Medicine
Forecasting earthquakes using neural computing
Nikola Kasbov is a professor of computer science at AUT. His current work involves making computers work more like brains and using these neural systems to solve complex problems like which medicines… Audio
Rongoa - Donna Kerridge
Rongoa practitioner and tutor Donna Kerridge shares her knowledge of traditional Maori medicine and offers some simple practical advice for everyday ailments. Donna is a trained herbalist and the… Audio
Genetics and Disease
Humans think they’re sophisticated but have fewer genes than a banana. With two percent of our genome encoding proteins, scientists are turning to junk DNA to determine the chance of heart disease and… Audio
Codeine
Codeine aka 3-methylmorphine, is an opioid painkiller that's derived from morphine. John Ashton is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the Otago School of Medical… Audio
Genetics and Health
Genomics has gone from searching for something unknown to targeted gene research on the cause of diseases of like obesity, but with the technology comes the potential for abuse and possibility of a… Audio
Handheld DNA analyser
A handheld DNA analyser powered by the sun could revolutionise the diagnosis of diseases like cancer and TB in the developing world. We speak to Jonathan O'Halloran of QuantuMDx who's working on the… Audio
Mike Berridge: mitochondria, DNA and disease
Kim Hill talks to the Distinguished Research Fellow and Group Leader, Cancer Cell and Molecular Biology at the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, who is co-leader of a world-first research… Audio
Documentaries have the power to unite
What does it mean to live in the moment? Be Here Now: The Andy Whitfield story kicks off the launch of the Documentary Edge Festival this coming month, taking a look at the journey of an actor… Audio
LSD could one day treat mental illness
A study of how LSD impacts on the brain has raised the possibility the illegal drug may one day be used to treat psychiatric conditions. Audio
Ian Tannock: personalised cancer care
Guest host Philippa Tolley interviews Dr Ian Tannock, Emeritus Professor of Medicine and Medical Biophysics at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and University of Toronto and a major international… Audio
Using Honey As Medicine - Dr Shaun Holt
Professor Shaun Holt, is a medical researcher and adjunct Professor at Victoria University.And he's a bit of an entrepeneur. He has started two clinical trials organisations, formed medical research… Audio
Henry Marsh: Do No Harm
Henry Marsh is a pioneer of operating on brain tumours under local anaesthetic. In Do No Harm, he opens up to Kim Hill about the fierce joy of operating, his hatred of hospitals, and the profoundly… Audio
Expert warns of 'insane' pricetag for new cancer drugs
A leading New Zealand cancer researcher says international drug prices are becoming insane and it's a major and growing challenge for Pharmac. Audio
High costs in drug industry a sign of problems: expert
A New Zealand expert in the development of new anti-cancer medicines says world drug prices are far too high and the system is "broke". Audio
Cancer - causes and treatments
Sarah Allinson of Lancaster University has reviewed two recent but contradictory studies in the journals Nature and Science looking at the causes of cancer. So how much is down to lifestyle choices… Audio
What is a disease?
How useful is it to label some types of behaviour as diseases? Senior Lecturer at the University of Otago's Bioethics Centre Neil Pickering looks at when a disease is not really a disease. Audio
Who does medical trials?
Medical trials depend on people being prepared to try new drugs or to take part in experimental procedures which may not help them now, but might help others in the future. There are many reason not… Audio
Targetting pain
Painkillers marketed as targetting "specific pain" are being pulled off the shelves in Australia for being misleading. Consumer NZ has recommended we follow suit. Audio
Drugs: Ritalin
How Ritalin works, its uses, mis-uses and the dangers. With John Ashton, a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology at the Otago School of Medical Sciences. Audio
The cost of medicines
Dr Chris Jackson of the Cancer Society talks about the costs of drugs here and in other countries. Audio