July 03, 2025
2 min watch
Key takeaways:
- Erin Allmann Updyke, MD, PhD, MPH, and Erin Welsh, PhD, have made greater than 200 podcast episodes over 8 years.
- Their keynote presentation targeted on the right way to fight the rise of anti-science sentiment and misinformation.
PHOENIX — The hosts of “This Podcast Will Kill You” inspired attendees at this 12 months’s Affiliation for Professionals in An infection Management and Epidemiology assembly to develop into higher science communicators.
Erin Allmann Updyke, MD, PhD, MPH, an epidemiologist, illness ecologist and household medication doctor, and Erin Welsh, PhD, a illness ecologist and epidemiologist, are collectively generally known as “the Erins.” In a keynote on the assembly, they spoke in regards to the rise of anti-science sentiment and misinformation, and the way clinicians can fight them each.
Erin Welsh, PhD, (left) and Erin Allmann Updyke, MD, PhD, MPH, give a keynote presentation on the Affiliation for Professionals in An infection Management and Epidemiology annual assembly in Phoenix. Picture: Stephen Feller
“Erin and I began the podcast as a result of we needed to share our pleasure about biology and the historical past of illnesses with anybody who would pay attention — and we actually didn’t assume anyone would pay attention,” Welsh mentioned.
“As foolish as it might sound, we didn’t initially take into account ourselves to be science communicators. … Possibly that’s as a result of we by no means had thought-about it for a profession possibility and even knew that it might be a profession possibility,” she mentioned.
The Erins began “This Podcast Will Kill You” in 2017 whereas they have been engaged on post-graduate levels as an outlet to “get again at what fascinated us and excited us in regards to the world of infectious illness within the first place,” Welsh mentioned.
Since launching the podcast, they’ve launched greater than 200 episodes masking each power and infectious illnesses — together with plague, Zika, lupus, influenza and endometriosis — in addition to a rising variety of subjects associated to public well being and total well being.
The second of a two-episode collection on fluoride was uploaded the morning of their keynote, which adopted a four-episode collection about being pregnant on the finish of their most up-to-date season, Allmann Updyke famous in the course of the keynote, emphasizing how they’ve widened the subjects they cowl over the past 8 years.
After the keynote, Healio spoke with the Erins in regards to the podcast and the right way to be efficient science communicators. The interview has been evenly edited for readability.
Healio: How do you choose subjects to your episodes?
Welsh: We’ve a protracted, lengthy listing. It’s truly a Google spreadsheet of subjects poorly organized by totally different normal subjects, whether or not it’s infectious, power, medical invention or simply an oddball matter. After which, actually, we plan out weeks prematurely, however we’re open to alter. Typically we’ll be like, “Oh, we’re doing this subsequent — nah. Let’s do one thing else.”
Allmann Updyke: The quick reply is, we simply resolve no matter we wish to do. No matter we really feel like, and typically when it’s information, it’s related.
Healio: What’s the weirdest matter you could have lined on the podcast?
Welsh: Fish tongue parasite. It’s a parasite — it’s an isopod that actually will change the tongue of a fish.
Allmann Updyke: It exists functionally and actually. It eats the [fish’s] tongue, principally kills off the blood provide to it after which replaces it functionally.
Welsh: There are photos that [show] if the fish opens its mouth, it’s simply the little eyes and the face there. It’s horrifying and cute.
Healio: With the rise in anti-science sentiment, have you ever modified something in regards to the podcast or the way in which that you simply focus on illnesses and medication with individuals?
Allmann Updyke: The quick reply is sure, in a whole lot of methods, [but] additionally, we do issues principally the identical. We undoubtedly have been extra intentional about selecting subjects which are making headlines extra, which we didn’t all the time do prior to now.
Then, we additionally, all through the years of creating this podcast, have develop into far more intentional with the language that we’re utilizing and in ensuring that at the same time as we’re making an attempt to get probably the most correct data on the market, we’re doing it in a means that doesn’t deliberately alienate anybody who would possibly at present maintain a perception — whether or not it’s true or not — that’s totally different than what the established data is.
Welsh: I believe that now we have develop into much more targeted on equipping individuals who take heed to the podcast with items of knowledge that they’ll take away after which discuss to different individuals who may need questions.
Healio: Why do you assume persons are afraid to say, “I don’t know”?
Welsh: So many causes. I believe that it’s as a result of a part of their data or their experience is their identification. To say, “I don’t know,” means that you’ve got failed in some capability, that you’re not the individual you thought you have been. It’s sort of like a philosophical query, but it surely’s additionally simply being of afraid of wanting dumb or wanting such as you’re not certified. It’s somewhat bit imposter syndrome, too, however not fairly.
Allmann Updyke: Particularly in science, we’re educated for thus lengthy to have solutions. So, if somebody is asking you a query, it implies that they wish to you for a solution. To confess that you simply don’t have that reply, it feels very susceptible. However for us, we expect it’s actually, actually an necessary a part of constructing belief with individuals to confess once you don’t know one thing, as a result of that’s not the tip of the sentence. That’s the start of, “I don’t know. Let’s discover out.”
Healio: What do you hope the an infection preventionists at APIC took away out of your keynote presentation?
Welsh: Truthfully, I really feel like our final slide says all of it, which is don’t let perfection be the enemy of excellent. You, or anybody, could be a science communicator, simply of their on a regular basis lives. And it doesn’t should be a closing polished product that you simply’ve edited and that you simply wordsmith to the tip. It’s simply having a dialog with somebody.
Allmann Updyke: Yeah. [Nods in agreement.]
[Editor’s note: Listen to Healio’s latest podcasts here .]
References:
For extra data:
Erin Allmann Updyke, MD, PhD, MPH, and Erin Welsh, PhD, may be contacted at thispodcastwillkillyou@gmail.com.
Sources/Disclosures
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Disclosures:
Allmann Updyke and Welsh are the hosts of “This Podcast Will Kill You.”
