Podcast
Paul Talks Science
Hosted by Paul ADEPOJU, PhD · EN
Welcome to "Paul Talks Science," a podcast that journeys into the ever-evolving realms of health, science, and innovation. Hosted by Paul Adepoju, each episode features thought-provoking conversations with experts and trailblazers who are shaping the future of medicine and technology. From groundbreaking research to revolutionary treatments, "Paul Talks Science" delves deep into the stories and ideas that will define tomorrow's world. Join us as we explore the cutting edge, challenge the status quo, and uncover the innovations that hold the promise of a better, healthier future.
18episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
First Nations Cancer Inequalities in Canada
2w ago00:21:02Tap to summarizeNew research has revealed persistent inequalities in cancer outcomes among First Nations people in Ontario, Canada.The study found higher colon cancer incidence at younger ages and poorer survival after breast, cervical, and colon cancer diagnoses. Its publication coincides with Ontario’s decision to lower the starting age for colorectal cancer screening from 50 to 45, making more than one million additional people eligible.But earlier screening addresses only one part of the problem. For people living in remote First Nations communities, an abnormal result or cancer diagnosis can lead to long-distance travel, unreliable transport, bureaucratic funding processes, fragmented services, and difficulties accessing culturally safe care.In this episode, Dr Jill Tinmouth, the study’s corresponding author, explains what prompted the research, what the findings reveal about cancer screening and survival, and why more attention must be paid to the pathway between diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up.The conversation forms part of my reporting on First Nations cancer inequalities for The Lancet Oncology.
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South Africa’s Cancer Moonshot
3w ago00:26:07Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Paul Talks Science, I explore South Africa’s cancer care crisis through the lens of the country’s first imPACT Review, an international assessment supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency, WHO and the International Agency for Research on Cancer.The episode builds on my newly published The Lancet Oncology news feature, “South Africa’s first imPACT Review”, which examines whether the review can help turn long-recognised cancer-care gaps into funded, measurable action.My guest is Salomé Meyer of Cancer Alliance, one of South Africa’s long-standing cancer advocates. She explains why the review matters, what it reveals about access to cancer diagnosis and treatment, and why South Africa now needs more than another cancer policy document.We discuss cancer prevention, screening, early detection, patient navigation, provincial inequalities, public and private cancer care, the need for a national cancer control plan, and why advocates see this moment as South Africa’s own “cancer moonshot”.
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The Medicine Exists. So Why Can’t Patients Get It?
4w ago00:39:17Tap to summarizeA medicine can exist and still not reach the patient who needs it.In this episode, Paul Adepoju speaks with Herb Riband, Executive Director of Access Accelerated, about why access to medicines often breaks down between the laboratory, the procurement system and the patient. They discuss the financing gap for non-communicable diseases, the limits of focusing only on lower prices, and why African countries are increasingly looking at market shaping, pooled procurement and stronger local systems to make medicine supply more reliable.This conversation builds on Paul’s Re:solve Global Health story, “Can market shaping improve medicine access across Africa?” Read the story here
Transcribe →The Cruise Ship Hantavirus Outbreak Explained
Jun 1600:31:03Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Paul Talks Science, Paul Adepoju expands on his Lancet Microbe article, “International response to hantavirus outbreak,” with infectious disease expert Dr Neil Vora.The conversation goes beyond the MV Hondius cruise ship outbreak to ask what this episode reveals about spillover risk, cruise ships as outbreak spaces, and why preventing viruses from jumping from animals to humans must become a bigger part of global health security.From quarantine and contact tracing to wildlife trade, climate change, surveillance and One Health, this episode looks at why rare outbreaks are no longer something the world can afford to treat as rare.
Transcribe →The Outbreak We Should Have Seen Coming
Jun 100:10:27Tap to summarizeIn this episode, Paul Adepoju speaks with infectious disease expert Dr Amesh Adalja about why the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak is exposing gaps the world should have closed long ago.While Ebola vaccines have transformed response to some outbreaks, most countermeasure development has focused on Ebola Zaire, leaving rarer but still deadly filoviruses such as Bundibugyo, Sudan and Marburg with fewer tools ready when they are needed. Adalja explains why outbreak preparedness keeps falling into cycles of panic and neglect, what mRNA technology could realistically change, and why a broader viral-family approach may be essential for the next generation of vaccines and treatments.The conversation builds on Paul’s Scientific American report, “Vaccines for Bundibugyo Ebola Virus Outbreak Are Being Developed, but None Are Ready Yet,” which examines how the current outbreak has renewed questions about vaccine readiness, political will and the cost of waiting until a virus is already spreading.This is a conversation about the outbreak we should have seen coming — and what it will take to stop being surprised by the next one.
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The Malaria Paradox
Apr 2500:17:47Tap to summarizeOn World Malaria Day, the spotlight turns once again to one of the world’s oldest and deadliest diseases. This year, the story feels different. For decades, the malaria vaccine was seen as the breakthrough the world was waiting for. Now it’s here. So why does the fight against malaria still feel unfinished?In this episode, I speak with Photini Sinnis, a professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a leading expert on how malaria infection begins in the body.We unpack what the arrival of malaria vaccines really means—and what it doesn’t. Why these vaccines were never meant to be a “magic bullet.” Why bed nets, drugs, and vector control still matter. And why combining tools, rather than relying on one breakthrough, may be the only realistic path forward.We also go deeper into the science: the hidden complexity of the malaria parasite, the push toward multi-stage vaccines, and the knowledge gaps that still define this field. Along the way, we confront a harder truth—why global health innovation doesn’t always move at the same speed for every disease.There is real progress. There is renewed optimism. But there is no simple solution.This is the malaria paradox: more tools than ever before, yet a fight that is far from over.
