Previous episodes

Rt Hon Matt Hancock MP served as Secretary of State for Health and Social Care from July 2018 to June 2021 and is MP for West Suffolk. He was at the centre of the UK response to the pandemic for 18 months until he resigned after breaking social distancing guidance.

This entire podcast and all the other Scouse Science podcasts can be heard now on Blubrry. 

Episode 20 - The Music Science Edition with DJ Yousef and Dr Eduardo Coutinho

In this full video episode you can watch the first music science edition hosted Professor Tom Solomon with Holly Ellis, our guests were International DJ, producer, promoter and Circus co-founder Yousef with Dr Eduardo Coutinho, founder and Director of the Applied Music Research Lab which aims to harness the power of music to improve people’s lives in this first music science episode hosted by Professor Tom Solomon CBE with Scouse Scientist Holly Ellis.

In this episode, Yousef, a pivotal player in ‘The First Dance’, the official trial event forming part of the Governments’ Covid-19 Event Research programme tells us about how he and the team were told they had only 3 weeks to bring these first large-scale, public events together.

Eduardo speaks about his experiences of research into music acting as an ‘emotional contagion’ and its role in our earliest forms of human communication and how it might have underpinned mating success.

Meanwhile Tom brings the exhilarating soundscape created by Yousef directly to the Scouse Science podcast attendees.

Liverpool born DJ, Label Owner and Producer, Yousef, founded the legendary club night, Circus, in 2002 and has hosted some of the biggest DJs in the world. Visit his Soundcloud for Circus recordings and original mixes.

University of Liverpool's Dr Eduardo Coutinho is the founder and Director of the APPLIED MUSIC Research Lab, an interdisciplinary research group based at the Department of Music from the University of Liverpool that aims to harness the benefits of music for improving people's lives.

This entire podcast and all the other Scouse Science podcasts can also be heard now on Blubrry.

Episode 19 - The World Encephalitis Day Edition

Marking World Encephalitis Day, actress and impressionist Jan Ravens (Dead Ringers, Spitting Image) joins Professor Tom Solomon in his office 'studio' in-person, to raise awareness about this little known disease, sharing her experience about the devastating impact on her husband Max who contracted encephalitis in 2015 and also her hilarious experiences when first joining the BBC as comedy producer in the 1980s.

The programme is produced in collaboration with the Encephalitis Society.

Hoylake born Jan Ravens is best known for her voices on Spitting Image and Dead Ringers. The three Dead Ringers Christmas specials are available to stream and download on BBC iPlayer.

This entire podcast and all the other Scouse Science podcasts can be heard now on Blubrry.

Episode 18 - The Leadership Edition

Professor Tom Solomon joined the new Merseyside Police Chief Constable, Serena Kennedy and the creator of The Cambridge Code, Dr Curly Moloney to talk all about leadership; is it linked to self-confidence and resilience, and what is 'impostor syndrome'?

In this episode, Serena discusses her initiatives for more compassionate policing in the community and the value of health, schools and other scientific data in a holistic approach to youth crime while Curly brings her unique insight into the importance of family in the development of human motivation in the first 2-3 years of life, integrity and trust and the importance of 'water-cooler moments' in work relationships.

Chief Constable Serena Kennedy joined Merseyside Police in 2017 as an Assistant Chief Constable and was appointed Chief Constable in April 2021 with 27 years' experience behind her. She became the first woman to hold the role of Chief Constable at Merseyside Police after her selection by the Police Commissioner was confirmed by the region’s Police and Crime Panel.

Dr Curly Moloney qualified in medicine from Oxford and Cambridge where she developed an interest in conscious and subconscious brain activity. She is director of ‘head-hunting’ firm Moloney Executive Search which recruits senior positions in academia, business, and public sector. The company counts over a third of the FTSE 100 as clients. Her book, The Cambridge Code, which provides unprecedented insight into your psychological profile.

This entire podcast and many other Scouse Science podcasts can be heard now on Blubrry.

Episode 17 - The Muscle Edition

 

Professor Tom Solomon's guests for this episode were FA Cup-winning Liverpool Football Club Doctor Jim Moxon and the University’s Professor of Musculoskeletal Science Anne MacArdle currently working with the MicroAge Project to talk muscle – maximising its potential on the football field, minimising its deterioration as we age, and an amazing experiment sending muscle to the International Space Station.

