People, Parasites, and Plagues
Science Podcasts
People, Parasites, and Plagues is a podcast aimed at delivering information about the fascinating pathogens among us from the impressive professionals who study them. Join our hosts Dr. David Peterson and Dr. Kim Klonowski, two infectious disease researchers from the University of Georgia, as we explore the past, present, and future of science. Tune in every other week for a new and enlightening episode as we unpack the details surrounding some of Earth’s most perplexing diseases.
Location:
United States
Genres:
Science Podcasts
Description:
People, Parasites, and Plagues is a podcast aimed at delivering information about the fascinating pathogens among us from the impressive professionals who study them. Join our hosts Dr. David Peterson and Dr. Kim Klonowski, two infectious disease researchers from the University of Georgia, as we explore the past, present, and future of science. Tune in every other week for a new and enlightening episode as we unpack the details surrounding some of Earth’s most perplexing diseases.
Language:
English
Contact:
706-542-4569
Email:
dharn@uga.edu
Episodes
PPP Book Club: Infectious Reads 2
5/30/2025
We're ending this season with another Book Club! Our hosts are joined today by Production Assistant Syd Weigand to discuss the novels they've read about malaria, tuberculosis, and new guinea tapeworms.
Duration:00:33:01
Treating Mosquitoes: Innovative Ways To Combat Malaria
5/16/2025
This week we're joined by Dr. Douglas Paton, Assistant Professor of the UGA Department of Infectious Diseases. We've covered malaria before- but not like this! Tune in to hear about his groundbreaking work on an incredible new way to treat the disease.
Duration:00:35:56
Harnessing the Hulk: Insights on T Cell Function
4/25/2025
Today's guest is a special one; he's travelled all the way from Australia to chat with us! Dr. Stephen Turner, Professor and Head of the Department of Microbiology at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, joins us in the studio to discuss his research on T cells, his journey into science, and some great immune system analogies.
Duration:00:39:40
CWD, BTV, EHDV, Oh My!
4/11/2025
Today we're talking to Dr. Mark Ruder, the Director of SCWDS and Professor of Wildlife Heath here at UGA. Tune in to hear about the origins of the Southern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study and Dr. Ruder's fascinating work with diseases in whitetail deer!
Duration:00:33:06
Wolbachia: Unwelcome Guest or Essential Partner?
3/28/2025
You'll have to tune in to find out! Today we're chatting with Dr. Vincent Starai, an associate professor of the UGA Department of Microbiology about his research with the obligate intracellular bacterium Wolbachia and his passion for teaching.
Duration:00:35:30
Hypnozoites: World's Best Nappers
3/14/2025
This week we're joined by Dr. Chester Joyner of the UGA Department of Infectious Diseases to discuss his research with Plasmodium vivax and the curious nature of its dormant liver stage.
Duration:00:44:06
Mom For The Win: Setting Up Your Early Immunity For Success!
2/28/2025
We're back today with a special visitor: Dr. Stephanie Langel, Assistant Professor of the Case Western University Department of Pathology. Tune in to hear about her journey to science, her research on colostrum and immunity, and her own experience as a podcast host!
Check out Stephanie's podcast "Immune" here: https://open.spotify.com/show/7vA26ZVp392p6udK7jltrI?si=dHqBa5_GSMuzuASWn2JT6Q
Duration:00:30:11
TB, Or Not TB
2/10/2025
This week we're talking tuberculosis with Dr. Frederick Quinn, the Department Head of Infectious Diseases here at UGA. Tune in to hear about his current research with zoonotic tuberculosis and what he's learned about transmission of this deadly disease.
Duration:00:38:45
To BSL, Or Not To BSL, That Is The Question
1/17/2025
We've got a treat for you this week! Dr. Jeff Hogan of the UGA Department of Infectious Diseases is joining us to talk about his work in the most secure building on campus and his time spent protecting our country from diseases with USAMRIID.
Duration:00:38:04
The Life & Times of the Schisto Kid
12/27/2024
Join us this week for a special discussion with Emeritus Professor of Microbiology Dr. Daniel Colley. We're chatting with him about his time spent with the CDC, becoming the director of the Center for Tropical and Emerging Global Diseases at UGA, and the research abroad that sparked his passion for schistosomes.
Duration:00:34:19
Galen: A Guy With A Great Sense of Humors
12/13/2024
We're mixing it up a little bit this week with Dr. Susan Mattern of the UGA Department of Classics! Join us on our walk through history as we talk about Galen, a prolific Roman physician whose treatises dominated Western medicine for over a thousand years.
Duration:00:32:31
Bears Hibernate, And So Does Malaria?
11/29/2024
Today we're chatting with post-doctoral associate Dr. Anthony Ruberto about his work with the Kyle Lab here at UGA and his journey towards the unique field of malaria research he's in today.
Duration:00:29:22
Transposons Advance Fungal Research By Leaps & Bounds
11/15/2024
We're back this week to talk more Cryptococcus neoformans with Dr. Blake Billmyre of the UGA Department of Infectious Diseases! Join us to hear how he's studying transposons in an effort to improve antifungal drugs.
Duration:00:29:12
That’s NOT A Nucleus In Your Red Blood Cell
11/1/2024
Dr. Vasant Muralidharan joins us this week for a metaphor-packed discussion about malaria and his work (and personal experience) with the Plasmodium parasite.
Duration:00:36:14
A Lesson In Mentoring
10/18/2024
This week we're chatting with Dr. Erin Dolan, a Professor of Science Education here at UGA about how different factors in student's research experiences influence them and how the presence of mentorship can affect their pathway into a STEM career.
Duration:00:31:39
Communicate Your Research In 3 Minutes. Go!
10/4/2024
We're back with a new sort of episode this week as we chat with "Three Minute Thesis" participants Jordan Parker and Hannah Ericson about their experiences in this difficult competition and their interesting research on science education and equine stem cell therapy.
Duration:00:33:52
A New Perspective on Parasites
4/1/2024
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.
Duration:00:27:19
The Lovely Study of Kissing Bugs
11/23/2023
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.
Duration:00:27:23
Still Fighting The Fiery Serpent
11/10/2023
This week, we're joined by Dr. Chris Cleveland from the UGA Department of Population Health to talk guinea worm.
Duration:00:39:34
The Good, The Bad, And The Fungus
9/29/2023
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."
Duration:00:26:07