Did you know that disposable nappies account for approximately 400,000 tonnes of waste each year, representing 2-3% of household waste? Period products don't fare much better with one study indicating 200,000 tonnes of waste annually and then there's also adult incontinence products - we’re looking at 3 billion waste products annually for that. These are staggering numbers and ones we just aren't aware of. In this episode we speak to Elze Porte and Ayse Allison who are working to reduce waste with absorbent hygiene products - that's things like nappies, period products and adult incontinence products. Hear how they're working with manufacturers, users and waste management systems to make sure we’re not adding to the landfill.

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3/5/2025

In this episode, we discuss UCL's VaxHub, a collaboration between UCL and Oxford, focused on vaccine development and manufacturing. VaxHub, active since 2018, aims to create sustainable and accessible vaccine platforms for low and middle-income countries. They work on various vaccine types, including RNA, glyco conjugate, and adenovirus-based vaccines. The hub emphasizes faster, cost-effective methods and localized manufacturing to improve global vaccine access. Notable projects include the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine and glyco conjugate vaccines. The conversation also highlighted the challenges of antimicrobial resistance and the importance of global health initiatives to prevent pandemics.

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2/17/2025

The care problem. It’s a problem address by every Prime Minister yet we’re still here with an ageing population and more and more people needing care with not enough carers to care for them. So, what are we doing about it? In this episode we talk to Bea about the care crisis in the UK, why she’s working on diagnosing rare forms of dementia and how there’s a certain lack of community in the UK, the "S" word and how we’re going to solve all this. It’s a meaty episode and we hope you enjoy It as much as we enjoyed recording it.

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12/1/2023

How can we see inside the body without opening it up? Medical Imaging is the term given to the way in which we can image the body. Think X-rays of your teeth, big MRI machines, or ultrasounds. All these forms of imaging use small doses of radiation to see inside the body. Charlotte Maughan Jones and Liam Collins-Jones (no relation!) are working to see the light. They're using medical imaging to scan the body for tendon damage, as is the case with Charlotte, and autism, as is the case with Liam. You might be wondering how they're doing this because isn't x-rays just for bones so how are we able to see the small, fleshy tendons? And how do we use medical imaging to diagnose autism? They're all questions that we'll be answering in this podcast.

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11/16/2023

Ken Li is an Associate Professor looking at technology you can use to manage diabetes. He's currently creating a sort of artificial pancreas to help those with diabetes lead less stressful and anxious lives. We're joined in this episode by Melissa Connolly who tells us what life is like as a diabetic and how the device Ken is creating will change her life.

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9/28/2023