Second Opinions with John Crown

secondopinions

Professor John Crown is a cancer specialist affiliated with St Vincent’s Hospital Group in Dublin, DCU and UCD. He’s worked in cancer medicine for 40 years. John has also served as a senator for 5 years.

In this series of podcasts John will talk to not only researchers and specialists in the healthcare area, but other interesting guests who’ve made their mark on politics, current affairs and world affairs.

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15 episodes
Avg 29 min
English

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#15
Saturday · 27 min
Episode 15 - Dr Eileen O'Reilly
Professor John Crown talks to Dr Eileen O’Reilly, who’s one of the world’s leading specialists in pancreatic and gastrointestinal cancers. Dr O’Reilly talks about her career in Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre in Manhattan, the recent advances in therapies for pancreatic cancer and growing up in Dublin. This is the first of our interviews from this year’s International Symposium on Translational Research in Oncology. Produced by Fergus sweeney
#14
July 10 · 32 min
Episode 14 - Professor Donal O'Shea
Donal O’Shea, a Consultant Endocrinologist, is Clinical Director at St Vincent’s University Hospital and professor of Medicine at UCD. In this episode of the podcast, he talks to John about growing up in a sporting family, his training at the world renowned Hammersmith Hospital in London and he gives his insights into treating obesity. Produced by Fergus Sweeney
#13
June 26 · 52 min
Episode 13 - Lenny Abrahamson
John chats to Lenny Abrahamson, best known for directing such films as Adam & Paul, Garage, What Richard Did and Room and TV series, Normal People. We hear about Lenny’s early life growing up in Dublin, his love of Philosophy and Science, life in Stanford and the people who have inspired him. Produced by Fergus Sweeney
#12
April 18 · 36 min
Episode 12 - Eamonn Fingleton
Financial journalist, Eamonn Fingleton is John's guest in this episode of the podcast. Eamonn has worked for the Financial Times, the Mirror, the Sun, The Irish Independent and Forbes Magazine. He’s also written a number of books including In the Jaws of the Dragon and In Praise of Hard Industries. In this interview we hear Eamonn’s thoughts on the deindustrialisation of western economies, brexit, and how jobs growth rather than profit drives the Japanese economy.
#11
April 4 · 33 min
Episode 11 - Anthony Scaramucci
In this episode John speaks to financier, spin doctor and media personality, Anthony Scaramucci. Anthony worked on the first campaign to elect Donald Trump and subsequently, in 2017, spent 11 days as White House Communications Director. In this interview he talks about growing up in New York, golfing with Donald Trump, election integrity and the war in Iran. (The interview was recorded in the week of the St Patrick’s Day celebrations and Michael Martin’s visit to the White House) Produced By Fergus Sweeney
#10
March 21 · 46 min
Episode 10 - Tom Wright
Professor John Crown’s guest on this podcast is a proud Irishman, who has the distinction of having worked in the White House as part of the Biden Administration. Tom Wright is a senior fellow with the Brookings Institution and a writer with The Atlantic. He served as special assistant to president Joe Biden and senior director for strategic planning at the National Security Council. In this wide-ranging interview we hear Tom’s thoughts on the war in Iran, China, Tarrifs (including the Smoot Hawley act of 1930), Joe Biden’s one term presidency and whether Ireland should join NATO. PRODUCER: Fergus Sweeney
#9
March 7 · 38 min
Episode 9 - Professor Des Carney
In this episode John speaks to Professor Des Carney, a prominent Irish oncologist and former consultant at the Mater University Hospital in Dublin. Des is world renowned for his cancer research and cancer care. He tells John about his years in the United States, his pioneering role in lung cancer research and about the tragic death of his daughter, Patricia. Producer: Fergus Sweeney
#8
Dec 5, 2025 · 29 min
Episode 8 - Professor Shaun McCann