In this edition, Jim outlines the latest strategies used to improve the players muscle strength and power on the pitch and the possible impacts of viral infection on muscle injury while Anne discusses her latest research initiative; how growing muscles in space mimics the long-term deterioration of muscle tissues as we age and how it can be used as a strategy for mitigating age-related muscle loss and finding new treatments.

Dr Jim Moxon joined Liverpool FC as the head of sports medicine and fitness at the Academy in the summer of 2016, before moving to Melwood in 2020 in the role of club doctor.

sity of Liverpool's Professor Anne McArdle was is about to launch the MicroAge experiment in Florida working in partnership with the UK Space Agency to send muscle cells up to the ISS to study age-related loss of muscle mass in microgravity!

This entire podcast and many other Scouse Science podcasts can be heard now on Blubrry  .

Episode 16 - The Climate Change Edition! 

Edwina Currie and Professor Ric Williams (Preview)

Professor Tom Solomon's guests in this episode are former Conservative MP, Edwina Currie, and University of Liverpool’s Professor Ric Williams from the University of Liverpool.

Liverpool born Edwina Currie served as MP for South Derbyshire from 1983 until 1997, and spent two years as a Junior Health Minister. She is a novelist and broadcaster who even took a turn in the jungle on ITV’s “I’m a Celebrity - Get Me Out of Here!”.

Professor Ric Williams joined the University of Liverpool in 1993 and became Professor of Ocean Sciences in 2004. He is Director of the University's Research Centre in Marine Sciences and Climate Change and is co-chair of the University research theme “Climate Futures”.

Dr Eva Maria Hodel deputised for our usual Scouse Scientist Dr Holly Ellis on this occasion. Eva Maria Hodel recently joined us from the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine She is a research scientist and pharmacist. Eva Maria has contributed directly to a number of clinical trial collaborations between LSTM and the University of Liverpool including the DolPHIN-2 trial in sub-Saharan Africa. She now works closely with Professor Solomon at the Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences.

This entire podcast and many other Scouse Science podcasts can be heard now on Blubrry.com  

Episode 15 - The Liverpool Literary Festival Edition: Dr Rachel Clarke and Dr Gavin Francis

Dr Rachel Clarke and Dr Gavin Francis (Preview)

This special episode of the Scouse Science podcast was being held in conjunction with the Liverpool Literary Festival and was the first in the series to take place in front of a live in-person audience as part of the 2021 Liverpool Literary Festival!

Professor Tom Solomon's guests in this episode was joined by two fantastic medical authors, Dr Rachel Clarke and Dr Gavin Francis, who have both released best-selling books during the pandemic.

NHS doctor, Rachel Clarke, is the author of the Sunday Times best-selling book 'Breathtaking', an insider's account of medicine in the time of coronavirus, based on Clarke’s own experiences working on frontline NHS Covid-19 wards.

NHS GP, Gavin Francis, is the author of 'Intensive Care', a deeply personal account of nine months spent caring for a society in crisis. Gavin Francis is a GP who works in both urban and rural communities, splitting his time between Edinburgh and the islands of Orkney.

This entire podcast and many other Scouse Science podcasts can be heard now on Blubrry.com 

Episode 14 - Dame Louise Ellman and Professor William Hope

Dame Louise Ellman and Professor William Hope (Preview)

Professor Tom Solomon's guests in this episode are Dame Louise Ellman and Professor William Hope from the University of Liverpool.

Manchester born Dame Louise Ellman (DBE) served as MP for Liverpool Riverside from 1997 to 2019. She was elected as a councillor on the Lancashire County Council in 1970 and was leader of Lancashire County Council from 1981 – 1997. She became the Labour group leader in 1977 and was awarded a Damehood in 2018. She is President of the Jewish Labour Movement and is Vice President of the Jewish Leadership Council.

Professor William Hope is Dame Sally Davies Chair of Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) Research at the University of Liverpool in the UK. Professor Hope is a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians and a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia. Professor Hope leads the Centre of Excellence in Infectious Diseases Research (CEIDR) which focuses on infection therapeutics.

This entire podcast and many other Scouse Science podcasts can be heard now on Blubrry.com  

Episode 13 - Rory Bremner and Professor Helen Sharp

Professor Tom Solomon's guests in this episode are impressionist and comedian, Rory Bremner, and Professor Helen Sharp from the University of Liverpool.

