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This Podcast Will Kill You

This Podcast Will Kill You

By: Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts
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This podcast might not actually kill you, but Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke cover so many things that can. In each episode, they tackle a different topic, teaching listeners about the biology, history, and epidemiology of a different disease or medical mystery. They do the scientific research, so you don’t have to. Since 2017, Erin and Erin have explored chronic and infectious diseases, medications, poisons, viruses, bacteria and scientific discoveries. They’ve researched public health subjects including plague, Zika, COVID-19, lupus, asbestos, endometriosis and more. Each episode is accompanied by a creative quarantini cocktail recipe and a non-alcoholic placeborita. Erin Welsh, Ph.D. is a co-host of the This Podcast Will Kill You. She is a disease ecologist and epidemiologist and works full-time as a science communicator through her work on the podcast. Erin Allmann Updyke, MD, Ph.D. is a co-host of This Podcast Will Kill You. She’s an epidemiologist and disease ecologist currently in the final stretch of her family medicine residency program. This Podcast Will Kill You is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including science, true crime, comedic interviews, news, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, Buried Bones, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast and more.2026 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia Hygiene & Healthy Living Science
Episodes
  • Ep 213 Burns Part 2: It’s like sci-fi but real

    Ep 213 Burns Part 2: It’s like sci-fi but real
    Jun 16 2026

    At the turn of the 20th century, a severe burn was often a death sentence. Today, that is no longer the case. Over the past eighty years, burn care has undergone a profound transformation thanks to crucial advances across diverse areas of medicine, such as skin grafting, antiseptic technique, and fluid balance. In this episode, we trace how those pieces of the puzzle were integrated to bring new hope to those with severe burn injuries. But this revolution in burn care is far from over. As we discover, thrilling research in this area is blurring the lines between science and science fiction. Bioengineered skin? 3D-printed skin scaffolding? Nanoparticles? Tune in for all the exciting details!

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    59 mins
  • Ep 212 Burns Part 1: The first million or so years

    Ep 212 Burns Part 1: The first million or so years
    Jun 9 2026

    Burns have been a part of the human experience since our hominin relatives began controlling fire 1.5 million years ago. Until very recently, we’ve been limited in our ability to manage burn wounds with any success, having instead to rely on our body’s innate healing responses. In this episode, we delve into those repair responses, explore what makes burns different from other types of injuries, and examine how we categorize burns based on severity. On the history side of things, we take a tour through humanity’s quest to alleviate the pain and suffering caused by the near-universal experience of getting burned. Ever wondered what Hippocrates would have recommended for a burn? Or what distinguishes a second- from third-degree burn? Tune in to find out.

    Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    56 mins
  • Special Episode: Alexandra Sifferlin & The Elusive Body

    Special Episode: Alexandra Sifferlin & The Elusive Body
    Jun 2 2026

    An accurate diagnosis can give us so much. It can give us a path forward. It can give us answers to long-standing questions. And it can give us much-needed hope. Yet many people around the world wait years to receive an accurate diagnosis, which can take a profound physical and emotional toll. What underlies these missed or incorrect diagnoses, and what can we do about it? In this week’s TPWKY book club episode, health journalist Alexandra Sifferlin joins me to discuss The Elusive Body: Doctors, Patients, and the Diagnosis Crisis. Her compassionate and sweeping exploration of this topic takes readers across the US as she connects with patients, doctors, and researchers that are deeply impacted by the diagnosis crisis. While plumbing the depths of this pervasive issue, Sifferlin also encounters many people who have dedicated their careers to addressing the diagnosis crisis and bringing people the answers they need and deserve. Tune in for a fascinating conversation on a subject that has affected so many of us.

    Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu

    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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    51 mins
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Most relevant
How do they do it? Really, this should be a horrifying subject, disturbing (and it can be at times) and yet the two podcasters here deal with the medical, the historical and the social impact, control and treatment of diseases (and other things that can kill you) with easy charm, humour where appropriate and their own, obvious, fascination with the subject matter, making this an enthralling and addictive podcast. Fascinating stuff, highly recommend

Making horrific subjects curiously fascinating

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very informative for understanding diseases, vaccines and much more. Love that the Erin's call out unethical practices, uncomfortable histories, racism, sexism etc

My favourite Podcast

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Loved this podcast even before I considered going into medicine. Now a med student and its so good at explaining diseases.

Always a great listen

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love this podcast, the Erins have it down!
favourite episode was the legionnaires disease one.
congrats on getting to 100 episodes and here's to 100 more

my favorite

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