Harvard Medical Labcast

According to research by Elizabeth Klerman, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women’s Hospital, most adults should be getting 8.5 to 9 hours of sleep each night. Learn about her study and about the benefits of a good night’s sleep. Plus, HMS Associate Professor of Medicine Julia Wang explores what causes the immune system to attack healthy cells and tissues by mistake. Photo by Jojomarie/stock.xchng.

A draft sequence of the human genome was first published in 2001. Ten years later, David Altshuler, Harvard Medical School professor of genetics, discusses how the Human Genome Project has changed the landscape of biomedical research. Plus, a study by HMS Professor of Neurobiology Qiufu Ma sheds light on the relationship between itch and pain. Image by Clix/stock.xchng.

HMS Associate Professor of Medicine Ted Kaptchuk defines placebo effects as the self-healing capabilities embedded in the ritual of medicine. Find out why he’s trying to understand the magnitude, duration and boundaries of these effects. Plus, in the process of studying the genetic roots of a horrific disease, HMS Professor of Cell Biology Bjorn Olsen and colleagues discover a new way to create adult stem cells. Photo by Christopher Bernard/iStock.

We ask some Bostonians to envision a doctor of the future and bring their questions about medical training to HMS Dean for Education Thomas Michel. We also speak with medical students who are learning that research isn’t easy. Plus, a new topical cream disables herpesvirus in a molecular two-punch knockout. Photo by Jan Reiss.

HMS professor Peter Sorger shares his perspectives on the emerging field of systems biology, and we visit the lab of Roy Kishony, where researchers are using mathematical models to probe the evolution of drug resistant bacteria. Plus, the best-laid plans of mice and men have gone awry again; scientists tell us how differences in the mouse and human brain are complicating Alzheimer’s research. For supplemental information, listen to an extended interview (mp3) with Peter Sorger.

Adrian Ivinson, director of the Harvard NeuroDiscovery Center, explains why researchers need to collaborate to tackle neurodegenerative diseases, and reporter Yvonna Reekie brings us the latest on autism spectrum disorders. Plus, a team has discovered how beetles and bacteria form a symbiotic relationship—one that ultimately results in the destruction of pine forests.

HMS professor David Altshuler discusses the relationship between human genetic variation and disease, and HMS professor George Church explains the complexities of the Personal Genome Project. Plus, we learn whether drug sales are influenced by direct-to-consumer advertising. For supplemental information, listen to an extended interview (mp3) with David Altshuler.

Nobel Laureate Eric Chivian discusses the connection between biodiversity and human disease, and Yvonna Reekie examines the emerging problem of drug-resistant tuberculosis, which is plaguing countries worldwide. Plus, using an innovative approach, researchers halt the spread of HIV in an animal model. For supplemental information, listen to an extended interview (mp3) with Eric Chivian.

HMS associate professor of medicine Stephanie Woolhandler shares her views on universal healthcare, and Yvonna Reekie takes you for a ride on the Family Van, which provides free education, counseling, support and healthcare to Boston’s economically disadvantaged neighborhoods. Plus, biology enters “The Matrix” through a new computer language.

HMS professor of neurobiology Margaret Livingstone uses art to understand how we perceive and process visual stimuli, and HMS professor of pediatrics Charles Nelson employs noninvasive techniques to measure the brain activity of children while they look at faces. Plus, you’re more microbe than mammal—at least according to your latest cell count. For supplemental information, listen to an extended interview (mp3) with Margaret Livingstone as well as an extended interview (mp3) with Charles Nelson.

HMS associate professor of pathology David Sinclair is getting under the hood of the molecular machinery that drives longevity, and HMS assistant professor of medicine Anne Fabiny is preparing students for an aging population. In addition, an HMS lab discovers a new cell death process with links to cancer.

HMS professor of medical sociology Nicholas Christakis examines how social networks affect our health, and an HMS student relies on social networking websites to rally the Kenyan diaspora. Plus, an HMS lab makes a startling discovery with implications for an emerging field called personalized medicine.

Marc Kirschner, head of the Harvard Medical School Department of Systems Biology, describes a new initiative that takes aim at the alarming slowdown in the development of new and lifesaving drugs. Plus, Professor of Genetics David Reich is studying DNA from an ancient finger bone to shed light on the dawn of humanity. Image by Martin Sorger.

Elsie Taveras, an assistant professor of population medicine and of pediatrics at HMS, discusses a new Institute of Medicine report on early childhood obesity. Plus, Assistant Professor of Cell Biology Stephen Liberles explores how mice and rats sense predators. Image by Nazdravie/iSockphoto.