Health in a Handbasket

Reduce, reuse, recycle: Nappies and period products edition

UCL Podcasts — Mon, 23 Jun 2025 13:34:17 +0100

Did you know that disposable nappies account for approximately 400,000 tonnes of waste each year, representing 2-3% of household waste? Period products don't fare much better with one study indicating 200,000 tonnes of waste annually and then there's also adult incontinence products - we’re looking at 3 billion waste products annually for that. These are staggering numbers and ones we just aren't aware of.

In this episode we speak to Elze Porte and Ayse Allison who are working to reduce waste with absorbent hygiene products - that's things like nappies, period products and adult incontinence products. Hear how they're working with manufacturers, users and waste management systems to make sure we’re not adding to the landfill.

Transcription link:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-podcast/reduce-reuse-recycle-nappies-and-period-products-edition

Date of episode recording: 2024-07-18T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00:25:29
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Elze Porte; Ayse Allison
Producer: Ferdouse Akhter; Shakira Crawford

Engineering solutions for infertility

UCL Podcasts — Fri, 21 Mar 2025 14:26:07 +0000

In this episode, we speak to Chloe He, Postgraduate researcher at UCL, who educates us on fertility treatments. We cover the 50-50 split between male and female infertility factors, the rising rates of infertility (now affecting one in six people), and the worrying impact of pollution on male fertility. The conversation also touches on the challenges of accessing fertility services, including the frustrating "postcode lottery" in the UK. Chloe breaks down the IVF process—from ovarian stimulation to embryo selection—and unpacks the ethical dilemmas around pre-implantation genetic testing. Plus, we discuss the unique barriers the transgender community faces in fertility care. So, yes, we cover a lot in 33 minutes!

Transcription link:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-podcast/engineering-solutions-infertility

Date of episode recording: 2024-06-10T00:00:00Z
Duration: 33:00
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Chloe He
Producer: Ferdouse Akhter; Shakira Crawford

Making the next global vaccine

UCL Podcasts — Fri, 21 Feb 2025 12:22:46 +0000

In this episode, we speak to Stephen Morris, VaxHub's Senior Outreach and Partnerships Manager, and Ludovica Vaiarelli, VaxHub's Partners Relationship Manager, to learn a bit more about how vaccines are manufactured and distributed worldwide. We'll hear how the process works, and how we're working with partner Universities like Oxford, along with manufacturers and industry, to ensure we create the next vaccine as quickly as possible. During the conversation, we cover notable projects that the VaxHub has worked on plus how antimicrobial resistance (so from things like antibiotics in poultry) is affecting global initiatives in vaccine production.

Transcription link:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-podcast/making-next-global-vaccine

Date of episode recording: 2024-10-08T00:00:00Z
Duration: 37:00
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Stephen Morris; Ludovica Vaiarelli
Producer: Ferdouse Akhter; Shakira Crawford

Nanotechnology: Tiny science, huge possibilities

UCL Podcasts — Tue, 11 Feb 2025 15:57:39 +0000

How is super small tech (we're talking a billionth of a meter small) going to change healthcare? It sounds like quite a far-fetched - really small things helping to diagnose cancer and other diseases? It's a type of X-ray? In this episode, we speak to Alessandro Rossi is a Research Fellow in Electronic and Electrical Engineering at UCL to answer these questions and explain how nanotechnology is changing the healthcare landscape. Alessandro is currently working on nanofabrication and although it's jargon at the moment, we uncover what nanofabrication is, how it links to x-rays and how we're helping to diagnose cancer further in this episode.

Transcription link:
www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-enginee…huge-possibilities

Date of episode recording: 2024-07-04T00:00:00Z
Duration: 23:10
Language of episode: English
Guests: Alessandro Rossi
Producer: Ferdouse Akhter, Shakira Crawford

Minding your molars: how ultrasound engineering is transforming dentistry

UCL Podcasts — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 15:14:04 +0000

How are we improving dental health so we don't have to keep going back to the dentist? Anastasios Koulogiannis is a Post Graduate Researcher at UCL. He's looking at engineering applications in healthcare in the department of Mechanical Engineering and so whilst he's not a dentist (although he does have a lot of dental knowledge after spending a lot of time with dentists), Anastasios speaks to us about his research using ultrasound technology and the way its changing dental care. We cover the 'basis' like what root canal treatments are (did anyone else just think that teeth were inanimate objects?) and how Anastasios and his team are working on a treatment device that will make sure you get the treatment you need, won't have to keep going back to the dentist with tooth pains and ultimately save the NHS money.

