Petrie Dish

Latest Episodes:

Petrie Dish: What baby teeth may reveal about environmental chemicals and autism Nov 09, 2026

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Baby teeth hold a record of chemical exposure from the second trimester of pregnancy into early childhood. A study from UT Health San Antonio found chemicals from many common household products and baby gear in all of the teeth studied, but many were at higher levels in the teeth of children with autism. The study's author shares details of her research and guidance on reducing children's exposure to these types of chemicals.

Science & Medicine: Study finds higher endometrial cancer rates in San Antonio region, especially among young Latinas Nov 08, 2026

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Endometrial cancer rates are higher in a swath of South Texas than anywhere else in the state, especially among young Hispanic women. A UT Health San Antonio gynecologic oncologist who helped lead the study explains what may raise the risk and how it can be caught early.

Science & Medicine: Sleep disorders in the military are complex, common, and treatable Nov 01, 2026

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Research from an expert in sleep disorders at UT Health San Antonio has revealed that sleep disorders are common in the military, and the most common disorder impacts men and women in the military equally. It's COMISA, which is an acronym for comorbid insomnia and sleep apnea.

Science & Medicine: Focused ultrasound quiets essential tremor when medication falls short Oct 25, 2026

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Essential tremor affects up to 10 million U.S. adults, and for about half of patients, medication doesn’t control the shaking. UT Health San Antonio neurosurgeon Dr. Alexander Papanastassiou explains how MRI-guided focused ultrasound uses heat to target the part of the brain causing the tremor, typically reducing it by 80%.

Petrie Dish: Measles can make the immune system forget how to fight germs it once knew how to defeat Oct 21, 2026

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A measles infection can damage the body's defenses against pathogens to which it had built immunity through vaccination or infection. Immune amnesia can leave a person vulnerable for up to three years. An infectious diseases expert explains how you can protect yourself.

Science & Medicine: UT Health San Antonio study finds magnetic stimulation significantly reduces combat PTSD symptoms Oct 11, 2026

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Eighty-five percent of combat veterans who received robot-guided magnetic stimulation with prolonged exposure therapy saw significant symptom relief, a substantial improvement over therapy alone.

Science & Medicine: Tracking What Happens to Cancer Survivors After Treatment Oct 04, 2026

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Kirsten Eom studies everything that goes into getting a cancer survivor from their front door to a doctor's office: insurance, transportation, follow-up care, and more. The UT Health San Antonio researcher has found that a surprising number of survivors stop seeing doctors once initial treatment ends. Now she's working to build a statewide registry to track the barriers keeping them away.

Petrie Dish: Lone star ticks will be out in force this fall. Here's how to avoid their bites. Oct 03, 2026

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Cooler fall temperatures mean an increase in daytime lone star tick activity in areas where sweltering summer temperatures kept them at bay. This type of tick is more aggressive than most other ticks, and it presents a unique threat to the people they bite. The sugar in their saliva can cause humans to develop a dangerous allergy to red meat.

Science & Medicine: Training a new front line for Texas mental health care Sep 27, 2026

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Only about 30% of Texans who need mental health support are getting it, and the shortage of providers is projected to worsen dramatically over the next decade. A UT Health San Antonio psychologist has developed a program that teaches counseling skills to non-specialists like community health workers, faith-based practitioners, and even doulas.

Petrie Dish: 'Checking out' connection Sep 22, 2026

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A visit to a neighborhood library reveals what a loneliness researcher calls a "third place" in action: ESL classes, new parents bringing their toddlers to storytime, remote workers on their laptops, and neighbors who show up just to be around other people. It's one solution to the crisis explored in our two-part series on loneliness that you can 'check out' with nothing more than a library card.

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