When Science Finds a Way

Wellcome

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.

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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.

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40 episodes
Updated June 3

Episodes40

Newest first

June 3 · 40 min
Is tackling super pollutants an emergency brake for climate change?
We may think of carbon dioxide as the main culprit in climate change, but could tackling "super pollutants" provide an emergency brake for global warming? Dr Tom Grylls tells Alisha Wainwright how we already have the tools to reduce these gases and particles, and Bidya Banmali Pradhan describes a successful effort to do just that by re-engineering brick kilns in Nepal. But this isn't only a question of climate. Professor Zorana Andersen explains air pollution's impact on our bodies, and we hear how a holistic view of climate and health could help slow down global warming and save millions of lives. *** Mentioned in this episode and further reading: What are super pollutants and how do they impact our health? - Wellcome (https://wellcome.org/insights/articles/what-are-super-pollutants-and-how-do-they-impact-our-health) Why reducing super pollutants isn't just good for the climate – Clean Air Fund (https://www.cleanairfund.org/news-item/reducing-super-pollutants/) Building cleaner brick kilns in Nepal - CCAC (https://www.ccacoalition.org/projects/building-cleaner-brick-kilns-nepal)
May 27 · 44 min
Is hope on the horizon for treating drug-resistant TB?
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.
May 20 · 46 min
How can we respond to extreme heat and its effect on mental health?
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/)
May 13 · 39 min
We're living longer, but are we living healthier?
In much of the world people are living longer, but how can we make sure those extra years are healthy? Professor Dame Linda Partridge tells Alisha Wainwright how our ever-growing knowledge of health and ageing could lead to more personalised medicine, and Professor Mika Kivimäki explains how new methods for measuring the "biological age" of our organs could be used to predict disease. We also hear from Shamita Sharmacharja, curator of the new Coming of Age Exhibition at London's Wellcome Collection, about how changing society could help us all age better. *** Mentioned in this episode and further reading: Hallmarks of ageing: an expanding universe (https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36599349/) Biological organ ages predict disease risk decades in advance, Mika Kivimäki , UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2025/feb/biological-organ-ages-predict-disease-risk-decades-advance) The Coming of Age Exhibition, Wellcome Collection, London. Open until November 2026 (https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/the-coming-of-age)
May 6 · 42 min
Does the food we eat improve our mental health?
We know that the food we eat affects us physically, but how might our diets help or hinder mental health? Dr Wolfgang Marx tells Alisha Wainwright about his work to find a link between mental health and diet. We also hear from Dr Iain Campbell, who found that a famous diet helped his own bipolar symptoms, inspiring him to work on a new large-scale trial. And Dr Sheri Johnson explains why we should explore not just what we eat, but when. *** Mentioned in this episode and further reading: Food and mood centre, a multi-disciplinary research centre that aims to understand the complex ways in which what we eat influences our brain, mood, and mental health, Deakin University (https://foodandmoodcentre.com.au/) Time-restricted eating as an adjunctive intervention for bipolar disorder – Wellcome funding award (https://wellcome.org/research-funding/funding-portfolio/funded-grants/time-restricted-eating-adjunctive-intervention) Personal keto journey leads to career in research: Iain Campbell's story (https://www.metabolicmind.org/thinksmart/explore-strategies/iain-campbell/)
April 29 · 39 min
Why was a life saving drug overlooked for half a century?
Tranexamic acid (TXA) has enormous potential to prevent deaths from postpartum haemorrhage, but until very recently it's been overlooked. Professor Haleema Shakur Still tells Alisha Wainwright how she stumbled on TXA's untapped potential, and the drug's journey from being an undervalued discovery in post-war Japan to a groundbreaking treatment in modern-day Nigeria. Professor Nike Bellow and Dr Abiola Akiyode-Afolabi share their efforts to make TXA more accessible to communities, while Haleema explains how drug trials have revealed a hidden side to postpartum haemorrhage – one that could prevent cases before treatment is even needed. **** Mentioned in this episode and further reading: WOMAN trials: looking at the effect of the drug tranexamic acid (TXA) on bleeding, and the best ways to give it (https://thebloodtrials.org/womens-health-trials/) The missing evidence: anaemia, postpartum bleeding and maternal death, Blood Trials, LSHTM (https://thebloodtrials.org/the-missing-evidence/) A word of thanks to all the WOMAN Trial collaborators, Professor Ian Roberts, who co-led the WOMAN Trials alongside Haleema, trial teams in London, Nigeria, Pakistan, Tanzania and Zambia and the women and families who make this work possible.
