LearnOn Podcast: Health Equity By Youth, For Everyone!

Jaansi Patel
  • 4.5 (16)
  • MEDICINE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

Hello learners! Looking to hear about problems and solutions in medicine? We've love for you to tune into our engaging conversational episodes hosted by Jaansi Patel (17 years old). We discuss anything and everything about health equity, medical technology, neuroscience, and mental health. Don't sweat the details -- we're big fans of breaking down jargon so that all listeners can learn from our guests. We also work with a wide variety of medical professionals, researchers, businesses, non-profits, and other companies to spread our message. Enjoy our podcast with endless learning to come!

  1. Science, Storytelling, and Trust with Kristen V. Brown

    FEB 3

    Science, Storytelling, and Trust with Kristen V. Brown

    This week, Jaansi sits down with healthcare journalist Kristen V. Brown to explore the role of science journalism in shaping public trust, health decision-making, and collective understanding. Together, they discuss how culture and politics influence scientific research, why women’s health remains underfunded, and how journalists can responsibly report on polarized topics like vaccines without deepening mistrust. Join us to learn about the essentials for communicating complex science in an increasingly fragmented media landscape!​Kristen V. Brown is a healthcare journalist currently working on a book about fertility. As a Hearst Fellow at the Albany Times Union and the San Francisco Chronicle, a staffer at Bloomberg and Gizmodo, and a Webby nominated podcaster, she has covered women’s health and the cultural forces that shape medical knowledge. Trained in arts and culture journalism, Brown brings a humanities-driven lens to science reporting and has written extensively on vaccines, reproductive health, and consumer genetics.Check out Kristen's work: ​www.kristenvbrown.com/

    32 min
  2. Governing the Brain in a Digital World with Dr. Francis Shen

    JAN 26

    Governing the Brain in a Digital World with Dr. Francis Shen

    In this episode, Jaansi and Dr. Francis Shen unpack neurolaw, the emerging field at the intersection of brain science, law, and public policy. Together, they explore how neuroscience can reshape ideas, what debates about free will mean for criminal justice, and how brain-based explanations can either challenge or reinforce stigma, especially for marginalized communities. Tune in to hear why rigorous science, transparency, and community engagement is essential to advance health equity with these tools!​Dr. Francis X. Shen, JD, PhD is a Professor of Law and faculty member in the Graduate Program in Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota, and an Associate Professor in the Harvard Medical School Center for Bioethics and the MGH Department of Psychiatry. He directs the Shen Neurolaw Lab, co-directs the Neurotech Justice Accelerator at Mass General Brigham, and is the Founding Director of the Dana Foundation Career Network in Neuroscience & Society.Check out Dr. Shen's work:Shen Neurolaw Lab: www.fxshen.com/shenlab/Dr. Shen for Hennepin County Attorney: www.shenforsafety.org/Dana Foundation Career Network in Neuroscience & Society: neuroxcareers.org/Neurotech Justice Accelerator: neurotechjustice.org/

    40 min
  3. Rethinking Youth Mental Health Online with Dr. Michael Rich

    JAN 19

    Rethinking Youth Mental Health Online with Dr. Michael Rich

    Today, Jaansi sits down with Dr. Michael Rich, also known as the Mediatrician, to explore how digital media and technology shape adolescent identity and connection. Together, they discuss why screens themselves aren’t the problem, how digital tools can amplify both harm and healing, and what it means to approach youth mental health through interdisciplinary, compassionate, and equity-centered lenses in a rapidly evolving digital world.​Dr. Michael Rich is a pediatrician and child health researcher at Boston Children’s Hospital and a professor at Harvard Medical School. He is the founder and director of the Digital Wellness Lab and the Clinic for Interactive Media and Internet Disorders. Widely recognized for bridging medicine, psychology, and media studies, Dr. Rich is a leading voice on understanding and improving how children and adolescents engage with digital media.Check out Dr. Rich's work:The Mediatrician's Guide: www.harpercollinsfocus.com/9780785255727/the-mediatricians-guide/The Digital Wellness Lab: digitalwellnesslab.org/Stay updated with DWL: www.linkedin.com/company/digital-wellness-lab/posts/?feedView=allThe Inspired Internet Pledge: inspiredinternet.org/

    36 min
  4. The Scientific Narratives of Health Outcomes with Dr. Anne Harrington

