The Fundamentals

Welcome to The Fundamentals, a podcast where we explore biomedical research here at Michigan Medicine–and meet the scientists behind it.

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The Fundamentals with hosts Kelly Malcom and Jordan Goebig sitting on a microscope stage under a spotlight from the objective lenses.

Research is fundamental to the University of Michigan’s mission to improve the world.

From basic science, which aims to answer fundamental questions about how life works and how disease takes hold. To translational research, which seeks to find ways to apply discoveries in the lab or the field to treat or prevent illness. To clinical research that tests potential life-changing interventions in people and looks for the best ways to deliver care for the benefit of all.

In The Fundamentals, we'll meet the people behind the research, learn more about their fields and the fundamental questions they are trying to answer – from how do we help relieve pain and stop the opioid epidemic, to how do we use data to personalize healthcare – and discover why the University of Michigan Medical School is such an amazing place for research.

The Fundamentals is part of the Michigan Medicine Podcast Network, and is produced by the Michigan Medicine Department of Communication. You can subscribe to The Fundamentals on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Stitcher or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Recent Podcasts

See all The Fundamentals podcasts

The Fundamentals

Treating Diabetes & Weight: The Ozempic & Wegovy Effect

Today on The Fundamentals, our guest Dr. Martin Myers, Director of the U-M Elizabeth Weiser Caswell Diabetes Institute, discusses diabetes research in the context of Ozempic, Wegovy, and other drugs that are changing how people think about weight loss. You can learn more about Dr. Myers here, and you can follow the department of molecular and integrative physiology @UMPhysiology on X.

The Fundamentals

If they don't give up, how can I give up?

Today on The Fundamentals is Dr. Maria Castro, the R.C. Schneider collegiate professor of neurosurgery, and a professor of cell and developmental biology at the University of Michigan Medical School. Her research program aims to develop immunotherapies for primary and metastatic brain cancer, studying basic immune biology mechanisms leading to clinical implementation. She has been inducted into the American Association for the Advancement of Sciences, the Latin American Academy of Sciences, and the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering College of Fellows. She has won numerous awards for her contributions to basic science and cancer research and is a diversity ambassador for the Cancer Biology Graduate Training Program. You can learn more about Dr. Castro here, and you can follow her @castro2355_mg, the Rogel Cancer Center @UMRogelCancer, the department of neurosurgery @umichneuro, Michigan Neurscience Institute @UM_MNI and the department of cell and developmental biology @UMCDB on X

The Fundamentals

Can AI Make Us Healthier Humans?

Dr. Jody Platt. She is an Associate Professor of Learning Health Sciences at the University of Michigan Medical School. Trained in medical sociology and health policy, her research focuses on issues at the intersection of informatics and ethics. She is interested in understanding what makes data-driven health trusted, and the pathways for earning, achieving, and sustaining trust across stakeholders. Dr. Platt is the Academy Health and ABIM Foundation Senior Scholar in Residence advising on issues of measuring and building trust.

The Fundamentals

Addiction is a lifelong disease and not a moral failing

On today’s The Fundamentals is Dr. Brummett, Professor at the University of Michigan where he serves as the Senior Associate Chair for Research in the Department of Anesthesiology. He has more than 280 publications, including articles in top journals such as JAMA, JAMA Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Annals of Surgery. He is the Co-Director of the Opioid Prescribing Engagement Network or OPEN at the University of Michigan, which aims to apply a preventative approach to the opioid epidemic in the US through appropriate prescribing after surgery, dentistry and emergency medicine. Moreover, he is the Co-Director of the cross-campus Opioid Research Institute, which was launched in the spring of 2023. He leads multiple NIH grants studying these concepts and receives funding from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, SAMHSA, CDC, and multiple foundations. You can learn more about Dr. Brummett here, and you can follow Dr. Brummett @drchadb and the department of anesthesiology @UMichAnesthesia on X.

The Fundamentals

From Patients to Progress: Advancing Autoimmune Research

Today on The Fundamentals, our guest is Dr. Michelle Kahlenberg, an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine and Dermatology, the Giles Bole and Dorothy Mulkey Research Professor of Rheumatology and the Vice Chair for Basic and Translational Research in Internal Medicine. Her clinical work is centered on the care of patients with lupus, including those with refractory skin disease. In addition to running her lab, she's an active member of the Immunology Training Program and has received national recognition for her research.

The Fundamentals

Cannabis and psychedelics: stigmatized substances or powerful therapeutics?

Today on The Fundamentals is Dr. Kevin Boehnke, research assistant professor in the Department of Anesthesiology and the Chronic Pain and Fatigue Research Center. His current research focuses on therapeutic applications of cannabis and psychedelics. His goal is to rigorously assess appropriate use of these substances and to help address the public health harms caused by their criminalization.

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