April 22 · 42 min
What happens when fungi find their way into our brains?
It might sound like something out of TV shows like The Last of Us, but brain-invading fungi are a real-world problem. Alisha Wainwright speaks to Drs. Rachael Dangarembizi and Rebecca Drummond, an immunologist and a neuroscientist collaborating across continents to tackle Cryptococcal Meningitis – the leading cause of fungal death worldwide. Dr Kyla Murphy also talks about the new tests and treatments saving lives from the disease, and Alisha shares the story of her own mother's brush with a dangerous fungal infection. **** Mentioned in this episode and further reading: Will climate change lead to more fungal infections? An explainer by Wellcome (wellcome.org/insights/articles/will-climate-change-lead-more-fungal-infections) Wellcome Fungal Adaptation Call Awardees (wellcome.org/research-funding/funding-portfolio/funded-grants?f%5B0%5D=funding_scheme_grants_awarded%3ABiology%20of%20fungal%20adaptation Global incidence and mortality of severe fungal disease, David W Denning, The Lancet Infectious Diseases (thelancet.com/journals/laninf/article/PIIS1473-3099(23)00692-8/fulltext) The WHO fungal priority pathogens list as a gamechanger, Matthew C. Fisher & David W. Denning, Nature Reviews Microbiology (nature.com/articles/s41579-023-00861-x#citeas) How fungi shape our world...and how the climate is shaping our fungi – The Naked Scientist Podcast in partnership with Wellcome (thenakedscientists.com/podcasts/naked-scientists-podcast/how-fungi-shape-our-world) When Science Finds a Way is brought to you by Wellcome, an independent global foundation that supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. For more information and podcast transcripts visit wellcome.org/podcast
April 15 · 43 min
AI and mental health: can we trust AI therapy?
AI chatbots and apps are increasingly being used for mental health support. But could these new tools carry hidden risks? In the second part of this special episode, Alisha Wainwright unpicks her own experiments with AI therapy, takes tips from Dr John Torous on staying safe when seeking help digitally, and hears about the risks of unregulated tools. But there's hope with these tools too. Professor Miranda Wolpert reveals how AI could help scale mental health interventions in the globally and even inspire whole new forms of therapy. **** Mentioned in this episode and further reading: AI and mental health: "it could help revolutionise treatments" - Miranda Wolpert, Director of Mental Health, Wellcome (https://wellcome.org/insights/articles/ai-and-mental-health-help-revolutionise-treatments) Generating evidence for AI in health (EVAH) (https://wellcome.org/insights/articles/evah-new-initiative-generate-evidence-ai-health) When Science Finds a Way is brought to you by Wellcome, an independent global foundation that supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. For more information and podcast transcripts visit wellcome.org/podcast
April 8 · 39 min
AI and mental health: could AI transform access to care?
Launching season 4 with a special two-part episode, Alisha Wainwright explores the potential revolution AI is sparking in mental healthcare, and how our phones could play a part. Digital psychiatry specialist Dr John Torous explains how AI trained on data from our devices could help us diagnose people with mental health conditions, but that's only the beginning. We hear from clinical psychiatrist Dr Andrea Cipriani about how AI could optimise patients' prescriptions. And digital mental health expert Dr Jana Alagarajah explains why innovation in the Global South could shape future care for the rest of the world. **** Mentioned in this episode + further reading: PETRUSHKA (Personalise anti depressant treatment for unipolar depression combining individual choices, risks and big data) - www.psych.ox.ac.uk/evidence-based-mental-health/petrushka-trial Trial finds that AI tool could transform antidepressant prescribing - National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre When Science Finds a Way is brought to you by Wellcome, an independent global foundation that supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. For more information and podcast transcripts visit wellcome.org/podcast
April 8 · 31 sec
Season 4 trailer: meet the people whose ideas are shaping the future of health
**** 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 **** Science is always adding to our knowledge of human health, but how do ideas become breakthroughs, and how can those breakthroughs bring about a better world? Join botanist-turned-Hollywood actor Alisha Wainwright for another season, as she meets the scientists, innovators, and communities searching for solutions to our biggest health challenges. A podcast by Wellcome: www.wellcome.org
Oct 22, 2025 · 30 min
