This Podcast Will Kill You podcast

This Podcast Will Kill You

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.

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.

 

#249

Ep 186 Hypothermia Part 1: How it hurts

For all our wondrous adaptations as a species - our big brains, our capacity for language,... more

02 Sep 2025

57 MINS

57:35

02 Sep 2025


#248

Special Episode: Lina Zeldovich & The Living Medicine

The development of antibiotics was one of the greatest turning points in the history of me... more

26 Aug 2025

51 MINS

51:44

26 Aug 2025


#247

Ep 185 The Great Smog of London: “Thick, drab, yellow, disgusting”

Some things just go together: peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, milk and cereal, Lo... more

19 Aug 2025

1 HR 14 MINS

1:14:18

19 Aug 2025


#246

Ep 184 The Gallbladder: Humor us

For most of us, there probably hasn’t been a good reason for you to think about your... more

12 Aug 2025

1 HR 22 MINS

1:22:41

12 Aug 2025


#245

Special Episode: Carl Zimmer & Airborne

In the first years of the COVID pandemic, a debate raged: was the virus transmitted via re... more

05 Aug 2025

49 MINS

49:04

05 Aug 2025


#244

Ep 183 SSRIs Part 2: Action

Last week, we took you on a journey of discovery and innovation, and this week we’re... more

29 Jul 2025

1 HR 10 MINS

1:10:26

29 Jul 2025


#243

Ep 182 SSRIs Part 1: Origin

Since first hitting the shelves nearly 40 years ago, SSRIs have become one of the most com... more

22 Jul 2025

1 HR 02 MINS

1:02:00

22 Jul 2025


#242

Special Episode: Wendy Chin-Tanner & King of the Armadillos

We’ve got a very special episode of the TPWKY book club this week! We’re featu... more

15 Jul 2025

56 MINS

56:21

15 Jul 2025


#241

Ep 181 PCOS: Beyond the cysts

What’s in a name? What can you really tell from a label like “polycystic ovari... more

08 Jul 2025

1 HR 26 MINS

1:26:36

08 Jul 2025


#240

Ep 180 Food Dyes: It’s all marketing

This episode, we aren’t asking you to taste the rainbow, but we are scrutinizing the... more

01 Jul 2025

1 HR 25 MINS

1:25:32

01 Jul 2025


#239

Special Episode: Professor Steven Mithen & The Language Puzzle

From the earliest grunts and gestures to the complex sentences we use today to convey a mu... more

24 Jun 2025

49 MINS

49:29

24 Jun 2025


#238

Ep 179 Fluoride 2: Fighting tooth and nail

In last week’s episode, we traced the history of fluoridation (and the anti-fluorida... more

17 Jun 2025

1 HR 03 MINS

1:03:56

17 Jun 2025


#237

Ep 178 Fluoride 1: The real tooth fairy

Is it just us, or does it seem like every other week there’s a new headline about so... more

10 Jun 2025

1 HR 02 MINS

1:02:39

10 Jun 2025


#236

Special Episode: Dr. Wendy Kline & Exposed

For many of us, pelvic exams are a routine part of our healthcare. Of course, that doesn&r... more

03 Jun 2025

56 MINS

56:56

03 Jun 2025


#235

Ep 177 Toxic Shock Syndrome: A shock to the system

If you’ve ever read the little instructions pamphlet included in a box of tampons, y... more

27 May 2025

1 HR 25 MINS

1:25:20

27 May 2025


#234

Ep 176 Strychnine: The WD-40 of Victorian Medicine

This week, we’re coming at you with a classic TPWKY episode on one of the most notor... more

20 May 2025

1 HR 19 MINS

1:19:33

20 May 2025


#233

Special Episode: Dr. Adam Ratner & Booster Shots

For the past few months, measles has been in regular rotation in the news cycle here in th... more

13 May 2025

52 MINS

52:32

13 May 2025


#232

Ep 175 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 2

Last week, we started this two-parter with a big picture view of pasteurization and the ra... more

06 May 2025

1 HR 00 MINS

1:00:27

06 May 2025


#231

Ep 174 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 1

Seriously, what’s the deal? Lately, it seems like raw milk has started to pop up mor... more

29 Apr 2025

1 HR 09 MINS

1:09:33

29 Apr 2025


#230

Special Episode: John Green & Everything Is Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, or consumption as it was once known, might conjure up images of huge sanitor... more

22 Apr 2025

56 MINS

56:46

22 Apr 2025


#229

Ep 173 Childhood Vaccine Schedule 2: Who’s making the call?

After last week’s episode, we all know about each of the diseases that we’re p... more

15 Apr 2025

57 MINS

57:12

15 Apr 2025


#228

Ep 172 Childhood Vaccine Schedule 1: Let’s give it a shot

We’re already back with our first episode of season 8! This week and next, we’... more

08 Apr 2025

1 HR 07 MINS

1:07:43

08 Apr 2025


#227

Ep 171 Pregnancy: Act 4

Content Warning: This episode includes mentions of miscarriage, pregnancy loss, pregnancy ... more

01 Apr 2025

1 HR 57 MINS

1:57:33

01 Apr 2025


#226

Ep 170 Pregnancy: Act 3

Content Warning: This episode includes mentions of miscarriage, pregnancy loss, pregnancy ... more

25 Mar 2025

1 HR 55 MINS

1:55:06

25 Mar 2025


#225

Ep 169 Pregnancy: Act 2

Content Warning: This episode includes mentions of miscarriage, pregnancy loss, pregnancy ... more

18 Mar 2025

1 HR 46 MINS

1:46:07

18 Mar 2025


#224

Ep 168 Pregnancy: Act 1

Content Warning: This episode includes mentions of miscarriage, pregnancy loss, pregnancy ... more

11 Mar 2025

1 HR 38 MINS

1:38:15

11 Mar 2025


#223

Special Episode: Rachel Gross & Vagina Obscura

For much of history, female reproductive anatomy has been studied only in the context of o... more

04 Mar 2025

48 MINS

48:48

04 Mar 2025


#222

Ep 167 Viagra/Sildenafil: Raising the bar

Has a name brand prescription medication ever shot to notoriety as quickly as Viagra did? ... more

25 Feb 2025

1 HR 13 MINS

1:13:51

25 Feb 2025


#221

Ep 166 Amanita poisoning: Death Cap-tivating

In forests, in lawns, in city parks across the world lurks a small, pale, unassuming mushr... more

18 Feb 2025

1 HR 10 MINS

1:10:27

18 Feb 2025