The Oxford Colloquy

Sir Andrew Pollard talks to Sir Jeremy Farrar, Chief Scientist at the World Health Organisation and previously the director of The Wellcome Trust in the UK. Andrew Pollard's guest on this podcast is Sir Jeremy Farrar, who serves as the Chief Scientist at the World Health Organisation and held the position of director at the Wellcome Trust in the UK from 2013 to 2023. Sir Farrar is a clinician-scientist who served for two terms at the Wellcome Trust. Besides overseeing a significant increase in the Trust's endowment and annual spending, he played a key role in the race to develop COVID-19 vaccines. Before joining Wellcome in 2013, Sir Farrar spent 17 years as the director of a clinical research unit at a hospital for tropical diseases in Vietnam, particularly focusing on emerging infectious diseases. Jeremy discusses his early career training in Neurology and then his Ph.D. researching the immune disorder Myasthenia Gravis at Oxford University. This work led him to study infectious diseases primarily in Vietnam in the mid-1990s. A key transformative moment for Sir Farrar was the Nipah virus outbreak in Malaysia from September 1998 to May 1999. This outbreak resulted in 105 deaths and the near collapse of the key local pig-farming industry. They then discuss the regional SARS-1 (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) coronavirus outbreak of 2003 and the lessons learned from that outbreak. They also examine the impact of the H5N1 virus that followed shortly after SARS-CoV1. They talk through the risks posed in the future by a non-human influenza virus crossing the species barrier from birds, poultry, or animals and what needs to be done to monitor this risk in the future and what it means for future vaccine research. In 2013, Sir Jeremy Farrar became the head of the Wellcome Trust in the UK. The Wellcome Trust, established in 1936 to fund research to improve human and animal health, is the largest funder of non-governmental funding for scientific research in the UK and one of the largest research providers globally. Sir Farrar talks about his task of steering this growth period for the Wellcome Trust and discusses the role of science communication and policy. Turning to the events of 2020, Sir Farrar discloses how he initially was alerted to the pandemic outbreak in Wuhan by international colleagues and then the steps he took as an independent scientist to alert the scientific community and advise the UK government. The Wellcome Trust acted as a pivotal funder in 2020; it instigated and funded important vaccine and medical research work in the early period to underpin Covid-19 medical trials and studies. Andrew Pollard and Jeremy Farrar finish their conversation by looking at the lessons learned from the pandemic and what needs to be done globally within science and wider society to prepare for any future infectious disease outbreak. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Sir Andrew Pollard talks to Sir Peter Horby, Professor of Emerging Infectious Diseases and Director of the Pandemic Sciences Institute at Oxford. He is Co-Chief investigator of the RECOVERY trial of drug treatments for COVID. Peter Horby talks about his early medical career working with HIV patients in hospitals. He talks about his background in infectious diseases and public health. His work in researching treatments for infectious diseases led to working abroad on tropical diseases and public health. He talks about being part of the outbreak response team in Vietnam for the SARS-1 virus outbreak which had a high mortality rate but relatively few deaths.  Peter then explains about his work in an international peer to peer network, ISARIC, for clinical researchers studying emerging infectious diseases and related work on clinical trials in this area. Andrew asks Peter about his work as Co-Chief investigator with Martin Landray, on the RECOVERY (Randomised Evaluation of COVID-19 Therapy) trials in March 2020 at the start of the pandemic. The RECOVERY trial was designed to investigate multiple potential therapies for COVID-19, differentiating itself from other global studies by its ambitious scope. In contrast to some studies elsewhere, the RECOVERY trial aimed to assess various interventions simultaneously. The trial commenced without a predetermined sample size, initially planning for up to 20,000 patients but ultimately enrolling more than double that number. The trial focused on repurposed drugs initially, selecting existing medications with known safety profiles and reasonable likelihood of effectiveness. The rationale was to quickly assess drugs readily available in hospital pharmacies, such as aspirin and steroids. As the trial progressed, novel drugs specifically developed for COVID-19 were introduced. The trial focused on repurposed drugs initially, selecting existing medications with known safety profiles and reasonable likelihood of effectiveness. The rationale was to quickly assess drugs readily available in hospital pharmacies, such as aspirin and steroids. As the trial progressed, novel drugs specifically developed for COVID-19 were introduced. Despite initial scepticism about using immunosuppressive drugs like steroids, the trial eventually revealed significant success with dexamethasone, a cheap and widely available steroid. This safe drug probably led to over a million lives being saved during the early years of the pandemic according to Peter Horby.  This unexpected outcome showcased the trial's ability to challenge assumptions and contribute vital information to treatment of COVID patients. The study has now provided positive results on 12 different drugs for treatment. The conversation continues with Peter and Andrew discussing future challenges in the area of emerging infectious diseases, possible future outbreaks and the need for further research and clinical trials. