Advertise on podcast: Best Medicine

Joining Kiri Pritchard-McLean this week is comedian Josh Pugh who makes the case for the life lessons learnt in Team Sports. Professor Julia Simner explores how our senses shape reality and talks to Kiri about a new pair of AI glasses that are helping people with dementia, Veterinary Ophthalmologist Dr Serena Maini champions the dogs helping to save other dogs' lives through blood donation, and writer Tim Clare rolls the dice for Board Games. Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, experts and historians to celebrate medicine's inspiring past, present and future. Each week Kiri challenges a panel of experts and a comedian to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine'. Each guest champions anything from world-changing science or an obscure invention to an everyday treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it’s groundbreaking surgery, seaweed underwear, AI glasses to help people with dementia, horse therapy, sports, revolutionary gene therapy for Huntington’s disease or yesterday’s rubbish becoming tomorrow’s medicines - it’s always something worth celebrating. Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean Featuring: Tim Clare, Dr Serena Maini, Josh Pugh and Professor Julia Simner Written by  Edward Easton, Mel Owen, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Ben Rowse Producer: Tashi Radha Executive Producer: Ben Worsfield Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4

Joining Kiri Pritchard-McLean this week is entrepreneur Alex Perry who champions seaweed underwear inspired by a personal mission to improve women's health. Professor Eleanor Stride returns with bubbles (again) in the fight against everything from cancer to antimicrobial resistance, and comedian Kate Cheka turns up the heat in defence of saunas. Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, experts and historians to celebrate medicine's inspiring past, present and future. Each week Kiri challenges a panel of experts and a comedian to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each guest champions anything from world-changing science or an obscure invention to an everyday treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it’s groundbreaking surgery, seaweed underwear, AI glasses to help people with dementia, horse therapy, sports, revolutionary gene therapy for Huntington’s disease or yesterday’s rubbish becoming tomorrow’s medicines - it’s always something worth celebrating. Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean Featuring: Kate Cheka, Alex Perry and Professor Eleanor Stride Written by  Edward Easton, Jordan Gray, Frances Keyton, Mel Owen, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Ben Rowse and Rhys Thorne Producer: Tashi Radha Executive Producer: Ben Worsfield Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4

Joining Kiri Pritchard-McLean this week is comedian Stephen Bailey who explains how fighting transformed his confidence. Professor Ed Wild shares a groundbreaking gene therapy that can treat Huntington's disease for the first time, and Professor Alessandra Devoto explores how plants like basil could help unlock future treatments for liver fibrosis. Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, experts and historians to celebrate medicine's inspiring past, present and future. Each week Kiri challenges a panel of experts and a comedian to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each guest champions anything from world-changing science or an obscure invention to an everyday treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it’s groundbreaking surgery, seaweed underwear, AI glasses to help people with dementia, horse therapy, sports, revolutionary gene therapy for Huntington’s disease or yesterday’s rubbish becoming tomorrow’s medicines - it’s always something worth celebrating. Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean Featuring: Stephen Bailey, Professor Alessandra Devoto and Professor Ed Wild Written by  Edward Easton, Jordan Gray, Frances Keyton, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Ben Rowse and Rhys Thorne Producer: Tashi Radha Executive Producer: Ben Worsfield Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4

Joining Kiri Pritchard-McLean this week is CEO and Founder of Devon Healing Horsemanship Louise Broadway, who champions how horses can help people for whom talking therapies haven’t worked. Intensive Care Doctor Matt Morgan argues there's more to Breaking Bad News than simply delivering it, and comedian Mel Owen shares how Instagram Reels helped lead her to not one but two life-changing diagnoses. Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, experts and historians to celebrate medicine's inspiring past, present and future. Each week Kiri challenges a panel of experts and a comedian to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each guest champions anything from world-changing science or an obscure invention to an everyday treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it’s groundbreaking surgery, seaweed underwear, AI glasses to help people with dementia, horse therapy, sports, revolutionary gene therapy for Huntington’s disease or yesterday’s rubbish becoming tomorrow’s medicines - it’s always something worth celebrating. Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean Featuring: Louise Broadway, Dr Matt Morgan and Mel Owen Written by  Edward Easton, Frances Keyton, Jordan Gray, Mel Owen, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Ben Rowse Producer: Tashi Radha Executive Producer: Ben Worsfield Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4