Date of episode recording: 2024-05-22T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00:15:40
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Anastasios Koulogiannis
Producer: Ferdouse Akhter; Shakira Crawford

'Franken-meat': The future of lab-grown meat

UCL Podcasts — Fri, 13 Dec 2024 11:19:47 +0000

We all know that meat production emits a substantial amount of greenhouse gases, nearly 60% by some estimates, and so we need to do something about it. Darren Player, Associate Professor in Musculoskeletal Bioengineering, discusses the development of lab-grown meat, why he's working on engineering new, sustainable sources of meat and how he's doing it. We're also joined by Beren Fidan, a Colotaruna Soprano, who is vegan and shares her thoughts on the ethics of lab-grown meat and whether it's a viable option for her.

Date of episode recording: 2024-04-22T00:00:00Z
Duration: 35:08
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Darren Player; Beren Fidan
Producer: Ferdouse Akhter; Shakira Crawford

Is AI killing the internet?

UCL Podcasts — Mon, 25 Nov 2024 21:45:26 +0000

In this episode, we discuss the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on society with Stephen Hughes, a social scientist, and Reese Campbell, a freelance project coordinator. Stephen explores the mixed public sentiment towards AI, highlighting its benefits in healthcare and concerns about its ethical implications, particularly in mental health services. Reese shares her negative views on AI, citing deepfakes and privacy violations. They also discuss AI's potential to exacerbate social inequalities and the role of AI in the art world. The conversation concludes with reflections on the future of AI and its governance.

Date of episode recording: 2024-06-04
Duration: 00:33:22
Language of episode: English
TAGS: #HealthcareEngineering #AI #Metaverse #Facebook #Twitter #Deepfakes #SocialMedia #Governance #AIinArt #Conspiracy
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Stephen Hughes; Reese Campbell
Producer: Ferdouse Akhter; Shakira Crawford
Link to transcript: From Innovation to Alarm: Understanding AI's Impact on Society | UCL Institute of Healthcare Engineering - UCL – University College London

Who cares for me? Finding solutions to dementia care

UCL Podcasts — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 15:07:43 +0000

The care problem. It’s a problem address by every Prime Minister yet we’re still here with an ageing population and more and more people needing care with not enough carers to care for them. So, what are we doing about it? In this episode we talk to Bea about the care crisis in the UK, why she’s working on diagnosing rare forms of dementia and how there’s a certain lack of community in the UK, the "S" word and how we’re going to solve all this. It’s a meaty episode and we hope you enjoy It as much as we enjoyed recording it.

Date of episode recording: 2023-10-05T00:00:00Z
Duration: 23:47
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Beatrice Taylor
Producer: Alice Hardy; Cerys Bradley

Shining a Light Inside the Body

UCL Podcasts — Fri, 17 Nov 2023 11:21:48 +0000

Medical Imaging is the term given to the way in which we can image the body. Think X-rays, big MRI machines, or ultrasounds. Charlotte Maughan Jones and Liam Collins-Jones (no relation!) are working to see inside the body in different ways. They're using medical imaging to scan the body for tendon damage, as is the case with Charlotte, and autism, as is the case with Liam. You might be wondering how they're doing this because isn't x-rays just for bones so how are we able to see the small, fleshy tendons? And how do we use medical imaging to diagnose autism? They're all questions that we'll be answering in this podcast.

For more information and to access the transcript: www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-podcast/health-handbasket-episode-7-shining-light-inside-body

Date of episode recording: 2023-05-30
Duration: 26:43
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Charlotte Maughan Jones, Liam Collins-Jones
Producer: Cerys Bradley, Alice Hardy

Fluid Flow: Lymphedema and Soft Robotics

UCL Podcasts — Thu, 02 Nov 2023 13:51:38 +0000

Lymphedema is a debilitating, incurable condition which causes excessive swelling in the limbs, and disproportionately affects cancer patients. In this episode, we chat to Katherine about the device she's working on to make the lives of those with lymphedema better. She also talks to us about her experience of being a British Asian woman and how she stumbled on (as you do) becoming an engineer.

