in the core of a neutron star to get insights on how particles behave in situations that we do not encounter on Earth. He has also done…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #28: Advancing Neuro-Immunology with Dr. Jonathan Kipnis, PhD
50:50
50:50
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
50:50
Dr. Jonathan Kipnis is the Alan A. and Edith L. Wolff Distinguished Professor of Pathology and Immunology and Director of the Brain Immunology and Glia Center (BIG) at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Kipnis is well known for his discoveries on the interactions between the brain and the immune system, including meningeal lymphatics, pr…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #27: A Conversation About Conservation with Dr. Sharon Deem, DVM, PhD
40:17
40:17
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
40:17
Today were talking to Dr. Sharon Deem, Director of the Saint Louis Zoo Institute for Conservation Medicine. Prior to this, Dr. Deem worked for the Wildlife Conservation Society and Smithsonian National Zoo. A veterinarian and epidemiologist by trade, she is also the current president of the American Association of Zoo Veterinarians. Dr. Deem has co…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #26: The Evolution of Lizards with Prof. Jonathan Losos, PhD
47:58
47:58
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
47:58
Today we're talking to Prof. Jonathan Losos, William H. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Biology here at Washington University. Professor Losos is an internationally renowned scholar in the field of evolutionary biology. He also serves as the Director of the Living Earth Collaborative, an academic partnership between WashU, the Missouri Botanica…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #25: Mapping the Brain with Dr. Deanna Barch, PhD
55:17
55:17
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
55:17
Dr. Deanna Barch is a psychologist and Vice Dean of Research for the College of Arts and Sciences at Washington University. She is the George B. Couch Professor of Psychiatry and former Chair of the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences as well as Professor of Radiology. Dr. Barch is known for her work using neuroimaging to characterize co…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #24: Miraculous Meteorites with Br. Robert Macke, SJ, PhD
37:09
37:09
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
37:09
Br. Robert Macke is a Jesuit Astronomer at the Vatican Observatory and Curator of the Vatican Meteorite Collection. Br. Bob is the world expert on measuring physical properties of meteorites, including density, porosity, magnetic susceptibility, and thermal properties. He has been at the forefront of developing new methods, and improving old ones, …
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #23: Peering into the World of Single Molecules with Prof. W.E. Moerner, PhD
51:35
51:35
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
51:35
Prof. W.E. Moerner is the Harry S. Mosher Professor of Chemistry, Professor, by courtesy, of Applied Physics at Stanford University, and WashU alum! Professor Moerner is a physical chemist, a scientist that studies chemical processes using physics. In 1989, he and his postdoc developed a method that accomplished the first ever optical detection and…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #22: Using Lasers to Treat Glioblastoma with Dr. Albert H. Kim, MD, PhD
57:07
57:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
57:07
Dr. Albert H. Kim is the August A. Busch Jr. Professor of Neurological Surgery, Senior Vice-Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, and Professor of Genetics, Neurology, and Developmental Biology at Washington University School of Medicine. He is also the inaugural Director of the Washington University Brain Tumor Center and Surgical Director of t…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #21: From Cairo to COVID-19 with Dr. Ali Ellebedy, PhD
40:12
40:12
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
40:12
Dr. Ali Ellebedy is the Associate Professor of Pathology and Immunology, of Medicine, and of Molecular Biology at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Ellebedy’s research surrounds B cell immune responses and he has made outstanding contributions to studying the COVID-19 virus. His work on the influenza virus informed initial vaccine devel…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #20: Zika, Dengue, and West Nile Virus with Dr. Michael S. Diamond, MD, PhD
55:01
55:01
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
55:01
Dr. Michael Diamond is an infectious diseases specialist and the Herbert S. Gasser Professor of Medicine at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Diamond is widely recognized for his research on RNA viruses, particularly West Nile virus and Zika virus, contributing much to their molecular basis and immunity. His work as Associate Director o…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #19: Targeting Ovarian Cancer with Dr. Dineo Khabele, MD
51:38
51:38
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
51:38
Dr. Dineo Khabele is the Mitchell & Elaine Yanow Professor and Chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at Washington University School of Medicine. She is a renowned physician-scientist specializing in gynecological oncology with a focus on ovarian cancer. In this episode, we discuss various aspects of ovarian cancer, such as causes, pat…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #18: Jazz, Genetics, and Neurofibromatosis with Dr. David Gutmann, MD, PhD
49:51
49:51
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
49:51
Dr. David Gutmann is the Donald O. Schnuck Family Professor of Neurology and Director of the Neurofibromatosis Center at Washington University School of Medicine. Dr. Gutmann’s expertise lies in the study of neurofibromatosis, or NF, a genetic disorder which causes tumor growth in the nervous system throughout the body. His work has received intern…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Newly approved drug may slow progression of Alzheimer’s
20:22
20:22
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:22
In this episode, Washington University researchers discuss the Food and Drug Administration’s recent full approval of the drug Leqembi (lecanemab) and what it could mean to the future of Alzheimer’s disease treatments. The drug is approved for use in people with mild dementia from Alzheimer’s disease, but researchers at Washington University’s Char…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Can psychedelic drugs help treat mental illness?
