If you find the term 'healthcare engineering' a bit bamboozling, don't worry, you're not alone. 'Engineering' usually brings to mind images of bridges and buildings. Healthcare engineering is essentially using maths and science to solve healthcare problems. This covers an incredibly broad range of activities – from 3D-printed prosthetic limbs to artificial intelligence to predict cancer. At the UCL Institute of Healthcare Engineering, our mission is to develop digital and medical technologies that transform lives across the globe. In the 'Health in a Handbasket' podcast series, we meet the people behind these amazing innovations and how they're making a positive difference. We chat with them about their work, what gets them out of bed in the morning, and how they go to where they are today.
Reduce, reuse, recycle: Nappies and period products edition
Elze Porte and Ayse Allison discuss efforts to reduce waste from disposable nappies, period products, and adult incontinence products by collaborating with manufacturers and waste management systems in this interview episode.
21 Mar 2025
Engineering solutions for infertility
In this episode, we speak to Chloe He, Postgraduate researcher at UCL, who educates us on fertility treatments. We cover the 50-50 split between male and female infertility factors, the rising rates of infertility (now affecting one in six people), and the worrying impact of pollution on male fertility. The conversation also touches on the challenges of accessing fertility services, including the frustrating "postcode lottery" in the UK. Chloe breaks down the IVF process—from ovarian stimulation to embryo selection—and unpacks the ethical dilemmas around pre-implantation genetic testing. Plus, we discuss the unique barriers the transgender community faces in fertility care. So, yes, we cover a lot in 33 minutes!
Transcription link:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-podcast/engineering-solutions-infertility
Date of episode recording: 2024-06-10T00:00:00Z
Duration: 33:00
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Chloe He
Producer: Ferdouse Akhter; Shakira Crawford
21 Feb 2025
Making the next global vaccine
In this episode, we speak to Stephen Morris, VaxHub's Senior Outreach and Partnerships Manager, and Ludovica Vaiarelli, VaxHub's Partners Relationship Manager, to learn a bit more about how vaccines are manufactured and distributed worldwide. We'll hear how the process works, and how we're working with partner Universities like Oxford, along with manufacturers and industry, to ensure we create the next vaccine as quickly as possible. During the conversation, we cover notable projects that the VaxHub has worked on plus how antimicrobial resistance (so from things like antibiotics in poultry) is affecting global initiatives in vaccine production.
Transcription link:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-podcast/making-next-global-vaccine
Date of episode recording: 2024-10-08T00:00:00Z
Duration: 37:00
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Stephen Morris; Ludovica Vaiarelli
Producer: Ferdouse Akhter; Shakira Crawford
11 Feb 2025
Nanotechnology: Tiny science, huge possibilities
How is super small tech (we're talking a billionth of a meter small) going to change healthcare? It sounds like quite a far-fetched - really small things helping to diagnose cancer and other diseases? It's a type of X-ray? In this episode, we speak to Alessandro Rossi is a Research Fellow in Electronic and Electrical Engineering at UCL to answer these questions and explain how nanotechnology is changing the healthcare landscape. Alessandro is currently working on nanofabrication and although it's jargon at the moment, we uncover what nanofabrication is, how it links to x-rays and how we're helping to diagnose cancer further in this episode.
Transcription link:
www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-enginee…huge-possibilities
(https://gate.sc/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ucl.ac.uk%2Fhealthcare-enginee%E2%80%A6huge-possibilities&token=41fb14-1-1739289430112)
Date of episode recording: 2024-07-04T00:00:00Z
Duration: 23:10
Language of episode: English
Guests: Alessandro Rossi
Producer: Ferdouse Akhter, Shakira Crawford
6 Jan 2025
Minding your molars: how ultrasound engineering is transforming dentistry
How are we improving dental health so we don't have to keep going back to the dentist? Anastasios Koulogiannis is a Post Graduate Researcher at UCL. He's looking at engineering applications in healthcare in the department of Mechanical Engineering and so whilst he's not a dentist (although he does have a lot of dental knowledge after spending a lot of time with dentists), Anastasios speaks to us about his research using ultrasound technology and the way its changing dental care. We cover the 'basis' like what root canal treatments are (did anyone else just think that teeth were inanimate objects?) and how Anastasios and his team are working on a treatment device that will make sure you get the treatment you need, won't have to keep going back to the dentist with tooth pains and ultimately save the NHS money.
Date of episode recording: 2024-05-22T00:00:00Z
Duration: 00:15:40
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Anastasios Koulogiannis
Producer: Ferdouse Akhter; Shakira Crawford
13 Dec 2024
Lab Grown Meat
Ferdouse Akhter and guests Darren Player and Beren Fidan explore the development and ethics of lab-grown meat as a sustainable alternative to traditional meat production.
25 Nov 2024
The impact of AI on society
Ferdouse Akhter explores the complex impact of AI on society with guests Stephen Hughes, a social scientist, and Reese Campbell, a project coordinator, discussing its benefits, concerns, and potential to exacerbate social inequalities.
6 Dec 2023
Who cares for me? Finding solutions to dementia care
The care problem. It’s a problem address by every Prime Minister yet we’re still here with an ageing population and more and more people needing care with not enough carers to care for them. So, what are we doing about it? In this episode we talk to Bea about the care crisis in the UK, why she’s working on diagnosing rare forms of dementia and how there’s a certain lack of community in the UK, the "S" word and how we’re going to solve all this. It’s a meaty episode and we hope you enjoy It as much as we enjoyed recording it.