Political satirist, impressionist and comedian, Rory Bremner, is best known for his work on Mock the Week, Rory Bremner...Who Else? and his sketch comedy series, Bremner, Bird and Fortune. He's been a presenter, writer, quiz-show host, actor, translator and even graced the Stricly ballroom floor in 2011!

University of Liverpool’s Helen Sharp is Professor of Perinatal and Clinical Child Psychology in the Department of Primary Care and Mental Health. She is a Consultant Clinical Psychologist who jointly leads The Wirral Child Health and Development Study, and leads the The Bangalore Child Health and Development Study, which relate children's mental health to early environment. Her most recent work has focused on the impact of COVID-19 on children's mental health.

Listen to the full podcast now on your favourite podcast platform, and don't forget to like, subscribe and share!

Episode 12 - Professor Iain Buchan and Fi Glover

Professor Tom Solomon's guests in this episode are BBC journalist Fi Glover and the Executive Dean of the University of Liverpool's Institute of Population Health, Professor Iain Buchan.

Fi Glover is a BBC journalist who hosts the Fortunately podcast alongside previous Scouse Science guest, Jane Garvey, as well as The Listening Project for BBC Radio 4 and My Perfect Country for the BBC World Service.

Professor Iain Buchan lead's the University of Liverpool's Institute of Population Health and pursues data-intensive public health research for major societal challenges, most recently the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic and COVID-19 responses.

Episode 11 - Professor Dame Janet Beer and Jonathan Freedland

Professor Tom Solomon's guests in this episode are Guardian and BBC journalist, Jonathan Freedland, and University of Liverpool Vice-Chancellor, Professor Dame Janet Beer.

Jonathan Freedland is a Guardian columnist and presenter of BBC Radio 4's The Long View. He was awarded the Orwell special prize for journalism in 2014 and writes thrillers under the pseudonym Sam Bourne.

Professor Dame Janet Beer is Vice-Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, having formerly been Vice-Chancellor of Oxford Brookes University. She was awarded a Damehood for services to higher education and equality and diversity in the New Year’s Honours list 2018.

Episode 10 - Mairead Smyth and Professor Graham Medley

Professor Tom Solomon's guests in this episode are SAGE adviser and infectious disease expert, Prof Graham Medley, and BBC North West Tonight's, Mairead Smyth.

Professor Graham Medley joined the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in April 2015 and is currently attending SAGE as part of the UK COVID-19 response.

University of Liverpool graduate, Mairead Smyth, joined the BBC in 2007 and became a Senior Broadcast Journalist with BBC North West Tonight in 2018. She reports regularly on COVID-19 and its impact on the North West of England.

Episode 9 - Jan Ravens and Dr Mike Beadsworth

Professor Tom Solomon's guests this time are actress and impressionist, Jan Ravens, and Dr Mike Beadsworth from the Royal Liverpool University Hospital.

Hoylake born Jan Ravens is best known for her voices on Spitting Image and Dead Ringers. The three Dead Ringers Christmas specials are available to stream and download on BBC iPlayer.

Dr Mike Beadsworth has been a NHS appointed accredited consultant in Infectious Diseases, Tropical medicine and General Internal Medicine, in the Royal Liverpool University Hospital’s tropical and infectious diseases unit (TIDU), since 2007.

Professor Tom Solomon is Director of the UK's Emerging Infections Research Unit based as the University of Liverpool, is on the NHS front line at the Walton Neuro Centre and Royal Liverpool University Hospital, and appears regularly on television and radio discussing science.

Episode 8 - Michael Buerk

His special guest this time is celebrated presenter, journalist and newsreader, Michael Buerk.

Journalist and newsreader, Michael Buerk, joined the BBC in 1970, presenting BBC News from 1973 until 2002. He has been the host of BBC Radio 4’s The Moral Maze since 1990 which continues to this day.

Episode 7 -Stephen McGann and Dr Stacy Todd

Professor Tom Solomon's guest in this episode are actor Stephen McGann and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine's Dr Stacy Todd.

Stephen McGann is a Liverpudlian actor, author, and science communicator, best known for portraying Doctor Patrick Turner in the BBC One medical period drama series Call the Midwife. He is one of a family of acting brothers including Joe, Paul, and Mark.

