How Science Matters

Burnet Institute

Helping us to make sense of the many impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic through science. Why is it so hard to crush this pandemic and will we solve this complex problem? Digging through the science of the coronavirus and other infectious diseases, we look at how we got here, and what comes next. In these uncertain times, this 8-part series shares the stories of Australian scientists to help make sense of a mutating virus and to give us hope. This is a science podcast from Burnet Institute, a key adviser to government and the global response during the COVID-19 pandemic. Hear from the nation’s leading scientific thinkers as they forensically uncover what it takes to battle a deadly disease. Hosted by journalist Tracy Parish and Professor Brendan Crabb, a microbiologist, malaria researcher, and one of the best minds in infectious diseases and global health today.

Produced by Written & Recorded.

Find all episodes of How Science Matters at
burnet.edu.au/how-science-matters

How Science Matters was recorded on the traditional land of the Bunurong people of the Kulin Nations and we offer our respects to Elders past and present. We recognise and respect the cultural heritage of this land.

Disclaimer: Series 1 of this podcast was recorded between June and July 2021. For current information on the pandemic, please search for the latest official coronavirus advice in your area.

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Episodes

Episode 8: Lost Voice – COVID's impact on eliminating malaria

The COVID-19 pandemic threatens to derail global efforts against killer infectious diseases like malaria, tuberculosis, and HIV, leading to more deaths. As limited health resources in parts of Africa, Asia and Papua New Guinea are channelled into controlling the coronavirus, this could set back years of progress in tackling these diseases across vulnerable communities. In this episode, you’ll meet Burnet Institute’s Deputy Director, Professor James Beeson, a malaria vaccine specialist who also w...

Sep 13, 2021•37 min•Season 1Ep. 8

Episode 7: Modelling COVID-19 – Can we predict the future?

Episode 7: Modelling COVID-19: Can we predict the future? In an island-continent like Australia, with a population of almost 26 million, how is the coronavirus likely to spread? And how can transmission be halted? In this episode, you’ll meet Burnet Institute’s Deputy Director, Professor Margaret Hellard and Dr Nick Scott, the Head of Modelling. They are part of the team behind the Victorian adaptation of the COVASIM Epidemic model, which was first developed by the Institute for Disease Modellin...

Sep 06, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 7

Episode 6: Motherhood in a time of pandemic

For some pregnant women in Australia, the arrival of COVID-19 ushered in an unusually strange and lonely time. Reassuring face-to-face antenatal care was replaced by remote telehealth. Many gave birth supported by midwives dressed in PPE gear. In developing countries, women were considered lucky if they managed to secure an appointment with a midwife. In this episode, you’ll meet Burnet Institute’s Professor Caroline Homer, a leading midwifery researcher and maternal and newborn health expert. S...

Aug 30, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 6

Episode 5: Is COVID-normal really possible?

Asking people to behave differently to how they would normally, is complicated. In a country like Australia, with over 270 different ancestries and a quarter of the population born in non-English speaking countries, it’s even more complex. Why then do we blame people for not following the public health restrictions when effective, targeted communication campaigns have been missing? In this episode, Burnet Institute Deputy Director, Professor Margaret Hellard explains how you can influence commun...

Aug 23, 2021•40 min•Season 1Ep. 5

Episode 4 – Everyone's an epidemiologist

Epidemiologists have become the new rock stars in an era of coronavirus. It’s these ‘disease detectives’ who have kept the world informed about how the virus has been spreading and how it might spread in the future. In this episode, you’ll meet Professor Mike Toole, a 40-year veteran of disease control whose face now pops up all over the world’s media. Mike is an epidemiologist at Burnet Institute and the technical advisor to the Know- C19 Knowledge Hub. He had to shelve his retirement plans in ...

Aug 09, 2021•38 min•Season 1Ep. 4

Episode 3 – No one is safe until everyone is safe

Why can’t a wealthy country like Australia, with its world-class medical resources simply shut out COVID-19? In this episode, Burnet Institute’s Professor Leanne Robinson, Program Director for Health Security unpicks the reason we can’t just barrier ourselves off from the rest of the world. She points to glaring inequalities on our doorstep, in countries like Papua New Guinea where she has lived and worked for more than a decade, and warns that ignoring this inequity will be at our own peril. Ge...

Aug 09, 2021•33 min•Season 1Ep. 3

Episode 2 – Are vaccines the silver bullet?

The speed of vaccine development for COVID-19 has amazed the most seasoned of scientists. So, how did we get here so fast? And will the vaccines continue to stop death and disease, days off work and ongoing economic disruption in its tracks as the virus keeps mutating? In this episode, you’ll meet Burnet Institute’s Professor Heidi Drummer, Program Director of Disease Elimination, who thinks no-one will be untouched by COVID-19 in 20 years’ time, and why the need for a coronavirus vaccine is up ...

Aug 09, 2021•43 min•Season 1Ep. 2

Episode 1 – A year like no other, the pandemic continues

Why was COVID-19 the virus that become a pandemic? In early 2020 as bushfires ravaged the east coast of Australia, there was an even bigger threat about to engulf the country – the coronavirus. When a virus that’s not normally found in humans took hold, it exposed all our vulnerabilities and inequalities. In this episode, Professor Brendan Crabb tells the story of how science was thrust into the spotlight in the hunt for an invisible enemy as the world looked for answers, and quickly. He also re...

Aug 09, 2021•39 min•Season 1Ep. 1

Series Trailer

Helping us to make sense of the many impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic through science. Why is it so hard to keep a lid on a pandemic? Sifting through the science of the coronavirus and other infectious diseases, we look at how we got here, and what comes next. In these uncertain times, this 8-part series digs into the stories of Australian scientists to help make sense of a mutating virus and to give us hope. This is a science podcast from Burnet Institute, key advisers to the Australian Gover...

Jul 22, 2021•4 min

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