Public Health Disrupted

Public Health Disrupted

UCL Health of the Public

Episodes 31
Avg. Duration 38m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 5.0 (1)
Since Nov 2020
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Monthly
Format
Episodic
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feeds.transistor.fm

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About This Podcast

Presented by Doctor, writer and TV Presenter Xand van Tulleken and community health psychologist and self-proclaimed hippie, UCL's Professor Rochelle Burgess. This podcast is about public health, but more importantly, it’s about the systems that need disrupting to make public health better. In each episode, we’ll be challenging the status quo of this field, asking what needs to change, why and how to get there. We’ll be joined by activists, scholars, artists, comedians and industry professionals to offer perspectives from the UCL community and beyond. We’re calling this podcast Public Health Disrupted because that’s exactly what we want to do. We are going to be breaking down disciplinary, sectoral and geographic boundaries to really understand the diverse and complex issues impacting our health.

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Recent Episodes

S6E2 Global Mental Health: Rights, Care and the Global Landscape

Jun 11, 2026 48m Transcript

Global Mental Health: Rights, Care and the Global Landscape In this episode, Xand and Rochelle discuss the intricate relationship between geography and global mental health. Alongside guests Parth…

S6E1 Why are younger generations drinking less?

Apr 21, 2026 47m Transcript

In the first episode of Season 6 of Public Health Disrupted, Dr Xand van Tulleken and Professor Rochelle Burgess explore why younger generations are drinking less, and what that shift means for…

S5E5 Ageing Playfully: Transforming perspectives on growing older

Sep 25, 2025 42m Transcript

In this episode of Public Health Disrupted, host Rochelle Burgess is flying solo, and dives into the transformative power of play in the context of ageing. Joined by Rachel Colles, a professional…

S5E4 The Future of Work: Rethinking the 9 to 5

Aug 27, 2025 37m Transcript

What if the key to better mental health, stronger families, and a more sustainable society was working less?In this episode, Xand van Tulleken and Rochelle Burgess explore how reducing the working…

S5E3 Beyond the neglectful state: unpacking the intersection of public health and personal freedom

Jul 15, 2025 43m Transcript

In this episode of Public Health Disrupted, hosts Xand van Tulleken and Professor Rochelle Burgess tackle the concept of the "nanny state". Alongside guests Dr Adam Briggs and Professor James Wilson,…

S5E2 Listening to connect: how understanding beliefs can transform public health

May 27, 2025 42m Transcript

Hosts Xand van Tulleken and Rochelle Burgess dive into how we form beliefs, and how they shape our understanding of critical public health issues. From vaccination hesitancy to climate change, the…

S5E1 Running together: Parkrun & the transformative power of grassroots community fitness

Apr 01, 2025 40m Transcript

Welcome back to a brand new season of Public Health Disrupted!As Rochelle makes her return to the podcast following maternity leave, we’re excited to present the very first episode of Season 5: a…

S4E6 Smoke-Free Future: Tackling tobacco and vaping for the health of the public

Aug 19, 2024 42m Transcript

The World Health Organisation highlights the tobacco epidemic as one of the greatest public health crises in history, claiming over 8 million lives annually. Over 7 million of these deaths stem from…

S4E5 Flushing Out the Truth: Sewage and Public Health in the UK

Aug 12, 2024 36m Transcript

The development of wastewater systems in the 19th century was one of the greatest achievements of public health, but in recent years there has been growing concern and scrutiny of water quality and…

S4E4 The genetic revolution: implications and applications for improving the health of the public

May 08, 2024 42m Transcript

In this month’s episode, our experts dive into the exciting world of genetics, exploring the latest technological breakthroughs and innovations. They discuss not only the value of these advancements…

S4E3 Redefining the Classroom: Nurturing mental health through nature, arts, and understanding

Mar 26, 2024 39m Transcript

"It's not our children who are disordered, it's the environment in which we're expecting them to operate."In this month’s episode, our experts explore the pressing issue of children's mental health…

S4E2 Episode 2: AI for Good - Tech and Ethics in Humanitarian Crises

Feb 20, 2024 39m

"Is technology the magic bullet for humanitarian aid, or does it come with its own set of ethical dilemmas?"In this episode, hosts Dr Xand van Tulleken and Dr Rochelle Burgess delve into the complex…

S4E1 Injecting Innovation - Creative Ways to boost vaccination rates

Jan 08, 2024 38m Transcript

Join hosts Doctor Xand van Tulleken and Dr Rochelle Burgess for Season 4, Episode 1 of Public Health Disrupted with Prof Helen Bedford and Doctor Ranj Singh."It's about building knowledge with…

S3E5 Unravelling Health Disparities: The Racial Divide

Aug 07, 2023 35m Transcript

“It’s the indirect act of racism that is leading to poorer outcomes for racialised groups.”How does racism impact people’s health? And how big is this problem? We're three years on from George…

S3E4 Episode 4: The change-up, demystifying the menopause

Jul 06, 2023 40m

Join hosts Doctor Xand van Tulleken and Dr Rochelle Burgess for Season 3, Episode 4 of Public Health Disrupted with Prof Joyce Harper and Rachel Lankester. “We’re more valuable to our communities…

S3E3 Episode 3: Sex by numbers

Jun 20, 2023 39m

“A remarkable number of claims you see in newspapers and magazines about sex are essentially made up.”What does the average British person think about sex? For over 40 years the Natsal surveys have…

S3E2 Ultra-Processed People

Apr 27, 2023 37m Transcript

“It’s really not our fault that we struggle with our health, we have to look to the system around us and hold them accountable.”In our fast-paced world, convenience is king where food is concerned…

S3E1 Episode 1: Living on the edge - health inequalities and rising costs

Mar 20, 2023 40m

EPISODE DESCRIPTION“The way to get economic growth in a sustainable way is to improve the income of the bottom 60% of the population.”How does the cost-of-living crisis affect the health of the…

S2E6 Episode 6: Fat Chance: how the body positivity movement can be used to influence societal change

Sep 23, 2022 41m

“The ways in which we talk about our bodies, the metaphors we use to understand our bodies in the world around us radically shape our health and the way we approach health.” What is meant by the…

S2E5 Episode 5: The power of conversation: redefining the binary around social media and young people's mental health

Aug 18, 2022 35m

“There’s much more room for nuance in the conversation than it feels like we have now.”Social media is a huge part of our lives, but growing fears are fuelling debate that it is bad for children and…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does Public Health Disrupted have?

Public Health Disrupted has published 31 episodes since November 2020, covering topics in Education, Science.

Is Public Health Disrupted still active?

Public Health Disrupted is currently highly active with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 38m.

How do I contact Public Health Disrupted for sponsorship or guest appearances?

Sign up on Grep.FM to access contact details for Public Health Disrupted, including email and social media links.

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