People, Parasites, and Plagues
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.
Episodes
37 episodes
SCWDS: Monitoring Wildlife Health for 50 Years
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 whi...
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Season 4
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Episode 14
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33:06
Wolbachia: Unwelcome Guest or Essential Partner?
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.
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Season 4
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Episode 13
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35:30
Hypnozoites: World's Best Nappers
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.
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Season 4
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Episode 12
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44:06
Mom For The Win: Setting Up Your Early Immunity For Success!
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 experie...
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Season 4
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Episode 11
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30:11
TB, Or Not TB
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...
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Season 4
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Episode 10
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38:45
The Ins And Outs of Biocontainment
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.&n...
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Season 4
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Episode 9
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38:04
The Life & Times of the Schisto Kid
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 UG...
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Season 4
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Episode 8
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34:19
Galen: A Guy With A Great Sense Of Humors
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 tho...
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Season 4
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Episode 7
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32:31
Bears Hibernate, And So Does Malaria?
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.
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Season 4
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Episode 6
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29:22
Transposons Advance Fungal Research By Leaps & Bounds
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.
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Season 4
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Episode 5
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29:12
That’s NOT A Nucleus In Your Red Blood Cell
Dr. Vasant Muralidharan joins us this week for a metaphor-packed discussion about malaria and his work (and personal experience) with the Plasmodium parasite.
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Season 4
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Episode 4
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36:14
A Lesson In Mentoring
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 care...
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Season 4
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Episode 3
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31:39
Communicate Your Research In 3 Minutes. Go!
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 eq...
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Season 4
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Episode 2
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33:52
Are You Faster Than a Nematode?
The answer may surprise you! We're kicking off a new season with Dr. Astra Bryant: neuroscientist, parasitologist, and Assistant Professor at the University of Washington. Tune in to hear about her research with Strongyloides stercoral...
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Season 4
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Episode 1
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31:32
The Off-Key Immune Response to Malaria
We've got another great malaria episode lined up for you today with Dr. Noah Butler, a professor of microbiology and immunology from University of Iowa. Join us as we learn about immune response during the blood-stage of a Plasmodium infection ...
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Season 3
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Episode 14
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29:59
People, Parasites, and Pooches
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 subjec...
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Season 3
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Episode 13
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33:32
A New Perspective on Parasites
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 12
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27:19
Infectious Reads: A PPP Book Club
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 S...
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Season 3
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Episode 11
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36:34
Asking About Aspergillus
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 10
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31:57
Kissing Bugs Thrive, With a Little Help from Their Friends
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 9
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27:36
Mosquitoes, Malaria, & Medicine
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.
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Season 3
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Episode 8
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33:11
Tapeworms: Baby Making Machines
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...
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Season 3
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Episode 7
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29:30
Buzzworthy Studies: The Ecology of Mosquitoes
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 mosquitoes, impacts of global warming on di...
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Season 3
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Episode 6
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27:27
The Lovely Study of Kissing Bugs
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 tra...
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Season 3
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Episode 5
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27:23