LSHTM Viral

In this episode of LSHTM Viral, hosts Karl Byrne and Naomi Stewart explore the return of an old disease making new headlines: polio. While global health initiatives have reduced the global polio burden by more than 99% since 1988, the fight is far from over. With the virus recently detected in London's wastewater and vital surveillance funding facing cuts, the risk of resurgence is a terrifyin...

If your morning commute sounds coughier than usual, you aren't imagining things. Reports confirm that the UK flu season has kicked off weeks ahead of schedule. With COVID-19 and RSV also circulating, are we facing a "tripledemic"? And why does the flu virus shape-shift enough to require a new vaccine every single autumn? In this episode, host Karl Byrne sits down with Professor Punam...

 Why do we fall for false or misleading information about our health? And in a world flooded with viral claims and conspiracy theories, how can we fight back? On September 15th 2025, the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine brought together world-leading experts to tackle one of the most urgent threats to public health: misinformation. In this special episode, host Karl Byrne takes you...

This summer, chikungunya has been making headlines — with more than 7,000 cases reported in China’s Guangdong province and tens of thousands more across the Indian Ocean islands. Even parts of Europe, including France and Italy, have seen local transmission. But what exactly is chikungunya? How does it spread, what symptoms does it cause, and could it become a risk in cooler countries like the UK?...

Cases of measles are on the rise globally, including in Europe, Central Asia, and North America. In the UK, cases are the highest they've been in 25 years. But why? Join hosts Naomi Stewart and Karl Byrne in this bonus episode of LSHTM Viral as they speak to Professor Liam Smeeth, Director of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine about the very real consequences of the highly co...

Ever had a sudden, gut-wrenching bout of vomiting and diarrhoea? You’re not alone—norovirus, the infamous ‘winter vomiting bug,’ has been wreaking havoc across the UK. But why are cases so high this year? And how can you protect yourself? In this special episode, Karl speaks to LSHTM expert  Dr Damien Tully  to break down the science behind norovirus, how it spreads, and why cruise ships are often...

In this bonus episode of LSHTM Viral, we explore human metapneumovirus (HMPV), a respiratory virus recently making headlines due to an outbreak in China and rising cases in the UK. But is this something we should be worried about? Host Karl Byrne is joined by Professor Martin Hibberd, an expert in emerging infectious diseases at LSHTM, to break down what HMPV is, how it compares to other respirato...

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 Communications (Frequent Podcast Category). Goodbye...

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 answers burning audience questions including, “...

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. In this episode we are joined by two global health...

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 and trials, how the pandemic may end, and how prepar...

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. In our main feature, Karl tells the incredible s...

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 on WHO’s Strategic Advisory Group of Experts...

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 purpose of a clinical trial and its roots in a...

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, Professor of Immunology at LSHTM, to take a look at what...

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 us through the vaccine landscape at the turn of...

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 way out of the pandemic. John Edmunds, a UK governm...

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 developments in the COVID-19 pandemic and take a deep...

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-19, and how to address the inequalities that could...

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 at the factors that affect people's confidence an...

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 of Great Britain, revealing exciting avenues for th...

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 case study from her PhD research on how hot tempe...

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. Dr Rachel Lowe enlightens us with the latest evid...

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 the US Presidential election and how it could impa...

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 Francesca Harris, a PhD student at LSHTM who discusses th...