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From 2017-2018, 29% of UK adults and 20% of year six children were obese. Around two-thirds of adults were overweight. Rates have risen dramatically over recent decades. 
 
 What is behind the upward trends in obesity observed around the world? What are the risks of being overweight and are all people affected in the same way? From our genes to our food environment, what drives body weight? Why do people struggle to lose weight? 
 
 University of Cambridge geneticist Dr Giles Yeo joins us in the first of two episodes focusing on obesity to help answer these questions. Dr Yeo’s research is focused on the genetic factors which influence food intake and body weight. From BBC horizon episodes to public talks and lectures, he is passionate about spreading understanding of obesity and dispelling myths that can surround it. 

In this episode we are joined by Dr Stephen Barclay to have a look at what we mean by palliative care and we unpick some of the misconceptions that may be held by patients and healthcare professionals alike in such an important area of medicine. What is important at the ends of our lives? How can emotion be both a doctor’s friend and foe? How can people prepare for the challenges faced as medical advances redefine what is possible in end of life care, though not necessarily desirable? Dr Barclay is a GP and honorary consultant in palliative medicine in Cambridge and Peterborough. He is regularly involved in both palliative care teaching and research, as well Hospice work in the Cambridge area. 

Harvard undergraduate Swathi Srinivasan joins us to discuss her research into how curcumin, the active ingredient in the turmeric root, could prevent the onset of Alzheimer's disease.

How can we best used evidence in medicine, from hospitals and GP practices to the sphere of public health and policymaking? Is all current medical practice backed by sufficient evidence? How should doctors approach uncertainty? How can we scrutinise claims made in the clinic, papers and the media alike? To throw some light on some of these questions and more is Dr Margaret McCartney. A strong advocate for evidence-based medicine, Dr McCartney works as a GP in Glasgow and currently serves on the council of the Royal College of GPs. She has made regular contributions to the Guardian, the British Medical Journal and BBC Radio 4s inside health where she has explored topics ranging from screening, to conflict of interest in medicine and healthcare politics. 

Progenitor cells in the brain can repair the damage caused by Multiple Sclerosis. Professor Robin Franklin of Cambridge's Stem Cell Institute joins us to discuss his research into remyelination of damaged neurons, how we can maintain cognitive function as we age, and the ethical considerations of researching MS.

Advances in computer science, genomics and molecular biology are redefining what we mean by personalised medicine. More and more, medical science is able to take advantage of differences between patients to generate individual treatments with improved efficacy and reduced risk of side effects. Dr Emma Davenport of the Wellcome Sanger Institute joins us to discuss the potential and limitations of personalised medicine today and her research which guides more personalised approaches to the treatment of sepsis. 

Harvard geneticist David Sinclair joins us to talk about how we age, why we age, and how this process isn't inevitable. 

David has recently published 'Lifespan', a New York Times bestseller which discusses his Information Theory of ageing, and its biological mechanisms.

We discuss the key players in slowing ageing, and how the extension of all of our lifespans will change the future in dramatic ways...

You can listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple's podcast app, or Stitcher now.

Professor Adam Cohen discusses advances in observing the activity of neurons using optics and the implications for understanding the mechanics of brain activity in health and disease. Around this conversation are broader discussions of innovation and decision making in scientific research. 

One of the pioneers in synthetic biology joins us to discuss new understandings of how antibiotics work, as well as how bacteria can be engineered to work for, and not against us.

Jim Collins is a professor in the Bioengineering department at MIT. His technologies have been patented by 25 biotech, pharmaceutical, and biomedical companies. To learn more about the work his lab does, head over to collinslab.mit.edu 

Stem Cell therapies might have the potential to cure diabetes. Dr Melton joins us to discuss his research, and what drives scientists in their quest for new understanding.

Dr Melton is an investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, and the co-director of the Harvard Stem Cell Institute.

To find out more about the work being done in his lab, head over to www.themeltonlab.com