Vaccine equity: searching for a cure
**** 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 **** The Covid-19 pandemic laid bare a truth we can't ignore: vaccine equity, the principle that everyone should have fair and timely access to life-saving vaccines, is still out of reach for many. This is especially true across Africa, where local manufacturing supplied less than 1% of the vaccines used. But change is happening. Alisha sits down with Dr. Delese Mimi Darko to hear about how international collaboration is leading to the exciting growth of vaccine manufacturing on the continent. We also hear from the CEO of Biovac, a South African organisation developing an Oral Cholera Vaccine with the goal of achieving end-to-end manufacturing by 2030. It's a story of science in action - of people coming together to create solutions, and bridge global divides, fast. When Science Finds a Way is brought to you by Wellcome, an independent global foundation that supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. For more information and podcast transcripts visit wellcome.org/podcast
Oct 15, 2025 · 43 min
Food for thought: eating our way to a sustainable future
**** 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 **** Food production drives nearly a third of global greenhouse gas emissions. So how do we help people choose meals that are good for their health, and the planet? Alisha sits down with Professor Pete Scarborough, who's co-leading research to help decision-makers and the public make better informed choices. We also meet Jo, who's testing a digital tool designed to help her make sustainable, affordable and healthy choices at the supermarket. Together, they explore the complexities of applying Western dietary guidance in diverse global contexts, and how we can make sustainable diets a reality world-wide. Grab a sustainable snack and enjoy. When Science Finds a Way is brought to you by Wellcome, an independent global foundation that supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. For more information and podcast transcripts visit wellcome.org/podcast
Oct 8, 2025 · 33 min
Problem solving therapy: the answer to youth depression?
**** 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 **** A significant gap remains in effective mental health interventions for young people. Addressing this gap is crucial, and approaches like problem-solving therapy could offer a practical, accessible solution within educational settings. Alisha and Professor Vikram Patel discuss a school-based trial in India that's exploring a new way forward: POD (Problem Identification, Option generation and Do it). It's an intervention that combines cognitive and behavioural techniques to help young people develop the skills to address their problems directly. We hear from counsellor Bindiya Chodankar, who reflects on the impact problem-solving therapy has had on students in the trial, and speak to the researchers now adapting the model for university settings. It's a powerful reminder that simple solutions can go a long way to solving complex problems. When Science Finds a Way is brought to you by Wellcome, an independent global foundation that supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. For more information and podcast transcripts visit wellcome.org/podcast
Oct 1, 2025 · 34 min
Zooming in: particle physics and the future of medical imaging
**** 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 **** Vaccine breakthroughs dominated the news during the Covid-19 pandemic. But they weren't the only scientific innovations changing how we understood the virus. Across Europe, a team of pathologists, technologists and imaging researchers saw a gap: we needed better technology to see what was really happening inside the lungs of individuals who died after contracting the virus. So they built one. Hierarchical Phase Contract Tomography (HiP-CT) is a new kind of imaging that lets us scan whole organs in 3D, in astonishing detail. Alisha is joined by four of the researchers behind this innovative approach to find out how it came to life during a global crisis, what it has revealed about Covid-19's impact on the body, and where it could take us next. When Science Finds a Way is brought to you by Wellcome, an independent global foundation that supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. For more information and podcast transcripts visit wellcome.org/podcast
Sep 24, 2025 · 37 min
Early warning systems: using tech to predict disease outbreaks