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Sir Andrew Pollard talks to Uğur Şahin. Şahin is a German oncologist and immunologist. He is the co-founder and CEO of BioNTech, which developed one of the major COVID-19 vaccines. Sir Andrew Pollard talks to Uğur Şahin. Şahin is a German oncologist and immunologist. He is the co-founder and CEO of BioNTech, which developed with US company Pfizer the hugely successful Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine. Uğur has been intimately involved in the development of RNA technology through his company BioNTech and then made a huge contribution to the development of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 Vaccine. Uğur chats with Andrew about his early life in Germany, his love of mathematics and his experiences at Medical School. A formative period was training as an oncologist, that led him into an interest in cancer vaccines and cancer immunotherapy. They discuss the basics of vaccines for cancer treatment in particular how RNA vaccines work. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a molecule that is present in the majority of living organisms and viruses. Unlike a normal vaccine, RNA vaccines work by introducing an mRNA sequence (the molecule which tells cells what to build) which is coded for a disease specific antigen, once produced within the body, the antigen is recognised by the immune system, preparing it to fight the real thing. The two chat around the science of testing how to improve the potency of the mRNA, and hence make a better vaccine. They also discuss how this technology could in the future be used to treat cancer. Uğur Şahin then talks about the work done in very early 2020 by his company to develop an mRNA-based vaccine against COVID-19. For its development, BioNTech collaborated with American company Pfizer to carry out clinical trials, logistics, and manufacturing. The hugely successful Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was the result and Uğur states that there has now been over 4 billion doses produced, saving lives around the world. The discussion ends with Andrew Pollard asking for Uğur Şahin's thoughts on the future for applying these vaccine techniques to cancer therapies and for tackling global infectious diseases. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Sir Andrew Pollard talks to Sir Pascal Soriot, the CEO of AstraZeneca about their pandemic partnership to develop the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine. Over three billion vaccines have been delivered, saving six and a half million lives. It’s a reunion in this episode of the Oxford Colloquy, as Sir Andrew Pollard talks to Sir Pascal Soriot, the CEO of AstraZeneca (AZ), about their pandemic partnership to develop the AstraZeneca/Oxford vaccine. Although, as you’ll discover, they have more than vaccines in common. From his early childhood in a relatively poor suburb of Paris, that included a love of horses, Sir Pascal talks about his first career, as a vet. But a desire to explore the world led him to the pharmaceutical industry, human health, and eventually to the top job at AZ. With AZ now one of the fastest growing global pharmaceutical companies, Sir Pascal spends much of his time travelling. With a workstation at every site, and a ‘water cooler’ style of leadership, he keeps his ear to the ground and across vast operations. Sir Pascal puts this period of rapid growth down to a combination of following the science, putting patients at the heart of drug development, and a well-defined focus on cancer, cardio-vascular disease, respiratory disease and more recently, rare disease. It was early on in the pandemic that Sir Pascal realised that COVID-19 was likely to be a very big problem. He describes AZ’s very modest start – supplying masks and looking at repurposing existing drugs for treatment. But he was then introduced to Oxford’s vaccine scientists by Regius Professor of Medicine, Sir John Bell, and work together began. Sir Pascal describes the AZ/Oxford partnership as very successful – a marriage of scientific expertise, with large-scale manufacturing and distribution skills. Both Sir Andrew and Sir Pascal note the sense of pride felt among all those involved at delivering three billion vaccines that have saved over six and a half million lives around the world. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Professor Eddie Holmes, who co-authored the publication of the genome sequence of SARS-CoV-2 through work with colleagues in Wuhan, China speaks to Professor Andrew Pollard about his scientific career and this pivotal pandemic work. An interview between Prof Sir Andrew Pollard and Prof Eddie Holmes, an evolutionary biologist, fellow of the Academy of Sciences in Australia and the Royal Society. The discussion delves into the evolution of coronaviruses, with a particular focus on the origins of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China.  The interview begins by exploring Eddie's academic journey, from a background in social anthropology to his transition into the field of viruses and evolutionary genetics. The conversation highlights the rapid mutation rates of viruses, particularly viruses like HIV, which mutate daily in infected individuals. The episode develops further, discussing how Eddie found himself at the forefront of pandemic research, thanks to his previous work and collaborations in China. He explains the sequence of events leading to his involvement, from collaborating with researchers in Wuhan and Shanghai to the critical role in identifying the virus responsible for the outbreak and sharing this information internationally.   