People, Parasites and Plagues

Dr. Rick Tarleton of the UGA Center for Tropical and Emerging Diseases to talk about his work with T. Cruzi and Chagas disease, what transmission looks like here in America, and the important research being done on the subject.

This week we're chatting with Dr. Andrew Park, a professor with the UGA Odum School of Ecology, to discuss case studies of case studies and the interesting ways ecologists approach research on parasites.

Dr. Klonowski and Dr. Peterson are joined by PPP Assistant Producer Syd Weigand to discuss some novels that we think the plague doctor would love. Today we're covering "And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic" by Randy Shills, "Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused It" by Gina Kolata, and "The Ghost Map: The Story of London's Most Terrifying Epidemic" by Steven Johnson.

Today we're joined by Dr. Michelle Momany, a fungal expert from the UGA Department of Plant Biology. Tune in to hear about her fascinating research with the common fungus Aspergillus and the potential risks it poses.

It's time to talk kissing bugs again! Today we're interviewing Dr. Kevin Vogel of the UGA Department of Entomology to discuss at the bacteria that call these insects home.

We’re back from our break for a great discussion with Dr. Samarchith Kurup of the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases! Join us for a chat about liver-stage malaria and the development of drugs and vaccines.

This week, we're talking tapeworms and stem cells with Dr. Tania Rozario from the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases. Tune in to hear about her research with rats, how tapeworms utilize stem cells in unbelievable ways, and why you should NOT try the tapeworm diet.

We're chatting with Dr. Dan Peach, Assistant Professor of Infectious Diseases, for an episode that you can really bite into! Join us to hear about his wild educational journey, the ecology of mosquitos, impacts of global warming on disease transmission, and much more!

For this episode, we’re talking to the knowledgeable Dr. Nicole Gottdenker of the UGA College of Veterinary Medicine. Together we dive into monitoring the kissing bug, the insect vector of T. cruzi, and discuss why studying disease transmission is important for disease control.

This week, we're joined by Dr. Chris Cleveland from the UGA Department of Population Health to talk guinea worm.

Today we're joined by Dr. Christine Szymanski from the UGA Complex Carbohydrate Research Center to discuss her work with Campylobacter jejuni, more commonly known as "traveler's diarrhea".

Today we're joined by the knowledgable Dr. Glen Nowak, the Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Studies at the UGA Grady College of Journalism, to talk communications. Dr. Nowak walks us through some of his time spent working with the CDC and explains just how important health informations programs can be.

In this episode, we're joined by Dr. Xiaorong Lin, a distinguished professor of medical mycology at the University of Georgia's Department of Microbiology. Dr. Lin explains some of the issues with the way that we fight fungal infections, common misconceptions, and even the HBO hit show "The Last of Us."

In this episode Dr. Ron Walcott joins us to talk about diseases affecting seeds, and the challenges, and opportunities, in directing graduate education at the University of Georgia. Dr. Walcott is a researcher in the Department of Plant Pathology, the Vice Provost for Graduate Education, and Dean of the Graduate School at the University of Georgia. His research interests include seed pathology, plant pathology, and bacteriology.

In this bonus episode Dr. Jessica Kissinger reflects on her unconventional path to a successful and productive career in science. Dr. Jessica Kissinger is an evolutionary geneticist, and Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Genetics and the Institute of Bioinformatics. She is also a faculty member of the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases. Her research is focused on parasite genomics, the biology of genome evolution, and the development of computational tools for data mining.

In this episode Dr. Jessica Kissinger joins us to talk about how insights gained from analyzing parasite genomes can help us more effectively develop interventions against these dangerous pathogens in the future. Dr. Jessica Kissinger is an evolutionary geneticist, and Distinguished Research Professor in the Department of Genetics and the Institute of Bioinformatics. She is also a faculty member of the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases. Her research is focused on parasite genomics, the biology of genome evolution, and the development of computational tools for data mining.

According to the CDC, Salmonella bacteria cause over a million infections each year, and over 400 deaths in the US alone. While most of outbreaks are caused by contaminated food, some are linked to other sources such as wild or domestic birds, raccoons and even small turtles. But just how is an outbreak of Salmonella traced to its source? Our guest today can help us understand this process of molecular detective work. Dr. Nikki Shariat is an assistant professor in the Department of Population Health at UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine. Her areas of research include molecular epidemiology of bacterial foodborne pathogens using metagenomics with a particular focus on Salmonella population dynamics in food animals and in the environment.

In this episode Dr. Dennis Kyle joins us to talk about a deadly disease caused by Naegleria fowleri, also known as the brain-eating amoeba. Dr. Kyle is the Director of the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases at the University of Georgia, and a faculty member in the Departments of Infectious Diseases and Cellular Biology. His areas of research include drug discovery for malaria and the brain-eating amoeba, and understanding how parasites become resistant to drugs.

In this episode Dr. Belen Cassera joins us to discuss development of new drugs to treat and prevent malaria, one of the deadliest diseases afflicting humankind. Dr. Belen Cassera is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology here at UGA, and a member of the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases. Her research focuses on discovery of new drugs to prevent and treat malaria, as well as understanding how these drugs work, and how parasites can sometimes become resistant to them.

Today our guest is Dr. Janice Hume, a historical journalist who has studied the print media coverage of the 1918 flu pandemic, and who can offer insights into media coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Janice Hume is a distinguished professor, researcher, author, and head of the department of Journalism of the Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication here at UGA.