In episode 8 of the podcast John speaks to Professor Shaun McCann, a former boss of his at St James Hospital. Professor McCann led the team that performed the first successful bone-marrow transplant in Ireland. In this interview we hear about his education at UCD, the 2 years he spent at the University of Minnesota and his return to Ireland. And Shaun tells us how he fought to get the cancer drug, Imatinib available in Ireland and he talks about his own battle with cancer. Producer: Fergus Sweeney
#7
Nov 21, 2025 · 15 min
Episode 7 - Professor Ken O'Byrne
Professor Ken O’Byrne, a native Dubliner, is an oncologist working in Brisbane in Australia. He’s a world authority on lung cancer In this interview Professor O’Byrne talks about the history of lung cancer, the obstacles faced by patients and the future outlook. Producer: Fergus Sweeney
#6
Nov 14, 2025 · 16 min
Episode 6 - Professor Anne Parle-McDermott
Professor Anne Parle-McDermott is Director of the Life Sciences Institute at Dublin City University. In this interview Professor Parle-McDermott tells us about her background and she talks about some of the important research that’s taking place at the Institute. The health effects of vaping and its relationship to cancer is just one such area that DCU is investigating. Producer: Fergus Sweeney
#5
Nov 7, 2025 · 27 min
Episode 5 - Dr Sara Hurvitz
Dr Sara Hurvitz is head of Medical Oncology at the University of Washington, Seattle and the Fred Hutch Cancer Centre. In this interview Sara tells us about some of the newer drugs which have been introduced into breast cancer care in recent times. And she mentions some clinical trials and other developments which are catching her eye at the moment. Producer: Fergus Sweeney
#4
Oct 31, 2025 · 37 min
Episode 4 - Gordon Hamilton-Fairley
On the morning of 23 October 1975, the peace and quiet of a street in Kensington, West London was shattered when an IRA bomb was detonated. The blast killed Gordon Hamilton Fairley, the UK’s first Professor of Medical Oncology - a man who had dedicated his life to fighting cancer. His untimely death was a devastating blow not only to his family, but to a medical community that relied on his insight, his scientific vision and his compassion. Now 50 years on from that tragic event, John Crown talks to two of Gordon Hamilton-Fairley’s colleagues - Professor Tim Oliver and Professor Ray Powles. John also chats to journalist Eamonn Mallie about other health care workers killed in the Northern Ireland troubles.
#3
Oct 24, 2025 · 11 min
Episode 3 - Dr Neil O'Brien
Dr Neil O’Brien is Adjunct Associate Professor in the Department of Medicine at UCLA. Dr O’Brien’s research focuses on the identification of the mechanisms of resistance to targeted therapies for cancer. By understanding the molecular alterations responsible for resistance, Neil and his colleagues hope to develop novel therapeutic strategies to overcome resistance and improve patient survival. A Dublin native, he talks about how the discovery of a tumour on his spinal cord when he was studying for his Leaving Cert led him to a career in cancer research. We hear about how he got a chance to prove himself at the lab of the world renowned Dr Dennis Slamon in California and the work he’s being doing at UCLA for the past 20 years.
#2
Oct 17, 2025 · 16 min
Episode 2 - Dr Mark Pegram
Dr Mark Pegram is a leading cancer specialist and researcher based at Stanford University in California. Mark is internationally recognised for his pioneering work in breast cancer treatment and targeted therapies, including contributions to the development of Herceptin. In this episode he talks about what he finds cool about oncology, his concerns about AI and his new career as a music producer. Producer: Fergus Sweeney
#1
Oct 10, 2025 · 19 min
Episode 1 - Dr Dennis Slamon
Dr Dennis Slamon is a leading oncologist and researcher at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). His groundbreaking research led to Herceptin, a targeted therapy to transform breast cancer treatment. Thousands of patients owe their lives to the efforts of Dr Dennis Slamon. In this interview he tells Professor John Crown about the family doctor that inspired his choice of career, he talks about his work in the lab and he shares his concerns for medical science because of the political climate in the USA in particular. Producer: Fergus Sweeney

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