Unbiased Science

On this weeks episode of the pod, we are talking about the government's role in healthcare and health-related policies. We sat down with America's government teacher, Sharon McMahon, to dig into the United States of Science! We talk about some pivotal cases that came before the Supreme Court and the implications of their rulings. We discuss whether the vaccine mandates are constitutional and the c...

On this week’s episode of the pod, we’re coming to you with a hygiene roundup! That’s right, we address some of the most common questions we get about hygiene, and talk about the science or lack thereof behind them. We talk about frequency of cleaning bedsheets, changing towels after bathing/showering, and how often you should change your toothbrush! We also discuss the dirty truth about kitchen s...

We are BACK for season 4 of the podcast! We are starting out with a bang by having a candid conversation with a personal hero of ours, Dr. Peter Hotez-- and we do not shy away from controversy. We talk about anti-science aggression generally, as well as his (and our) personal experiences with anti-science vitriol. We talk about his reasoning for not debating RFK Jr. about vaccines, despite much pu...

On this week's episode of the pod (our last of season 3!) we are joined by Dr. Liz O'Riordan to discuss a topic near and dear to our hearts-- breast cancer screening! We kick things off with some global breast cancer stats (for both women and men). We discuss different types of breast cancer which vary in terms of aggressiveness and prognoses. We talk about screening guidelines and the reasoning b...

On this week's episode of the pod, we tackle the very complex (and oft misunderstood) microbiome, specifically, the gut microbiome. We highlight recent buzz surrounding the microbiome and claims circulating on social media. We discuss what the microbiome actually is, the diversity of the gut microbiome, some data on implications of disruptions to it, and the countless factors that influence it. We...

On this week's episode of the pod, we take a more philosophical approach to a topic we've discussed in detail many times before-- alternative medicine. We set the stage by discussing the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) medicine industry and remind people that it is a multi-billion dollar industry. We discuss the available research on the effectiveness of alternative therapies, many of...

On this week's episode of the pod, we tackle a topic that bugs so many... ticks! Tis the season for ticks in certain parts of the US, so we had to talk about these little blood-sucking arthropods! We are “joined” by a special guest and the Executive Director of the American Lyme Disease Foundation: our very own Dr. Andrea Love! We kick things off with a summary of the diversity of tick species, es...

On this week's episode of the pod, we tackled a topic that really got our tummies rumbling...sushi! We kick things off with some background on the origins of sushi. We spend some time talking about the multi-billion-dollar sushi industry in the US, and some factors that might impact the cost of sushi in the not-so-distant future. Next, we do a deep dive on the term, "sushi grade." For this discuss...

This week, we tackle a topic that people often avoid discussing….pre-clinical animal research. We acknowledge the controversies surrounding animal research and that some feel very strongly about this subject. We discuss our personal experience conducting animal research and some applications of the research conducted. We cover several examples of biomedical advancements made possible thanks to ani...

On this week's episode of the pod, we tackle a topic near and dear to our animal-loving hearts: pet allergies! We are joined by Dr. Manisha Relan, a pediatric allergy and immunology specialist, to discuss animal allergies. We kick things off with stats on pet allergies. We cover allergic reactions and allergies, including how the immune system response leads to the symptoms experienced. We discuss...

On this week's episode of the pod, we talk about fiber, prebiotics, and the importance of gut health. We kick things off with a conversation about the differences between the terms fiber and prebiotics which are often used interchangeably and distinguish them from probiotics (an entirely separate thing we’ve discussed before). We discuss types of fiber, their characteristics and properties such as...

On this week’s episode of the pod, we tackle the wellness industry’s enemy du jour: seed oils. First, we introduce seed oils and some examples that are commonly used. We summarize the array of false claims circulating about seed oils: that they cause inflammation and a slew of chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, the [already debunked] leaky gut, cardiovascular disease, and more. We discuss t...

On this week's episode of the pod, we take a detour from science into science fiction and discuss whether the premise of the hit video game and HBO series, The Last of Us, could ever be a reality! We are joined by infectious disease expert, Doctor Neuro, to tackle the topic. We start with some mycology and entomology and chat about Cordyceps and Ophiocordyceps, colloquially called "zombie-ant fung...