Joining Kiri Pritchard-McLean this week is comedian Jamie MacDonald who stretches the limits with Reformer Pilates, married couple Dr Lindsey Fitzharris and Adrian Teal who pitch the power of Persistence, and Wing Commander Poonam Valand who has Kiri in stitches with surgical Free Flaps. Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, experts and historians to celebrate medicine's inspiring past, present and future. Each week Kiri challenges a panel of experts and a comedian to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine'. Each guest champions anything from world-changing science or an obscure invention to an every-day treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it’s groundbreaking surgery, seaweed underwear, AI glasses to help people with dementia, horse therapy, sports, revolutionary gene therapy for Huntington’s disease or yesterday’s rubbish becoming tomorrow’s medicines - it’s always something worth celebrating. Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean Featuring: Dr Lindsey Fitzharris, Jamie MacDonald, Adrian Teal and Wing Commander Poonam Valand Written by Mel Owen, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Ben Rowse Producer: Tashi Radha Executive Producer: Ben Worsfield Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones A Large Time Production for BBC Radio 4

Joining Kiri Pritchard-McLean this week is comedian Michelle Wolf who reflects on home births, Professor Stephen Wallace explains how old plastic bottles can be transformed into a form of Dopamine that can be used to treat Parkinson’s disease, and Dr Matt Clarke from the Institute of Cancer Research and Great Ormond St Hospital demonstrates the power of medical collaboration in helping to identify and treat brain tumours. Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, experts and historians to celebrate medicine's inspiring past, present and future. Each week Kiri challenges a panel of experts and a comedian to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine'. Each guest champions anything from world-changing science or an obscure invention to an everyday treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it’s groundbreaking surgery, seaweed underwear, AI glasses to help people with dementia, horse therapy, sports, revolutionary gene therapy for Huntington’s disease or yesterday’s rubbish becoming tomorrow’s medicines - it’s always something worth celebrating. Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean Featuring: Dr Matt Clarke, Professor Stephen Wallace and Michelle Wolf Written by Edward Easton, Jordan Gray, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Ben Rowse Producer: Tashi Radha Executive Producer: Ben Worsfield Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4

Right, roll up your sleeve, it’s time for an extra dose of Best Medicine! This is a special episode of unheard bits that couldn’t be squeezed into Series 2, featuring more fascinating medical insights, extended bits and a whole Petri dish of jokes – some more cultured than others. Laura Smyth shares more on sleep, Zoe Lyons delves into transplants and Dr Lindsey Fitzharris takes Kiri through more weird ritualistic historical medical practices. Dr Matt Morgan talks about the time he stripped naked and covered himself in honey in the name of science, Daliso Chaponda is still in denial about denial, Dr Mark Williams blows Kiri's mind with his unexpected swimming career, and Reverend Benjamin Perry opens up again about the benefits of crying. Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, and historians to celebrate medicine’s inspiring past, present and future. Each week, Kiri challenges her panel to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each guest champions anything from world-changing science or an obscure invention, to an every-day treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it’s futuristic origami surgical robots, life-changing pineapple UTI vaccines, Victorian scandal mags, denial, sleep, tiny beating organoid hearts, lifesaving stem cell transplants, gold poo donors or even crying - it’s always something worth celebrating. Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean Featuring: Daliso Chaponda, Fatiha El-Ghorri, Professor Nicholas Embleton, Dr Lindsey Fitzharris, Zoe Lyons, Dr Matt Morgan, Reverend Benjamin Perry, Dr Fotios Sampaziotis, Laura Smyth and Dr Mark Williams Written by Laura Claxton, Edward Easton, Mel Owen, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, and Ben Rowse Producers: Tashi Radha and Ben Worsfield Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4

