Paul Talks Science

Welcome to the Paul Talks Science podcast. On this episode, I have a timely and important conversation about the race to develop a vaccine for the Marburg virus. Marburg is a rare but deadly viral haemorrhagic fever that has recently emerged in Rwanda, sparking global concern.  Read my interview with the health minister of Rwanda on how the country is controlling the disease. The interview was pub...

In this insightful episode, host Paul Adepoju, PhD sits down with Professor Patrick Arbuthnot , a leading expert in gene therapy and antiviral research, to explore the transformative potential of gene therapy in addressing Africa's viral health challenges. Patrick shares his fascinating journey from working in Paris to setting up the Antiviral Gene Therapy Research Lab in South Africa, and discuss...

In this episode of Paul Talks Science , host Paul Adepoju , a seasoned science journalist, sits down with Professor Gozde Ozakinci , Professor and Deputy Dean at the Faculty of Psychology, University of Stirling, UK. Together, they dive into the psychological impact of cancer diagnosis, treatment, and survivorship, exploring the often-overlooked mental health challenges faced by cancer patients an...

Africa's public health landscape is again at the centre of global health attention with a series of actions now in play to stem the spread of mpox. This week, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention will officially declare mpox a public health emergency of continental concern. This is expected to be historic since this is the first time that the centre would be making such a decl...

In this episode, we explore how South Africa is leveraging genomic sequencing to tackle some of its most pressing health challenges, from HIV to non-communicable diseases. Our guest, Rizwana Mia, Senior Programme Manager: Strategic Health Innovation Partnerships - NCD/Precision Medicine, shares insights on the country's ambitious plans to develop a 110,000-genome programme, and how this data c...

Across the world, some individuals are able to naturally control HIV without requiring antiretroviral therapy, due to the uniqueness of their genetic composition. Several of these individuals have been identified in South Africa which has the world's highest HIV/AIDS burden. Dr Veron Ramsuran, associate professor at the University of KwaZulu-Natal is leading a team that also includes researche...

In this conversation, Paul Adepoju hosts Alukhethi Singo-Ragimana from MGI Tech. They discuss the unique features of MGI's sequencing technology, its applications in HIV genotyping and drug resistance surveillance, and the challenges and solutions in the sequencing ecosystem in Africa. They also talk about MGI's plans for South Africa and its involvement in the Africa-wide genomic initiati...

In this episode, we explore a groundbreaking development in Nigeria's healthcare system. The Nigerian government has officially declared cancer a notifiable disease, mandating all public and private healthcare providers to report cancer cases to a centralized registry. This initiative aims to create a comprehensive database that accurately reflects the burden of cancer in Nigeria, enabling bet...

In this inaugural episode of "The Future Tense," host Paul Adepoju sits down with Health Minister Dr. Shane Reti and Cancer Society of New Zealand CEO Dr. Rachael Hart to discuss a groundbreaking development in New Zealand's healthcare system. The coalition government has announced a substantial funding boost for cancer treatments, allowing Pharmac, the country's drug-buying agen...