Join Amy and Karl as they reflect on the LSHTM Viral season 3. They discuss how far have we come with vaccinations worldwide and key takeaways from the expert discussions throughout the season. Thank you to all the experts who appeared on the podcast and the dedicated LSHTM Viral listeners that helped LSHTM Viral win a Gold CASE Award for Digital C…

In this episode of LSHTM Viral, Karl Byrne speaks with Beate Kampmann, Professor of Paediatric Infection & Immunity and Director of the Vaccine Centre at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. They delve into the future of vaccines, our perception of risk and how vaccination programmes are going to be monitored in the future. Beate answe…

The explosive COVID-19 outbreak in India has shone a striking light on one of the biggest moral issues of our time - vaccine equity. Subsequent halting of vaccine exports is severely affecting Africa and developing countries, and although 1.9 billion doses have been administered globally, many developing countries are yet to receive a single dose. …

How do countries get access to COVID-19 vaccines in the first place? In this episode, Prof Daniel Bausch of LSHTM shares his thoughts on the global vaccine purchasing and distribution systems. An expert in the control of emerging viruses, Dan also discusses with host Naomi Stewart what the focus on COVID-19 means for other vaccination programmes an…

This week, Karl Byrne talks about the latest vaccination figures as well as other breaking COVID-19 news, including an exciting citizen science project where over the last year gamers playing EVE Online- a massively multiplayer online role-playing game, have carried out real world research that would have taken scientists over 330 years to complete…

Who are the experts and groups around the world approving and regulating the new COVID-19 vaccines? And what do they need to consider amidst the urgency of vaccinating the world? In this episode ahead of World Immunization Week, Naomi Stewart speaks to Prof Annelies Wilder-Smith from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. Prof Smith sits…

In this episode we explore the crucial stages of clinical trials and testing vaccines. How do clinical trials account for different demographics? How do we know vaccines are safe for everyone? We are joined by Dr Ed Parker, Research Fellow at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and member of the Vaccine Centre. Ed walks us through the …

Vaccines have arguably made the greatest contribution to global health of any human intervention apart from the introduction of clean water and sanitation. With new vaccines being developed at an incredible rate to tackle the current pandemic, we take a look at how vaccines work and what goes into each shot. Karl is joined by Helen Fletcher, Profes…

How did vaccines come to be and how have they changed over time? In today's episode, Naomi Stewart speaks to historian Dr Gareth Millward from the University of Warwick, on the history of vaccines and how vaccination programmes have evolved in the 20th century. Professor Liam Smeeth from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine then walks u…

Welcome back to a new season of LSHTM Viral, where we will be taking a deep-dive into vaccines and speak to experts working real-time on COVID-19. LSHTM modeller Roz Eggo reacts to the UK’s roadmap announcement on 22 February for easing lockdown restrictions, explaining the science behind the government's decision and how vaccination will forge a w…

Launching February 23rd 2021 Vaccines are widely regarded as one of the greatest achievements of modern civilization, but how vaccines work, How do you create a vaccine? And perhaps most importantly, how do you produce enough to vaccinate the entire world? Join Karl Byrne, Amy Thomas and Naomi Stewart every fortnight as they explore the latest deve…

How exactly did planetary health come to be, and where is it headed? In this season finale, we speak to two pioneers of the field - Prof Andy Haines of LSHTM and Richard Horton, editor of the Lancet. They discuss the urgency of embedding planetary health into the policy agenda, the benefits of increased public engagement with science during COVID-1…

Welcome to a special episode of LSHTM Viral! The UK has become the first country in the world to approve the use of the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine, with mass national roll out following as early as the next couple of weeks. Karl is joined in this episode by Dr Pauline Paterson, Dr Sadie Bell, and Prof Liam Smeeth of LSHTM, as they take a look…

We hear a lot about reducing air pollution, but why do we need to? Join Amy, Naomi and Karl exploring the ins and outs of air pollution including, how the particles affect the human body, and where they come from. We turn to new research that uses machine learning, satellite data and on-the-ground monitors to build a highly detailed pollution map o…

Will climate change make it too hot for humans to live? In today's planetary health episode of LSHTM Viral, we explore the deathly impacts of excess heat driven by global warming. Shakoor Hajat explains what actually happens to our body during heat stress and how that's causing increases in mortality and morbidity worldwide, and Ana Bonell shares a…

