In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, this episode of the Princeton Pulse Podcast highlights exciting advancements in the fight against breast cancer and the research that makes them possible.

Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed cancer in the world; about one in eight women will face the disease during her lifetime. The good news, however, is that while cases are going up, the death rate is going down – thanks, in large part, to scientific discoveries fueling breakthroughs in diagnosis and treatment.

For decades, the National Institutes of Health has poured billions of dollars into the biomedical research driving that success. But federal support has plummeted, creating a climate of uncertainty and prompting states and research institutions to pursue other sources of sustainable funding.

Host Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, delves into some of these promising innovations and funding challenges with two distinguished guests: Princeton professor and molecular biologist Yibin Kang, whose groundbreaking research has increased our understanding of how breast cancer spreads and has led to more effective treatments; and Dr. Kenneth Adler, a hematologic oncologist and current chair of the New Jersey Commission on Cancer Research, who is advocating for the state of New Jersey to allocate $10 million annually from its tobacco tax revenue to cancer research.

The panel will share some of the novel therapeutics bringing hope to patients with metastatic cancer, such as precision treatment and immunotherapy, strides in early detection, and concerns regarding disparities in access. They also will discuss the precarity of scientific funding and what’s at stake if we lose it – including a whole generation of researchers who could expand our arsenal of life-saving cures.

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Read about Yibin Kang’s latest breakthrough in immunotherapy and other research on the molecular mechanisms of cancer metastasis.

Read about proposed, bipartisan legislation to secure sustainable funding for cancer research in New Jersey.

Read Heather Howard’s article on how the 1998 tobacco settlement can inform the disbursement of other revenue streams.

The Princeton Pulse Podcast is a production of Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW). The show is hosted by Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, produced by Aimee Bronfeld, and edited by Alex Brownstein. You can subscribe to The Princeton Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

Why do some people age faster than others? That question has intrigued scientists for centuries as they try to unravel the mysteries of longevity. This episode of the Princeton Pulse Podcast highlights breakthroughs in genetics, molecular biology, and genomics that are helping researchers understand the biological process of aging and, in turn, how we can not only live longer, but also healthier.

Host Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, is joined by two guests: Professor Coleen Murphy, director of Princeton’s Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics and the Paul F. Glenn Laboratories for Aging Research, whose work explores the molecular underpinning of longevity and age-associated diseases; and Professor Jeremy Berg from the University of Pittsburgh, who formerly served as editor-in-chief of Science magazine and director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences.

The panel discusses how scientific research could hold the key to longevity. They explain how studying worms and other organisms may lead to discoveries that improve women’s reproductive health, slow down cognitive aging, and prevent or manage certain chronic and degenerative disorders. They also underscore the impact of federal research funding on this important work.

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Learn more about Coleen Murphy’s research on the process of aging: Coleen Murphy | Lewis-Sigler Institute

Learn more about Jeremy Berg’s current research at University of Pittsburgh: Jeremy M. Berg, PhD - Department of Computational and Systems Biology

The Princeton Pulse Podcast is a production of Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW). The show is hosted by Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, produced by Aimee Bronfeld, and edited by Alex Brownstein. You can subscribe to The Princeton Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

About 40 million Americans rely on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Since 1964, this federal program, formerly known as food stamps, has prevented low-income households, children, people with disabilities, veterans, and other vulnerable populations from going hungry. But changes are coming. On this episode, we explore how major policy reforms, budget cuts, and the Make America Healthy Again Movement are set to transform the way benefits are administered and who is eligible to receive them.

Host Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, is joined by two guests: Benjamin Chrisinger, an assistant professor at Tufts University and a visiting research scholar at Princeton’s Center for Health and Wellbeing, whose work examines food access, safety net programs, and other issues related to health and health disparities; and Gina Plata-Nino, SNAP Director for the Food Research and Action Center, where she advocates for policies to restore, protect and strengthen the SNAP program.

The panel explains the latest research regarding SNAP’s impact on food security, health outcomes, and the broader community, as well as challenges that threaten the program’s effectiveness. They also cover how states are considering changes of their own, from restrictions on SNAP-eligible foods to a shift from food vouchers to cash transfers. Finally, they highlight ways to inform hunger-fighting policies while improving public health, reducing health care costs, and boosting local economies.

Visit the FRAC website for fact sheets, reports and other resources related to SNAP.

See recent SNAP-focused publications authored by Ben Chrisinger:

Removing Unhealthy Foods From SNAP—A MAHA Strategy to Take Seriously

Keeping SNAP in Line with Global Evidence on Food Security | New England Journal of Medicine

Read Heather Howard’s piece in the New England Journal of Medicine:

The Rural Health Transformation Program — An Avenue for Promoting Administrative Policies | New England Journal of Medicine

The Princeton Pulse Podcast is a production of Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW). The show is hosted by Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, produced by Aimee Bronfeld, and edited by Alex Brownstein. You can subscribe to The Princeton Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.