“Podcasts have emerged as a transformative instrument in medical education, particularly in the context of patient education,” wrote the authors of a paper titled “Exploring the impact, challenges, and integration of podcasts in patient education: a systematic review” in the May 2025 issue of BMC Medical Education. “Their capacity to convey content in an accessible and engaging manner has established them as a valuable resource for disseminating health information to a diverse audience, including patients.”

University at Buffalo Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) affiliated faculty work to engage the community is by providing expert commentary via podcast guest appearances, which have been featured in the “Faculty Headlines” section of the CTSI’s Translational Spotlight newsletter. Now, these podcast and video appearances can also be found on a dedicated page on the CTSI website, found here.

“At the CTSI, we see education as a key method for enhancing health and healthcare,” says CTSI Director Sanjay Sethi, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical and Translational Research, Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. “That can mean educating our faculty and research staff, and it also involves ensuring the community has an opportunity to learn about our work and findings.”

As CTSI investigators consider new ways to share expertise and disseminate research information to audiences, podcasts play an increasingly significant role.                

Why podcasts?

The BMC Medical Education paper explained that “[a] recurring advantage reported across studies was the high accessibility and flexibility that podcasts offer. Patients and learners could engage with content at their own pace and in diverse settings, whether commuting, at home, or during breaks. This asynchronous format is especially helpful for individuals with limited time, mobility constraints, or those unable to attend in-person education.”

Andrew Talal, MD, MPH, Professor, Department of Medicine, Jacobs School, is a frequent podcast guest. He finds the medium to be an effective way to summarize medical literature: “In a world that continues to be more and more digitally connected, I think it is important for medical data to be summarized in this way. I have found that the podcasts from JAMA, particularly on AI topics, have been extremely helpful, especially when I have long drives.”

CTSI Recruitment and Special Population Co-director Renee Cadzow, PhD, Assistant Professor, Department of Epidemiology and Environmental Health, School of Public Health and Health Professions, concurs that the medium is a useful tool for sharing information with the public.

“I find podcasts, particularly when the host is a non-scientist, a very effective way of communicating, in a community-friendly way, research in general and the specific research we do,” she says. “Podcast hosts can identify what might be interesting or important to their listeners and can then pull out information from their guests. They also highlight aspects of what the podcast guest is saying and elicit more in-depth information. They can identify and call-out jargon, check for understanding, and request paraphrasing or examples to assist with listener understanding.”

Sethi agrees that podcasts may be a way to bridge the gap between medical research and implementation in real-world settings.

“Podcasts offer a unique and well-established forum for sharing knowledge to people in Western New York and beyond,” he says. “People have limited time and are always on the move, and they want information that can be heard and understood quickly. That is why we encourage our faculty to take advantage of these opportunities to provide expert commentary.”

Talal believes growth in popularity will continue, “if they are able to address the cultural and literacy levels appropriately. An interesting way to increase the relevance and appeal is to provide downloadable podcasts with articles that are published. I have not seen this in widespread usage, but I do think it is an important approach to consider, as an effective way to communicate major points for those who do not have the time or the willpower to read the written contents.”

Looking for a podcast to add to your playlist?

UB offers a variety of podcasts connected to medicine and research including:

• UB Medicine Podcast: The Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences podcast is hosted by Allison Brashear, MD, MBA, Vice President of Health Sciences and Dean, Jacobs School. As Brashear stated in the show’s debut episode (which featured Timothy F. Murphy, MD, SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Medicine and CTSI Director from 2015 to 2025), the series “explores how our faculty, learnings, and partners are driving innovation, advancing education, [and] leading through change to transform health across Western New York.”
• Driven to Discover: The University Communications podcast explores UB research through conversations with researchers about their inspirations, their goals, and the journey that led them to where they are now.
• Buffalo HealthCast: The UB’s School of Public Health and Health Professions podcast focuses on topics such as nutrition, substance use disorders, and environmental health.

To keep up with podcast appearances from CTSI-affiliated faculty, watch the “Faculty Headlines” of the CTSI’s Translational Spotlight newsletter and bookmark the “Press Play” page on the CTSI website.