The Recommended Dose with Ray Moynihan

This week Ray catches up with Professor Lisa Bero - one of the world’s leading experts on industry influence on science. Her groundbreaking research continues to show how the tactics of big tobacco, big pharma and increasingly the food industry influence the decisions of health professionals and distort research findings.

Lisa’s current work looks at how private companies are now influencing public health in areas like obesity. Late last year, it was discovered that her research was being secretly ‘monitored’ by Coca-Cola. Here she talks to Ray about this revelation and various attempts by both the tobacco and pharmaceutical industries to undermine her research over the years. While it has never hampered her work, she is concerned about the chilling effect these kinds of antics might have on younger researchers today.

Lisa also shares her thoughts on leaving California to become a fully-fledged, ocean-swimming Sydneysider, who finds daily inspiration in the story of Charles Perkins – the first Aboriginal graduate of The University of Sydney. She also reflects on her role heading up the global Cochrane research network and underlines the importance of health evidence that’s free from conflicts of interest or commercial influence of any kind.

For more details and links to Lisa's work and media coverage, see our show notes: australia.cochrane.org/trdshownotes

You can also download a full transcript at: https://australia.cochrane.org/trd-lisa-bero-interview-transcript

Described as one of world's most prominent psychiatrists, Dr Allen Frances recently made the controversial claim that 'Donald Trump isn't mad, we are'. In this episode, he shares the thinking behind this now infamous statement that attracted both praise and condemnation from mental health professionals and media around the globe.

In recent years, Allen Frances headed the Taskforce which wrote the 4th edition of the influential psychiatric manual of mental disorders, the DSM. But now he's become one of its loudest critics. In this episode, Allen Frances argues that we're now taking every day experiences that are part of the human condition, overdiagnosing them as mental disorders and prescribing pills when there's not a pill solution for every problem in life.

Allen Frances also talks candidly to Ray about the time when he was the recipient of pharmaceutical company generosity - explaining his feeling now of regret and cautioning young doctors to avoid all financial ties with the industry.

For a full transcript of this episode visit https://australia.cochrane.org/trd-allen-frances-interview-transcript

Who better to kick off a series on all things health and evidence than the exceptional and erudite Editor-in-Chief of The BMJ, Dr Fiona Godlee.

In this episode, Fiona chats to Ray about the BMJ's ongoing and often controversial campaigns to change medicine - and broader society - for the better. She also looks to a future that addresses the distorting influence of industry funding on health evidence and outcomes, and let's us in on what drives and inspires her to achieve so much in her influential role at the helm of one of the world's oldest, most popular and prestigious journals.

For a full transcript of this episode visit: https://australia.cochrane.org/trd-fiona-godlee-interview-transcript

Who's Ray? What's Cochrane? Why listen to The Recommended Dose podcast? This super-quick mini-episode offers a snapshot of what we're all about...

For a full transcript of this episode visit https://australia.cochrane.org/recommended-dose-explainer-episode-transcript