Rephonic
Artwork for Breakthroughs
Dopamine
Northwestern University
Bedside Medicine
Antimicrobial Resistance
Atrial Fibrillation
National Institutes Of Health
Alzheimer's Disease
Immune System
Regulatory T Cells
Retina
Lyme Disease
Parkinson's Disease
Long COVID
Lung Injury
Aging
Infectious Diseases
Fetal Surgery
Fetal Monitoring
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Schizophrenia

Breakthroughs is a podcast about groundbreaking research and the scientists leading these discoveries at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. We are driven by our mission to transform the practice of medicine and profoundly impact human health beyond the individual patient. We believe better answers only come from discovery.

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes100Founded9 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
MedicineHealth & Fitness

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Artwork for Breakthroughs

Latest Episodes

Why does one person become critically ill from a virus while another person exposed to the same microbe remains completely healthy?

This is the "infection enigma," and Jean-Laurent Casanova, MD, PhD, has spent his career trying to solve it. A Frenc... more

For decades, biomedical research relied heavily on male subjects, leaving important gaps in our understanding of how diseases and treatments affect women. In 2016, the NIH introduced a policy requiring that all eligible funding applicants consider th... more

YouTube

In this episode, Peter Penzes, PhD, director of the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, discusses a recent discovery of a schizophrenia biomarker and how this research could one day offer ear... more

YouTube

Fetal surgery can be lifesaving for babies diagnosed with complex conditions before birth, but it comes with significant challenges, including limited ability to monitor the fetus in real time. A Northwestern Medicine team has developed a first-of-it... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Podcast Host
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Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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Recent Guests

Nicole Woitowich
Executive Director of Nucats, CTSI at Northwestern
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Episode: Why It's Important to Analyze Research Data by Sex with Nicole Woitowich, PhD
Peter Penzes
Director of the Center for Autism and Neurodevelopment at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Episode: What is the Genetic Overlap Between Autism and Schizophrenia? with Peter Penzes, PhD
Aimen Shaaban
Professor of surgery and pediatrics at Northwestern University, fetal surgeon at Lurie Children's Hospital, director of the Chicago Institute for Fetal Health
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Episode: How a Tiny Device Could Transform Fetal Surgery with Aimen Shaaban, MD
Jennie Kwon
Physician-scientist, Chief of Infectious Diseases, Jean Stollerman Professor of Medicine
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Episode: Is Antimicrobial Resistance Threatening Modern Medicine? with Jennie Kwon, DO
Raj Awatramani
Professor of Neurology, dopamine neuron diversity researcher
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Episode: New Insights Into Dopamine with Raj Awatramani, PhD, and Daniel Dombeck, PhD
Daniel Dombeck
Professor of Neurology, technology-driven neuroscience researcher
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Episode: New Insights Into Dopamine with Raj Awatramani, PhD, and Daniel Dombeck, PhD
Claudia Hawkins
Expert in viral hepatitis, HIV co-infection; Director at Havy Institute for Global Health, Northwestern
Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine
Episode: Improving Testing and Diagnosis of Hepatitis C with Claudia Hawkins, MD, MPH
Igor Koralnik, MD
Chief of Neuroinfectious Diseases and Global Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine
Northwestern Medicine
Episode: Decoding Long COVID's Impact on the Brain with Igor Koralnik, MD
Molly Bright
Senior author of the study; assistant professor in Physical Therapy and Human Movement Sciences and Biomedical Engineering
Northwestern University
Episode: Improving Imaging of the Spinal Cord with Molly Bright, DPhil

Host

Erin Spain
Host of Breakthroughs

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 35 ratings
  • Unique perspective & access

    Topics are varied and interesting! Host Erin does an excellent job of including informative background knowledge and asking the right questions of guests. Episode length is just right. As someone in the research/medicine world, this gives me new insights and exposure to topics I would otherwise ignore. Thanks and keep the episodes coming!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Baba138780
    United States8 years ago
  • Thoroughly captivating!

    I look forward to each new episode - this podcast really provides great insight into new medical discoveries and I love meeting the people behind the science.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    NicoleMarie_123%++
    United States8 years ago
  • One of my favorites!

    Excellent podcast involving some great minds in medicine. I highly recommend this for anyone interested in medical/educational podcasts.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Johnny304
    United States8 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Thoughtful, high-caliber guests and deep dives into medical science.
Professional host with accessible yet rigorous questions; great for researchers.
High-quality production and credible, science-forward content.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Why It's Important to Analyze Research Data by Sex with Nicole Woitowich, PhD
Q: What steps is Northwestern taking to promote sex-inclusive science among researchers?
Nucats collaborates with biostatistics and education groups to embed sex as a variable in grant mechanisms and research design, encouraging scientists to plan for and report sex-based analyses from the outset.
Why It's Important to Analyze Research Data by Sex with Nicole Woitowich, PhD
Q: What surprised you about the trends over the last decade in NIH-funded research?
That while inclusion of both sexes has increased, explicit sex-based analyses remain inconsistently reported, and reporting practices vary across NIH institutes, indicating room for systematic improvements in training and publishing guidelines.
Why It's Important to Analyze Research Data by Sex with Nicole Woitowich, PhD
Q: Why is it important to analyze data by sex if you include both sexes in a study?
Because analyzing by sex reveals differences that can affect treatment efficacy and safety, advancing precision medicine rather than masking disparities by pooling data together.
Rewind: The Role of Dopamine in Habit Formation and Compulsive Behavior with Talia Lerner, PhD
Q: What was the surprising finding about the descending spiral, and why is it important clinically?
We found evidence for a descending spiral that could help shift behavior from habitual back to goal-directed, which may be therapeutically useful for breaking bad habits and treating neuropsychiatric disorders like addiction or OCD.
How a Tiny Device Could Transform Fetal Surgery with Aimen Shaaban, MD
Q: What does this technology mean for the timeline to clinical use and FDA approval?
We are starting FDA interactions with planned clinical trials and iterative prototype refinements; approval could come within years rather than months, with the hope of some direction toward clinical care later this year.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Breakthroughs

What is Breakthroughs about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Breakthroughs concentrates on frontier medical and biomedical research led by Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. Across episodes, listeners encounter a mix of neurology, infectious disease, diagnostics, imaging, and clinical translation, all framed around how cutting-edge science can transform patient care. Guests are often physician-scientists, engineers, and researchers detailing new biomarkers, devices, or therapies, plus discussions on regulatory and translational challenges. The show stands out for its interdisciplinary approach, long-form conversations, and a strong emphasis on real-world implications for health and medicine. Potential sponsors and guests can expect a niche, highly educated audience interested in rig... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Breakthroughs?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Breakthroughs:

1. The Daily
2. Science Friday
3. Open to Debate
4. The Ezra Klein Show
5. Up First from NPR

How many episodes of Breakthroughs are there?

Breakthroughs launched 9 years ago and published 100 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Breakthroughs?

Recent guests on Breakthroughs include:

1. Nicole Woitowich
2. Peter Penzes
3. Aimen Shaaban
4. Jennie Kwon
5. Raj Awatramani
6. Daniel Dombeck
7. Claudia Hawkins
8. Igor Koralnik, MD

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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