Joining Kiri this week is comedian Desiree Burch who explains the best ways to cope with pain following surgery. Dr Abdullah Khan engineers mini versions of human organs in a dish to enable more effective testing of new medical treatments, and Mark Williams shows off personalised prosthetic legs clad in anything from gold and flames to beer and the Welsh Flag. Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, and historians to celebrate medicine’s inspiring past, present and future. Each week, Kiri challenges a panel of medical experts and a comedian to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each guest champions anything from world-changing science or an obscure invention, to an every-day treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it’s origami surgical robots, life-changing pineapple UTI vaccines, Victorian scandal mags, denial, sleep, tiny beating organoid hearts, lifesaving stem cell transplants, gold poo donors or even crying - it’s always something worth celebrating. Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean Featuring: Desiree Burch, Dr Abdullah Khan and Dr Mark Williams Written by Laura Claxton, Mel Owen, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Nicky Roberts and Ben Rowse Producers: Tashi Radha and Ben Worsfield Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4

Joining Kiri this week in a literary special recorded at the Hay Festival is comedian Ignacio Lopez who heals family wounds through writing. Dr Paul Craddock explains how one of the most prestigious medical journals started as a scandal magazine, Miss Shabnam Parkar shares how poetry helps her perform surgery, and Professor Neil Frude walks Kiri through library bookshelves for mental health treatments. Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, and historians to celebrate medicine’s inspiring past, present and future. Each week Kiri challenges a panel of medical experts and a comedian to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each guest champions anything from world-changing science, an obscure invention, an everyday treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it’s origami surgical robots, life-changing pineapple UTI vaccines, Victorian scandal mags, denial, sleep, tiny beating organoid hearts, lifesaving stem cell transplants, gold poo donors or even crying - it’s always something worth celebrating. Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean Featuring: Dr Paul Craddock, Professor Neil Frude, Ignacio Lopez, Miss Shabnam Parkar Written by Edward Easton, Mel Owen, Pravanya Pillay, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Nicky Roberts and Ben Rowse Producers: Tashi Radha and Ben Worsfield Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4

Joining Kiri this week are Dr Claire Roddie who retrains cells to fight cancer using revolutionary, game-changing CAR T-cell therapy, and comedian Fatiha El-Ghorri who finds spiritual healing in water. Dr Lindsey Fitzharris takes comfort in rituals both historical and present-day to help her remember her grandmother Dorothy Sissors, and Rev Benjamin Perry explains how crying can be the best medicine. Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, and historians to celebrate medicine’s inspiring past, present and future. Each week, Kiri challenges panellists to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each guest champions anything from world-changing science or an obscure invention, to an everyday treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it’s origami surgical robots, life-changing pineapple UTI vaccines, Victorian scandal mags, denial, sleep, tiny beating organoid hearts, lifesaving stem cell transplants, gold poo donors or even crying - it’s always something worth celebrating. Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean Featuring: Fatiha El-Ghorri, Dr Lindsey Fitzharris, Rev Benjamin Perry and Dr Claire Roddie Written by Laura Claxton, Edward Easton, Mel Owen, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Ben Rowse Producers: Tashi Radha and Ben Worsfield Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4

Joining Kiri this week is comedian Laura Smyth who discovered the importance of sleep as she underwent cancer treatment. Historian Subhadra Das celebrates the incredible medical pioneer of blood transfusion Dr Charles Drew, Professor Lindsay Hall uses golden poo donors to cure serious infections, and Professor Nicholas Embleton’s life is saved by a stem cell transplant. Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, and historians to celebrate medicine’s inspiring past, present and future. Each week, Kiri challenges a panel of medical experts and a comedian to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each guest champions anything from world-changing science or an obscure invention, to an everyday treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it’s origami surgical robots, life-changing pineapple UTI vaccines, Victorian scandal mags, denial, sleep, tiny beating organoid hearts, lifesaving stem cell transplants, gold poo donors or even crying - it’s always something worth celebrating. Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean Featuring: Subhadra Das, Professor Nicholas Embleton, Professor Lindsay Hall and Laura Smyth Written by Laura Claxton, Edward Easton, Charlie George, Mel Owen, Pravanya Pillay, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Nicky Roberts and Ben Rowse Producers: Tashi Radha and Ben Worsfield Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4

