
Medicine and Science from The BMJ
The BMJ brings you interviews with the people who are shaping medicine and science around the world.
Latest episodes

Dec 14, 2023 • 48min
Social connection is essential for health; supporting adolescent health and wellbeing
Exploring the importance of social connections for adolescent wellbeing, the podcast dives into the challenges faced by marginalized groups, gender disparities, and global advocacy efforts. It emphasizes the impact of digital platforms on friendships and mental health, showcasing the need for inclusive support systems to navigate the digital age.

Dec 14, 2023 • 45min
Give children control; supporting adolescent health and wellbeing
This is the second episode of a special three-part podcast series that delves into adolescent health and wellbeing, focusing on creating a positive trajectory of health from a young age.
The podcast explores physical and mental health issues affecting young people globally, particularly in sexual and reproductive health. We hear how young people are excluded from decisions about their own health, and how grassroots groups around the world are empowering them to take responsibility for their own wellbeing.
We also hear how young people are becoming leaders in social movements, from tackling structural racism to improving nutrition in schools, and how their unique perspectives are vital in making those changes.
Our guests:
Natasha Salifyanji Kaoma, Copper Rose Zambia
Alaa Murabit, The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Donald Bundy, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
Anshu Banerjee, World Health Organisation
Dev Sharma, Bite Back 2030
Hosted by Adam Levy
Supported by the Fondation Botnar and PMNCH, the Partnership for Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health. Read the full cCollection of articles showing the importance of investing in adolescent wellbeing.
00:05 Introduction to adolescent health
01:00 Young womens’ menstrual health
02:11 Discussion on candid pride project
03:29 Importance of sexual and reproductive health
04:49 The role of young people in health advocacy
06:17 The epidemiology of early health and lifecourse
10:08 Impact of adolescent health on future generations
18:29 How young people become activists
28:51 Advocacy for women in Libya
28:54 Global forum for adolescents
40:15 Success stories
44:54 Conclusion and preview of next episode

Dec 14, 2023 • 46min
It’s time for an educational revolution; supporting adolescent health and wellbeing
Exploring the impact of education on adolescent health, the podcast discusses barriers to education and the role of informal learning. Guests highlight peer education, media, and meaningful engagement in education, emphasizing its impact on health and society. Challenges in access to education and the need for creating safe spaces for dialogue are also addressed.

Dec 12, 2023 • 41min
Insulin without refrigeration and the complexities of consent
In this episode, the guest, a UK researcher specializing in patient consent and data, discusses the complexities of obtaining patient consent in large data sets. They also explore the challenges of managing diabetes in conflict or disaster zones without refrigeration for insulin. The guest addresses the need for involving patients in decision-making about their data and highlights a cochrane review on the thermostability of insulin at room temperature.

Dec 1, 2023 • 39min
The future of the winter ’flu season
Ashish Jha, former White House Covid-19 coordinator, discusses the need for a different approach to the winter 'flu season. Topics include living with COVID, future antivirals, vaccines, and surveillance. They also talk about long COVID, investment requirements, and the US role in global health response.

Nov 6, 2023 • 33min
Low carb and cancer screening
Barry Kramer, an expert in cancer screening, discusses the language and evidence surrounding cancer screening tests. The NHS's plan for a multicancer detection test is examined. The association between carbohydrate intake and long-term weight changes is explored, along with the limitations of self-reporting in determining dietary intake.

Oct 17, 2023 • 46min
Decolonising health and medicine: Episode 5 - Getting our house in order: Decolonising the British Medical Association
Organisational and student leaders explore the responsibilities of the British Medical Association and The BMJ to understand and respond to its colonial history.
Our panel
Kamran Abassi, editor in chief, The BMJ, London, UK
Omolara Akinnawonu, Foundation year doctor, Essex, UK, and outgoing co-chair of the BMA medical students committee
Latifa Patel, elected chair of the UK BMA's Representative Body and BMA EDI lead
Host - Navjoyt Ladher, clinical editor for The BMJ

Oct 17, 2023 • 54min
Decolonising health and medicine: Episode 4 - How to transform global health institutions born of colonial eras
Leaders from academic and funding organisations discuss the transformative change required to overcome extractive and inequitable research practices in global health, and the need for examining power and privilege within traditional research institutions.
Our panel
Samuel Oti, senior program specialist, International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada, and member of the Global Health Decolonization Movement in Africa (GHDM-Africa)
Muneera Rasheed, clinical psychologist and behaviour scientist and former faculty, Aga Khan University, Karachi, Pakistan
Liam Smeeth, professor of clinical epidemiology and director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, London, UK
Angela Obasi, senior clinical lecturer, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, UK
Seye Abimbola, editor of BMJ Global Health, and health systems researcher from Nigeria currently based at the University of Sydney, Australia
Jocalyn Clark, international editor, The BMJ, London, UK
Host - Navjoyt Ladher, clinical editor for The BMJ

Oct 17, 2023 • 50min
Decolonising health and medicine: Episode 3 - Common terrains of anti-colonial and feminist approaches to the politics of health
International health leaders discuss how feminist and decolonial advocates in health face similar resistance and attempts to sow divisiveness, and how they can join forces to promote health equity and justice for all.
Our panel
Raewyn Connell, sociologist and professor emerita at the University of Sydney, Australia
Sarah Hawkes, professor of global public health and director of the Centre for Gender and Global Health, University College London, UK
Sanjoy Bhattacharya, head of the school of history and professor of medical and global health histories, University of Leeds, UK
Asha George, professor and South African research chair in health systems, complexity, and social change, University of the Western Cape, South Africa
Host - Navjoyt Ladher, clinical editor for The BMJ

Oct 17, 2023 • 54min
Decolonising health and medicine: Episode 2 - Looking back to move forward: missing histories of the decolonisation agenda
Experts discuss how failing to confront colonial pasts is linked to present lack of progress in global health equity, why health leaders need historical educations, and how, for Indigenous peoples, it’s not just a colonial history but a colonial present.
Our panel
Seye Abimbola, editor of BMJ Global Health, and health systems researcher from Nigeria currently based at the University of Sydney, Australia
Catherine Kyobutungi, Ugandan epidemiologist and executive director of the African Population and Health Research Center, Nairobi, Kenya
Sanjoy Bhattacharya, head of the school of history and professor of medical and global health histories, University of Leeds, UK
Chelsea Watego, professor of Indigenous Health at Queensland University of Technology, Australia
Host - Navjoyt Ladher, clinical editor for The BMJ