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PODCAST

People, Parasites, and Plagues

David Peterson and Kim Klonowski

People, Parasites, and Plagues is a podcast aimed at delivering information about the fascinating pathogens among us from the impressive professionals who study them. Join our hosts Dr. David Peterson and Dr. Kim Klonowski, two infectious disease researchers from the University of Georgia, as we explore the past, present, and future of science. Tune in every other week for a new and enlightening episode as we unpack the details surrounding some of Earth’s most perplexing diseases.

science life sciences

All Episodes

37:34

Regeneration Nation: Inside the Remarkable Biology of...

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2026/09/25

How does a planarian know what to regrow, and when to stop? In this episode of People, Parasites & Plagues, we sit down with Dr. Rachel Roberts-Galbraith from UGA's Regenerative Bioscience Center to explore the remarkable biology that allows planarians to regenerate missing parts of their bodies. We dive into how these tiny organisms repair wounds, rebuild complex tissues, and coordinate the cellular signals needed to restore the right structures in the right places. Along the way, we dis...

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37:42

The Parasite with Thousands of Disguises: How...

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2026/09/11

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. David Horn, Chair of Parasite Molecular Biology at the University of Dundee in Scotland. We explore how Trypanosoma brucei, the parasite responsible for African sleeping sickness, manages to stay one step ahead of the immune system. Dr. Horn explains the remarkable process of antigenic variation, where trypanosomes draw from thousands of surface-protein genes and fragments, continually changing their appearance and evading immune attacks. We also dis...

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32:07

Toxoplasma’s Stealth Mode: Hiding in the Brain

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2026/05/29

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Robyn Kent, Assistant Professor at the University of Oklahoma College of Medicine, to explore how Toxoplasma gondii persists in the body long after infection. Dr. Kent breaks down the parasite’s chronic stage, where Toxoplasma forms cysts in tissues like the brain and muscle. But rather than simply “going dormant,” her research suggests these parasites may remain active, responsive, and far more dynamic than previously thought. We discuss tachyzoites, bra...

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40:42

Paleopathology: A Window Into Ancient Diseases

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2026/05/08

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Elizabeth Uhl, a veterinary pathologist at the University of Georgia’s College of Veterinary Medicine, to explore how disease leaves its mark across time. Dr. Uhl introduces us to paleopathology, the study of disease in ancient remains, and explains how animal bones, historical records, archaeology, and modern pathology can work together to reveal the health landscapes of the past. From pre-Columbian dog skeletons and canine distemper to horses, wartime d...

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39:29

The World’s Most Successful Parasite: Inside...

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2026/04/13

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Diego Huet, an associate professor in the College of Pharmacy at the University of Georgia, to explore Toxoplasma gondii. It's often called the world’s most successful parasite. Infecting up to a third of the global population, Toxoplasma is both incredibly common and largely invisible. Dr. Huet breaks down how it spreads, why most people never know they have it, and how it can persist in the body for life by forming dormant cysts. We also dive into the p...

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35:43

Rebuilding Immunity: The Thymus, Your Immune System’s...

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2026/03/23

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Nancy Manley, Director of the School of Life Sciences at Arizona State University. Before ASU, she spent over 20 years at the University of Georgia, where she served as Head of the Department of Genetics and a Distinguished Research Professor studying the thymus. We explore one of the body’s most overlooked yet essential organs, the thymus, and how it builds and shapes the immune system over time. Dr. Manley breaks down why this organ is far more dynamic ...

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32:40

An Open-Source Pandemic: Genomes, Metadata, and...

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2026/03/06

In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Justin Bahl, a UGA Professor of Epidemology and Biostatistics. David and Kim explore how modern epidemiology uses genomic data and statistics to track the spread of infectious diseases. From studying fungi on palm leaves across Asia and Australia to analyzing viral genomes during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, Dr. Bahl shares how global field experience and biostatistical tools come together to reveal how pathogens move through populations. We discuss molecular ...

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33:26

When Neutralizing Isn’t Enough: The Immunology of...

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2026/02/20

The hosts sit down with Dr. Julie Fox, Chief of the Emerging Virus Immunity Unit at NIAID, National Institutes of Health, to explore the science of alphavirus immunity and what antibodies really do in the context of alphavirus infection. From chikungunya virus and its debilitating joint disease to broader mosquito-borne alphaviruses, Dr. Fox explains why these viruses are powerful models for studying immune protection. We move beyond the traditional view of antibodies as simple neutralizers a...

