The Scan

In this episode, Yakubu speaks with Dr Wale Salami about transforming clinical trials to better serve African communities. Together, they unpack the persistent gaps between how trials are designed and the diverse genetic, cultural, and social realities across the continent. Dr Salami shares why meaningful change requires intentional involvement of African scientists and communities from the earlie...

This bitesize episode features Dr Elisa Pineda, a researcher working at the forefront of nutrition and chronic disease prevention. Elisa shares new insights into how simple dietary changes—like swapping regular salt for potassium‑enriched salt—could significantly reduce high blood pressure and the risk of heart disease. She discusses why this work matters, what communities are telling...

This bitesize episode features Gabriela Cipriano Flores, a public health researcher exploring how extreme heat affects pregnant women in India. Gabby shares the story behind the Heat in Pregnancy study, the groundbreaking cohort research underway across three climate‑diverse regions, and what the team hopes to uncover about heat exposure, pregnancy outcomes and future policy implications. She also...

In this episode of The Scan, we speak with Registered Nurse and Associate Project Manager Clare Goodson and Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon Professor Andrew Metcalfe about the METEOR2 Study—a major international clinical trial investigating the most effective treatment for people experiencing persistent knee pain after a meniscectomy. The study compares two evidence‑based options: Personalise...

In this episode, host Sarah Iqbal explores the role of stories in global health research through the context of work of the  NIHR Global Health Research Centre for Non-Communicable Diseases and Environmental Change . While data and numbers can show us what is happening, they don’t always reveal why. That’s where qualitative research comes in—helping us listen deeply, underst...

In this episode, Dr Deepika Saluja speak with Dr Kefilath Bello about how impactful research and research partnership requires an intentional sense-making process that connects and respects diverse cultural contexts. Kefi highlights through examples, that the willingness to engage with communities has to be accompanied with dedicated resources including time, budget, facilitation skills; to go bey...

In this episode, Dr Kenneth Yakubu speaks with Dr Seye Abimbola to explore the everyday dynamics of building an equitable research partnership in Africa. Seye outlines different characteristics of research partnerships, and unpack the practical challenges around being a champion, along with the language and labelling that embodies it, especially in the context of partnership building in the Africa...

Series:  Beyond the Body: Women’s wellbeing- science, equity & impact In this powerful episode, host Professor Amanda Henry is joined by co-host Associate Professor Mehera San Roque and guest Associate Professor Ann Kayis-Kumar to explore how economic abuse — a form of coercive control — plays out in Australia's tax system. Drawing on research and frontline legal experie...

Series:  Beyond the Body: Women’s wellbeing- science, equity & impact In this episode, host Professor Amanda Henry speaks with Associate Professor Lizzie Muller about the often invisible world of carers — who they are, what they do, and why care work remains a deeply gendered issue. Drawing on personal experience and her research at UNSW, Lizzie unpacks how caring responsibili...

Series:  Beyond the Body: Women’s wellbeing- science, equity & impact In this first episode, host Professor Amanda Henry is joined by Professor Bronwyn Graham, Director of the National Centre for Sex and Gender Equity in Health and Medicine, to explore why sex and gender matter in health and medical research. They unpack common misconceptions, share real-world examples from asthma t...

Description: This episode of The Scan features Professor Alta Schutte and Professor Anthony Rodgers discussing one of the world’s biggest health challenges, and a potentially life changing new solution. Around 1.3 billion people live with hypertension (high blood pressure); most live in low- and middle-income countries. It’s a leading cause of heart attacks, strokes, and early death. B...

Back pain tops the charts as the world's leading cause of pain and disability. But do we really know which treatments work? We interview esteemed spinal neurosurgeon Dr Ralph Mobbs, principal investigator of the SUcceSS study, run by Professor Manuela Ferreira and the Musculoskeletal research team at The George Institute for Global Health. By participating in this and other research, Dr. Mobb...

