In this episode, author, speaker, campaigner and former palliative care doctor, Kathryn Mannix, joins us to discuss a range of topics related to dying. We talk about the importance of a wider public conversation about dying, misconception, the importance of good communication and more.

Dr Alain Vuylsteke, consultant in intensive care and cardiothoracic anaesthesia, Clinical Director of the Division of Surgery, Transplantation and Anaesthesia and the Director of the ECMO service at Royal Papworth Hospital joins us for an episode on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. We discuss the ECMO service at Papworth, the evidence base, dec…

In this episode we speak with Dr Peter Hodkinson, the UK’s first ever consultant in Aviation and Space Medicine and the head of the division of Aerospace Medicine at King’s College. Topics include astronaut selection, adaptation to space flight and travel, managing medical conditions in space and more! An overview of space medicine: https://academi…

In this episode, Dr Ritu Raman joins us to discuss how engineered skeletal muscle is being applied to both robotics and medicine. We discuss everything from the influences early in Ritu's life and education which drove an interest in engineering, to optogenetics and gene modification. Some themes throughout the conversation are the interesting chal…

Professor Paul Glasziou discusses a range of topics relating to evidence-based medicine, from reducing research waste to publication bias; translation of scientific findings; weighing up a body of evidence; incentivising high quality research and more. Follow us on twitter @PagerPodcastBy George Milner, Stan Dale

Sharon Peacock, professor of public health and microbiology at the University of Cambridge, and director of the COVID-19 Genomics UK consortium (COG-UK), discusses all things relating to the UK's sequencing efforts, from the logistics of establishing sequencing networks, to the benefits of sequencing and applications of data collected,.…

In this conversation, Dr Paola Bonfanti joins us to discuss recent work done by her group to reconstitute the human thymus outside of the human body, using cultured cells and a scaffold. We also discuss how the thymus develops, educates T cells, and how single-cell sequencing and spatial information are changing our understanding of the organ. Paol…

In this episode, Emily Jackson , professor of law at the London School of Economics, joins us to discuss a range of issues relating to medical law. We talk about regulation of the pharmaceutical industry, clinical negligence, assisted reproduction and more.By George Milner, Stan Dale

Sam Gershman joins us for a discussion on both AI, and questions in Philosophy of Science. In the podcast we talk about: 1) Whether observation and interpretation can be 'theory neutral'. 2) How auxiliary hypotheses can 'buffer' our beliefs. 3) A Bayesian framework for evaluating our auxiliary hypotheses. 3) The aspects of human cognition that AI c…

Brain organoids are a new experimental model which will have broad implications for understanding and treating diseases of the brain. But as their sophistication continues to increase, could this ultimately lead to the develop of consciousness in vitro? Dr Insoo Hyun joins us in this episode to discuss bioethics and brain organoids. In the episode …

In this episode, Drs Aideen Daly and Julia Fuchs join us to discuss the clinical trials for a new 'artificial pancreas' system. This system is designed to manage a type 1 diabetics blood sugar, by integrating a continuous glucose monitor, an app, as well as an insulin pump. We discuss: 1) Some of the history of type 1 diabetics, and why diabetics n…

In this episode, Dr Neel Aluru joins us to discuss how toxicants in the ocean affect human health. Dr Aluru is an associate scientist at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, where his research group investigates epigenetic and RNA mechanisms linking chemicals to human health. Topics include: The concept of a 'Developmental Origins of Health and …

Dr Zoë Fritz joins us for a discussion of the importance of advance care planning, patient-centred conversations surrounding resuscitation and future wishes and her work in developing the ReSPECT (Recommended Summary Plan for Emergency Care and Treatment) process which seeks to improve approaches and outcomes in this setting. We also take a deep di…

In this episode Dr Arabella Simpkin, a paediatrician and Assistant Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, joins us to discuss medicine’s relationship with uncertainty and how it can be embraced to improve the lives of patients and clinicians alike. We touch upon the sources of uncertainty in medicine, how we communicate and acknowledge it…

Dr Alasdair Munro joins us for a deep dive into all things relating to COVID-19 and children, from the role of children in transmission to ethical dilemmas over school closures, science communication in the pandemic and more.By George Milner, Stan Dale

Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease characterised by the destruction of the insulin producing cells in the pancreas, the beta cells. The disease affects millions of people around the world, but what exactly is driving the disease's progression? Is it an overactive immune system, or are the beta cells initiating their own destruction? In this e…

Professor Neena Modi discusses the vital importance of promoting and protecting child and maternal health; its role in a post-COVID recovery and challenges associated with utilising and measuring the value of preventative health interventions. We also touch upon some common misconceptions in health economics and how to manage a long-term research a…

