In discussing his new book, "Dirt is Good: The Advantage of Germs For Your Child's Developing Immune System," author and UC San Diego Professor of Pediatrics and Computer Science & Engineering Rob Knight explains how the microbiome works and offers guidance for parents on boosting their children's health. Knight is presented by the Library Channel at UC San Diego. Recorded on 10/24/2017.

Our lifespans are ever-increasing, but our healthspans are not, leading to long periods of unpleasant and expensive suffering with chronic conditions. Many of these conditions have recently been linked to the microbiome. We are constantly shaping our microbiomes through the foods we eat, the environments we experience, even the people we live and work with. Through the American Gut Project, the largest crowdsourced and crowdfunded citizen-science project yet conducted, we now know about the microbiomes of many types of people, from the healthiest to the sickest. Potentially real-time analysis of our microbiomes could guide our daily decisions in a way that optimizes our microbiomes for extending our healthspan. Although the potential benefits of such research are clear, what are the risks (e.g., privacy concerns) that need to be identified and addressed? Rob Knight, PhD explains.

Fractures of the pelvis and spine are among the most common type in older adults. Dr. Dave Shearer explores fractures of the pelvis and Dr. Trigg McClellan looks at fractures of the spine. Both are orthopedic surgeons at UCSF. Recorded on 06/12/2018.

Geriatrician Dr. John Newman looks at therapies that target mechanisms of aging to prevent, delay, or treat a wide range of age-related diseases and conditions. Recorded on 05/17/2018.

Deborah Adey, MD; Professor of Medicine, UCSF Recorded on 05/18/2018.

Dr. Chambers is a professor of pediatrics at University of California, San Diego and Director of Clinical Research for the Department of Pediatrics at UCSD and Rady Children's Hospital. She is a perinatal epidemiologist, whose research is focused on environmental exposures in pregnancy and child health outcomes, including birth defects. In this talk she explores the need for better data on medication safety for pregnancy and breast-feeding. Recorded on 11/6/2018.

Tracey Woodruff, PhD, MPH, Director of the UCSF Environmental Health Initiative, offers an overview on the field of toxic exposures and their impact on health outcomes. Recorded on 09/21/2018.

Jenny Jay, PhD, UCLA Professor and Researcher at the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, provides perspective on how processed foods and water use impact the environment and public health. Recorded on 09/21/2018.

Dr. Andi Tenner has a global health focus and interest in disaster response and post-disaster recovery, systems development and education. She talks about UCSF's contributions to emergency care around the world, particularly in response to health crises wit the World Health Organization. Recorded on 11/29/2018.

Premature births, unexplained human and livestock sicknesses, flammable water faucets, toxic wells and the onset of hundreds of earthquakes: the impacts of fracking are far-reaching and deeply felt. Professor Sara Wylie (Northeastern University) describes the fossil fuel connection between climate change and endocrine disruption and how the fossil fuel and petrochemical industries twin toxicities might be resisted together. Wylie also explores the need, and potential, to build alternative public interest databases and environmental health research tools. Recorded on 11/28/2018.

The digital era has made information about health universally available. The multidimensional integration of how information is used promises to unleash powerful approaches to risk assessment and intervention, particularly for common, chronic diseases in which everyday life choices have major impact. The limiting factors in using ubiquitous information for health benefit are no longer technological, but cultural and social. Recorded on 04/03/2018.

Dr. Sydney Leibel is working to develop a multidisciplinary Severe Asthma Clinic to address social determinants of health and resilience in pediatric populations. In this talk he explores the prevalence and cost of asthma. He also looks at the social determinants of health and health disparities.

In Good Shape host Dr. Carsten Lekutat attends a meditation congress in Berlin where he talks to a neuroscientist and a Zen master about meditation's potential in the fields of medicine, psychology and therapy.

National health policy expert Drew Altman presents an analysis of the public's priorities and opinions in health care as the new Congress takes shape and the 2020 presidential campaign begins. Recorded on 01/23/2019.