Talk Nerdy: Connecting Curious Minds

Talk Nerdy: Connecting Curious Minds
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  • MEDICINE

A podcast that brings the people, passion, and possibility behind health and medical research into the spotlight - at UNSW Medicine & Health. Hosted by Dr Sam McAllery, Talk Nerdy is a show for curious minds who are interested in big ideas, inspired by the people behind them, and keen to connect, collaborate, and think beyond their own field.

Episodes

  1. S1:E9 - Immunity in Unexpected Places

    09/10/2025

    S1:E9 - Immunity in Unexpected Places

    In this episode, Sam sits down with Sarah to explore how trauma can trigger surprising immune responses – revealing why not all lung injuries are the same, and why treatment might need to be just as tailored. Inspired by this episode? Here’s how to connect. You can find out more about Sarah’s work and how to get in touch HERE For feedback on this episode or to connect with the UNSW Medicine & Health research community, please email s.mcallery@unsw.edu.au Credits: Guest: Dr Sarah Sasson, Program Head at the Kirby Institute at UNSW, and a clinical immunologist and immunopathologist at Westmead Hospital. Host & Executive Producer: Dr Sam McAllery Producer: Jacob Bird Audio Editor: Long Nguyen Audio Credits :Music from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/city-lights⁠ License code: MA91CVI5KB9HED3V

    25 min
  2. S1:E8 - Begin at the Bedside

    02/10/2025

    S1:E8 - Begin at the Bedside

    In this episode, Sam sits down with Alisa to explore how clinical care can drive discovery - a patient-first, precision-focused approach to research that starts at the bedside and builds outward. Inspired by this episode? Here’s how to connect. You can learn more about Alisa’s work HERE and if you’d like to get in touch with her or explore potential collaborations, feel free to reach out to me at s.mcallery@unsw.edu.au Credits: Guest: A/Prof Alisa Kane, Associate Professor at UNSW and clinical immunologist at St Vincent’s and Liverpool Hospitals Host & Executive Producer: Dr Sam McAllery Producer: Jacob Bird Audio Editor: Long Nguyen Audio Credits :Music from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/city-lights⁠ License code: MA91CVI5KB9HED3V

    24 min
  3. S1:E7 - Rewriting Immunology, One Mutation at a Time

    25/09/2025

    S1:E7 - Rewriting Immunology, One Mutation at a Time

    In this episode, Sam sits down with Elissa to explore how rare, single-gene immune disorders are helping decode the broader puzzle of autoimmunity. Inspired by this episode? Here’s how to connect. You can find out more about Elissa’s work and how to get in touch HERE For feedback on this episode or to connect with the UNSW Medicine & Health research community, please email s.mcallery@unsw.edu.au Credits: Guest: Scientia A/Prof Elissa Deenick and co-Director of the Precision Immunology Program at the Garvan Institute for Medical Research Host & Executive Producer: Dr Sam McAllery Producer: Jacob Bird Audio Editor: Long Nguyen Audio Credits :Music from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/city-lights⁠ License code: MA91CVI5KB9HED3V

    22 min
  4. S1:E6 - What Lurks Beneath the Contact Lens

    18/09/2025

    S1:E6 - What Lurks Beneath the Contact Lens

    In this episode, Sam sits down with Nicole to explore Acanthamoeba keratitis - a rare but serious eye infection that mostly affects contact lens wearers - and how her work bridges public health advocacy and molecular research. Inspired by this episode? Here’s how to connect. You can find out more about Nicole’s work and how to get in touch HERE For feedback on this episode or to connect with the UNSW Medicine & Health research community, please email s.mcallery@unsw.edu.au Guest: Nicole Carnt, Associate Professor and the Director of Research at the School of Optometry & Vision Science, UNSW Medicine and Health Host & Executive Producer: Dr Sam McAllery Producer: Jacob Bird Audio Editor: Long Nguyen Audio Credits :Music from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/city-lights⁠ License code: MA91CVI5KB9HED3V

    24 min
  5. S1:E5 - Endemic Thinking

    11/09/2025

    S1:E5 - Endemic Thinking

    In this episode, Sam sits down with Alexandra to explore how we can plan smarter, more sustainable COVID-19 vaccination strategies - a deep dive into modelling disease transmission in a world where the virus is no longer new, but far from gone. Inspired by this episode? Here’s how to connect. You can find out more about Alexandra’s work and how to get in touch HERE For feedback on this episode or to connect with the UNSW Medicine & Health research community, please email s.mcallery@unsw.edu.au Credits: Guest: Dr Alexandra Hogan, Scientia Senior Lecturer at the School of Population Health, UNSW Medicine and Health Host & Executive Producer: Dr Sam McAllery Producer: Jacob Bird Audio Editor: Long Nguyen Audio Credits :Music from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/city-lights⁠ License code: MA91CVI5KB9HED3V

    26 min
  6. S1:E4 - Can a B cell be redeemed?

