Ted Smith

Research Faculty @UofLMedicine focussed on environmental medicine. Former healthcare entrepreneur and public sector champion @OPI2Lou and @ONC_HealthIT

[Hy Bender @hybender]

Coolest use of a drone

[Ted Smith @Tedsmithphd]

https://t.co/5tOE5nf7v9 @steen1969

[Massimo @Rainmaker1973]

Fertilization is not random, and the fastest sperm does not always win: in reality, the egg decides who succeeds.

While for decades we were taught that fertilization is a race won by the fastest sperm, a study published in Proceedings of the Royal Society B shows how human reproduction actually works.

Scientists analyzed follicular fluid from 60 couples undergoing fertility treatment at St Mary's Hospital in Manchester, UK. They discovered that the egg releases chemical signals (chemoattractants) that actively attract sperm from certain men over others.

Through these chemical signals, the egg exerts its own biological selection, influencing which sperm manage to get close. The egg appears to favor sperm that offer optimal genetic compatibility with its own genome — particularly in genes related to the immune system — which may help produce healthier offspring.

Interestingly, this cellular preference does not always align with the couple’s conscious partner choice. In many cases, eggs showed stronger attraction to sperm from non-partner males.

This chemical communication demonstrates that female biology continues to evaluate and select options even after intercourse. Understanding this process could lead to more precise solutions for unexplained infertility. Science continues to reveal the remarkable level of biological interaction that occurs during reproduction.

[Fitzpatrick, J. L. et al. (2020). Chemical signals from eggs facilitate cryptic female choice in humans. Proceedings of the Royal Society B, 287(1928), 20200805. DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0805]

[Ted Smith @Tedsmithphd]

https://t.co/N2KeQY5OWY

[Gene Simmons @genesimmons]

Happy Fathers Day. Remember, we’re all just passing through. All your stuff will be gone, sold or given away. Your children are your heritage. Be a father they can be proud of. 🇺🇸

[Alex Cohen @anothercohen]

I don’t know who needs to hear this but please don’t inject into your flexed bicep

[Ted Smith @Tedsmithphd]

https://t.co/c5jiRXjFdT cc @CIEHS_UofL @uoflsuperfund @UofLEnvirome

[Ted Smith @Tedsmithphd]

https://t.co/cofdudMLrn

[Ted Smith @Tedsmithphd]

Residents in some neighborhoods live 30 years longer. Researchers developed a model to close that gap. https://t.co/jWWC7WWy9Y via @smartcitiesdive @LouPubMedia @UofLEnvirome @SCKY_1879

[Ted Smith @Tedsmithphd]

An obsession with the wrong resources is distracting America https://t.co/YCqBhYHZGD

[Sachin H. Jain, MD, MBA @sacjai]

We need a more modest sales and business development culture in healthcare.

Over time, we’ve normalized behaviors that would feel out of place in almost any other mission-driven sector: lavish conferences, big ticket sponsorships, and a sales ethos that is about everything except the people we serve.

This didn’t happen overnight. It emerged slowly—through competitive escalation, misplaced beliefs about “what it takes to win,” and a creeping assumption that these costs are simply the price of admission in healthcare.

They’re not.

Every dollar spent sustaining excess is a dollar not spent on care, our workforce, or on lowering costs for patients and purchasers.

And in a moment when the system is under real financial strain, continuing to defend this culture should make us uncomfortable.

In my latest Forbes column, I trace how we got here—and why it’s time to reset expectations around what responsible growth and business development culture should look like in healthcare.

https://t.co/1b0Ju5VlWf

[Science girl @sciencegirl]

Leonardo da Vinci invented the self supporting bridge between 1485-1487

This is how it works

[Ted Smith @Tedsmithphd]

A Lay Health Worker–Led Symptom Intervention and Acute Care Use in Older Adults With Cancer https://t.co/B3ua0F1uoZ

[Ted Smith @Tedsmithphd]

Navigating open data sharing and privacy in the age of clinical AI res... https://t.co/vUWkaWaRhO

[Ted Smith @Tedsmithphd]

@UofLEnvirome

[Connor Giffin @byconnorgiffin]

A class action case over odor emissions from the JBS pork plant is nearing a settlement.

More than 100 odor complaints in 2025 mentioned JBS directly, records show, and dozens more described smells associated with the slaughterhouse. See the data here:
https://t.co/5bWVENYnF2

[Ted Smith @Tedsmithphd]

Brain’s ‘plumbing’ inspires new Alzheimer’s strategies—and controversial surgeries | Science | AAAS https://t.co/2pERKOYjKE

[Alan Couzens @Alan_Couzens]

Unpopular opinion o' the day:

Muscle mass becomes very unhealthy when it exceeds your cardiovascular system's ability to support it.

This leads to:
* High sympathetic tone
* Increased reliance on sugar burning
* Sleep problems
* Increased Blood Pressure
* Increases in heart & arterial "stiffness"

You don't want more muscle, you want Aerobic Muscle

[Ted Smith @Tedsmithphd]

Travel Time to Treating Facility and Mortality in Men With Prostate Cancer https://t.co/vOuSZ2KXJK

[Sean Willis 🚲 🚌 @allhopeissean]

Big fan of the microforest with fall colors

[Ted Smith @Tedsmithphd]

Cardiovascular benefits of GLP-1 drugs independent of weight loss - Peter Attia https://t.co/zF6nvwbofc