The links between the environment and infectious diseases are extremely complicated with many factors to consider. With a novel virus like COVID-19, there are still many unknowns. In this episode, we ask expert ecologist, Dr Kris Murray, about the emergence of COVID-19 from bats in the Wuhan food market and how this relates to environmental change.…

From Africa’s meningitis belt to the link between malaria and rice cultivation, and from mosquitoes in the Mekong Delta to mangoes in Mexico, the links between environmental change and infectious diseases are complex and, at times, surprising. Join Karl Byrne, Amy Thomas and guests as they delve into this fascinating topic. Karl and Amy chat about …

What role does the private sector play in achieving sustainable yet nutritious food systems? In today's episode, Naomi Stewart explores the relationship between the private sector and climate change when it comes to the production of food, from small scale farmers to the mass industrialisation of plant-based alternatives. Our first guest is Frances…

Healthy and sustainable diets are essential for planetary health. Poor diets are a leading cause of ill health and death globally, and the food system is responsible for between 20% and 30% of global greenhouse gas emissions. On-going environmental changes are also having a direct impact on food production, and without substantial efforts to adapt …

Welcome to LSHTM Viral Season 2, which deep dives into planetary health with researchers from the newly formed Centre on Climate Change & Planetary Health at LSHTM, and other experts. In this episode we introduce the podcast team, Naomi Stewart, Karl Byrne and Amy Thomas. Sir Andy Haines, former director of LSHTM, also joins us to explain how the t…

In this bonus episode, we speak to Prof Heidi Larson, Director of the 'Vaccine Confidence Project'. Heidi and her team have just published a 5 year study looking at public confidence in vaccines worldwide across 149 countries. She discusses increases and declines in confidence, and what can be done to understand these different views in order to in…

In our final episode of LSHTM Viral's first season, we dive into the history of pandemics and public health in the last few centuries, from the bubonic plague to AIDS and H1N1. Researchers from the Centre for History in Public Health explore how COVID-19 fits into this history, and how the past has shaped how we are responding to the crisis now.…

For World Mosquito Day 2020, we explore the impact of COVID-19 on malaria control and prevention. A recent report from WHO says the continued disruption to malaria prevention could revert mortality to levels seen two decades ago. In this episode we speak to Prof of Epidemiology and Global Health, Sian Clarke, Co-Director of the Malaria Centre at LS…

COVID-19 cases are starting to rise across Africa. Researchers at The MRC Unit The Gambia, LSHTM, have developed a COVID-19 rumour tracking app to combat rumours and misinformation about COVID-19 circulating amongst the populations in The Gambia and neighbouring Senegal. Social Scientific Lead Dr Melisa Martinez-Alvarez, and Social Scientific Offic…

We bring you our fourth live Covid-19 Q&A, broadcast on Twitter and YouTube on 28 July with Professor Peter Piot, Director of LSHTM, Dr John Nkengasong, first Director of Africa CDC and presented by Sarah Boseley, Health Editor at The Guardian.

Next Tuesday 28th July we are hosting our fourth COVID-19 Live Q&A with Peter Piot, Director of LSHTM, and John Nkengasong, Director of Africa CDC. Join our Q&A streamed on LSHTM’s Twitter and YouTube channels to ask your questions direct to world-leading experts with moderation by Sarah Boseley, Health Editor at The Guardian.…

It has now been six months since the first case of COVID-19 was announced in China. There are over 10.5 million infections worldwide, and tragically 500,000 deaths. We listen back to our very first episode with LSHTM's Prof John Edmunds in January, where he acknowledges the likelihood of the disease arriving in the UK, the day before the first case…

The way people act and behave inside health clinics can impact the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19, TB and Ebola. Understanding how this happens is essential for effective, long-lasting public health solutions. We speak to Alison Swartz, Aaron Karat and Karina Kielmann who work through a 'systems approach' that includes social science, …

Efforts to curb the devastating effects of COVID-19 have halted the global economy and left governments striving to repair the damage. As we tackle the global recession in the wake of this pandemic, there’s a unique opportunity to push ahead on sustainable policies for our future. Sir Andy Haines, previous director of LSHTM and Professor of Environ…

As the momentum behind Black Lives Matter and placing social justice before social distancing grows worldwide, we speak to Dr Lioba Hirsch, a Research Fellow who is studying the colonial history of LSHTM. Dr Hirsch walks us through some of the challenges faced by Black, Asian, and minority ethnic people during COVID-19, what the impact of racism wi…

Amidst the tragic headlines, we look at highlights from our previous LSHTM Viral episodes to reflect on the global efforts to protect those most vulnerable to disease and health burdens.

