The TBPod
The TBPod is a podcast for clinicians and policymakers caring for patients with tuberculosis. It features discussions with expert clinicians, researchers, policymakers, and advocates about their work in tuberculosis. The show covers the global burden of TB, including cases in Australia and New Zealand and the challenges of multidrug-resistant TB. It also explores research and innovative strategies needed to support the global goal of TB elimination by 2030.
Episodes
Protecting Mothers and Infants: Dr Jyoti Mathad on TB During Pregnancy
Dr Alice Sawka, adult respiratory and TB physician in Adelaide, is joined by Dr Jyoti S. Mathad, Associate Professor of Medicine and Obstetrics & Gynaecology at Weill Cornell Medicine, to discuss tuberculosis infection, prevention and treatment during pregnancy. They explore the unique immunological changes that occur during pregnancy, why pregnant women are at increased risk of developing TB
TB Origins – Dr Victoria Grey on the Rationale for the Duration of Treatment in TB Meningitis
Dr Alice Sawka, adult respiratory and TB physician in Adelaide, is joined by Dr Victoria Grey, infectious diseases physician in Brisbane, and Dr Jack Callum, respiratory physician in London, to explore the evidence behind the 12 month treatment duration for TB meningitis.Together, they discuss the limited evidence underpinning current guidelines, the challenges of treating TB within the central ne
TB Origins – Dr Alice Sawka: Where Does the 8-Hour Contact Tracing Rule Come From?
Dr Alice Sawka is joined by Dr Jack Callum, respiratory physician in London, and Dr Victoria Gray, infectious diseases physician in Brisbane, to explore the origins of the widely used “eight-hour rule” in TB contact tracing.Together, they examine the evidence behind this commonly used threshold, trace its roots to early studies of TB transmission during air travel, and discuss how clinicians and p
TB Origins – Dr Jack Callum on TB Infection and the Timing of Immunosuppression Commencement
Dr Alice Sawka, adult respiratory and TB physician in Adelaide, is joined by Dr Jack Callum, respiratory physician in London, and Dr Victoria Grey, infectious diseases physician in Brisbane, to explore the evidence behind delaying TNF-alpha inhibitor therapy after starting TB preventive treatment. Together, they discuss the risk of TB reactivation with biologic therapies, the origins of current gu
Diagnosing the Invisible: Nurse Courtney Murphy on Paediatric TB Innovation & Care
Dr Alice Sawka, adult respiratory and TB physician in Adelaide, is joined by Courtney Murphy, a paediatric specialist TB nurse at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, to explore the challenges of diagnosing tuberculosis in children.They discuss innovative approaches such as induced sputum, improving diagnostic yield and reducing invasive procedures, and the importance of microbiological con
GIRFT in Action: Dr Martin Allen on Transforming TB Care
Dr Martin Allen, Consultant Respiratory Physician at the University Hospital of North Staffordshire and National Clinical Lead for Respiratory Medicine within the GIRFT programme, joins Dr Jack Callum to discuss the development and impact of the GIRFT tuberculosis report across England and Scotland.They explore how data-driven review and peer-led evaluations are uncovering gaps in TB care, from di
The People Behind the Numbers: Dr Padmasayee Papineni on TB Care, Stigma & Social Support
Dr Padmasayee Papineni, Consultant and Co‑Clinical Director in Infectious Diseases at London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust, joins Dr Jack Callum to discuss the lived experience of tuberculosis care through narrative medicine. The conversation centres on her 2022 Lancet Wakley Prize–winning essay “Directly Observed Therapy,” which follows socially vulnerable patients navigating TB alon
Shifting TB Landscapes: Dr Peter MacPherson on HIV–TB Care & Diagnostic Innovation
Dr Peter MacPherson, Professor of Global Public Health at the University of Glasgow, joins Dr Jack Callum to discuss his research on HIV–TB care and shifting TB epidemiology. He discusses findings from the SaDAPT trial, showing that same‑day ART initiation for people with HIV and TB symptoms is non‑inferior to waiting for TB results and carries similarly low IRIS risk, supporting flexible, program
Understanding TBM: Dr Joseph Donovan on Global Challenges, Trials & Critical-Care Needs
Dr Joseph Donovan, clinical researcher at OUCRU Vietnam and Associate Research Fellow at the University of Oxford, joins Dr Angus Lane, medical registrar to discuss the global burden and diagnostic challenges of tuberculosis meningitis (TBM). He outlines key findings from major trials in Vietnam and Indonesia, including the ACT HIV trial of adjunctive dexamethasone, discusses global practice guide
Advancing TB Research: Dr Jodie Schildkraut & Dr Van Le Hong from Unite4TB
Catherine Berry, ACTnet Steering Committee member and ID physician at John Hunter Hospital, Newcastle, was joined by Dr Jodie Schildkraut and Dr Van Le Hong, key researchers in the global Unite4TB consortium, which is accelerating the development of new TB treatments.Dr Schildkraut, based at Radboud University Medical Center, leads the Phase 2B/C clinical trials work package and coordinates across
Post-TB Sequelae: Life and Death After TB Treatment - In Discussion with Prof. Nicolas Menzies
Associate Professor Nicolas Alan Menzies, from the School of Global Health and Population at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, Massachusetts, joins Dr Andrew Burke to discuss his research on the contribution of post-TB sequelae to life-years and quality-adjusted life-years lost due to TB disease in the United States. Drawing on data from both U.S. and Brazilian cohorts, he e
CATAPuLT - Can we manage latent TB infection in primary care?