In this episode, Dr Emma Rawlins joins us to discuss how our understanding of lung development has changed, and how this might allow us to regenerate lung damage therapeutically. How do our lungs develop from progenitor cells? How can stem cell populations respond to damage and disease in adults? How can these insights be leveraged to regenerate th…

Dr Margaret McCartney, a practising GP in Glasgow, discusses communication of science, particularly during the pandemic, the nature of 'expertise', investigating the efficacy and potential harms of non-drug interventions, the nuances of screening and more.By George Milner, Stan Dale

Professor Paul Fletcher joins us for an episode which dives into the intricacies of psychosis. We discuss common misconceptions, the diversity of psychosis, our understanding of what causes it and more. Paul is both a psychiatrist and a professor of neuroscience at the University of Cambridge. His research focuses on the nature of perception and le…

Professor Linda Bauld joins us for deep dive into the challenges and opportunities of public health. We discuss her longstanding work relating to tobacco control; assessing complex public health interventions; vested and political interests in public health as well as the challenge of balancing long- and short-term goals. Finally, Linda makes compa…

In this week's episode, Ceren Ozek joins us to discuss how Growth Differentiation Factor 11, GDF11, affects the ageing process in the brain. As the brain ages, it's cognitive functions also decline, which can have huge effects on quality of life. Identified as a potential longevity factor found in the blood in 2014, GDF11 might have the potential t…

Dr Fiona Godlee, Editor-in-Chief of The British Medical Journal, joins for a fascinating discussion of the world of medical publishing and what can be done to improve future medical research. We cover conflict of interests, open data, investigative journalism, the future of the BMJ, health campaigning and medical journals’ own priorities to balance…

In this episode, we discuss the effects of coffee on human health with Dr Rob van Dam. As one of the world’s most popular drinks, how might coffee be affecting all of us? The conversation starts with whether coffee changes our risk for diseases such as cancer and diabetes. This leads to everything from how it effects our state of mind, to the effec…

Dr David Erritzøe, the clinical director of the Psychedelic Research Centre at Imperial College, London, joins us for a far-reaching discussion of research into the use of psychedelic drugs to treat mental health disorders, in particular depression. We touch upon our current understanding of how such drugs may work; challenges in designing clinical…

Dr Saurabh Johri, Chief Scientist at Babylon Health, joins us to discuss the use of artificial intelligence in medicine. We touch on what makes AI special, examples of how it can be harnessed in healthcare and the work done by Babylon in developing AI-based triage systems. We also explore how such systems should be tested to ensure safety and conce…

Professor Alex London, director of the Centre for Ethics and Policy at Carnegie Mellon University, joins us to discuss a number of ethical questions faced in conducting human research in and out of the pandemic. How do we define "acceptable risks" to trial participants? How can collaboration be improved? Why is politicisation of science dangerous a…

In this episode, Dr Roger Barker joins us to discuss our current understanding of Parkinson's disease. The first half of the conversation focuses on the disease process. Is Parkinson's a single disease or a group of connected diseases? How might this difference affect our thinking surrounding Parkinson's? The discussion then switches to the develop…

David Nott, a consultant vascular and general surgeon at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital in London, joins us to discuss practicing surgery in disaster and conflict zones. David has joined dozens of humanitarian missions to countries such as Bosnia, Haiti, and Syria in the last 25 years with organisations such as MSF, and the ICRC. He is also t…

Dr Adam Cifu, a practising general internist in Chicago, joins us to discuss how medical practices previously adopted are later found out to be ineffective or harmful. Why does this reversal occur? How can we make better decisions for patients given what evidence is available and how should doctors approach uncertainty? We talk about some of the di…

The heart is notoriously bad at regenerating following damage to the myocardium. On the horizon are cell therapies that could restore cardiac function following damage. In this episode, Dr Sanjay Sinha, a British Heart Foundation Senior Research Fellow, and a consultant cardiologist at Addenbrooke’s hospital, joins us discuss a stem cell derived ca…

Dr Vinay Prasad, a haematologist oncologist and Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of California, joins us to talk about some of the issues with the current clinical trial landscape and the harms caused by these. From distorted incentive structures to lacklustre regulation, we talk about the roots of these problems before turning tow…

Dr Magdalena Skipper, Editor-in-Chief of Nature, joins to talk about the role of the journal in driving good science and communicating it around the world. We touch upon what can be done to improve reproducibility in research, how scientific publishing is changing, the different ways in which science can be valuable and how we can measure the value…