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40:44

The Hidden Empire of Parasitoid Wasps

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2026/02/04

Parasitoid wasps are some of the most successful organisms on Earth, even if most of us never notice them. In this episode, Dr. Michael Strand from the UGA Department of Entomology takes us inside the hidden world of parasitoid wasps. These insects lay their eggs in other insects and rely on domesticated viruses to suppress host immune systems and control development. We explore how these virus–wasp partnerships evolved over millions of years, why they have made parasitoid wasps incredib...

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34:33

From Pathogen to Prescription: Reimagining E. coli

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2026/01/09

What if your gut bacteria could become medicine? In this episode, a UGA microbiologist, Greg Phillips, reveals how engineered probiotic E. coli can produce L-dopa, the frontline treatment for Parkinson’s, directly inside the gut. We explore the gut–brain connection, the power of the microbiome, and how living microbes could become the next generation of drug delivery systems. From World War I probiotic strains to modern genetic engineering, this episode takes you inside a bold new frontier ...

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34:11

The Silent Architect: Chromatin’s Role in Fungal...

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2025/12/05

Dive into the world of chromatin and epigenetics with Dr. Zachary Lewis, an associate professor at the UGA Department of Microbiology. His research explores how chromatin structure and other epigenetic mechanisms shape genome organization, function, and long-term stability in eukaryotic cells. He particularly studies chromatin within fungal pathogens. In this episode, Dr. Lewis breaks down why these molecular systems matter, how they influence fungal disease, and the cutting-edge methods his ...

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40:41

Endocytosis: T. cruzi's Cool Parasite Trick

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2025/11/14

This episode takes us inside the lab of Dr. Drew Ethridge, an associate professor in the UGA Department of Cellular Biology. He walks us through his scientific path and his current work on endocytosis in Trypanosoma cruzi. This parasite is often overlooked, yet it is becoming increasingly prevalent in the United States as it moves north from Central and South America.

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33:24

Parasites & Passports: Graduate Students on Science &...

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2025/10/31

Two UGA graduate students take us inside their world of science! Kaelynn Parker (Cellular Biology) and Grace Woods Vick (Infectious Diseases) share what it’s really like working in the lab, traveling abroad, and chasing their passion for research.

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36:14

The Science of Public Policy

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2025/10/15

This episode leans into the “people” side of People, Parasites & Plagues. Our guest is Dr. Erik C. Ness, Professor and Director of the Louise McBee Institute of Higher Education at UGA. While his past work explored how education policy is implemented across states, his latest research takes on a timely challenge: how misinformation and “alternative facts,” especially in the age of AI, shape public policy.

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33:55

Lock and Key: The Devious Mechanisms of Viral Entry

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2025/09/26

Today we’re joined by Dr. Melinda Brindley, a molecular virologist at the UGA Department of Infectious Diseases. Her research explores how enveloped viruses enter host cells and replicate. Understanding this process could lead to new ways of developing treatments for viral infections.

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38:29

Observable Variations: Using Genetic Marker Systems...

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2025/09/13

This week, we’re joined by Dr. Travis Glenn, Director of the UGA Institute of Bioinformatics, to discuss his work with genetic marker systems and how he's using these systems to group infectious diseases.

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33:01

PPP Book Club: Infectious Reads 2

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2025/05/30

We're ending this season with another Book Club! Our hosts are joined today by Production Assistant Syd Weigand to discuss the novels they've read about malaria, tuberculosis, and new guinea tapeworms.

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35:56

Treating Mosquitoes: Innovative Ways To Combat Malaria

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2025/05/16

This week we're joined by Dr. Douglas Paton, Assistant Professor of the UGA Department of Infectious Diseases. We've covered malaria before- but not like this! Tune in to hear about his groundbreaking work on an incredible new way to treat the disease.

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39:40

Harnessing the Hulk: Insights on T Cell Function

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2025/04/25

Today's guest is a special one; he's travelled all the way from Australia to chat with us! Dr. Stephen Turner, Professor and Head of the Department of Microbiology at the Monash Biomedicine Discovery Institute, joins us in the studio to discuss his research on T cells, his journey into science, and some great immune system analogies.

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33:06

SCWDS: Monitoring Wildlife Health for 50 Years

People, Parasites, and Plagues ·

2025/04/11

Today we're talking to Dr. Mark Ruder, the Director of SCWDS and Professor of Wildlife Heath here at UGA. Tune in to hear about the origins of the Southern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study and Dr. Ruder's fascinating work with diseases in whitetail deer!

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56 results

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