The conversation then explores the role of mutation tracking in determining the cross-species transmission of viruses, such as COVID-19, which allows scientists to trace the origins of a virus and determine potential reservoir species. Eddie provides insights into the origins of SARS-CoV-2 through natural mutation between species, and highlights the challenges and criticisms faced by scientists involved in the investigation.   The discussion also explores how the environment, which includes factors like drugs, vaccines, and the host's immune response, influences the mutations in viruses. Eddie explains that the environment acts as a selective sieve, allowing certain mutations to survive and shaping the evolution of the virus. Regarding the long-term control of highly mutable viruses, such as HIV and SARS-CoV-2, Eddie suggests that while predicting and targeting the right mutations is challenging, it is not impossible. He discusses the potential for AI to improve prediction and intervention strategies. However, the ongoing evolution of viruses and the need to adapt drugs and vaccines to new variants remain challenges to be addressed. The podcast provides valuable insights into the fascinating world of viral evolution, offering a glimpse into the complexities of viruses and their impact on human health. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Andrew Pollard talks to Professor Maheshi Ramasamy about her pandemic work as a hospital consultant treating extremely sick patients in intensive care. They also discuss her research career in vaccines and infectious diseases. Professor Maheshi Ramasamy is a consultant physician at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and also a clinician scientist at the Oxford Vaccine Group. Andrew Pollard talks to Professor Ramasamy about her hospital work at the John Radcliffe Hospital as a consultant at the start of the pandemic. She discusses as a researcher the alerts she received of a new virus and as a consultant the early stages of preparing the hospital for the influx of COVID-19 patients and being on the ward for the first arrivals of patients. She talks very movingly about the first few months of working with extremely sick patients in intensive work and the increasing surge of unwell patients on the ward. She reflects on this difficult period and how she personally coped with the intense work pressure and also how she and medical colleagues dealt with the stress and the need to protect their families from the spread of the virus. They also reflect on the later waves of COVID-19 in December 2020 after the initial lockdown that again meant hospitals reached capacity with sick patients and how the knowledge of new treatments from research such as the Recovery trials and the vaccine programme affected patient outcomes. They start the conversation by discussing her early childhood interest in medicine and how that led to her long distinguished research career in vaccines and infectious diseases. Professor Maheshi Ramasamy is a consultant physician at the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford and also a clinician scientist at the Oxford Vaccine Group. Mahesh is a fellow at Magdalen College, Oxford, and Deputy Director of graduate medicine at Oxford University. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Shabir Madhi Professor of Vaccinology at the University of the Witwatersrand,Johannesburg, South Africa discusses the effect of the global pandemic on Africa and his work on COVID-19 vaccines. In this episode, Andrew Pollard speaks to Professor Shabir Madhi about his life working in medicine in South Africa and his work on the epidemiology of childhood infectious diseases including HIV. Shabir Madhi is Professor of Vaccinology at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa; and co-founder and co-Director of the African Leadership Initiative for Vaccinology Expertise (ALIVE). His research has focused on the epidemiology, and clinical development of lifesaving vaccines against pneumonia and diarrheal disease. He is leading the first two COVID-19 vaccine studies being undertaken in Africa. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Sir Andrew and Professor Adam Finn discuss his work as paediatrician specialising in infectious diseases. They discuss the pandemic as it affected children and the different responses to the disease in adults and children. Professor Adam Finn, Professor of paediatrics at the University of Bristol and head of the Bristol Children's Vaccine Centre talks to Sir Andrew Pollard about his experience of the pandemic. Professor Finn is a paediatrician specialising in infectious diseases, and has been running vaccine trials for about 25 years with a fascination for the immune responses in the nose and throat. They discuss his experience of the pandemic as a paediatrician and how the immune response to the COVID-19 disease differed between adults and younger children. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Sir Andrew Pollard & Sir Patrick Vallance discuss the COVID-19 pandemic. He shares insights into his medical career and vital work during the pandemic as Chief Scientific Adviser to the UK government. Sir Patrick Vallance FRS FMedSci FRCP HonFREng was UK Government Chief Scientific Adviser (GCSA) from April 2018 to April 2023.Previous to that role he was President of Research and Development at Glaxo Smith Kline and before that Professor of Medicine at UCLA, California. He took on a crucial role in the UK response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In this podcast episode he discusses with Andrew Pollard how he was aware of the emerging news about the virus at the end of 2019 and the steps he took to prepare the government for the potential impact. Before discussing the pandemic, they step back to look at his medical career, his very broad experience as a clinician, as an academic and then working as a scientist in the pharmaceutical industry. This experience led to a deep understanding of the whole process that underpins drug