Public Health Disrupted

Apr 01 2025 25 ep. 35 mins 1.2k
Public Health Disrupted Podcast artwork

Presented by Doctor, writer and TV Presenter Xand van Tulleken and community health psychologist and self-proclaimed hippie, UCL's Professor Rochelle Burgess.

This podcast is about public health, but more importantly, it’s about the systems that need disrupting to make public health better. In each episode, we’ll be challenging the status quo of this field, asking what needs to change, why and how to get there. Each month we’ll be joined by activists, scholars, artists, comedians and industry professionals to offer perspectives from the UCL community and beyond. 

We’re calling this podcast Public Health Disrupted because that’s exactly what we want to do. We are going to be breaking down disciplinary, sectoral and geographic boundaries to really understand the diverse and complex issues impacting our health. We discuss issues as complex as structural racism and as broad as the role of tech in public health. 

New episodes will be made available via the UCL Soundcloud, Acast, Spotify and Apple Podcast.

If there’s a question you’d like us to answer, email us at [email protected] or find us on Bluesky or X.
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Running together: Parkrun & the transformative power of grassroots community fitness

Apr 01 2025 40 mins  
Welcome back to a brand new season of Public Health Disrupted!As Rochelle makes her return to the podcast following maternity leave, we’re excited to present the very first episode of Season 5: a fascinating examination and celebration of the power of movement to foster connection and belonging.This episode will be of particular interest to runners and fans of group or community

Episode 6: Smoke-Free Future: Tackling tobacco and vaping for the health of the public

Aug 19 2024 42 mins  
The World Health Organisation highlights the tobacco epidemic as one of the greatest public health crises in history, claiming over 8 million lives annually. Over 7 million of these deaths stem from direct tobacco use, while around 1.3 million are due to second-hand smoke exposure among non-smokers. The scale of the human and economic tragedy that tobacco imposes is shocking, and p

Episode 5: Flushing Out the Truth: Sewage and Public Health in the UK

Aug 12 2024 35 mins  
The development of wastewater systems in the 19th century was one of the greatest achievements of public health, but in recent years there has been growing concern and scrutiny of water quality and sewage pollution. The critical issue of sewage contamination in the UK's rivers and seas is having a profound impact on environmental sustainability and recent reports have urged upgrade

Episode 4: The genetic revolution: implications and applications for improving the health of the public

May 08 2024 42 mins  
In this month’s episode, our experts dive into the exciting world of genetics, exploring the latest technological breakthroughs and innovations. They discuss not only the value of these advancements but also the ethical considerations surrounding them, particularly in how they can enhance the health of the public.Dr Adam Rutherford, bestselling author, broadcaster and lecturer in

Episode 3: Redefining the Classroom: Nurturing Mental Health Through Nature, Arts, and Understanding

Mar 26 2024 39 mins  
"It's not our children who are disordered, it's the environment in which we're expecting them to operate."In this month’s episode, our experts explore the pressing issue of children's mental health in the UK. With one in five young individuals facing probable mental health disorders, the urgency for effective support systems is undeniable.Joining the conversation are Kate Silvert

Episode 2: AI for Good - Tech and Ethics in Humanitarian Crises

Feb 20 2024 39 mins  
"Is technology the magic bullet for humanitarian aid, or does it come with its own set of ethical dilemmas?"In this episode, hosts Dr Xand van Tulleken and Dr Rochelle Burgess delve into the complex world of humanitarian crises and the transformative role of technology in emergency responses.With the expertise of Professor Maria Kett, an anthropologist with a rich backgro

Episode 1: Injecting Innovation - Creative Ways to boost vaccination rates

Jan 08 2024 38 mins  
Join hosts Doctor Xand van Tulleken and Dr Rochelle Burgess for Season 4, Episode 1 of Public Health Disrupted with Prof Helen Bedford and Doctor Ranj Singh."It's about building knowledge with communities and allowing people to ask questions without negative labelling."Why are vaccination rates declining, and how can we rebuild trust? Vaccine rates are falling in the UK,

Episode 5. Unravelling Health Disparities: The Racial Divide

Aug 07 2023 35 mins  
“It’s the indirect act of racism that is leading to poorer outcomes for racialised groups.”How does racism impact people’s health? And how big is this problem? We're three years on from George Floyd's murder, which launched a wave of global protests under the banner never again. This, of course, has not been the case. We're also three years since the COVID pandemic beg

Episode 4: The change-up, demystifying the menopause

Jul 06 2023 40 mins  
Join hosts Doctor Xand van Tulleken and Dr Rochelle Burgess for Season 3, Episode 4 of Public Health Disrupted with Prof Joyce Harper and Rachel Lankester. “We’re more valuable to our communities post-menopause as leaders than as breeders.” How does our society value menopausal women? The lack of public awareness around this natural phase in a women’s life ha

Episode 3: Sex by numbers

Jun 20 2023 39 mins  
“A remarkable number of claims you see in newspapers and magazines about sex are essentially made up.”What does the average British person think about sex? For over 40 years the Natsal surveys have been recording sexual data, capturing striking changes in our behaviour and sexual lifestyles across the decades. They have been pivotal in the population measurement of the social,