Dr Eric Rubin, Editor-in-Chief of the New England Journal of Medicine, joins us to talk about the roles of the journal in shaping how research is communicated, carried out and interpreted. What are the particular responsibilities of the world's top journals? How are papers assessed and has this changed during the COVID-19 pandemic?…

Dr Richard Horton, Editor-in-Chief of The Lancet, joins us to talk about where the roles, responsibilities and future of one of the world's top medical journals lie. How has COVID-19 affected the journal? How political should a journal be and what makes a good editor? How are editorial decisions made? Have a listen to find out.…

Dr Caroline Elton, an occupational psychologist and author of the book "Also Human: the Inner Lives of Doctors", joins us to talk about the important issue of mental health in the medical profession. Why are mental health issues so prevalent amongst doctors? How should medical schools select applicants and what is the case for institutional change …

Introduce randomness, shorten the feedback loop, and optimise for happiness and meaning. In this episode, Dr. Ali Abdaal joins us to question where the value in education lies, and how we might rethink career and retirement to live more fulfilled lives. Ali is a junior doctor in Cambridge, as well as a content creator through YouTube and his weekly…

Introduce randomness, shorten the feedback loop, and optimise for happiness and meaning. In this episode, Dr. Ali Abdaal joins us to question where the value in education lies, and how we might rethink career and retirement to live more fulfilled lives. Ali is a junior doctor in Cambridge, as well as a content creator through YouTube and his weekly…

Trek from sea level to Everest Base Camp and the pressure of oxygen in the air will halve. Make it to the summit and it sits at just a third of sea level values. Why is it that some people are capable of summiting Everest without supplemental oxygen and some are not? What factors affect performance at altitude and why do traditional explanations of…

All aspects of medicine have been dramatically affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and general practice is no exception. In this episode we look at how the largest medical specialty in the country is adapting to the pandemic. Professor Helen Stokes-Lampard, former chair of the RCGP, chair of the National Academy for Social Prescribing and a practisin…

In this episode we're joined by Professor Helen Stoke-Lampard, former chair of the RCGP, chair of the National Academy for Social Prescribing and a practising GP near Birmingham. We ask, what long-term effects will the COVID-19 outbreak have on general practice? This brings us to remote consultation, overprescribing, administration and more.…

In this episode, Dr Rohin Francis joins us for a conversation on the COVID-19 outbreak in the UK, and it's effects on the NHS. Rohin is a practicing Cardiologist and a PhD student at UCL. Through his YouTube channel 'Medlifecrisis', he is actively involved in science communication on the virus. The discussion begins with how hospitals are preparing…

Sir David Spiegelhalter joins us to discuss all things risk-related and his work as the Winton Professor of Public Understanding of Risk at Cambridge University. What is the best way to communicate risk in medicine and the broader public sphere? How can our perceptions of risk be dramatically altered by its presentation? How can we inform or persua…

In this episode, Professor Dino Giussani joins us to discuss how hypoxia in utero plays a causative role in adult cardiovascular disease. The conversation covers what is meant by developmental programming, and Dino's research into antioxidant therapy as a future therapy to mitigate the effects of hypoxia. Dino discusses his optimism for the future …

Professor Andrew Lever from the Department of Infectious Disease in Cambridge, joins us to discuss prevention of HIV, from pre-exposure prophylaxis, education and the limitations of vaccination, along with new and well-established methods of treating HIV infection.By George Milner, Andrew Lever

By George Milner, Andrew Lever

How do athletes apply science to their training in order to improve? How can we apply this to our own training? Professor Dan Gordon joins us to discuss everything exercise and performance related. Dan is an exercise physiologist at Anglia Ruskin University and a former Paralympian. Topics include: VO2 max Strength and endurance Ultramarathons Dehy…

Surgical robots are used in over 5000 hospitals worldwide and this number is ever rising. CMR Surgical co-founder and consultant surgeon Dr Mark Slack joins us to discuss the field of robotic surgery today and where it might find itself in the future. We explore the merits of robotic surgery for patients and surgeons alike, potential risks associat…

Unclean water currently kills more people in the developing world than HIV and malaria combined, and the technology used to test for bacteria in water is 30 years out of date. Alex Patto joins us to discuss how a portable microscope system developed by his company WaterScope is on the cusp of changing how water is tested for bacterial contamination…

Cohosts of the Pager Podcast, George Milner and Stan Dale, sit down to explore some love-related questions sent in by listeners for Valentine's Day. Whether you're interested in the neurobiology of attraction, or want some (very amateur) tips for finding that special someone, this episode has something for you. Questions included: 'What is the scie…