development and the complexities around regulation. They discuss policy decisions and policy design in his role of Chief Scientific adviser - "It isn't just the linear process from scientific evidence, it involves economics. It involves social considerations, ethical, moral, political, legal, and all of those things need to be taken into account by ministers when they make decisions". They move on to discuss the activities around the pandemic response with Sir Patrick's key role as chief scientific advisor - from initially hearing news of an outbreak in China to the early response, the plans for lockdown to support the NHS and the strategies involved in the development of vaccines and their rollout. Finally, they discuss how to deal with stress on a personal level and the benefit of having trusted close colleagues to rely on and the need for sharing information between a network of science advisors in other countries. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Dame Sarah Gilbert, Professor of Vaccinology at Oxford University, talks about her life in science and her work with a talented and dedicated team at Oxford in developing and testing the Oxford–AstraZeneca vaccine for COVID-19. Sir Andrew Pollard talks with colleague Dame Sarah Gilbert on her research and her work on flu vaccines and developing the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine. They first discuss her research journey - her chief research interest is the development of viral vectored vaccines that work by inducing strong and protective T and B cell responses. They also review and discuss the different scientific techniques involved in making and testing a vaccine. He hears how she followed the outbreak from January 2020 and her team had all of the scientific tools ready for the pandemic vaccine because of the earlier work that she'd been doing on influenza viruses and on other coronaviruses. She also tells us about how working in the university is a unique situation for vaccine development, as the laboratories where vaccines are designed sit alongside a manufacturing facility and the clinical trial setup which allows the evaluation. On 30 December 2020, the Oxford–AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine she co-developed with the Oxford Vaccine Group was approved for use in the UK. As of January 2022, more than 2.5 billion doses of the vaccine have been released to more than 170 countries worldwide. Professor Sarah Gilbert was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in February 2022 for her work on co-creating the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Dame Louise Richardson, discusses navigating Oxford University through the tumultuous peak of the global pandemic and her career as an Irish political scientist whose expertise lies in the study of terrorism. In this episode, your host Sir Andrew Pollard has the privilege of engaging in a compelling and enlightening conversation with Dame Louise Mary Richardson DBE FRSE, an extraordinary Irish political scientist whose expertise lies in the study of terrorism. Dame Louise Richardson's exceptional journey has taken her from the depths of academic research to the helm of prestigious institutions. In January 2023, she ascended to the esteemed position of President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, a philanthropic foundation dedicated to promoting the advancement of education, science, and peace. However, prior to this illustrious role, Dame Richardson had a momentous tenure as the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, spanning a remarkable seven years. The conversation between Andrew Pollard and Dame Louise Richardson serves as a captivating exploration of leadership during challenging times. As the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Dame Richardson found herself at the forefront of navigating the institution through the tumultuous peak of the global pandemic. She shares invaluable insights into her experiences, challenges, and triumphs during this critical period, offering a unique perspective on leading with resilience, adaptability, and compassion. Furthermore, the episode delves into the early stages of Dame Richardson's career, tracing her path to becoming Vice-Chancellor. Hailing from Ireland, she developed a profound passion for understanding and analysing terrorism, establishing herself as a leading authority in the field. Her research and expertise in political science have made a significant impact, shedding light on the complex dynamics of terrorism and its underlying causes. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Sir Andrew Pollard's podcast features Professor Neil Ferguson, an expert in the mathematical modelling of infectious diseases. They discuss how mathematical models help understand disease transmission, vaccines, and immunity. In this fascinating episode of Sir Andrew Pollard's podcast, he is joined by Professor Neil Ferguson, an expert in mathematical modelling of infectious diseases from Imperial College London. The conversation revolves around the use of mathematical models to understand the spread of infectious diseases in populations and how it impacts people and the healthcare system. Professor Ferguson explains what a mathematical modeller is and how they use key data from around the world to identify trends and growth rates of transmission. He also discusses how they look at the impact of vaccines on disease transmission and bacteria, and the role of immunity. He emphasizes that underneath these three simple things, there is a scientific understanding, research, and data. Further, Professor Ferguson delves deeper into the process of mathematical modelling and how they use 75% of existing data to understand how disease is transmitted, and the risk factors involved. The remaining 25% is used to inform control policies