Medicine Interviews

The Power of Imagination

What is imagination, and what's it for? We find out how imagination lets us learn from mistakes we've never made, and how things are never quite as bad as we imagine...Daniel Gilbert, Harvard University

Hallucinations and Delusions in Schizophrenia

Hallucinations and delusions resulting from schizophrenia are scientifically fascinating, but poorly understood and devastating for those affected. Dr Paul Fletcher is leading the charge to discover more about the roots of the disease...Dr Paul Fletcher, Clare College

Artificial tongue could improve speech recognition

An animatronic tongue created by scientists at the University of Sheffield could help us understand how speech is produced and so help to create better voice recognition software. We spoke to Professor Roger Moore to find out a bit more...Roger Moore

The Search for New Drugs

Dr Harren Jhoti founded Astex Therapeutics in 1999. We chatted to him to find out what happens in the process of finding new drugs.Dr Harren Jhoti, Astex Therapeutics

Discovering Drugs from Bugs

Melanie McCullagh from Biotica tells us how they are fighting diseases using chemicals found in bacteria.Melanie McCullagh, Biotica Technology

Performance Enhancing Drugs

We’ve seen the news stories in previous Olympic tournaments where athletes have been caught using performance enhancing drugs, such as steroids, to increase their chances of winning their event. But how much of a boost is this really giving them? We’ve got Professor Chris Cooper from the University of Essex with us now to tell us more.Professor Chris Cooper, University of Essex

Cracking Down on Cheating Athletes

How are sport officials cracking down on athletes using the wide range of drugs available to boost their performance, including the natural chemicals in use? We’ve got Jonathon Danaceau from the Sports Medicine Research and Testing Lab at the University of Utah to give us the answers.John Danaceau, Sports Medicine and Testing Lab, University of Utah

Running with Sports Technology

Another method often used by athletes to reach their peak performance is to use the best equipment or clothing on the market. Whether it’s the lightest bicycle or the toughest tennis racket, having the best equipment on your side can make a real difference. So we sent Meera Senthilingam along to Loughborough University, the home of sports science, to find out why this makes a difference.Dan Toon and Tom Waller, Loughborough University

Cleaner Keyboards Prevent MRSA

Do you ever eat at your desk at work? It may worry you that your computer keyboard is a hotbed of bacteria, but even more worrying is the fact that keyboards in hospital wards also house bacteria. Dr Peter Wilson is from University College London Hospital, and he’s taken steps to ensure that the keyboards in his hospital will be much cleaner...Dr Peter Wilson, University College London Hospital

Finding Forgotten Fingerprints

Forensic scientists have announced a major breakthrough in crime detection which could lead to hundreds of cold cases being reopened, finding fingerprints on metal even after they've been washed off...Dr John Bond

Bacteria and Bad Breath

Your mouth is home to millions of bacteria - some of them cause bad breath, or could lead to infections elsewhere in the body - but why are they there?Marcello Riggio, Glasgow University

Inside the Intestines

We've heard about 'good bacteria' but what role do they really play in our intestinesGemma Walton, Reading University

Kitchen Science - Food Poisoning and Passing Bacterial Wind

Campylobacter is the most likely cause of food poisoning in the UK, but how does it make us ill? And can flatulence transmit bacteria, just like a cough or sneeze?Simon Park, University of Surrey

Probiotics for Allergies

Good bacteria help us with our digestion, and maybe even help to prevent infection. They could also protect us from allergies and auto-immune diseases like eczema...Gareth Morgan, University of Swansea

Kitchen Science - How Attractive are You (to Mosquitoes)?

Are mosquitoes attracted to some people more than others? We find out by exposing ourselves to a box of biting mozzies...Dr James Logan, Rothamstead Research

Mosquitoes - Why do they find you so attractive?

Why do mosquitoes find people so attractive? What can we learn from those that never seem to get bitten?Dr James Logan, Rothamstead Research

The Royal College of Pathologists at the Chelsea Flower Show

The Royal College of Pathologists are back at the Chelsea Flower Show, with a display about... ...Repelling Mosquitoes!Dr Tim Wreghitt, Royal College of Pathologists

Great Ape Gambles

If you had the choice between a guaranteed reward or taking a risk, what would you go for? Most people will choose the guaranteed reward. But what about our closest relatives, the great apes?Sarah Heilbronner

Predicting Cholera Outbreaks from Space

Could satellite images of the surface of the sea tell us when and where to expect deadly outbreaks of Cholera?Professor Rita Colwell, University of Maryland and John Hopkins University

The Twist in the Tale of Tuberculosis

TB has been virtually eradicated from the UK and a whole generation have had hardly any contact from it so it’s easy for us to forget what a disparaging and serious problem it was for us in the past. A serious killer disease, but now we’re seeing something of a resurgence and not just a resurgence of any old TB but forms of the bacterium which are drug resistant.Dr Clifford Leen, Western General Hospital.