Imperial College Podcast

In this edition: The nocebo effect of statins, the latest on Imperial’s COVID-19 vaccine and a former PM talks pandemic. News: Gut problems linked to depression, and a new test for Chagas disease – We find how people with inflammatory bowel conditions are often diagnosed with depression before their bowel diagnosis, and discover a new test that can differentiate between the different strains of Chagas disease. The nocebo effect of statins – We learn from Dr James Howard about his study that found some people report side effects whether they are taking statins or just placebo pills, showing the startling ‘nocebo effect’ that can stop people taking vital medicines despite doing them no harm. The state of COVID-19 vaccines – We speak to Professor Robin Shattock, who is leading Imperial’s vaccine effort, about the current state of play and how he feels about anti-vaccine sentiments. Neil Ferguson and Tony Blair talk pandemic – The Director of Imperial’s J-IDEA institute, Professor Neil Ferguson, talks to forme