Transcribe →Replacing Forever Chemicals: The Hidden Toxins Already in Your Body
Apr 600:43:25Tap to summarizeWhat if some of the most persistent pollutants on Earth are already inside us?In this episode of Paul Talks Science, we explore the growing global concern around PFAS, widely known as forever chemicals—a group of man-made substances used in everyday products like non-stick cookware, waterproof clothing, food packaging, and firefighting foams. These chemicals are called “forever” because they don’t easily break down in the environment or in the human body. Over time, they accumulate in water, soil, wildlife—and increasingly, in people.As policymakers debate how to regulate these substances, lawmakers including Betty McCollum and Dick Durbin have renewed efforts to phase out many non-essential uses of PFAS and hold polluters accountable. But regulation alone may not solve the problem.On a bright, sunny day in Massachusetts, I visited the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI), where scientists are working on a crucial question: how do we replace PFAS in the products we rely on every day?During my visit, I spoke with TURI scientists Greg and Gabriel about why PFAS became so widespread, the challenges of cleaning them up once they enter the environment, and why developing safer alternatives could be one of the fastest and most effective solutions.In this conversation, we unpack:What forever chemicals are and why they’re so difficult to removeHow PFAS end up in everyday products and in our bodiesThe growing political and regulatory pressure to phase them outWhy some scientists believe replacement—not destruction—may be the smarter path forwardAt a time when global headlines are dominated by geopolitical tensions and conflict, the long-term challenge of chemical pollution can easily fade from view. But the decisions we make about PFAS today could shape environmental and public health for decades to come.🎧 Listen in as we explore the science, policy, and innovation behind the push to replace forever chemicals.
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Cancer Care Amid Geopolitical Crises
Mar 1700:14:51Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Paul Talks Science, we explore the hidden toll of conflict on cancer patients and health systems. I speak with Professor Mark Lawler, Co-Chair of the European Cancer Organisation’s Emergencies and Crises Network, about how wars and geopolitical crises disrupt access to life-saving treatments, from chemotherapy to radiotherapy, and why low- and middle-income countries are especially vulnerable.We discuss the ripple effects of displaced patients, fragile supply chains, and delayed treatments, and hear why global preparedness and international cooperation are critical to protecting cancer care in times of crisis. From Ukraine to Africa and the Middle East, this episode sheds light on a growing humanitarian and health challenge that often goes unnoticed.Tune in to learn why cancer care cannot be sidelined—even in the midst of conflict.
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A Cosmic Laser from Eight Billion Years Ago
Mar 1100:43:00Tap to summarizeWhat happens when two galaxies collide?In this episode, science journalist Paul Adepoju speaks with astronomers Thato Manamela and Roger Deane about the discovery of one of the most distant and powerful cosmic lasers — a gigamaser — ever detected.Using the MeerKAT radio telescope in South Africa, the team identified an extraordinary signal coming from a pair of merging galaxies more than eight billion light-years away. These rare natural lasers, known as megamasers, form under extreme conditions and can act as cosmic beacons, revealing intense star formation, hidden galaxy mergers, and possibly even pairs of supermassive black holes.The discovery offers a glimpse into how galaxies evolved in the early universe and highlights the growing role of African-led astronomy ahead of the Square Kilometre Array (SKA) — the world’s largest radio telescope.Adepoju also discusses the story behind the research and the reporting process behind his Nature Africa article on the discovery.🔭 In this episode:What cosmic megamasers and gigamasers areWhy galaxy collisions create powerful radio signalsHow the MeerKAT telescope detected this rare phenomenonWhat this discovery reveals about the early universeWhy Africa is becoming a global hub for radio astronomy📖 Read the full story in Nature Africa:https://www.nature.com/articles/d44148-026-00055-6
Transcribe →Hotter Days, Fewer Boys? How Climate Change Is Quietly Reshaping Birth
Mar 200:25:17Tap to summarizeIn this episode of Paul Talks Science, Paul sits down with Dr. Jasmin Abdel Ghany to unpack groundbreaking new research showing that rising temperatures don’t just affect the planet — they affect who we are. A major study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences reveals that exposure to heat during pregnancy is linked to shifts in the sex ratio at birth. By analysing more than five million births across 33 Sub-Saharan African countries and India, the team finds that temperatures above about 20 °C are consistently associated with fewer male births — but for strikingly different reasons in each region. In Sub-Saharan Africa, heat early in pregnancy may increase prenatal loss among male fetuses. In India, heat later in pregnancy appears to influence access to or use of sex-selective abortion, temporarily narrowing long-standing gender imbalances. Listeners and viewers will discover how climate stress can shape human reproduction biologically and behaviourally, and why these hidden effects matter for population health and gender balance as the world warms.
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