Dr Matthew Burman is a TB clinician and researcher from East London, Queen Mary University and the Blizzard Institute. Today he presents the data from the CATAPULT trial which randomised patients to either have their latent TB infection managed by a TB clinic in secondary care, or be managed in primary care by their GP in concert with a community pharmacist. This amazing trial re-evaluates how we
Unlocking GeneXpert: A Deep Dive with Dr Stijn Deborggraeve
Dr. Stijn Deborggraeve is the Diagnostics Advisor Infectious Diseases at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Access Campaign.In this episode we discussed GeneXpert technology including pricing, logistics, and future developments.
Fighting Childhood Tuberculosis: Expert Advice from Dr Graeme Hoddinott
Dr Graeme Hoddinott is a Senior Lecturer in Global Health at the University of Sydney. He is also an Extraordinary Associate Professor in paediatrics at Stellenbosch University. Much of his research experience is on tuberculosis, especially among children, adolescents, and their families. In this episode, we explore ground-breaking research on the preferences of children and adolescents in tubercu
Understanding the Patient Tuberculosis Experience with Sarah Bernays
Associate Professor Sarah Bernays, co-director of the Masters of Global Health program at the University of Sydney, leads a social science research program focused on community engagement in infectious disease prevention, treatment, and care. Her work emphasizes understanding how individuals, households, and communities respond to health adversity, risk, and vulnerability while fostering resilienc
Eradication in Sight? Overcoming Tuberculosis with Guy Marks
Professor Guy Marks AO FAHMS is a distinguished respiratory and public health physician and environmental epidemiologist. Currently serving as the President and interim Executive Director of the International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union), he has led the Respiratory and Environmental Epidemiology group at the Woolcock Institute since 1997. His research primarily focuses o
Tuberculosis Trailblazers: Nurses Leading the Fight with Amanda Christensen
Amanda Christensen joins us in this month's edition to discuss the critical impact of nurses in the fight against tuberculosis. Amanda is the Executive Director at the Australian Respiratory Council and is deeply experienced in the field of tuberculosis care.We explored the ideal attributes of TB nurses, offering perspectives on tuberculosis both within Australia and across the Pacific. We di
Advancing TB Care: The Statistical Design of Clinical Trials with Patrick Phillips
Today we had the pleasure of being joined by Associate Professor Patrick Phillips from the University of California, who is the Co-Director of the UC Tuberculosis Research Advancement Center, Clinical & Population Health Science Core. Patrick has a wealth of statistical experience and specialises in the design, implementation, and optimisation of clinical trials for new treatments for drug-sen
The Trauma of TB Stigma - Lived Experiences with Handaa Enkh Amgalan
Handaa Enkh Amgalan is an author, TB advocate and director of QA at the International Rescue Committee in Germany who has not only recently spoken at the UN TB High Level Meeting but also written an incredible memoir of her experience being diagnosed with severe pulmonary tuberculosis as a teenager growing up in Mongolia. Handaa gives an incredible insight into what it means to be diagnosed with s
Frontiers in Clinical Tuberculosis Microbiology - New TBI Diagnostics with Prof Martineau
