When Science Finds a Way – Details, episodes & analysis

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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.

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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

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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

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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 

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 

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 

Despite efforts to eliminate cholera by 2030, it remains a formidable global threat. Could technology hold the key to combating this deadly disease? Alisha sits down with Professor Iruka Okeke to talk about the factors driving cholera's spread and the innovative mapping techniques being used in Kenya to identify hotspots.  

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 

Over the years, the reluctance to include pregnant participants in vaccine trials has been increasingly challenged. That's because their inclusion can make vital medications available during pregnancy and provide data that could improve survival rates for both parent and baby. Alisha is joined by Dr Flor M Munoz, a global expert in maternal immunisation to discuss a new vaccine trial, safety considerations and the future.

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 

As rising temperatures challenge vulnerable regions, could 'cool roofs' be the affordable, sustainable solution?

Alisha joins Dr. Aditi Bunker to talk about the remarkable health benefits uncovered in Burkina Faso's trial, hearing firsthand accounts of how this simple intervention significantly reduces indoor temperatures, lowers heart rates, and improves overall 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 

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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

****

Exercise is more than just fitness – it can be a powerful tool for mental health. But what actually occurs in the brain during a workout, and how can it help in treating mental health issues? Alisha meets Dr Jonathan Roiser and his team of researchers to uncover insights from a groundbreaking pilot study exploring brain activity during exercise, including how it could transform the diagnosis and treatment of conditions like depression. 

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 

Wildfires are intensifying globally, posing threats to health and Indigenous communities. Join Alisha and Dr Nicole Redvers as they explore cultural burning, a traditional Indigenous technique offering a potential solution to modern wildfire challenges and hear from those bridging traditional practice and science. A fascinating conversation on the future of land management, wildfire resilience and 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 

Diseases like dengue, yellow fever and Zika claim over 700,000 lives a year. But a breakthrough from the most unlikely of places could be about to change all that.

Travel to Colombia to see how Professor Scott O'Neill, founder of the World Mosquito Program, is using mosquitoes infected with a naturally occurring bacterium as part of a game changing approach that's revolutionising disease prevention.

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