By the time we realise an outbreak is underway, the disease is already spreading, and the window to act is closing fast. But what if we could get ahead of it? Over the past decade, scientists and technologists have been developing powerful modelling tools that combine health and climate data to forecast where and when outbreaks might occur. Alisha is joined by Dr Anna Ibarra Stewart to explore how early warning systems are being developed to help stay ahead of viruses like dengue and Zika and reduce the impact of outbreaks before they escalate. They also discuss the challenges of turning research into practical tools that can be used in the regions most affected by disease. We hear from HARMONIZE, a groundbreaking project in Brazil where scientists, governments and local communities are working side by side to turn predictive insights into real-world impact. When Science Finds a Way is brought to you by Wellcome, an independent global foundation that supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. For more information and podcast transcripts visit wellcome.org/podcast
Sep 17, 2025 · 42 min
Inclusive research: autism from menstruation to menopause
**** 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 **** Navigating healthcare can be particularly challenging for autistic people. Reasons for this are complex, but for women and people assigned female at birth, the problem is compounded by a lack of representation in autism research, leaving healthcare services ill-equipped to meet their specific needs. Alisha speaks with Dr Aimee Grant about a groundbreaking study that's working to change this. Led and delivered entirely by autistic people, Autism: from Menstruation to Menopause is gathering data across the reproductive life cycle to design tools that make healthcare more accessible and inclusive. We also meet three members of the project's Community Council, who are co-designing the research and sharing what it means to work with a fully neurodivergent team. Together, they're proving that inclusive research isn't just better, it's essential. When Science Finds a Way is brought to you by Wellcome, an independent global foundation that supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. For more information and podcast transcripts visit wellcome.org/podcast
Sep 10, 2025 · 41 min
The arts: can creativity help mental health?
We know that singing, painting and other creative outlets can boost our mental health. But how do we harness the therapeutic power of the arts? Alisha speaks with UK researcher Professor Daisy Fancourt, whose work is helping to establish the arts as a key ingredient in conversations about mental wellbeing, alongside diet and exercise. She also meets Vanessa, a mother in the UK who took part in a singing-based trial to reduce the effects of postpartum depression, and Kunle Adewale, an arts practitioner in Nigeria, whose own healing journey led him to empower others through arts engagement. It's a powerful look at how creativity can shape healthier futures, backed by science and lived experience. This episode features Breathe Melodies for Mums, a programme by Breathe Arts Health Research. Learn more at breatheahr.org/programmes/melodies-for-mums Video footage of the Melodies sessions was kindly provided by Breathe Arts Health Research.
Sep 10, 2025 · 30 sec
Season 3 trailer: the science podcast that tells the human story
When Science Finds a Way is back! Join botanist-turned-Hollywood actor Alisha Wainright as she meets the scientists and communities turning bold ideas into real world impact. This season, you'll hear about how new medical imaging tools are helping us see our bodies in ways we never could before, meet the team using climate data to predict and prevent disease outbreaks, and learn about how engaging with the arts can help improve our mental health.
May 14, 2025 · 42 min
AVATAR Therapy: digital dialogues for mental health
Hearing voices is a challenging symptom of psychosis that treatments have often failed to address effectively - until now. Introducing AVATAR therapy, a remarkable approach using digital technology to help patients engage with distressing voices and regain control. Alisha meets Dr Vaughan Bell to explore the therapy's potential, talk about findings from the latest clinical trial and hear a personal story of transformation. When Science Finds a Way is brought to you by Wellcome, an independent global foundation that supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. For more information and podcast transcripts visit wellcome.org/podcast
May 7, 2025 · 37 min
Decoding cancer: how genomics is transforming treatment
Genomics has revolutionised cancer research, offering new hope for cancer diagnosis and treatment. But there are challenges ahead. Alisha is joined by Dr Peter Campbell and researchers Dr Solomon Rotimi and Sara Gómez Trillos to discuss the breakthroughs and the issue of ensuring fair access to advancements for patients worldwide. When Science Finds a Way is brought to you by Wellcome, an independent global foundation that supports science to solve the urgent health challenges facing everyone. For more information and podcast transcripts visit wellcome.org/podcast