Joining Kiri this week at the Hay Festival is comedian Zoe Lyons who tells Kiri how running helps with the stress associated with her alopecia - and how she survived getting rammed by a badger. Dr Matt Morgan explains how kangaroo vaginas held the key to developing IVF and whales’ hearts inspired new heart treatments for humans, Dr Fotios Sampaziotis unveils innovative new treatments that could repair livers before a transplant is needed, and ethnobotanist James Wong unearths the benefits of horticulture and how it can benefit health and bring hope. Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, and historians to celebrate medicine’s inspiring past, present and future. Each week, Kiri challenges a panel of medical experts and a comedian to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each guest champions anything from world-changing science or an obscure invention, to an everyday treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it’s origami surgical robots, life-changing pineapple UTI vaccines, Victorian scandal mags, denial, sleep, tiny beating organoid hearts, lifesaving stem cell transplants, gold poo donors or even crying - it’s always something worth celebrating. Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean Featuring: Zoe Lyons, Dr Matt Morgan, Dr Fotios Sampaziotis and James Wong Written by Laura Claxton, Edward Easton, Charlie George, Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Nicky Roberts and Ben Rowse Producers: Tashi Radha and Ben Worsfield Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4

Joining Kiri Pritchard-McLean this week is comedian Daliso Chaponda who champions Denial as the best medicine (or does he?). Urology Consultant Mr Bob Yang explains how a pineapple-flavoured UTI vaccine is changing lives, Dr Dana Damian takes Kiri on a journey through the body with tiny swallowable Origami Surgical Robots, and paramedic Thomas Martin teaches Kiri how to stay alive with Defibrillators. And the panel hear from David, one of the few people in the world who can claim he was brought back from clinical death with a defibrillator - and has also watched the whole incident on video. Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, and historians to celebrate medicine’s inspiring past, present and future. Each week Kiri challenges a panel of medical experts and a comedian to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each guest champions anything from world-changing science or an obscure invention, to an every-day treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it’s origami surgical robots, life-changing pineapple UTI vaccines, Victorian scandal mags, denial, sleep, tiny beating organoid hearts, lifesaving stem cell transplants, gold poo donors or even crying - it’s always something worth celebrating. Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean Featuring: Daliso Chaponda, Dr Dana Damian, Thomas Martin and Mr Bob Yang Written by Mel Owen, Pravanya Pillay, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Ben Rowse Producers: Tashi Radha and Ben Worsfield Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4

It's time for your second dose of Best Medicine! Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by a funny and fascinating panel of comedians, doctors, scientists, and historians to celebrate medicine’s inspiring past, present and future. Each week Kiri challenges her guests to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each of them champions anything from world-changing science or an obscure invention, to an every-day treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it’s futuristic origami surgical robots, life-changing pineapple UTI vaccines, Victorian scandal mags, denial, sleep, tiny beating organoid hearts, lifesaving stem cell transplants, gold poo donors or even crying - it’s always something worth celebrating. Series 2 starts on Tuesday 19 November 2024 - and if you want to be notified as soon as a new episode drops, make sure you're subscribed to Best Medicine on BBC Sounds and have push notifications turned on.

Joining Kiri this week are historian Dr Paul Craddock who unravels how vascular surgery owes a debt to 19th century Parisian embroiderer Marie-Anne Leroudier, historian Subhadra Das unearthing stories of death prevention, comedian Ria Lina pushing epidurals as the best medicine, and paediatrician Dr Guddi Singh who shows off with play. Best Medicine is your weekly dose of laughter, hope and incredible medicine. Award-winning comedian Kiri Pritchard-McLean is joined by funny and fascinating comedians, doctors, scientists and historians to celebrate medicine’s inspiring past, present and future. Each week, Kiri challenges her guests to make a case for what they think is 'the best medicine', and each of them champions anything from world-changing science to an obscure invention, an everyday treatment, an uplifting worldview, an unsung hero or a futuristic cure. Whether it’s micro-robotic surgery, virtual reality syringes, Victorian clockwork surgical saws, more than a few ingenious cures for cancer, world-first lifesaving heart operations, epidurals, therapy, dancing, faith or laughter - it’s always something worth celebrating. Hosted by Kiri Pritchard-McLean Featuring: Dr Paul Craddock, Subhadra Das, Ria Lina, Dr Guddi Singh Written by Laura Claxton, Edward Easton, Charlie George, Kiri Pritchard-McLean and Ben Rowse Producer: Ben Worsfield Assistant Producer: Tashi Radha Executive Producer: Simon Nicholls Theme tune composed by Andrew Jones A Large Time production for BBC Radio 4