What's Up Docs?

Doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation about osteoarthritis with Professor Tonia Vincent, Director of the Centre for Osteoarthritis Pathogenesis and professor of musculoskeletal biology at University of Oxford.

They talk more about what happens inside the joints when you have arthritis, how Tonia got into this line of study, and why this area of medicine is in the process of transformation and how this may lead to changes in other areas of medicine.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you can email us at [email protected].

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where identical twin doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.

In this episode they look into the incredibly common joint disease, osteoarthritis. Known as the wear and tear disease, around a sixth of the population suffers from a form of osteoarthritis but why do most of us get it? And what can we do to manage it?

To help answer these questions they are joined by Professor Tonia Vincent, Director of the Centre for Osteoarthritis Pathogenesis and professor of musculoskeletal biology at University of Oxford.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you can email us at [email protected].

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

In this Doctor's Notes episode of What's Up Docs?, Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation with Professor Tess McPherson, Consultant Dermatologist at Oxford University Hospitals.

Together, they explore the emotional side of acne, discussing why a visible skin condition can have such a profound effect on confidence and mental health. They look at how social media, filtered images and skincare influencers have shaped expectations around "perfect skin", and whether there is a particular stigma attached to adult acne. The conversation also turns to skincare treatment.

If you'd like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you can email us at [email protected].

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Welcome to What's Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.

In this episode, they turn their attention to acne, a condition that affects most people at some point in their lives, yet remains surrounded by myths and misinformation.

Joined by Professor Tess McPherson, Consultant Dermatologist at Oxford University Hospitals, they explore what causes acne, why it is so common during the teenage years, and why it can continue well into adulthood. The conversation also covers the treatments available, from over-the-counter products to prescription medicines, including what the evidence tells us about their benefits and risks.

If you want to get in touch, you can email us at [email protected]

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation with Dr Cathy Stannard, clinical lead of the pain transformation programme at NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board and the clinical lead for the NICE guideline on chronic pain.

Together, they take a closer look at chronic pain, exploring what happens when pain persists beyond the original injury.

The conversation also explores how chronic pain is treated. They discuss why medical treatments that work well for acute pain may be less effective for chronic pain and the evidence for approaches such as psychological therapies and social support. They also tackle some of the misconceptions surrounding pain.

If you'd like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you can email us at [email protected]

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Welcome to What's Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken explore the ideas shaping our health and wellbeing.

In this episode, they turn their attention to pain - one of the most familiar, yet least understood, experiences of being human.

Joined by Dr Cathy Stannard, clinical lead of the pain transformation programme at NHS Gloucestershire Integrated Care Board and the clinical lead for the NICE guideline on chronic pain, they explore what happens in the body when we feel pain and why two people with seemingly identical injuries can experience very different levels of pain.

They also explore the difference between acute and chronic pain, and what happens when pain persists beyond the original injury. Along the way, they discuss how doctors measure something so subjective, and why some pain treatments work better than others.

If you want to get in touch, you can email us at [email protected].

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken continue their conversation about sleep disorders with Dr Sophie West, a consultant respiratory physician and lead of Newcastle regional sleep service.

They explore what good sleep hygiene looks like and how temperature and hydration can affect our sleep. They also dig into dreams: why we have them, whether we can control them, and how to stop recurrent nightmares.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at [email protected] or Whatsapp on 08000 665 123.

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Drs Chris and Xand continue their conversation about neurodiversity with Professor Duncan Astle.

The doctors want to know what evolution could say about neurodivergence, how the definition of neurodivergent conditions has changed over time, how modern societal structures interact with neurodivergence and what could be changed, how social media interacts with neurodiversity, what we can all do to understand and empathise with neurodiversity.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you can email us at [email protected].

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where identical twin doctors Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around every aspect of our health and wellbeing.

What is neurodiversity really? It's a term we hear a lot, but do we actually understand what it means?

In this episode, Chris and Xand van Tulleken break down the concept of neurodiversity. From discussing diagnosis to discovering how to rethink the narrative around neurodiversity, the twins explore the facts behind one of the most talked about topics.

Chris and Xand are joined by Professor Duncan Astle, Professor of Neuroinformatics at the Department of Psychiatry at Cambridge University, and leader of the 4D Research Group, which looks at childhood development and developmental disorders.

If you want to get in touch, you can email us at [email protected].

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4

Chris and Xand continue their conversation about ankle health with Genevieve Tawiah.

The doctors want to know how different sports and performance arts can impact your ankles, but also how they can help strengthen and protect such a unique set of joints. They also want to know about different conditions that might affect the ankle and what can be done to manage them, and to learn more about Gen’s experiences working as a performance physiotherapist for a wide range of athletes and performers.

If you’d like to share your thoughts on this or any other topic covered on the podcast, you email us at [email protected].

Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken

At the BBC:

A Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4.