Dr Stacy Todd is a Consultant in Infectious Diseases at Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Her research interests are in transmission of infection and she has previously worked on studies in UK, Malawi and Vietnam. She has recently been part of a review of clinical infection research in Liverpool and is currently research lead for Tropical and Infectious Disease Unit at the Royal and is an NIHR NWC Research Scholar.

Professor Tom Solomon is Director of the UK's Emerging Infections Research Unit based as the University of Liverpool, is on the NHS front line at the Walton NeuroCentre and Royal Liverpool University Hospital, and appears regularly on television and radio discussing science.

Episode 6 - Eleanor Moritz and Dr Tom Fletcher

Professor Tom Solomon's guest in this episode are BBC local news producer and presenter Eleanor Moritz and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine's Dr Tom Fletcher.

Eleanor Moritz is the regular producer/presenter of the BBC’s regional TV Breakfast news bulletins in the North West. She has worked for the BBC for 32 years, having spent six years at BBC Radio Lancashire, before moving to North West Tonight in 1994. Her roles there have included reporter, correspondent, producer and presenter. 

Dr Tom Fletcher is a consultant in the Tropical Infectious Disease Unit, Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS Trust NHS, Liverpool, and Senior Clinical Lecturer at LSTM. He is also a physician in the Defence Medical Services and his research at LSTM is focussed on High-Consequence Infectious Diseases.

Professor Tom Solomon is Director of the UK's Emerging Infections Research Unit based as the University of Liverpool, is on the NHS front line at the Walton NeuroCentre and Royal Liverpool University Hospital, and appears regularly on television and radio discussing science.

Episode 5 - Andy Burnham and Dr Emily Adams

Professor Tom Solomon's guest in this episode are Labour Party politician and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine's Dr Emily Adams.

Liverpool born Andy Burnham is a Labour Party politician and Mayor of Greater Manchester. Andy was elected as Mayor of Greater Manchester in May 2017. 

Prior to this Andy was MP for Leigh from 2001. In government, Andy has held Ministerial positions at the Home Office, Department of Health and the Treasury. In 2008 he became Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, before returning to Health as Secretary of State in 2009.

In opposition, Andy has served as Shadow Education Secretary, Shadow Health Secretary and Shadow Home Secretary.

Andy lives in Leigh, Greater Manchester, with his wife and three children. He is a keen supporter of Everton FC.

Dr Emily Adams is a Senior Lecturer in Diagnostics for Infectious Disease at the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. Emily's research activities encompass the development and evaluation of appropriate diagnostics for infectious disease. This ranges from point-of-care diagnostics such as rapid-diagnostic-tests (RDTs) to simplified molecular diagnostics that can be used at the community level.

Episode 4 - Jane Garvey and Professor Saye Khoo

Professor Tom Solomon chats to broadcaster and BBC Radio 4 presenter Jane Garvey and Professor Saye Khoo, Professor in the Department of Pharmacology at the University of Liverpool, and Honorary Consultant Physician in Infectious Diseases at the Royal Liverpool University Hospital. Tom, Jane and Saye talk about the COVID-19 situation in Liverpool, potential treatments for the virus, and the perils of working in radio. The "Scouse Scientist" Holly Ellis also joins the discussion and talks about her work in encouraging young girls to think about science as a career.

Episode 3 - Roger Phillips and Professor Louise Kenny

Professor Tom Solmon's guests are broadcaster and BBC Radio Merseyside living legend, Roger Phillips, DL (Hon LLD, 2001) and Executive Pro Vice Chancellor of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at the University of Liverpool, Professor Louise Kenny. They talk about Coronavirus, Pre-eclampsia, Roger's famous friends, and how to answer difficult interview questions!

Episode 2 - Sharon Amesu and Dr Dan Wootton

In the second episode of the series, Professor Solomon speaks about COVID-19, Black Lives Matter and singing at football matches with criminal barrister and leadership coach, Sharon Amesu and Senior Fellow in Infection at the University of Liverpool and Honorary Consultant Physician in Respiratory Medicine at University Hospital Aintree, Dr Dan Wootton.

Episode 1 - Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Professor Sally Sheard

In the first episode of the series Professor Solomon speaks with the novelist and screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce and health policy analyst Professor Sally Sheard. They talk about the faux pas of previous health ministers, creative writing during lockdown and what happens if you turn into broccoli!