Professor Adrian Martineau from the Queen Mary University London talks to us about the limitations of current latent TB infection diagnosis and how we can do better. his research into whether we can use fragments of TB DNA found in bone marrow cells to better predict who should be treated with Tuberculosis Preventative Treatment.REFERENCESMartineau, Adrian R., et al. "Towards a molecular mic
MTBVAC - one of the most promising new TB Vaccines with Dr Carlos Martín Montañés
Today we discuss the MTBVAC with Dr Montañés. MTBVAC is an attenuated vaccine from a human mycobacterial isolate which has just progressed to a phase 3 trial and shown very promising results in the phase 2 study. Dr Montañés has been involved in this project for over a decade and has an incredible insight into the development and promise of this vaccine for global TB epidemiology.ReferencesMartín,
TB Contact Tracing and Building Research in TB with Prof Philip Hill
Prof Greg Fox speaks with Prof Philip Hill about TB household contact tracing and building research capacity in TB. Prof Hill is an ID specialist and public health physician who did his PhD in TB Epidemiology. He is the current McAuley Chair in International Health as well as being Founding Direction & Co-Director of the Centre for International Health at the University of Otago.References1) M
END-TB Trial with Dr Guglielmetti
Today we speak with Dr Guglielmetti about the END-TB trial which looks at new all oral regimens for MDR-TB.REFERENCES1) https://endtb.org/2) Nyang’wa, Bern-Thomas, et al. "A 24-week, all-oral regimen for rifampin-resistant tuberculosis." New England Journal of Medicine 387.25 (2022): 2331-2343.3) Conradie, Francesca, et al. "Treatment of highly drug-resistant pulmonary tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis Diagnostics & Emerging Technologies with Dr Morten Ruhwald
Today we delve into the world of TB diagnostics and the future of leveraged TB technologies with Dr Morten Ruhwald. Dr Ruhwald is a the head of the TB programme over at FIND, an institution dedicated to accelerating equitable access to reliable diagnosis around the world. Dr Ruhwald elaborates on the current state of TB diagnostics, new clinical strategies, usability factors, and future TB perspe
Tuberculosis Nursing Challenges in Australia's Northern Territory with Dr Chris Lowbridge
Today we speak with Dr Chris Lowbridge about the amazing work of the TB teams in the Northern Territory. Chris talks about the challenges of controlling tuberculosis across 1.42 million square kilometres, more than 100 local languages, and some very isolated communities.ReferencesMeumann, Ella M., et al. "Tuberculosis in Australia's tropical north: a population-based genomic epidemiologi
Drug Development with Dr Clifton Barry
Today we speak with Dr Clifton Barry from NIH in Bethesda, Maryland who is head of the most highly cited research group in the field of TB over the past year and has made extraordinary contributions to TB drug development. Dr Barry speaks about his involvement in the PREDICT TB study, the TB Drug Accelerator and some of the most exciting drug developments in recent years.REFERENCESGreen, Simon R.,
Where are we with TB Vaccines - with Prof Triccas
Today we get an update on where the TB Vaccine pipeline is up to, how TB vaccines work and what exciting candidates might be on the horizon. We speak with Professor Jamie Triccas from the University of Sydney about his work as the principal investigator on the Advancing Vaccine Adjuvant Research for Tuberculosis (AVAR-T) which is an NIH funded project to identify the most promising adjuvant-TB imm
What does TB Elimination mean?
