logo
episode-header-image
May 2024
26m 29s

Medical Innovations

Bbc World Service
About this episode

This week, we’re looking at examples of innovative thinking in medicine. A new, non-invasive device could help people with paralysis to regain movement. And as Namibia passes a critical milestone, we look back on one of the biggest developments in preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV.

Also on the programme, an update on the Korean doctors’ strike, and a summit looks to tackle the often-overlooked problem of indoor air pollution.

Presenter: Claudia Hammond Producer: Margaret Sessa-Hawkins Editor: Holly Squire

Up next
Oct 8
Immune system researchers win Nobel Prize
This year’s Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine has been awarded for discoveries that explain how the immune system attacks hostile infections, but not the body's own cells. We explain the science that won Japan's Shimon Sakaguchi and US researchers Mary Brunkow and Fred Ramsde ... Show More
26m 30s
Oct 1
Creating human eggs from skin cells
Functional human eggs have been generated using human skin cells in a breakthrough study. What impact could this have on couples with fertility issues? BBC Health Correspondent James Gallagher explains. How long covid is affecting menstrual cycles. Dr Jackie Maybin, Reader and Co ... Show More
26m 29s
Sep 24
Trump’s unproven claims on autism and paracetamol
President Trump has claimed that consuming Tylenol, or paracetamol, whilst pregnant can increase the risk of autism in children; Claudia is joined by Professor of Clinical Epidemiology Laurie Tomlinson to fact-check this unproven statement.Also on the show, BBC’s Philippa Roxby j ... Show More
26m 29s
Recommended Episodes
Jun 2024
The Future of Healthcare: The Role of AI and Technology | Dr. Vijay Pande and Daisy Wolf
View Show Notes From This Episode Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman Sign Up for Dr. Hyman’s Weekly Longevity Journal AI is set to revolutionize healthcare as we know it - improving diagnostics, treatment personalization, patient care, while simultaneously reducing costs ... Show More
59m 53s
Jan 2024
Exploring the Potential of Therapeutic Plasma Exchange in Sepsis
In this episode, we delve into the groundbreaking study "Influence of therapeutic plasma exchange treatment on short-term mortality of critically ill adult patients with sepsis-induced organ dysfunction." We explore how Therapeutic Plasma Exchange (TPE) could revolutionize the tr ... Show More
5m 53s
Jun 2025
Advancing Radiology for Early Alzheimer’s Detection- Sponsored by Eli Lilly and Company
In this episode, Dr. Ashwin Parihar speaks with Dr. Petrice Cogswell about the radiologist’s critical role in diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease and how imaging advances are reshaping early detection. They also explore how innovation at scale, platform thinking, and operational align ... Show More
20m 44s
Jun 2025
Episode 124: Inside the Chest: NodeAI and the Future of Endobronchial Ultrasound
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Wael Hanna, thoracic surgeon and founder of NodeAI, a pioneering startup transforming the evaluation of mediastinal lymph nodes through artificial intelligence. Dr. Hanna shares the inspiration behind NodeAI, the clinical problem it aims to s ... Show More
19m 48s
Apr 2025
#346 - Scaling biotech and improving global health: lessons from an extraordinary career in medicine | Susan Desmond-Hellmann, M.D., M.P.H.
View the Show Notes Page for This Episode Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content Sign Up to Receive Peter’s Weekly Newsletter Susan Desmond-Hellmann is a physician and scientist whose remarkable career has spanned clinical medicine, oncology, biotech innovation, and global ... Show More
2h 5m
Jul 2024
#309 ‒ AI in medicine: its potential to revolutionize disease prediction, diagnosis, and outcomes, causes for concern in medicine and beyond, and more | Isaac Kohane, M.D., Ph.D.
View the Show Notes Page for This Episode Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content Sign Up to Receive Peter’s Weekly Newsletter Isaac "Zak" Kohane, a pioneering physician-scientist and chair of the Department of Biomedical Informatics at Harvard Medical School, has authored n ... Show More
1h 55m
Sep 2024
#317 ‒ Reforming medicine: uncovering blind spots, challenging the norm, and embracing innovation | Marty Makary, M.D., M.P.H.
View the Show Notes Page for This Episode Become a Member to Receive Exclusive Content Sign Up to Receive Peter’s Weekly Newsletter Marty Makary, a Johns Hopkins surgeon and New York Times bestselling author, returns to The Drive to discuss his latest book, Blind Spots: When Medi ... Show More
2h 3m
Oct 2024
The Pulse of Progress: AI in Cardiology with Dr. David Ouyang
In this episode of NEJM AI Grand Rounds, hosts Raj Manrai and Andy Beam interview Dr. David Ouyang, a cardiologist and AI researcher at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. The conversation explores Ouyang’s journey from medical training to AI research and entrepreneurship, his groundbre ... Show More
50m 23s
Nov 2024
Partners in Diagnosis: ChatGPT, a Mother’s Intuition, and a Doctor’s Expertise with Courtney Hofmann and Dr. Holly Gilmer
In this episode of NEJM AI Grand Rounds, hosts Raj Manrai and Andy Beam interview Courtney Hofmann, a mother whose use of ChatGPT led to her son’s diagnosis of tethered cord syndrome after seeing 17 doctors over three years, and Dr. Holly Gilmer, the pediatric neurosurgeon who co ... Show More
40m 6s
Sep 1
E260 Specialty Collaboration At An All-Time High In Spinal Therapies w. Dr. Tim Deer
What does the future of interventional spine and nerve care look like—and how are new innovations changing patient outcomes today? In this episode, Dr. Tim Deer, founder of the Spine and Nerve Center of the Virginias, shares how his team has pioneered groundbreaking treatments th ... Show More
36m 47s