    JAN 12

    The Scientific Narratives of Health Outcomes with Dr. Anne Harrington

    In this episode, Jaansi sits down with Dr. Anne Harrington to explore how science, especially medicine and mental health, operates not only through data, but through powerful stories. Together, they discuss how cultural narratives shape psychiatric knowledge, how historical decisions continue to influence mental health care today, and what emerging technologies like AI and psychedelics reveal about the future of healing, ethics, and health equity.Dr. Anne Harrington is a professor in the History of Science department at Harvard University and an internationally recognized scholar of psychiatry, neuroscience, and the mind sciences. Her work examines how scientific and medical knowledge shapes understandings of suffering, healing, and human identity, with a particular focus on mental health. She is the author of several widely cited works on the history of the brain and psychiatry and is known for bridging science, medicine, and the humanities in her scholarship.​Check out Dr. Harrington’s work:The Cure Within: www.amazon.com/Cure-Within-History-Mind-Body-Medicine/dp/B088KCYMSZ/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.m0K3063X5Yp3SJ-qwNHjod96kBTLkEG1AoLES05TVZVR0VUgail2XKLN0wHIFu56bJm4AYAjw6p7eXDCgTSKGFo1S7G98XU2kevVpUYRXcz3UFVvrTWSLrvtwTb-kOGKLPfrnyn8sgzeMSBIdn2A-LyyuAG-wgxTGYljjylSXonfTiKW0pbaAy6AASsoy-cyTkJxYUpSFjn8cCta4JYzAVDv8eEDU0RdVZX6SYsxQaY.R5LP6befEY0GVo7m-3MyLwQS5geJqFLSxQwQe0mfYG8&dib_tag=se&keywords=the+cure+within&qid=1768234667&sr=8-1Harvard History of Science faculty page: histsci.fas.harvard.edu/people/anne-harrington

    32 min
  5. Ethical Minds for Equitable Futures with Dr. Howard Gardner

    JAN 6

    Ethical Minds for Equitable Futures with Dr. Howard Gardner

    In the first episode of the season, Jaansi sits down with Dr. Howard Gardner, the renowned creator of the Multiple Intelligences theory, to explore how we define intelligence in an age of rapid technological and social change. Together, they discuss the future of learning, the role of AI in education, the importance of ethical and respectful minds, and what it takes to cultivate good work and good citizenship in a global society.​Dr. Howard Gardner is a pioneering psychologist and educator whose work reshaped how scholars and educators think about intelligence, learning, and human potential. A professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, he is the author of numerous influential books, has led major research initiatives on education and ethics, and has received international recognition for his contributions to psychology, education, and public scholarship.Check out Dr. Gardner's work: Website: www.howardgardner.com/Blog: www.howardgardner.com/howards-blogFive Minds for the Future: www.amazon.com/Five-Minds-Future-Howard-Gardner-ebook/dp/B004OC075I/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0

    28 min
  6. The Power of Health Equity: Season 7 Trailer

    SEASON 7 TRAILER

    The Power of Health Equity: Season 7 Trailer

    After covering the cutting edge of medical innovation, we're taking a step forward this season to we ask a bigger question: who truly benefits from medical progress? Welcome to Season 7: The Power of Health Equity. In this season, we explore health equity as a learning journey shaped by access to information, trust in systems, and whose knowledge is valued. Through conversations with prominent thought leaders, we examine how intelligence, media, law, policy, and innovation can either close health gaps or widen them. New episodes drop every Monday 7 AM EST, along with a newsletter on Substack coming soon! Alongside this new season, LearnOn is evolving. What began as “the science show by kids, for everyone” has grown into “the show on health equity by youth, for everyone.” We’ll continue exploring medical and scientific advancements, but with a sharper focus on where equity and innovation intersect, as well as how young voices can help shape a more just future.

    4 min
  7. Finale: The Big Lessons From Season 6

    JAN 1

    Finale: The Big Lessons From Season 6

    In this season finale, Sunay reflects on all 29 episodes of Season 6: Medical Marvels, revisiting the guests, ideas, and insights that shaped a season about how medicine works in the real world. From neurofeedback and gene therapy to clean water, mental health, environmental policy, and reproductive autonomy, this episode highlights how people, systems, equity, and persistence drive health outcomes. Sunay brings together the season’s biggest takeaways while thanking the guests and listeners who made the journey possible and setting the stage for what's coming next.

    9 min
  8. Access and Autonomy with Opill (featuring Dr. Stephanie Sober)

    12/27/2025

    Access and Autonomy with Opill (featuring Dr. Stephanie Sober)

    Access to contraception can shape health, autonomy, and opportunity, but what does it really take to safely expand that access? In this episode, we’re joined by Dr. Stephanie Sober, OB-GYN and Global Director of Medical Affairs at Perrigo Women’s Health, to explore the landmark approval of Opill, the first daily oral contraceptive available over the counter in the U.S. Tune in to hear how nearly a decade of research and regulatory work made this switch possible, how the FDA evaluates real-world use without physician supervision, and why over-the-counter contraception is a major step forward for reproductive health equity.Dr. Stephanie Sober is an OB-GYN physician and the Global Director of Medical Affairs at Perrigo Women’s Health. She co-led the studies submitted to the FDA to support Opill’s transition from prescription-only to over-the-counter status and has worked closely with medical organizations, regulators, and reproductive health advocates to expand safe, evidence-based access to contraception.

    26 min
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About

Hello learners! Looking to hear about problems and solutions in medicine? We've love for you to tune into our engaging conversational episodes hosted by Jaansi Patel (17 years old). We discuss anything and everything about health equity, medical technology, neuroscience, and mental health. Don't sweat the details -- we're big fans of breaking down jargon so that all listeners can learn from our guests. We also work with a wide variety of medical professionals, researchers, businesses, non-profits, and other companies to spread our message. Enjoy our podcast with endless learning to come!

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