LearnOn Podcast: Health Equity By Youth, For Everyone!

In this episode, Jaansi sits down with Marshall Ganz to explore how organizing, storytelling, and power shape the pursuit of health equity. Together, they discuss why public health must be grounded in people rather than abstract data, how collective action builds power to drive systemic change, and how the “story of self, us, and now” framework transforms individual experiences into meaningful, va...

This week, Jaansi sits down with healthcare journalist Kristen V. Brown to explore the role of science journalism in shaping public trust, health decision-making, and collective understanding. Together, they discuss how culture and politics influence scientific research, why women’s health remains underfunded, and how journalists can responsibly report on polarized topics like vaccines without dee...

In this episode, Jaansi and Dr. Francis Shen unpack neurolaw, the emerging field at the intersection of brain science, law, and public policy. Together, they explore how neuroscience can reshape ideas, what debates about free will mean for criminal justice, and how brain-based explanations can either challenge or reinforce stigma, especially for marginalized communities. Tune in to hear why rigoro...

Today, Jaansi sits down with Dr. Michael Rich, also known as the Mediatrician, to explore how digital media and technology shape adolescent identity and connection. Together, they discuss why screens themselves aren’t the problem, how digital tools can amplify both harm and healing, and what it means to approach youth mental health through interdisciplinary, compassionate, and equity-centered lens...

In this episode, Jaansi sits down with Dr. Anne Harrington to explore how science, especially medicine and mental health, operates not only through data, but through powerful stories. Together, they discuss how cultural narratives shape psychiatric knowledge, how historical decisions continue to influence mental health care today, and what emerging technologies like AI and psychedelics reveal abou...

In the first episode of the season, Jaansi sits down with Dr. Howard Gardner, the renowned creator of the Multiple Intelligences theory, to explore how we define intelligence in an age of rapid technological and social change. Together, they discuss the future of learning, the role of AI in education, the importance of ethical and respectful minds, and what it takes to cultivate good work and good...

After covering the cutting edge of medical innovation, we're taking a step forward this season to we ask a bigger question:  who truly benefits from medical progress? Welcome to  Season 7: The Power of Health Equity.  In this season, we explore health equity as a learning journey shaped by access to information, trust in systems, and whose knowledge is valued. Through conversations with prominent...

In this season finale, Sunay reflects on all 29 episodes of Season 6: Medical Marvels, revisiting the guests, ideas, and insights that shaped a season about how medicine works in the real world. From neurofeedback and gene therapy to clean water, mental health, environmental policy, and reproductive autonomy, this episode highlights how people, systems, equity, and persistence drive health outcome...

Access to contraception can shape health, autonomy, and opportunity, but what does it really take to safely expand that access? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Stephanie Sober, OB-GYN and Global Director of Medical Affairs at Perrigo Women’s Health, to explore the landmark approval of Opill, the first daily oral contraceptive available over the counter in the U.S. Tune in to hear how nearly a...

Microplastics are everywhere, from our oceans and ecosystems to our food, water, and bodies, but their story began with a simple question: what are we missing? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Richard Thompson, marine biologist at the University of Plymouth and the scientist who coined the term microplastics. Tune in to hear how curiosity led to a landmark discovery, why plastic pollution is f...

Language is central to healthcare, yet it’s often overlooked as a driver of equity, safety, and quality of care. In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Pilar Ortega, emergency medicine physician and Vice President of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion at the ACGME, to explore how rethinking language in medicine can transform patient outcomes. Join us to discuss why the term “language barrier” misses t...

Medication mismanagement is one of the most costly and preventable problems in healthcare as it impacts patient safety, outcomes, and billions in annual spending. In this episode, we’re joined by Yoona Kim, who cofounded Arine to use AI-driven medication intelligence for improving patient outcomes. Join us in a conversation about the key factors that contribute to medication errors, why culturally...