21:37
21:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
21:37
In this episode, we discuss new research into psychedelic drugs as potential therapies for psychiatric illness. Several studies have suggested that drugs, such as psilocybin, may be useful in treating problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction and depression. Psychiatry researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. …
…
continue reading
In this episode, we hear from two physician-scientists who have been leaders in the U.S. effort to deal with two medical crises that emerged almost 40 years apart: HIV/AIDS and COVID-19. Anthony S. Fauci, MD, the recently retired director of the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), spoke…
…
continue reading
In this episode, we visit a recent event sponsored by the Becker Medical Library at the School of Medicine. Called “In Our Words: Connection,” the storytelling event brought together 12 faculty members, medical students, residents and fellows who told stories about how their lives have been affected by medicine as caregivers, those receiving care o…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Maternal mortality rates are spiking. How can the trend be reversed?
15:51
15:51
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:51
In this episode, we report on the disturbing spike in maternal mortality rates in recent years. Although rates of maternal death have long been higher in the U.S. than in other wealthy countries, the rate recently reached its highest level since 1965. The number of deaths of mothers has risen from 17.4 deaths per 100,000 births in 2018 to 20.1 deat…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
International effort aims to help those at risk for serious psychiatric illness
16:25
16:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:25
In this episode, we report on a major international study involving psychiatry researchers from the School of Medicine who are working to identify causes and effects of the early stages of schizophrenia in young people — an illness characterized by significant changes in thoughts, feelings and behavior that may include a loss of contact with realit…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #17: Stopping the Clock with Dr. Erik Herzog, PhD
44:04
44:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
44:04
This week on Master Minds, we talked to Dr. Erik Herzog, Viktor Hamburger Distinguished Professor in Arts & Sciences and Professor of Biology at Washington University. Dr. Herzog is a chronobiologist - a scientist that studies how organisms create biological rhythms to help adapt to their environment. He is an expert on how the brain regulates circ…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Recognizing, caring for dementia patients in the emergency department
20:43
20:43
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
20:43
In this episode, we head to the emergency department. Doctors in most emergency departments around the country are dealing with fewer COVID-19-positive patients than before, but they continue to be faced with a different epidemic of sorts: the 20% to 30% of patients with dementia-related cognitive issues who seek emergency care. As the U.S. populat…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Brain-related issues can linger after patients recover from COVID-19
19:07
19:07
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:07
In this episode, we learn more about one of the leading problems associated with long COVID-19. Those who have been infected with the virus are at increased risk for a range of neurological conditions in the first year after an infection. Research conducted at the School of Medicine and the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System has found th…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #16: Journey Through the Cosmos with Prof. Ramanath Cowsik, PhD
36:37
36:37
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
36:37
Professor Cowsik is considered by many to be the 'Father of Astroparticle Physics' for his invention of the leaky box model for the observation of cosmic rays and his discoveries characterizing neutrinos and dark matter as having a role in the Big Bang. The James S. McDonnell Professor of Space Sciences here at WashU, he has been compared to Enrico…
…
continue reading
In this episode, we visit the team at the Washington University Living Well Center. It was launched to improve outcomes for patients with orthopedic issues. For example, if someone needs hip-replacement surgery, that person also can receive help losing weight, stopping smoking and taking other actions to make it more likely the outcome from their s…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #15: Rice, Research, and Russian Wolves with Dr. Barbara Schaal, PhD
32:19
32:19
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:19
Today, we will be learning about genetics and evolution with Professor Barbara Schaal, evolutionary biologist and the Mary-Dell Chilton Distinguished Professor in Arts and Sciences at WashU. A pioneer in the field of plant evolution, she was one of the first to apply molecular genetic techniques to understanding evolutionary processes. Professor Sc…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Updated boosters and progress toward a nasal vaccine
17:28
17:28
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:28
As we get deeper into autumn and winter approaches, we discuss COVID-19 vaccines. New boosters have been developed to rev up the immune system not only to fight the original strain of the virus but also to boost the immune system against more recent omicron strains of SARS-CoV-2. In this episode, we discuss the boosters — now approved for use in ch…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
Episode #14: Making (False) Memories with Dr. Henry Roediger, PhD
28:46
28:46
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:46
Today, we are taking a deep dive into the brain to learn about psychology of memories. We sat down with Dr. Henry Roediger, James S. McDonnell Distinguished University Professor of Psychological and Brain Sciences here at WashU and co author of the book, “Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning”. Dr. Roediger has been a pioneer in studyin…
…
continue reading
If you were coughing, running a fever and felt short of breath, what would you think? Those are common symptoms of COVID-19. But not everyone with such symptoms is infected with the virus. In this episode, we tell the story of a Michael Moffitt, a young man who grew up in St. Louis but was been working in the oil and gas fields of New Mexico. He go…
…
continue reading
![Artwork](/static/images/128pixel.png)
1
New COVID-19 variants causing re-infections
19:26
19:26
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:26
Infections and hospitalizations are rising again. During this latest wave of COVID-19 infections, many fully vaccinated people are getting sick, as are people who previously were sick with the virus, even those infected in the very recent past. The new strains of omicron — BA.4 and BA.5 — have stricken some well-known, fully vaccinated people, incl…
…
continue reading
Brain-computer interfaces connect activity in the brain to an external device by means of a computer. Research has shown it’s possible to use such interfaces to move robotic arms and perform other tasks. Almost 30 years ago, Washington University researcher Eric Leuthardt, MD, a professor of neurosurgery, demonstrated that he could hook electrodes …
…
continue reading