Date of episode recording: 2023-10-05T00:00:00Z
Duration: 23:47
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Beatrice Taylor
Producer: Alice Hardy; Cerys Bradley
17 Nov 2023
Shining a Light Inside the Body
Medical Imaging is the term given to the way in which we can image the body. Think X-rays, big MRI machines, or ultrasounds. Charlotte Maughan Jones and Liam Collins-Jones (no relation!) are working to see inside the body in different ways. They're using medical imaging to scan the body for tendon damage, as is the case with Charlotte, and autism, as is the case with Liam. You might be wondering how they're doing this because isn't x-rays just for bones so how are we able to see the small, fleshy tendons? And how do we use medical imaging to diagnose autism? They're all questions that we'll be answering in this podcast.
For more information and to access the transcript: www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-podcast/health-handbasket-episode-7-shining-light-inside-body
Date of episode recording: 2023-05-30
Duration: 26:43
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Charlotte Maughan Jones, Liam Collins-Jones
Producer: Cerys Bradley, Alice Hardy
2 Nov 2023
Fluid Flow: Lymphedema and Soft Robotics
Lymphedema is a debilitating, incurable condition which causes excessive swelling in the limbs, and disproportionately affects cancer patients. In this episode, we chat to Katherine about the device she's working on to make the lives of those with lymphedema better. She also talks to us about her experience of being a British Asian woman and how she stumbled on (as you do) becoming an engineer.
For more information and to access the transcript:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-podcast/health-handbasket-episode-6-michelin-man-and-lymphedema (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-podcast/health-handbasket-episode-6-michelin-man-and-lymphedema)
Date of episode recording: 2023-05-22
Duration: 22:23:00
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Katherine Wang
Producer: Alice Hardy, Cerys Bradley
26 Oct 2023
Are robots the future of rehabilitation?
Peter Snow is a lecturer working in rehabilitation engineering using virtual reality and robotics. He develops systems to help people with phantom limb pain and other conditions. He is also using gaming software to create training tools for surgeons, allowing them to practice complicated procedures in a safe environment.
For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-episode-5-are-robots-future-rehabilitation (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-episode-5-are-robots-future-rehabilitation)
Date of episode recording: 2023-07-18
Duration: 00:25:59
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Peter Snow
Producer: Cerys Bradley; Alice Hardy
20 Oct 2023
Health Inequalities Amongst Ethnic Minorities
In this episode, Ferdouse speaks to Shoba Poduval about health inequalities among ethnic minorities – including childbirth and mental health treatment – and wonders how digital technology could help the situation. Shoba is a GP and clinical academic in UCL’s eHealth unit where she spends her time developing and evaluating digital health services. Shoba has recently completed a secondment at the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities, London region - a part of the Department of Health and Social Care - where she undertook research to support the development of a strategic framework for addressing ethnic health inequalities through an anti-racist health lens.
For more information and to access the transcript: www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-podcast
Date of episode recording: 2023-07-19
Duration: 00:30:09
Language of episode: English
Presenter: Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Shoba Poduval
Producer: Cerys Bradley; Alice Hardy
3 Oct 2023
Pumping life into the future of diabetes management
Ken Li is an Associate Professor looking at technology you can use to manage diabetes. He's currently creating a sort of artificial pancreas to help those with diabetes lead less stressful and anxious lives. We're joined in this episode by Melissa Connolly who tells us what life is like as a diabetic and how the device Ken is creating will change her life.
For more information and to access the transcript:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-episode-3-pumping-life-future-diabetes-management (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-episode-3-pumping-life-future-diabetes-management)
Date of episode recording: 2023-06-14
Duration: 27:33:00
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Ken Li, Melissa Connolly
Producer: Alice Hardy, Cerys Bradley
20 Sept 2023
Will AI replace doctors?
AI is starting to play a part in our every day lives - it's there when we unlock our phones with Face ID or we use ChatGPT and other variations. But how can we use AI in healthcare, safely? Peter Woodward-Court is using AI to help radiologists diagnose patients from scans. He'll be covering what AI is, how it works and how we can use it safely. About Peter Woodward-Court: Peter is a medical doctor and PhD student in machine learning. He will explain what machine learning actually is, in a way we can all understand. Machine learning requires lots of training data to ‘learn’. But this real-life data can be hard to get hold of for a number of reasons. Peter’s research involves developing synthetic data to train machine learning models which can help diagnose medical conditions - making life easier for doctors and patients.
For more information and to access the transcript: https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-episode-2-will-ai-replace-doctors (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-episode-2-will-ai-replace-doctors)
Date of episode recording: 2023-06-05
Duration: 24:27:00
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Peter Woodward-Court
Producer: Alice Hardy; Cerys Bradley
12 Sept 2023
How underrated is our sense of smell?
When was the last time you gave any thought to your sense of smell? Smell plays a vital role in our physical and mental health - from our enjoyment of food and perfume to our ability to detect smoke or gas. A decline in our sense of smell is associated with cognitive decline, BUT there might be things we can do to prevent this happening and train our sense of smell. Giada Brianza is developing a smell training device that could help people track and develop their smell abilities over time.
For more information and to access the transcript:
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-episode-1-how-underrated-our-sense-smell (https://www.ucl.ac.uk/healthcare-engineering/health-handbasket-episode-1-how-underrated-our-sense-smell)
Date of episode recording: 2023-06-07
Duration: 00:30:07
Language of episode: English
Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
Guests: Giada Brianza
Producer: Cerys Bradley; Alice Hardy
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