    04/09/2025

    S1:E4 - Can a B cell be redeemed?

    In this episode, Sam sits down with Debbie to explore how foundational immunology can help us design better vaccines especially when the infectious agent looks a little too much like us. Inspired by this episode? Here’s how to connect. You can find out more about Debbie's work and how to get in touch HERE For feedback on this episode or to connect with the UNSW Medicine & Health research community, please email s.mcallery@unsw.edu.au Credits: Guest: Dr Deborah Burnett, Scientia Senior Lecturer in the School of Biomedical Sciences at UNSW Medicine & Health Host & Executive Producer: Dr Sam McAllery Producer: Jacob Bird Audio Editor: Long Nguyen Audio Credits :Music from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/city-lights⁠ License code: MA91CVI5KB9HED3V

    26 min
  7. S1:E3 - Breathing into Discovery

    28/08/2025

    S1:E3 - Breathing into Discovery

    In this episode, Sam sits down with Martin to explore how breath can be used as a powerful window into the body’s inner workings, a deep dive into metabolism, inflammation, and real-time diagnostics. Inspired by this episode? Here’s how to connect. You can find out more about Martin's work and how to get in touch HERE For feedback on this episode or to connect with the UNSW Medicine & Health research community, please email s.mcallery@unsw.edu.au Credits: Guest: : Dr Martin Lindley Host & Executive Producer: Dr Sam McAllery Producer: Jacob Bird Audio Editor: Long Nguyen Audio Credits :Music from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/city-lights⁠ License code: MA91CVI5KB9HED3V

    23 min
  8. S1:E2 - It Takes a Village (to Tackle RSV)

    21/08/2025

    S1:E2 - It Takes a Village (to Tackle RSV)

    In this episode, Sam sits down with Nusrat to explore how data-driven epidemiology can transform child health and why RSV is more than “just a virus.” Inspired by this episode? Here’s how to connect. You can find out more about Nusrat’s work and how to get in touch here For feedback on this episode or to connect with the UNSW Medicine & Health research community, please email s.mcallery@unsw.edu.au Credits: Guest: A/Prof Nusrat Homaira Host & Executive Producer: Dr Sam McAllery Producer: Jacob Bird Audio Editor: Long Nguyen Audio Credits :Music from #Uppbeat: ⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/city-lights ⁠License code: MA91CVI5KB9HED3V

    24 min
  9. S1:E1 - Disruptive Vaccinology

    14/08/2025

    S1:E1 - Disruptive Vaccinology

    In this episode, Sam sits down with Jake Baum to explore what he calls disruptive vaccinology - a bold, systems-level rethink of how we approach vaccines for complex diseases like malaria. Inspired by this episode? Here’s how to connect. You can find out more about Jake’s work by visiting his lab’s website ⁠(https://www.baumlab.com)⁠ and the global health burden of malaria through the WHO world malaria report (https://www.who.int/teams/global-malaria-programme/reports/world-malaria-report-2024).Speaking of which, after the recording, Jake let us know he made a small slip. A child dies from malaria every minute or so, not every second. Although, as he put it, we should work like it is every second! For feedback on this episode or to connect with the UNSW Medicine & Health research community, please email s.mcallery@unsw.edu.au Credits: Host & Executive Producer: Dr Sam McAllery Producer: Jacob Bird Audio Editor: Long Nguyen Audio Credits :Music from #Uppbeat:⁠https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/city-lights⁠License code: MA91CVI5KB9HED3V

    27 min

  10. TRAILER

    S1: Introducing Talk Nerdy: Connecting Curious Minds

    In this short teaser, host Dr Sam McAllery shares what Talk Nerdy: Connecting Curious Minds is all about - a podcast that brings the people, passion, and possibility behind health and medical research into the spotlight at UNSW Medicine & Health. You’ll get a taste of what’s to come in Season One, hear who the show is for, and why it’s designed to help curious minds connect, collaborate, and think beyond their own field. Credits: Host & Executive Producer: Dr Sam McAlleryProducer: Jacob BirdAudio Editor: Long Nguyen Audio Credits :Music from #Uppbeat:https://uppbeat.io/t/mark-july/city-lightsLicense code: MA91CVI5KB9HED3V

    2 min

Trailer

About

A podcast that brings the people, passion, and possibility behind health and medical research into the spotlight - at UNSW Medicine & Health. Hosted by Dr Sam McAllery, Talk Nerdy is a show for curious minds who are interested in big ideas, inspired by the people behind them, and keen to connect, collaborate, and think beyond their own field.

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