Curiosity is at the heart of great science and great storytelling. In this episode, we’re joined by Laura Baisas, science news writer at  Popular Science , to explore how curiosity fuels her work and shapes the way science is shared with the public. Tune in to hear about her process for finding story ideas, the importance of fact-checking in the age of AI, how journalists balance engaging narrativ...

Throughout this season in the podcast, we have explored the unique role of cutting-edge technology in driving innovation for medicine. But what about the other way around? It turns out that the unique makeup of the healthcare system is crucial in the context of leading changes in digital health. Today, we're hearing from Noelle Eder, CIO at The Cigna Group, for her insights through a career of ove...

As technology gets better than ever, we're unlocking new medical discoveries with the potential to earn billions. However, it's important to not lose sight of what drove us towards these discoveries in the first place: the needs of the patients, and in the case of diseases such as Alzheimer's, their caregivers. Today, we're joined by Dr. Brandy Matthews on behalf of Eli Lilly, which is currently t...

It's always exciting to see flashy headlines about the next revolutionary drug approved by the FDA or how a biotech startup is making millions for a diagnostic test. However, it's equally important to not lose sight of what gets us to the most important discoveries in the first place: basic research. Today, we're interviewing Dr. Marc Kirschner, a renowned cell biologist and biochemist known for h...

It's always interesting to think about how many technologies that we take for granted today, such as genome sequencing and bioengineering, were completely unheard of just a few decades ago. This episode, we're going back to the roots of these applications with Dr. James Collins, who is widely regarded as one of the founders of the field of synthetic biology. Tune in to hear his thoughts on the imp...

You've probably heard about gene editing to create hybrid species or designer babies. But what about its purpose to aid the wellbeing of humanity? Today, we're joined by Ian Karp on behalf of Intellia Therapeutics, a biotechnology company employing CRISPR-based gene editing to develop curative therapeutics for cancer and autoimmune disease. Tune in to hear his thoughts on recent clinical trial upd...

If something like the COVID-19 pandemic ever happened again, how would we deal with it? Would it be any different from last time? Through our experiences from 2020 to now, it's important to remember how crucial vaccine development and preventative research efforts are in matters of public health. Today, we're joined by Dr. Barney Graham, who has made major contributions to vaccines for HIV/AIDS, Z...

Some of the biggest scientific discoveries and biotechnology companies today were born out of skepticism. But what is it actually like to have participated in building this work from the group up? Today, we're hearing a first-hand perspective in this from Dr. Robert Langer, billionaire cofounder of Moderna and widely renowned biotechnologist. Join us in a riveting discussion about how the ups and...

Many of us have early memories of visits to the pediatrician, which are often underscored by fear of the dreaded needle. Being poked and prodded is never fun regardless of your age, but it's especially important to consider that a lot of this discomfort is unnecessary. And, traumatizing experiences in young patients can foster distrust for healthcare workers during their formative years. Today, we...

From a privileged perspective, it can be easy to consider good mental health as an additional benefit on top of the precursor of physical health. However, it turns out that we need to reframe this mindset, especially in the context of social communities and developing countries. Today, we're chatting with Sean Mayberry about StrongMinds, a global nonprofit treating hundreds of thousands of people...

From asbestos to PFAS to microplastics, nowadays it seems like harmful chemicals are present everywhere we turn. Though there are certainly many hazardous chemicals in our environment, there's also a large amount of misinformation about how these findings are communicated and in what capacity they become toxic. To clear up the air, we're joined today by Dr. Michal Freedhoff, head of the Office of...

Wouldn't it be amazing to have a long weekend every week and still get paid full time? It turns out that this isn't just a magical fantasy, but rather a reality for employees at hundreds of companies across the globe. And not only is it fun to have Fridays off, but it's also an evidence-proven method of reducing burnout, increasing revenue with higher overall productivity, and retaining existing e...

As we continue to build our knowledge about gender differences healthcare, an important part of the scene is femtech, which refers to a wide range of solutions applying technology to serve women's health. But what does femtech truly mean in its execution, and how does it affect concerns about health equity today? To tackle these questions, we're joined by Amy Keenan on behalf of FemHealth Insights...