Today we have the pleasure of speaking with Professor Giovanni Migliori about TB Elimination. Professor Migliori is the director of the WHO collaborating centre for TB and lung disease and is the current chief editor for the international journal of TB and lung disease. He was formerly the secretary general of the ERS and president of the Union's European region. Today he speaks about his rec
Papua New Guinean Challenges of TB in Pregnancy
Today we speak with Prof Mola, Dr Welch and Dr Visiliu about their amazing work tackling TB in pregnancy in Papua New Guinea. They talk about the epidemiological, geographical and social challenges of providing maternal TB care in PNG along with some insights into treatment and control.REFERENCES:Hamada, Yohhei, et al. "The safety of isoniazid tuberculosis preventive treatment in pregnant and
How WGS is shaping the public health in Australia
Today we speak with Professor Justin Denholm about his work with the National TB Advisory Committee in Australia and the role whole genome sequencing (WGS) has in public health. Professor Denholm talks about how WGS is expanding the way we think about tuberculosis and how this WGS can bring us into a new age of TB elimination strategy.REFERENCES1. Ferdinand, Angeline S., et al. "An implementa
Discovery of tuberculosis - the life of Robert Koch
In this extraordinary episode we speak with renowned historian Professor Christoph Gradmann about the life and work of German physician Robert Koch. In this episode we look at how Koch came to discover tuberculosis and what it meant for the field of medicine in the late 19th century.REFERENCES:Gradmann, Christoph. "Robert Koch and the pressures of scientific research: tuberculosis and tubercu
Differentiating TB from Sarcoid
Today we have the pleasure of speaking to both Professor Leonard (Respiratory physician and director of the sarcoidosis service for Manchester Foundation Trust) and Dr Montero (director of cellular pathology for Wythenshawe Hospital) about the complex interplay between these two illnesses and how best to approach complex patients with uncertain diagnosis of granulomatous disease.REFERENCES:Agrawal
Mind the Gap - Update on Global TB Goals
Today I had the privilege of speak with Professor Christoph Lange, Secretary General of the Union, founding chairman of TBNet and is the clinical lead for the Unite4TB Consortium. Professor Lange spoke to us about where we're up to with our EndTB Goals. Professor Lange spoke about the significant barriers that remain, where our shortfalls have come, where our successes have arisen, and what e
Understanding TB Diagnostic Tests
Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr Emily MacLean about the exciting modern tests both commercially available and in research development for diagnosing tuberculosis. Emily talked to us about how GeneXpert has evolved and how we can get the most out of this amazing test but also about the extraordinary diagnostic tests being investigated at the moment from blood tests of host response to
Understanding TB Screening Tests
Today I had the pleasure of speaking with Dr Geoff Eather from the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane about his work and research on TST and IGRA screening for tuberculosis. This was a fantastic experience to learn more about these incredibly common tests from an expert in this field of research. REFERENCES:Auguste, Peter, et al. "Comparing interferon-gamma release assays with tuberculin
Tuberculosis Modelling
Today I had the pleasure of speaking to Hojoon Sohn, an associate professor in infectious disease epidemiologist at the Seoul National University College of Medicine. Hojoon is an expert in TB modelling and speaks to us about his research in decentralised models of testing. This was a fascinating podcast about an area of Tuberculosis not often encountered in the clinical sphere and Hojoon gives a
Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in TB
Today we speak to Professor Jan-Willem Alffenaar from Westmead Hospital and the University of Sydney about Therapeutic Drug Monitoring in Tuberculosis. Professor Alffenaar reviews the PK/PD issues with common TB medications, the strengths and weaknesses of TDM and how best to utilise TDM in the treatment of TB patients. REFERENCES1) personalised dosing of TB drugsClinical standards for the dosing
Predicting Side Effects in 3HP
Today we speak with Professor Jann-Yuan Wang, a clinician and researcher in Taiwan, about his work in latent tuberculosis. Professor Wang speaks about his experience using 3HP and the challenges of systemic drug reactions. Professor Wang talks about his research into predicting which patients will experience systemic drug reactions based on research algorithms of clinical characteristics, plasma d
Treatment of Drug Resistant TB
Drug Resistant TB is a growing problem with some exciting advances over the past decade. With the recent Rapid Communication from the WHO and the advent of the B-PALMS regimen, drug resistant TB is a changing and exciting field of tuberculosis around the world.In this episode Professor Greg Fox from the University of Sydney speaks with Dr Jack Callum about the latest changes in the treatment of Dr
Vaccination in Tuberculosis
BCG has long been the only widely used vaccination strategy since it's initial use over 100 years ago. In high TB burden settings it is still recommended in children to protect against disseminated disease though the lasting protection offered by BCG vaccination has been poor at best.Today, Emeritus Professor Warwick Britton AO FAHMS from the Centenary Institute and the University of Sydney s
Ethical Issues in Tuberculosis
How does stigma impact treatment in tuberculosis? Has the COVID-19 pandemic enabled high income countries to commiserate with lower middle income countries who have high infectious disease burden? Are antimicrobials impacting the way some countries treat tuberculosis? Dr Paul Mason explores these questions while addressing other ethical issues in tuberculosis.Dr Paul Mason is an anthropologist who
Child and Adolescent Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis is a global health priority and a major cause of child and adolescent morbidity and mortality. Approximately 1.5 million children and adolescents are infected with tuberculosis each year. Tuberculosis in children and adolescence is often overlooked by health providers and can be difficult to treat and diagnose. Professor Steve Graham will provide an overview of the current state of p
The TB Practecal Study
Philipp is the co-head of the Burnet Institute Tuberculosis Elimination and Implementation Science Group. He is an infectious diseases specialist with more than 15 years of extensive clinical and public health experience, and over 10 years’ experience in the management of TB/HIV programs. He has worked as a TB/HIV advisor, and supported program implementation and research in a range of settings. H
Rheumatoid Arthritis and Latent Tuberculosis Reactivation - Clinical Case
Dr Andrew Burke and Dr Ramdeep Bajwa discuss clinical cases consisting of rheumatoid arthritis, the risk of tuberculosis reactivation and management of tuberculosis.
