Professor Essi Viding is a Professor of Developmental Psychopathology and the Pro-Vice Provost for the Mental Health and Wellbeing Grand Challenge at UCL. Essi is psychologist who works to understand the origins of behaviour and mental health disorders. In this episode Essi describes the developmental origins of mental health problems, the recent rise in mental health problems in adolescents and the role of social media, and the importance of supporting women to pursue careers in science. 

Dr Hamza al-Kateab is a Syrian doctor, an activist and a public health advocate. He set up and ran a hospital in East Aleppo during the war in Syria. This work was documented in the film For Sama, created by his wife Waad al-Kateab. Hamza is now an activist working to stop the bombing of health facilities in Syria and other conflict areas through the campaign “Action For Sama” (www.actionforsama.com / @actionforsama).

Professor Francesco Checchi is a professor of epidemiology and international health from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Francesco is an epidemiologist who has worked for 25 years in crisis and humanitarian settings with Médecins Sans Frontières and Save the Children and as an academic. 

In this episode he talks about his work estimating mortality in conflicts and on vaccinations. He also discusses broader issues about humanitarian work. Francesco also talks about his own mental health and how he has coped. 

Prof Naomi Priest is a lifecourse and social epidemiologist at the Australian National University. Naomi’s research focuses on understanding how social forces become embedded and embodied to influence health and health inequalities throughout life.

In this episode, Naomi talks about how racism impacts child and adolescent health and school-based interventions to reduce racism. 

Dr Wouter Arrazola de Oñate is a medical doctor in public health and activist. He is the medical director of the Belgian lung and TB association. 

In this episode, Wouter talks about his work in TB from a clinical and public health perspective and the importance of advocacy to improve health. 

Professor Rudzani Muloiwa is the head of the Department of Paediatrics and Child Health in the University of Cape Town and the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s hospital.

In this episode, Rudzani describes the importance of child health, his career in the field, and growing up and living in pre- and post-Apartheid South Africa.  

Dr Bob Klaber is a consultant paediatrician and director of strategy, research and innovation at Imperial College Healthcare NHS trust in London. 

In this episode, Bob describes his career in paediatrics and medical education, and talks about the importance of kindness in healthcare. 

Professor Kevin Fenton is senior public health expert and infectious disease epidemiologist. Kevin is the President of the Faculty of Public Health, the professional body for public health practitioners. He is the Regional Director for London in the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, the statutory public health advisor to the Mayor of London and the Greater London Authority and the Regional Director of Public Health for NHS London. He is also the government’s Chief Advisor on HIV. Kevin was director of the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In this episode, Kevin describes his journey in leadership and his work in HIV prevention and control in the USA and UK. 

Dr Kumanan Rasanathan is Executive Director at the Alliance for Health Policy and Systems Research at the World Health Organization. Kumanan talks about his work striving for health equity. He describes working on the WHO Commission on Social Determinants of Health, work on development of the Sustainable Development Goals and frontline public health work during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Michelle Morse, the Chief Medical Officer of the New York City Department of Health. 

In this episode Michelle talks about her work fighting for racial justice and health equity in the wake of the murder of George Floyd and the COVID-19 pandemic.