Episode notes

When we think of conducting science experiments on subjects, we immediately think of mice models. But today’s guest, Dr. Azra Raza, who appeared on Adam Ruins Science, says there’s a more effective way. On the TV show Dr. Raza discussed how the mouse model scientists use for their research is actually ineffective; even though a medicine might work well on a rodent, the results don’t translate as well as we thought to humans – especially when it comes to cancer research which is what Dr. Raza studies. Even though humans and mice share over 90 percent of their DNA with one another, our bodies still differ in numerous ways; we metabolize food and medicine differently and humans are significantly bigger than mice in size. This wastes money from the limited amount of funding that already exists and encourages clinical trials that ultimately go nowhere. On the podcast, Dr. Raza proposes a different research method that she has used herself, to much success.

Dr. Raza is a Professor of Medicine and Director of the MDS Center at Columbia University in New York. Previously she conducted her research at Rush University, Chicago, Illinois in 1992, where she was the Charles Arthur Weaver Professor in Oncology and Director, Division of Myeloid Diseases.

Adam is on Twitter @AdamConover and you can find past episodes and bonus content from the TruTV show at AdamRuinsEverything.com.

Produced by Shara Morris for MaximumFun.org.