Tuberculosis Control
What are the broader issues for TB control at present? How has COVID-19 impacted TB programs? What are the longer term prospects for TB control over the coming decade in the post pandemic era? Dr James Trauer and Professor Guy Marks answer these questions and discuss the areas requiring focus.Guy Marks is a respiratory physician and epidemiologist and a public health physician. He is the President
Tuberculosis Control
What are the broader issues for TB control at the moment? How has COVID-19 impacted TB programs? What are the longer term prospects for TB control over the coming decade in the post pandemic era? Dr James Trauer and Professor Guy Marks answer these questions and discuss the areas requiring focus.Guy Marks is a respiratory physician and epidemiologist and a public health physician. He is the Presid
Molecular Testing in Tuberculosis
Molecular testing in Tuberculosis (TB) is broad and complex. Dr Andrew Burke and Dr Chris Coulter discuss the utility/ advantages of Ultra GeneExpert, different types of line probe assays and WGS/ NGS in the future. Dr Chris Coulter uses his expertise to explain these diagnostic tools for physicians, nurses, policy makers and public health professionals.Dr Chris Coulter is a Microbiologist, the C
Active Case Finding
What are the issues with active case finding? What is the trajectory and the way forward to obtain tangible differences in reducing TB globally? Professor Greg Fox and Dr Kavi Velen explore the answers to these questions and discuss why active case finding has not shown the anticipated level of progress predicted by the literature and the World Health Organisation.Associate Professor Greg Fox a r
Tuberculosis Clinical Presentation
TB clinical presentation is complex. This is because TB may involve any tissue or organ, the severity of symptoms range from none to overwhelming, the tempo of the illness ranges from indolent to rapid, symptoms/ findings may be local or systematic, the presentation varies in immunocompromised and diagnostic tests such as TST or IGRA cannot provide an official diagnosis alone. Due to the complexit
The similarities and differences between COVID-19 and TB
COVID-19 and TB respiratory illnesses share both significant similarities and differences. At first glance, the viruses appear to be very different infections. However, perhaps one of the most important similarities is how the infections affect communities epidemiologically. Dr James Trauer and Dr Anna Coussens discuss the similarities and differences between the two infections.Dr Anna Coussens is
Paediatric Tuberculoisis
TB is in the global top 10 leading causes of death in children under five. Migration and international travel have caused TB rates to have risen even in typically low burden countries. A child with infected TB may not have active disease. As a result, children are at risk of becoming reservoirs where TB may become reactivated in adulthood thus fuelling the future epidemic. Professor Ben Marais f
Post TB Lung Disease
Post TB lung disease is am important yet, difficult area to research. The number of those affected by post TB lung disease is unknown however, is thought to be significant. Additionally, those affected by post TB lung disease are associated with an increased burden of symptoms along with an economic cost. Dr Anthony Bryne discusses the importance of post TB lung disease.Dr Anthony Byrne is a thora
Patient Support and TB Treatment Adherence
Dr Kerry Viney from the Australian National University and Mr Neil Heron a Clinical Nurse Consultant from NSW Health TB Program, discuss the controversial yet, important topic on patient TB treatment adherence.
Latent Tuberculosis Infection
What is latent tuberculosis infection? How does it affect patients? How should we treat it? These questions are addressed by Associate Professor Justin Denholm and Dr James Trauer in this podcast.Associate Professor Justin Denholm is the Medical Director of the Victorian Tuberculosis Program. Justin is an infectious diseases physician and ethicist, and is actively involved in clinical and public h