that governments around the world implement for a wide range of diseases. For example, he discusses the transmission of malaria between people and mosquitoes. Professor Ferguson has wide experience working on infectious diseases such as Ebola, swine flu, and COVID-19, and he shares what information was needed to build mathematical models to understand how the pathogen and transmission spread was happening. The conversation then shifts to COVID-19 and the decisions around pandemics, highlighting how heavily they rely on mathematical models and how it supported the decisions that were made. He also explains how mathematical models supported the World Health Organization and GAVI, The Vaccine Alliance, with key information in vaccine rollouts, not only during the COVID-19 pandemic but even before, as was the case with Ebola in West Africa. Professor Ferguson then talks about MERS, Middle East Respiratory Syndrome, which is another coronavirus that emerged about 10 years ago, and how it was a warning bell that they were dealing with something quite different from the original SARS virus. The conversation concludes with Professor Ferguson discussing how they updated their mathematical models in the peak of the pandemic when treatments, vaccines, and the behaviours of the virus had to be updated and changed as and when required. He emphasizes the fundamental need to learn in responding to new emerging infectious disease threats, threats from new viruses that may appear, causing an outbreak somewhere in the world. Overall, the conversation is highly informative, and the insights shared by Professor Ferguson give a clear understanding of the complex and vital work of mathematical modellers in fighting infectious diseases. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Journalist Fergus Walsh talks about covering disease outbreaks & his medical journalism career. Accuracy, fact-checking, and communicating complex scientific findings are important to him. He discusses this passion for reliable information with Sir Andrew Sir Andrew Pollard sat down with, British journalist Fergus Walsh the medical editor of the BBC. The episode delved into Fergus’s early days at the BBC and how his career in medical journalism has developed over the years. Fergus shared insights on how he approaches health stories and makes complex health information understandable to the public. They talk about his work on reporting various disease outbreaks over the years that has earned him recognition as a trusted source of information during times of health crises. One notable experience Fergus shared was his journey to Vietnam to report on the H5N1 virus, commonly known as bird flu. He recounted the challenges he faced while covering the outbreak and the importance of providing accurate information to the public during such critical situations. The conversation also touched on how the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape of journalism, and the challenges of providing a balanced perspective without succumbing to biases. He emphasized the importance of fact-checking and verifying information, especially in the era of social media where misinformation can easily spread. His in-depth conversation with Fergus Walsh provided a fascinating insight into the challenges and nuances of reporting on health and science news, and the evolving role of journalists in disseminating accurate information in an era of fast-paced media consumption has evolved over the years.

Dame Jennifer Harries shares insights on her career, family influence, and managing public health threats with Sir Andrew Pollard. Highlights include Salisbury novichok incident preparedness, COVID19 response efforts. Sir Andrew Pollard, sat down with Dame Jennifer Margaret Harries DBE, the Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health in the UK, to discuss the critical role of public health in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. During their conversation, Dame Jennifer shared insights into her early career, her motivations for working in medicine, and her family's connection to public health research. Dame Jennifer explained that her interest in public health was sparked at an early age. Her father had worked in the Salisbury Common Cold Unit where they conducted human challenge studies, which piqued her curiosity about the intersection of medicine and public health. This early exposure to the field inspired her to pursue a career in healthcare. Throughout her career, Dame Jennifer has been at the forefront of managing external threats to health, including chemical and radiation incidents, as well as pandemics. She shared that much of the work happens behind the scenes, with her team responding to various challenges all across the UK, often unbeknownst to the general public. She emphasized the importance of their swift response and diligent efforts to ensure the health and safety of the population. Dame Jennifer also discussed her experience during the poisoning event in Salisbury, where her team had to quickly step up their game. She highlighted the readiness of the national plans and how they were able to respond effectively to the incident. This experience further reinforced the importance of preparedness and coordination in public health responses. As the Chief Medical Officer at the Department of Health, Dame Jennifer took on a crucial role in the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. She shared that she was aware of the emerging news about the virus at the end of 2019 and was actively involved in preparing the health service for the potential impacts. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