For more information and to access the transcript:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-podcast/health-handbasket-episode-6-michelin-man-and-lymphedema

Date of episode recording: 2023-05-22
Duration: 22:23:00
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Katherine Wang
Producer: Alice Hardy, Cerys Bradley

Are robots the future of rehabilitation?

UCL Podcasts — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 16:53:26 +0100

Peter Snow is a lecturer working in rehabilitation engineering using virtual reality and robotics. He develops systems to help people with phantom limb pain and other conditions. He is also using gaming software to create training tools for surgeons, allowing them to practice complicated procedures in a safe environment.

For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-episode-5-are-robots-future-rehabilitation

Date of episode recording: 2023-07-18
Duration: 00:25:59
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Peter Snow
Producer: Cerys Bradley; Alice Hardy

Health Inequalities Amongst Ethnic Minorities

UCL Podcasts — Fri, 20 Oct 2023 10:14:10 +0100

In this episode, Ferdouse speaks to Shoba Poduval about health inequalities among ethnic minorities – including childbirth and mental health treatment – and wonders how digital technology could help the situation. Shoba is a GP and clinical academic in UCL’s eHealth unit where she spends her time developing and evaluating digital health services. Shoba has recently completed a secondment at the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, London region - a part of the Department of Health and Social Care - where she undertook research to support the development of a strategic framework for addressing ethnic health inequalities through an anti-racist health lens.

For more information and to access the transcript: www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-podcast

Date of episode recording: 2023-07-19
Duration: 00:30:09
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Shoba Poduval
Producer: Cerys Bradley; Alice Hardy

Pumping life into the future of diabetes management

UCL Podcasts — Tue, 03 Oct 2023 11:13:38 +0100

Ken Li is an Associate Professor looking at technology you can use to manage diabetes. He's currently creating a sort of artificial pancreas to help those with diabetes lead less stressful and anxious lives. We're joined in this episode by Melissa Connolly who tells us what life is like as a diabetic and how the device Ken is creating will change her life.

For more information and to access the transcript:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-episode-3-pumping-life-future-diabetes-management

Date of episode recording: 2023-06-14
Duration: 27:33:00
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Ken Li, Melissa Connolly
Producer: Alice Hardy, Cerys Bradley

Will AI replace doctors?

UCL Podcasts — Wed, 20 Sep 2023 18:09:08 +0100

AI is starting to play a part in our every day lives - it's there when we unlock our phones with Face ID or we use ChatGPT and other variations. But how can we use AI in healthcare, safely? Peter Woodward-Court is using AI to help radiologists diagnose patients from scans. He'll be covering what AI is, how it works and how we can use it safely. About Peter Woodward-Court: Peter is a medical doctor and PhD student in machine learning. He will explain what machine learning actually is, in a way we can all understand. Machine learning requires lots of training data to ‘learn’. But this real-life data can be hard to get hold of for a number of reasons. Peter’s research involves developing synthetic data to train machine learning models which can help diagnose medical conditions - making life easier for doctors and patients.

For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-episode-2-will-ai-replace-doctors

Date of episode recording: 2023-06-05
Duration: 24:27:00
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Peter Woodward-Court
Producer: Alice Hardy; Cerys Bradley

How underrated is our sense of smell?

UCL Podcasts — Tue, 12 Sep 2023 13:21:44 +0100

When was the last time you gave any thought to your sense of smell? Smell plays a vital role in our physical and mental health - from our enjoyment of food and perfume to our ability to detect smoke or gas. A decline in our sense of smell is associated with cognitive decline, BUT there might be things we can do to prevent this happening and train our sense of smell. Giada Brianza is developing a smell training device that could help people track and develop their smell abilities over time.

For more information and to access the transcript:

https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-episode-1-how-underrated-our-sense-smell

Date of episode recording: 2023-06-07
Duration: 00:30:07
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Giada Brianza
Producer: Cerys Bradley; Alice Hardy