In this episode we speak to Professor Beate Kampmann, Director of the The Vaccine Centre at LSHTM. We ask Beate about the latest progress in finding a vaccine for COVID-19 and discuss the challenges of producing one on such an enormous scale. Vaccine candidate tracker: bit.ly/2BbkJ09

Medical detection dogs have previously been able to sniff out malaria, cancer, Parkinson's, and other disease. Could they now be trained to detect COVID-19? Prof James Logan of LSHTM discusses the current research under way with Clare Guest of Medical Detection Dogs and Prof Steve Lindsay of Durham University, and how puppers may be deployed at air…

In his first interview since being hospitalised with COVID-19, LSHTM Director and world-leading virologist Peter Piot gives a personal account of his experience with the novel coronavirus. He shares lessons learned from his work on Ebola and HIV, the role of survivors in the COVID-19 response, and his renewed mission for tackling the pandemic.…

Broadcast on 1 May, we ran a third live Q&A session with two of our infectious disease modelling experts, Professor John Edmunds and Dr Petra Klepac of LSHTM. John and Petra answer on a range of topics proposed by the audience including how modelling provides evidence to COVID-19 policy, modelling the lockdown exit in the UK, ideal data sets and li…

Without their social networks and the same understanding of the pandemic as adults, children may be struggling with their mental health and well-being during COVID-19. Professor James Logan from LSHTM has recently co-authored a book with illustrator Lydia Monk to help children and parents cope with coronavirus, and together with child psychologist …

What do we know about the impact of viruses on pregnancy? Can vaccine trials involve pregnant women? And how has the process of labour changed in light of COVID-19? We discuss all of this and more with maternal and newborn health expert, Professor Joy Lawn of LSHTM.

Human health is influenced by earth’s natural systems, the wildlife around us, and the environment we create. The spread of infectious diseases may be linked climate factors and animals, but the consequences can tell us even more about the health of people, and of our planet. In this episode, Dr Rachel Lowe, Associate Professor in infectious diseas…

Is Africa the new COVID-19 epicentre? Professor Francesco Checchi of LSHTM discusses his latest paper, using mathematical modelling to look at what can be done in low-resource settings across the continent, and how to protect the most vulnerable populations without the human and economic costs of total lockdown.…

The COVID-19 pandemic is affecting each country differently. Healthcare structures, the government and the characteristics of a particular population create unique challenges that require a tailored response. Dr Mishal Khan and Professor Rashida Ferrand from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine explain key issues that Low- and Middle-in…

Can the world work together to find COVID-19 treatments and vaccines? We speak with Professor Dan Bausch, a physician and virologist specialising in emerging tropical viruses, and Director of the UK Public Health Rapid Support Team. He shares insights into new international collaborations that aim to harmonise clinical trials and research to end th…

Streaming remotely from our homes, we bring you another live COVID-19 Q&A, broadcast on Twitter and YouTube on 25 March 2020. Heidi Larson, an anthropologist and Professor of Risk and Decision Science at LSHTM, and Jimmy Whitworth, Professor of International Public Health at LSHTM, answer questions from social media in real-time.…

Is hand-washing enough to stop the spread of COVID-19? In this episode, LSHTM professor Wendy Graham joins Prof Stephanie Dancer from NHS Lanarkshire to explain the science behind hand-washing and give tips on keeping clean during the COVID-19 pandemic. Sam Tweed, a medical doctor studying public health at LSHTM, makes a special guest appearance to…

The UK's response to COVID-19 has dramatically changed in recent days. Dr. Adam Kucharski, outbreak modeller from LSHTM is working to provide robust scientific evidence for the government and other decision-makers. Adam talks us through the evidence behind the government's response at this time, and shares his thoughts about the outbreak and it’s s…

We speak to Professor Liam Smeeth, who is the Dean of the Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health at LSHTM, and also a practising GP in north London. As cases spread across Europe, Prof Smeeth discusses what it's like on the frontlines of UK healthcare, the value of the NHS, and also shares his recent experiences in self-isolation.…

Broadcast on 5 March 2020, we ran a live Q&A session with two of our outbreak experts, Professor Jimmy Whitworth and Dr Roz Eggo. Jimmy and Roz answer on a range of topics proposed by the audience including vaccines, current public health measures at the time, school closures, transmission rates and travel advice. To watch the video go to: www.yout…