On this episode of the pod, we take a step back to re-introduce ourselves! We talk about our careers and day-to-day lives as scientists in two very different scientific fields. Andrea details her career as an immunologist/microbiologist and team manager at a biotech company, and Jess speaks about her life as the CEO of a data science consultancy and public health scientist. We then discuss some of...

On this week's episode of the pod, we tackle a fad diet that's getting a lot of attention these days: the carnivore diet! We kick things off with the "rules" of the diet and all the foods that are restricted (i.e., all plant foods). We discuss the flawed premise of the diet (that Homo sapiens were carnivores who only resorted to plant-eating during times of animal food scarcity). Next, we discuss...

On this week's episode of the pod, we are continuing the conversation on TikTok trends! We kick things off with a misconception that dates as far back as the 1500s-- that putting cut onions around the house (or on the soles of your feet) fights illness. On a somewhat related note, we also discuss the practice of placing sliced potatoes on the bottom of feet (which also has origins that date back t...

On this week's episode of the pod, we break down the evidence (or lack thereof) behind some recent viral TikTok health trends. We kick things off with a discussion on parasite cleanses (spoiler alert-- they're pretty crappy) and what it is that people are likely seeing in their poop. We next discuss the very popular trend of lympathic drainage and massage, and discern fact from fiction. We talk ab...

This week on the pod, we are joined by Dr. Spencer Nadolsky, a board certified obesity and lipid specialist physician, to tackle the topic of obesity. We kick things off with some population-level data on the prevalence of obesity in the US population, noting some disparities among certain demographic groups. We shift gears to talk about one of the more universal methods of assessing obesity: BMI....

On this week's episode of the pod, we tackle the topic of prevention and health screenings! We set the stage by discussing the different types of prevention, and how it is harder to measure the absence of disease than the presence of disease. We talk about the way that prevention and screening recommendations are made in the US, specifically, and different governing bodies involved in the decision...

On this week's episode of the pod, we continue our conversation with Dr. Dina DiMaggio (Pediatrician) and Dr. Anthony Porto (Pediatric Gastroenterologist) on all things related to infant feeding. We kick things off with a discussion of our guests' recent study on infant feeding trends and the use of unregulated feeding practices. Before getting into the thick of it, we set the stage with a discuss...

On this week's episode of the pod, we were joined by two peds (specifically, a pediatrician and a pediatric gastroenterologist) to talk all about infant feeding! We kicked things off with some statistics on infant feeding in the US and a discussion of current AAP and WHO recommendations. We spent a lot of time digging into breastfeeding-- the short- and long-term benefits of breastfeeding for infa...

On this week's episode of the pod, we cover yet another dietary fad (this time for humans): intermittent fasting (IF). We are joined by Meghann Featherstun, a board-certified sports dietitian, to discuss this popular diet and dig into the evidence. We kick things off with a discussion of what the IF diet entails and the different ways that people do it. We spend some time discussing caloric restri...

On this week's episode of the pod, we discuss a very important topic: body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). We invite a special guest, Robyn Stern (an LCSW specializing in treating BDD) who has personal experience navigating this disorder and openly shares her story. We kick things off with a discussion of prevalence and incidence of BDD and how it is likely underreported. We dive into the definition of...

On this week's episode of the pod, we kick off the new year with a topic that is near and dear to our hearts-- our pets! (More specifically, fad pet diets.) We all want what's best for our furry friends, so we dig into the available evidence (or lack thereof) behind several very pup-ular diets including grain-free diets, raw food, vegan and vegetarian diets, human food as treats, and more. We dig...

On this week’s episode of the pod, Andrea and Jess present 12 days of science! That’s right— a holiday-themed episode. We share a dozen science facts that we wish everyone knew; ranging from facts about the microbiome and the over-use (and often incorrect use) of the word “inflammation”, to marketing ploys related to organic foods, non-GMOs, and clean beauty. This will be the last pod of 2022, so...