Most pharmacovigilance professionals will have heard of masking – a statistical issue where reports for one drug hide signals for other drugs. But the problem gained fresh attention when record amounts of reports began piling up for the COVID-19 vaccines. How should we be unmasking data in the COVID-19 vaccine era? This episode is part of the Uppsala Report ... Show More
Dec 16
#42 Unpacking the WHO Global Smart Pharmacovigilance Strategy – Shanthi Pal
This special episode was recorded just before the 43rd Annual Meeting of the WHO Programme for International Drug Monitoring wrapped up in Cairo, Egypt. Held from 27 to 29 October 2025, the meeting brought together representatives from more than 80 member states, along with senio ... Show More
18m 4s
Nov 21
#41 How to use artificial intelligence in pharmacovigilance, part 2 – Niklas Norén
<p>Far from a future add-on, artificial intelligence is already embedded in the cycle of drug safety, from case processing to signal detection. Versatile generative AI models have raised the bar of possibilities but also increased the stakes. How do we use them without losing tru ... Show More
29m 9s
Oct 17
#40 How to use artificial intelligence in pharmacovigilance, part 1 – Niklas Norén
<p>Far from a future add-on, artificial intelligence is already embedded in the cycle of drug safety, from case processing to signal detection. Versatile generative AI models have raised the bar of possibilities, but they have also increased the stakes. How do we use them without ... Show More
29m 1s
Sep 2025
Marsquakes, Vaccine Politics and Mammoth Microbiomes
This week’s roundup dives into Mars’s lumpy mantle, a nasal spray that may help prevent COVID and the growing confusion around vaccine access in the U.S. Plus, researchers link phone use while on the toilet to hemorrhoid risk, uncover ancient mammoth microbiomes and explain why s ... Show More
9m 45s
Apr 2025
Ep 172 Childhood Vaccine Schedule 1: Let’s give it a shot
We’re already back with our first episode of season 8! This week and next, we’re exploring childhood vaccine schedules - what diseases they protect us from, how the schedule is arranged, and who decides on the vaccines to include and the timing of vaccinations. In this first epis ... Show More
1h 7m
Jun 2025
Episode 137: Follicular Lymphoma Series, Pt 2. - Front-line Management
<p class="" data-rte-preserve-empty="true" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">This week, we continue our conversation on follicular lymphoma, this time focusing on front line therapy. We discuss how we approach localized and diffuse disease and the data behind why we do what we do. </ ... Show More
30m 11s
Mar 2023
Heidi J. Larson, "Stuck: How Vaccine Rumors Start--and Why They Don't Go Away" (Oxford UP, 2020)
Vaccine reluctance and refusal are no longer limited to the margins of society. Debates around vaccines' necessity -- along with questions around their side effects -- have gone mainstream, blending with geopolitical conflicts, political campaigns, celebrity causes, and "natural" ... Show More
47m 44s