In this episode of we’re delving into musculoskeletal research. From chronic back pain to arthritis, these conditions disrupt lives and limit mobility, impacting millions globally. Our guest, Professor Manuela Ferreira, a leading expert, sheds light on groundbreaking evidence-based treatments, from innovative surgical trials to practical, non-invasive solutions. We’ll discuss how resea...

In this bitesize episode we speak with researcher Benjamin Talbot about measuring the carbon footprint of health care and research. Ben demonstrates how emissions can be measured and encourages everyone to keep the planet and protection of the planet at the forefront of our minds and in what we're doing. Read the paper here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This bitesize episode features Cara Tannanbaum, a leading global voice on women's health and sex and gender in research. Cara speaks about developments in Australia and the UK to improve health equity outcomes for everyone. These include new policies to ensure sex and gender are considered in research for more comprehensive and meaningful insights, and thoughts about how workplaces can integrate p...

In this bitesize episode we speak with Alice Witt who speaks about a significant step towards closing the sex and gender health gap in the UK. Until now most UK medical research has been conducted primarily with male participants, animals or cells, and studies rarely analyse data in a way that enables potential sex or gender differences in outcomes to be identified. The Medical Science Sex and Gen...

This bitesize episode features Menglu, a researcher working on an innovative Stroke trial. Intracerebral haemorrhage is currently the most serious and least treatable form of stroke. The I-CATCHER trial is investigating a new package of treatments, or a Care Bundle approach, to see how this can benefit patients and improve outcomes for people with intracerebral haemorrhage. To learn more about thi...

Cardiovascular diseases, including stroke, remain the leading cause of death worldwide, however knowing more can make a big difference. For World Stroke Awareness Day this bitesize episode features Menglu, a researcher in Stroke, and Mabel, a courageous stroke survivor. Mabel shares her personal transformation post-stroke, shedding light on crucial insights for all. Both Mabel and Menglu play vita...

While we know that eating too much salt is bad for our health, many are unaware it’s a leading cause of high blood pressure. But changing habits - and the food supply - can be challenging. What if we could switch the salt to a substitute with lower sodium and additional benefits? In this episode we discuss a novel approach to reducing blood pressure. Featuring Alta Schutte, Professor of Cardiovasc...

The climate is changing, and this is affecting our environment, how we live, work, what we eat, and ultimately our health. This is particularly the case for people in vulnerable communities. For World Environment Day, in this bitesize episode of The Scan we discuss the environment health nexus with two speakers, about work in India. Research Manager Sarah Iqbal speaks with Mr Gangaram Paikra, a lo...

In this episode of The Scan we speak with  Yakubu , a Research Fellow with the Guunu-maana (Heal) Aboriginal & Torres Strait Research Program and co-Lead of The George Institute’s Ubuntu Initiative. Yakubu tells us about the philosophy of the initiative, programs underway, and how he hopes to connect and grow engagement with researchers and institutions in Africa in a sustainable and people-ce...

Waste workers-otherwise known as sanitation workers-are often made invisible due to informal work arrangements. In India, as in other parts of the world, sanitation workers tend to be from the oppressed and marginalized communities with little access to healthcare and quality health services. This despite, their work being highly important to society and exposing them to various occupational hazar...

Psychedelic drugs, like psilocybin and MDMA, have captivated global interest for their potential in treating mental health disorders. While Australia has become the first country in the world to permit the prescription of these drugs, their efficacy is unconfirmed and access to these potentially transformative treatments is limited. Dr Dilara Bahceci is a neuroscientist who specialises in the ther...

It's a condition which, for many, is yet to be diagnosed. It affects one in ten people and has severe impacts on someone's quality of life. Anthony Sunjaya is a medical doctor and doctoral researcher at The George Institute for Global Health who researches this condition -- breathlessness – and is exploring innovative ways to diagnose and treat it. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy informati...

Managing work-life balance, family and career are key challenges that disproportionately affect women and often, and influence choices about the work they do and the path for their careers. In this episode of The Scan, researchers Ming and Viola share their experiences of life as clinicians, researchers, and mothers. They discuss the challenges of juggling different roles within their lives, as we...