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Homeland Security in the Post-Trump Era
The Biden-Harris administration faces an evolving mix of foreign and domestic threats. Repairing the damage done to domestic security agencies and returning public confidence is at the core of this conversation among four former leaders of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Tom Ridge and Michael Chertoff, served as Secretaries of the Department under President […]
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Yiddish Glory: The Lost Songs of World War II
In the midst of World War II ethnomusicologist Moisei Beregovsky led a group of scholars who discovered songs written by Jewish Red Army soldiers, refugees, victims, and survivors of Ukrainian ghettos and camps. These were people whose voices are rarely heard in reconstructing history; none were professional writers, poets, or musicians, but nevertheless all were […]
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Radiation Oncology
Cancer treatments are advancing at an astounding pace, with newer therapies providing better outcomes, longer life, and greater chance for cure. Radiation therapy uses carefully targeted doses of high-energy radiation to kill cancer cells without damaging the surrounding healthy tissue. The goal is to use high-dose X-rays to remove the cancer, keep it from spreading, […]
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When the Drug is Alive
Antimicrobial resistance is one of the most pressing global health issues of the 21st Century. In 2016, epidemiologist Steffanie Strathdee was involved in a remarkable case where she and her colleagues revived a hundred year old forgotten cure – bacteriophage therapy – which saved her husband’s life from a deadly superbug infection. Strathdee and her […]
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Criminal Justice Reform in California
For decades California’s incarceration rate mirrored that of the nation, increasing five-fold between the early 1970s and the mid-2000s. Since 2010 California has slowly turned away from mass incarceration through a series of criminal justice reforms, including changing criminal sentencing and law enforcement practices to reduce prison populations. What has California done right in this […]
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Fighting Cancer with Your Immune System
New findings on the relationship between the immune system and cancer is bringing a new era of treatment for patients and opening up interdisciplinary collaboration for researchers and clinicians. In this engaging conversation, Ezra Cohen, MD, and Judy Varner, PhD, highlight emerging research and clinical strategies using precision immunotherapy and stem cell techniques. Dr. Cohen […]
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Disruptive Cinema
“Subversive” is defined as “seeking or intended to subvert an established system or institution; disruptive; inflammatory.” Films may be considered aesthetically or culturally subversive, or both. Subversive cinema has been with us since the silent era; early examples include Griffith’s The Birth of a Nation (though it wasn’t considered subversive at the time), Robert Wiene’s […]
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Oxygen Loss in the Ocean: The Blinding Truth
Ocean oxygen levels are changing globally as a result of both natural and human-influenced processes, and in some areas low oxygen events are becoming more common. While research on terrestrial animals has shown that low oxygen levels can affect vision – a vital function for finding food and shelter and avoiding predators – the impact […]
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Social Inequities and Suffering Caused by COVID-19
While a Sars CoV-2 vaccine is here providing hope for the year ahead, the pain and devastation caused by the pandemic will persist as new infections currently continue to expand at an ever-increasing rate. Amidst all this, UC San Diego has established itself as a recognized leader in proactively responding to this disaster. Hear from […]
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Challenges Facing the Free World, with H.R. McMaster
The United States suffers from a “strategic narcissism” that leads to international missteps and catastrophes, retired Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster said in a recent conversation with journalist Lowell Bergman. In a wide-ranging conversation, the Army combat veteran and historian discussed topics ranging from the Iran Nuclear deal, the war in Afghanistan, the Syria conflict […]