Guest podcasters
Listen to some of our brilliant minds speak on podcasts from all over the world.
Could you recognise concussion symptoms?
MCRI clinical neuropsychologist and PhD student Vanessa Rausa from the Brain and Mind group speaks to the Life Matters podcast about concussion risks for children in sport.
22 April 2026
Suicide and self-harm in young people
MCRI Research Associate, Sydney Stevens speaks to Norman Swan and Dr Preeya Alexander about the Australia's first clinical guidelines for preventing suicide and treating suicidal ideation or self-harm in young people.
18 April 2026
What is Thriving Kids?
Professor Frank Oberklaid speaks to David Speers about the Thriving Kids Advisory Group.
7 February 2026
Genomic newborn screening in Australia: from pilot studies to population-scale programs
Professor Zornitza Stark speaks to The Genetics Podcast about the BabyScreen+ genomic newborn screening study.
29 January 2026
Are allergen starter packs safe?
Professor Mimi Tang joins the ABC Health Report to discuss how safe allergy starter kits to introduce allergens safely for children.
Parents are encouraged to introduce common allergens in the first year of life, products are popping up promising to make it easier. However it's unclear whether these sachets are adequate to help prevent allergies, or if it's still better to stick to whole foods.
01 November 2025
Speech and Language in Batten disease
Lottie Morison joins the JIMD podcast to discuss recent insights around speech and language progression and assessment in CLN2 and CLN3 Batten disease.
24 June 2025
Good news in the first months of the RSV vaccine rollout
Professor Jim Buttery talks with Norman Swan about the maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine. As of June 2025, more than 60,000 women had received the vaccine.
19 July 2025
NAXD deficiency - Rare Diseases
Join Dr Nicole van Bergen on the Journal of Inherited Metabolic Diseases (JIMD) podcast as she explains why metabolism isn't perfect and how disorders of enzyme repair present their own challenges.
29 April 2025
How do we make cancer treatment worth it, work better, and less harmful?
Join MCRI researchers Associate Professor David Elliot and Professor Megan Munsie on the ABC Big Ideas podcast with host Natasha Mitchell to find out how scientists are attacking the problem of cancer treatment.
23 April 2025
Why the US measles outbreak is so concerning
There has been a decline in the number of children getting immunised against the virus since 2020. What’s behind the trend, and what will happen if it continues? Listen to MCRi's Dr Linny Phuong explain measles vaccinations on the ABC Health Report.
19 Apr 2025
Increases in Invasive Group A Streptococcal Infections
Dr Josh Osowicki joins the JAMA network to discuss the public health challenges posed by group A streptococcal infections.
7 April 2025
The anti-vaccination movement
Professor Margie Danchin joins the Rear Vision podcast on ABC Radio National to discuss the concerning recent outbreaks in measles, and the role that the anti-vaccination movement plays in the spread of the disease.
6 April 2025
Supporting teenagers to thrive online
Teenagers 'live' online and on social media. How can they reap the many benefits that social media can offer? There are plenty of them: an endless pool of knowledge and curiosity. But parents need to help them navigate the risk and threats online — of which there're also plenty.
Listen to Dr.Sarthak Gandhi, Research Assistant from the Policy and Equity group and a panel of experts. Hosted at the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.
3 April 2025
The Oxford Colloquy: Trusting the Science featuring Professor Andrew Steer
MCRI Theme Director of Infection, Immunity and Global Health Professor Andrew Steer joins Professor Sir Andrew Pollard to discuss the link between childhood sore throats and adult cardiology, and the controversial drug Ivermectin.
27 March 2025
Kidney health in ex-prem infants with Dr Thomas Forbes
Dr Tom Forbes joins The Education Hub podcast to discuss the methods and importance of monitoring the health of kidneys in premature infants.
5 March 2025
Dr Courtney Munro on Let's Talk, Period
Dr Courtney Munro, Senior Research Officer and Project Coordinator of the LongSTEPPP Study joins the Let's Talk, Period podcast to talk about her research.
4 December 2024
Genetic screening for all couples looking to have children with Professor Marting Delatycki
Professor Martin Delatycki talks to Norman Swan on ABC Radio's Health Report about the best way to deliver a national genetic screening program, that would be available to all couples in Australia.
23 November 2024
Research finds link between air pollution and peanut allergy with Rachel Peters
Associate Professor Rachel Peters talks to ABC World Today about the link between peanut allergies in children and air pollution.
23 October 2024
Actual Experts Debunk the Cass Review with Ken Pang
Associate Professor Ken Pang discusses the controversial recommendations made by the Cass review with Dr Meredithe McNamara and Dr Kellan Baker.
20 September 2024
At what age can a child be criminally responsible? with Susan Sawyer
Leader of the Centre for Adolescent Health Professor Susan Sawyer speaks with Meshel Laurie and Dr Xanthé Mallett about the age of criminal responsibility in Australia.
4 September 2024
Blood pressure in children with Jonathan Glenning
MCRI PhD candidate Jonathan Glenning speaks to The Education Hub podcast, produced by the Royal Children's Hospital, giving an overview of high blood pressure in children and his vision to increase the rate of childhood blood pressure monitoring.
4 September 2024
Bone marrow breakthrough with Ed Stanley
Professor Ed Stanley talks to PM about how the team at MCRI have grown blood stem cells within the confines of a laboratory, paving the way for personalised and improved treatment options.
3 September 2024
The common cytomegalovirus and its risk in pregnancy with Lisa Hui
Associate Professor Lisa Hui speaks to ABC Listen's Health Report about new evidence showing the risk of cytomegalovirus infection in pregnancy is much lower with the right treatment.
18 May 2024
Predicting the children who'll outgrow allergies with Rachel Peters
Associate Professor Rachel Peters talks to Dr Norman Swan from the Health Report about the recent discovery on how to identify the children that are more likely to grow out of their allergy.
18 May 2024
Blood protein could help identify kids prone to long term concussion with Ella Swaney
MCRI researcher Ella Swaney speaks to ABC RN Breakfast about the discovery of a blood protein which could help identify those children who are likely to suffer longer-term effects, and help guide parents in preventing or managing concussion.
10 April 2024
What does the justice system do to kids' health? with Stuart Kinner
Professor Stuart Kinner speaks to Tegan Taylor about the health risks of children who have contact with the youth justice system.
24 February 2024
Navigating Inductive Content Analysis in Qualitative Research with Danya Vears
Dr Danya Vears speaks to the Between the Data podcast about how to conduct inductive content analysis (ICA).
15 January 2024
How do we better support GPs working in the mental health space? with Harriet Hiscock
Professor Harriet Hiscock speaks to the Conversation Hour about how Murdoch Children's Research Institute is working to support GPs and clinicians working in the mental health space.
27 November 2023
Birthing in the world of COVID with Lisa Hui
Associate Professor Lisa Hui speaks to Tegan Taylor on ABC Radio about how COVID lockdowns affected birth in Victoria.
30 October 2023
Is birth by caesarean linked to allergy risk? with Rachel Peters
Associate Professor Rachel Peters speaks to the Naked Scientists podcast on the potential links between c-section births and increased allergy risk.
26 May 2023
Why won’t you sleep?! with Harriet Hiscock
Professor Harriet Hiscock speaks to the Beyond the Bump podcast about why children aged 3-8 may be having sleep issues.
26 July 2022
Building blocks for life: public health and kids with Sharon Goldfeld
Professor Sharon Goldfeld speaks to the Life's Lottery: Backing Kids podcast about how families can be best supported during a child’s early years.
6 April 2022