In conversation with Sir Andrew Pollard, Professor Wendy Barclay, a renowned virologist, discusses viruses' crucial role in pandemics. Sir Andrew Pollard engages in a captivating discussion with Professor Wendy Barclay, an esteemed virologist, about the crucial role of viruses in causing pandemics. Highlights include viral transmission routes, COVID-19's impact on the human body, differences from flu, and origins of the virus. Her expertise sheds light on virology and the ongoing global health crisis. Professor Barclay, from Imperial College London, provides a comprehensive overview of what viruses are, how they replicate within the body, and how they encode genetic information.    Sir Andrew Pollard and Professor Barclay explore how humans first became aware of the existence of viruses. Throughout the discussion, Professor Barclay's expertise and deep understanding of viruses provide a captivating insight into the complex world of virology and the pivotal role of viruses in causing pandemics. The conversation turns to discussing COVID-19 variants, viral transmission, and how the immune system responds to the virus. They delve into the impact of variants on transmission rates, how the virus infects cells, and the body's immune response.     Lastly, the conversation sheds light on the origins of the COVID-19 virus, explaining the prevailing theory that it originated from a natural source, such as a wet market in Wuhan, China, where the first cases were reported.   Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Sir Andrew Pollard & Sir John Bell discuss COVID-19 pandemic in China, Oxford Univ. & AstraZeneca's vaccine efforts. Bell highlights global response, data sharing, Oxford's vaccine expertise & diagnostic testing. Sir Andrew Pollard, sat down with Sir John Irving Bell, a renowned Canadian-British immunologist and academic, who is currently the Regius Professor of Medicine at University of Oxford to discuss the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic originating in Wuhan, China, as well as the efforts of Oxford University and AstraZeneca in developing a vaccine. Sir John Bell reflected on the initial reports coming out of Wuhan, China, in late 2019 about a novel respiratory illness that was causing concern among the global health community. He emphasized the importance of international collaboration and data sharing in those early days to understand the virus and its potential impact on global health. Sir John Bell discusses the efforts that were undertaken by Oxford University, in response to the emerging pandemic. He explained that Oxford's expertise in vaccine development and its relationship with AstraZeneca, a leading pharmaceutical company with capabilities in large-scale manufacturing and global distribution, positioned them to play a crucial role in the race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/

Kate Bingham, a British venture capitalist, discussed her role in the UK's COVID-19 vaccine rollout and her leadership of the vaccine task force and the importance of diplomacy in the global fight against COVID-19. In this episode of his podcast, Sir Andrew Pollard was joined by Kate Bingham, a venture capitalist where she is currently a managing partner, who played a crucial role in the UK's COVID-19 vaccine rollout. Bingham started by explaining what a venture capitalist does and her background, skills and how she brings in experts to ensure the investments are robust and are there to help when needed. The conversation then shifted to the COVID-19 pandemic and how Sir Patrick Vallance assembled a team to help with the possible rollout of COVID-19 vaccines. Bingham was recruited to lead the Vaccine Task Force and had to recruit her own team to manage the enormous task ahead. She talked about diplomacy and how they were not competing with any country but rather the COVID-19 virus itself. The conversation provided an inside look into what was happening within the Vaccine Task Force and the wider team that covered legal and manufacturing aspects. Bingham talked about the deals on the 190 vaccines that were in some level of development in the period of May-June 2020 and how the government made their choices. They had to produce a business case and then picked 10-12 vaccines for COVID-19, looking into the different formats of vaccines. The UK had the first vaccines approved in the world, and Bingham discussed how the UK was ahead of the game. They also discussed how the US worked against the clock for vaccine rollouts and how they used teamwork to work together. The conversation then delved into which vaccine would be the most promising and what data was available, focusing on the science and clinical aspects in the fast-paced time of the pandemic. Bingham talked about the technical issues they faced and how important timing was for the Vaccine Task Force. She also discussed whether she would have done things differently within her team during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic and how she would push harder if given the chance. They talked about the importance of building relationships with each manufacturer of the vaccines, being ready for other strains of the virus, affordability, and pushing forward to secure vaccines and act to be ready if this happens again. Bingham also talked about the relationship between her team, the media, and the government during the peak of the pandemic and the issues they could have faced. She discussed how they got things done under the radar. Overall, the conversation provided a fascinating insight into the behind-the-scenes work that went into the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in the UK, highlighting the importance of teamwork, diplomacy, and building relationships to achieve a common goal. It also shed light on the challenges and technical issues faced during the pandemic and the importance of being ready for future outbreaks. Creative Commons Attribution-Non-Commercial-Share Alike 2.0 UK: England & Wales; http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/uk/