Welcome to Morning Sign In!

As an online publication dedicated to improving health literacy in Los Angeles and around the world, the UCLA chapter of Morning Sign Out (MSO) has launched a new podcast: Morning Sign In! Hosted primarily by current co-Editor-in-Chief Dhruv Khosla, Morning Sign In features MSO writers, editors, and officers who are eager to share their work in making scientific research more accessible and comprehensible for the general public. Tune in every quarter to Morning Sign In to hear about the newest developments in health and wellness, public health, and research!
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Description: Ever find yourself on the prowl for a tasty midnight snack? Well, recent research studies have found links between late-night snacks and lower fat breakdown in humans, and between high-calorie diets and disrupted mealtimes in mice. In our first-ever episode of ‘Morning Sign In’, come hear MSO at UCLA’s current President, Laila Khorasani, and editor Bella Chen tackle the topic of nutrition! Laila provides excellent insight on the state of food insecurity and hunger during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and she also discusses recent MSO articles on important research about the role of meal timings and weight gain. Bella follows up by explaining key concepts in nutritional science, including food with potential health benefits, their role in inflammation, and the interplay between free radicals and antioxidants in the body. If you’re interested in learning more about the topics discussed, you can do so at our website, www.msoatucla.org!
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Description: In countries around the world and especially in America, the last few years have brought a tidal wave of reckoning with racial inequality and unjust social structures. While this probably immediately reminds you of police brutality incidents and the inexcusable killing of Black Americans like George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, this reckoning also applies to a field concerned with healing and supporting life: healthcare. In this episode, join MSO at UCLA writer Melody Zaki and editor Sofia Luengo-Woods as they explore how people of color—particularly Black Americans—receive different, and often unfair, treatment than their counterparts of other races in the realm of medicine and healthcare. This unequal treatment is not an isolated series of cases, but rather a racial pattern that persists through the stages of life. Melody and Sofia also provide concrete suggestions for how these issues can be addressed to promote equality and improve health outcomes for patients. If you’re interested in learning more about the topics we covered, you can do so at our website, www.msoatucla.org!
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Description: As one of the leading causes of death in the United States and around the world, cancer is an extremely relevant topic and a frequent health concern. Fortunately, the amount of information available to healthcare professionals and the general public on what cancer is, and on precautions that can be taken to reduce the risk of developing cancer, continues to increase. Recently, breakthroughs in cancer research have helped improve existing treatment options and even led to the development of new methods for treating certain types of cancer. In this episode, join MSO at UCLA president Laila Khorasani, writers Catherine Beaudin and Robin Fong, and guest speaker Dr. Kevin Fong—a radiation therapist at St. Francis Memorial Hospital in San Francisco—as they discuss what cancer is and steps everyone can take to help prevent cancer. They also discuss some of the available treatment options including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and a rapidly emerging field of cancer treatment called immunotherapy.
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Description: While you may not think about it often, your brain is vital to practically everything you do. In fact, it’s what allows you to process and remember this podcast episode! While our physical health (the health of our bodies in general) rightfully receives lots of attention, the health of our brains should not be neglected either. Doing so can have serious consequences. In this episode, join MSO at UCLA Co-Editor-in-Chief Dhruv Khosla and writers Mia Kim and Umiemah Farrukh as they discuss the importance of both mental and cognitive health. They explain key concepts, like what these terms mean in the first place, and go on to discuss issues stemming from poor mental or cognitive health, such as depression and Alzheimer’s disease, respectively. Mia and Umiemah also provide resources and strategies that may help you improve the health of your brain!
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Description: What are heart xenotransplantations? Why are they important? What kind of research is currently being done and what results have been found? In this fifth episode of Morning Sign In, we'll be delving deeper into these intriguing questions.
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Description: In this sixth episode of Morning Sign In, Morning Sign Out (MSO) Outreach Director Jenny Lee, writer Audrey Banzali-Marks, and editor Hope Harris talk about the latest research on the relationship between eczema and dietary fiber, as well as how the modern Western Diet could affect our health based on the researchers’ results.
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