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When Science Finds a Way

When Science Finds a Way

By: Wellcome
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Science is always adding to our knowledge of health, but how do ideas become breakthroughs, and how can those breakthroughs bring about a better world? Could mosquitos help prevent disease? Will AI tools transform mental healthcare? How is a once-ignored drug now being used to save lives? And what can science do to keep us healthy as we age? Join botanist-turned-Hollywood actor Alisha Wainwright as she meets the scientists, innovators, and communities working together to solve our biggest health challenges. **** We want to hear from you! Our podcast is shaped by the people who listen to it. Please tell us a bit about your experience by filling out our short listener survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SX6X8X3 **** Brought to you by Wellcome, an independent global foundation that supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. Please visit wellcome.org for more information.Copyright Wellcome © 2025 Science Social Sciences
Episodes
  • Is hope on the horizon for treating drug-resistant TB?

    Is hope on the horizon for treating drug-resistant TB?
    May 27 2026

    Final few days to fill out our short listener survey. Everyone who completes it is entered into a draw for a £50 gift card. 👉 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SX6X8X3?source=shownotes Closes 28 May.

    ***

    Tuberculosis has been with us so long that traces appear in mummies. But today, the challenge is different: how do we respond to TB that's resistant to modern drugs?

    Professor Salome Charalambous tells Alisha Wainwright about the challenges of treating the half-million people with drug-resistant TB, and Professor Nazir Ismail explains how it gets harder in countries where resources are scarce.

    But there may be hope on the horizon. Salome gives a glimpse of the new tests and treatments already saving lives, and we hear from Enalkachew Fekadu, a drug-resistant TB survivor who now advocates for others with the disease.

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    46 mins
  • How can we respond to extreme heat and its effect on mental health?​

    How can we respond to extreme heat and its effect on mental health?​
    May 20 2026
    We want to hear from you! Please tell us a bit about your experience by filling out our short listener survey. Everyone who completes it is entered into a draw for a £50 gift card. 👉 https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SX6X8X3?source=shownotes Closes 28 May. *** We know how extreme heat impacts us physically, but science is still uncovering its effects on mental health. Professor Andrea Mechelli tells Alisha Wainwright what analysing millions of datapoints is teaching us, we hear from participants in his London-based research about their struggles with heat and mental health, and Mete Çoban, London's Deputy Mayor for Environment and Energy, talks about efforts to future-proof the city. Looking beyond London, Dr Benedict Weobong explains why his research in Ghana and Zimbabwe shows that local context is crucial for dealing with heat-related mental health issues, and Alisha explores how reconnecting with nature - and each other - could also help us tackle the causes of rising heat. *** Mentioned in this episode and further reading: Prof. Andrea Mechelli's Substack on how nature and climate shape our mental health: https://andreamechelli.substack.com/ The effects of extreme heat events on mental health in vulnerable urban communities: towards evidence-based policy and practice (https://www.kcl.ac.uk/research/the-effects-of-extreme-heat-events-on-mental-health-in-vulnerable-urban-communities-towards-evidence-based-policy-and-practice) Urban Mind – an app that measures your experience of urban & rural living in the moment (https://urbanmind.info/) Heat Exposure, Sleep, Cognition and Mental Health - HEATSCAPE-Africa (https://www.yorku.ca/dighr/project/heatscape-africa/)
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    47 mins
  • Have 10 minutes? Help us shape Season 5 + a chance to win £50

    Have 10 minutes? Help us shape Season 5 + a chance to win £50
    May 19 2026

    We're running a listener survey for When Science Finds a Way and we'd love your input. Takes around 10 minutes, completely anonymous, and there's a £50 gift card draw for everyone who completes it. Survey closes 28 May: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SX6X8X3
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    1 min
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