Wolfram Goessling: Lessons from the Other Side of Cancer
Health & Veritas
Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale School of Medicine liver specialist Wolfram Goessling, who reflects on his experience surviving a rare cancer and how it reshaped his approach to patient care, communication, and leadership. Harlan discusses a Utah pilot program that is letting AI authorize prescription renewals, prompting alarm from physicians; Howie reports on a study challenging the effectiveness of a widely used knee procedure. Show notes: The Prescribing AI Doctronic responds to coverage of the Utah partnership. Wolfram Goessling The publisher’s site for Wolfram Goessling’s...
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Trust, Truth, and Moral Distress
Health & Veritas
Howie and Harlan take on tough questions at the intersection of medicine and society. They trace the deadly history of anti-vaccine activism, unpack Yale’s report on trust in higher education, and explore the peptide craze. They also confront the rising moral distress among clinicians working in systems that too often prevent them from caring for patients the way they were trained to. Plus, student research assistant Tobias Liu stops by for a farewell conversation. Show notes: Tobias Segment Anti-Vaccination Trust in Higher Education Peptides Moral Distress Psychedelics 2026...
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Stephen Latham: The End of Irreversibility
Health & Veritas
Howie and Harlan are joined by Stephen Latham, a Yale School of Medicine senior research scholar and the director of the Yale Interdisciplinary Center for Bioethics. Stephen reflects on his journey to a career at the intersection of law and medicine, and explains why the legal definition of death is becoming less useful in an era of rapidly advancing medical technologies. Harlan unpacks recent analysis of smoking rates in the U.S.; Howie contextualizes recent accusations of Medicaid fraud in New York. Show notes: Smoking Rates Stephen Latham ...
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Deborah Proctor: Help That Endures
Health & Veritas
Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale School of Medicine gastroenterologist Deborah Proctor, who reflects on her decades of work in Honduras and how her approach to service has shifted from short-term medical missions to sustained, community-driven partnership. Harlan reports on an AI breakthrough with implications for the security of healthcare systems; Howie marks National Public Health Week with a look at two centuries of major public health gains. Show notes: AI Breakthrough Deborah Proctor Public Health Progress In the Yale School of Management’s , you’ll...
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Selwyn Rogers: Bearing Witness to Violence
Health & Veritas
Howie and Harlan are joined by trauma surgeon Selwyn Rogers, who reflects on caring for victims of gun violence and speaking with families in their darkest moments—and explains why the problem must be understood as a shared societal responsibility. Harlan examines new evidence suggesting U.S. healthcare spending has grown more slowly than expected; Howie discusses a retracted Lancet article that highlights the risks of undisclosed conflicts of interest. Show notes: Healthcare Costs Selwyn Rogers Conflicts of Interest In the Yale School of Management’s ,...
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Arya Singh: Beyond Accessibility
Health & Veritas
Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale College and Yale School of Public Health graduate Arya Singh, who reflects on growing up with spinal muscular atrophy, what it takes to build a full life with a disability, and how family support and institutional culture shape what inclusion looks like in practice. Harlan reports on the rapid rise of AI as a front door to health information; Howie responds to the withdrawal of a proposed federal ban on indoor tanning for minors. Show notes: AI Health Advice Arya Singh Howie reflects on Arya Singh’s graduation from Yale. A Stanford Business...
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Vaccines, Cholesterol, and Other News
Health & Veritas
Howie and Harlan discuss the end of flu season, vaccine effectiveness, and the challenge of rebuilding public confidence in immunization. Also: new cholesterol guidelines that push earlier treatment, measles outbreaks and the erosion of herd immunity, a court ruling pausing changes to vaccine guidelines, signs of stabilization at the NIH, new evidence on football and brain injury, and a MedPAC report suggesting Medicare Advantage plans are overpaid. Show notes: Looking Back at the Flu Season New Cholesterol Guidelines Measles Update ...
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Kevin Billingsley: The Making of the Modern Surgeon
Health & Veritas
Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale School of Medicine surgical oncologist Kevin Billingsley, who discusses how robotics and advanced imaging are reshaping what it means to be a surgeon and offers guidance for those facing a cancer diagnosis. Harlan reports on a company testing AI-based prescription renewals and raises concerns about safety and oversight; Howie reflects on new survey data showing declining public trust in health institutions. Show notes: Unsupervised AI Harlan discusses ARPA-H. Kevin Billingsley Atul Gawande compares surgeons to athletes. Jerome Groopman on the...
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Kevin Sheth: Innovation Toward a Healthier Brain
Health & Veritas
Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale School of Medicine neurologist Kevin Sheth to discuss how collaboration helps drive breakthroughs in brain health, including advances in detecting stroke and other neurological diseases earlier and more precisely. Harlan reflects on lessons from his family’s recent experience navigating the healthcare system; Howie examines the expanding marketplace for GLP-1 weight-loss drugs and the challenges of ensuring safe and appropriate use. Show notes: The Family Perspective Kevin Sheth Cheaper Obesity Drugs In...
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Janet Currie: Investing in Kids
Health & Veritas
Howie and Harlan are joined by Yale economist Janet Currie to discuss how early-life investments in health, education, and environmental protection shape children’s lifelong well-being and economic opportunity. Harlan highlights a new Medicare payment model that would reward measurable improvements in chronic disease outcomes; Howie reflects on the spread of medical misinformation and a new effort to push back. Show notes: The ACCESS Payment Model Janet Currie “ “ Misinformation In the Yale School of Management’s , you’ll get a full MBA education...
info_outlineHowie and Harlan are joined by Harvard internist Jerry Avorn to discuss his research on the pharmaceutical industry and his work promoting evidence-based prescribing. Harlan highlights new results from the American Heart Association meeting, including a one-time CRISPR-based therapy for high cholesterol; Howie reports on an outbreak of infant botulism.
Show notes:
Research from the American Heart Association Meeting
“Phase 1 Trial of CRISPR-Cas9 Gene Editing Targeting ANGPTL3”
“First-in-human trial of CRISPR gene-editing therapy safely lowered cholesterol, triglycerides”
“Cardiac Allograft Vasculopathy Inhibition with Alirocumab: The CAVIAR Trial”
“PCSK9 medication plus statin may help lower cholesterol after heart transplant”
“Investigational daily pill lowered bad cholesterol as much as injectables”
Jerry Avorn
Science Direct: Academic Detailing
Jerry Avorn: Rethinking Medications: Truth, Power, and the Drugs You Take
FDA: Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) Advertisements
H.R.5952 - Prescription Drug User Fee Act of 1992
FDA: FY 2025 FDA Budget Summary
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services: Open Payments
H.R.3590 - Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
“Aducanumab Discontinued as an Alzheimer's Treatment”
Amazon.com: Featured comments on Rethinking Medications
Infant Botulism
California Department of Public Health: Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program
CDC: “Infant Botulism Outbreak Linked to Infant Formula, November 2025”
“ByHeart recalls all baby formula sold nationwide as infant botulism outbreak grows”
California Department of Public Health: What is BabyBIG?
California Department of Public Health: Postponement of BabyBIG Fee Increase
California Department Of Public Health: Invoice and Purchase Agreement for BabyBIG
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