People, Parasites, and Plagues

Toxoplasma’s Stealth Mode: Hiding in the Brain

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Robyn Kent, Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, to explore how Toxoplasma gondii persists in the

Paleopathology: A Window Into Ancient Diseases

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Elizabeth Uhl, a veterinary pathologist at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine, to explore how disease leaves

The World’s Most Successful Parasite: Inside Toxoplasma’s Weird Biology

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Diego Huet, an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Georgia, to explore Toxoplasma gondii. It's

Rebuilding Immunity: The Thymus, Your Immune System’s Hidden Architect

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Nancy Manley, Director of the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University. Before ASU, she spent over 20 years at the Univer

An Open-Source Pandemic: Genomes, Metadata, and Real-Time Outbreak Science

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Justin Bahl, a UGA Professor of Epidemology and Biostatistics. David and Kim explore how modern epidemiology uses genomic data and s

When Neutralizing Isn’t Enough: The Immunology of Alphavirus Defense

The hosts sit down with Dr. Julie Fox, Chief of the Emerging Virus Immunity Unit at NIAID, National Institutes of Health, to explore the science of alphavirus immunity an

The Hidden Empire of Parasitoid Wasps

Parasitoid wasps are some of the most successful organisms on Earth, even if most of us never notice them. In this episode, Dr. Michael Strand from the UGA Department of

From Pathogen to Prescription: Reimagining E. coli

What if your gut bacteria could become medicine? In this episode, a UGA microbiologist, Greg Phillips, reveals how engineered probiotic E. coli can produce L-dopa, the f

The Silent Architect: Chromatin’s Role in Fungal Outbreaks

Dive into the world of chromatin and epigenetics with Dr. Zachary Lewis, an associate professor at the UGA Department of Microbiology. His research explores how chromatin

Endocytosis: T. cruzi's Cool Parasite Trick

This episode takes us inside the lab of Dr. Drew Etheridge, an associate professor in the UGA Department of Cellular Biology. He walks us through his scientific path and

Parasites & Passports: Graduate Students on Science & Self-Discovery

Two UGA graduate students take us inside their world of science! Kaelynn Parker (Cellular Biology) and Grace Woods Vick (Infectious Diseases) share what it’s really like

The Science of Public Policy

This episode leans into the “people” side of People, Parasites & Plagues. Our guest is Dr. Erik C. Ness, Professor and Director of the Louise McBee Institute of Higher E

Lock and Key: The Devious Mechanisms of Viral Entry

Today we’re joined by Dr. Melinda Brindley, a molecular virologist at the UGA Department of Infectious Diseases. Her research explores how enveloped viruses enter host ce

Observable Variations: Using Genetic Marker Systems for Infectious Diseases

This week, we’re joined by Dr. Travis Glenn, Director of the UGA Institute of Bioinformatics, to discuss his work with genetic marker systems and how he's using thes

PPP Book Club: Infectious Reads 2

We're ending this season with another Book Club! Our hosts are joined today by Production Assistant Syd Weigand to discuss the novels they've read about malaria

Treating Mosquitoes: Innovative Ways To Combat Malaria

This week we're joined by Dr. Douglas Paton, Assistant Professor of the UGA Department of Infectious Diseases. We've covered malaria before- but not like this!

Harnessing the Hulk: Insights on T Cell Function

Today's guest is a special one; he's travelled all the way from Australia to chat with us! Dr. Stephen Turner, Professor and Head of the Department of Microbiol

SCWDS: Monitoring Wildlife Health for 50 Years

Today we're talking to Dr. Mark Ruder, the Director of SCWDS and Professor of Wildlife Heath here at UGA. Tune in to hear about the origins of the Southern Cooperati

Wolbachia: Unwelcome Guest or Essential Partner?

You'll have to tune in to find out! Today we're chatting with Dr. Vincent Starai, an associate professor of the UGA Department of Microbiology about his researc

Hypnozoites: World's Best Nappers

This week we're joined by Dr. Chester Joyner of the UGA Department of Infectious Diseases to discuss his research with Plasmodium vivax and the curious nature of its