Send us a text Dr. Nanette Ryan discusses gender open parenting, a model allowing children to determine their own gender in their own time without imposing gender expectations based on assigned sex at birth. According to Dr Ryan, this approach creates space for autonomy and protects children from potentially harmful patriarchal gender norms while providing them with knowledge to navigate gender in society. • Gender open parenting involves non-disclosure of a child's assigned sex at birth exc...
Send us a text Dr. Andrea Ford, cultural and medical anthropologist, explores the fascinating world of femtech and period tracking apps, revealing how these technologies are transforming our understanding of bodies, health, and gender. The conversation examines how these digital tools function within surveillance capitalism while promising personal empowerment through data collection. • Period tracking has evolved beyond fertility planning to become a comprehensive approach to "hormonal heal...
Send us a text Five years after COVID-19 upended our lives, we've developed a curious collective amnesia. When was the last time you seriously reflected on playground closures, door-to-door testing teams, or the "disappointing Dan" press conferences? These once-extraordinary interventions now seem like strange artifacts from another era. Jane Williams shares how COVID researchers now apologetically preface their ongoing work with self-deprecation, as though examining one of history's most si...
Send us a text We celebrate five years of Undisciplinary by reflecting on our journey and the changing academic landscape since our podcast began in July 2020. • Chris and Jane discuss recent conference experiences, noting the different atmospheres between academic gatherings • We listen to and react to our original five-minute teaser episode from July 23, 2020 • Reflections on Courtney Hempton's contributions and impact on the podcast's development • Discussion of how Twitter's transformati...
Send us a text A/Prof Seye Abimbola explores how global health as a concept reinforces colonial power structures and argues for decentering Western institutions in health governance. His critique reveals how aid flows primarily benefit donor countries while creating dependencies that hinder meaningful health system development in recipient nations. • The term "global health" itself is problematic, describing an industry with colonial roots rather than a truly global approach to health • Much...
Send us a text Part 2 of our conversation with philosopher Megan Dean. We explore the ethics of hosting and the tensions that arise when accommodating guests with dietary restrictions. We dive into her paper "The Worst Dinner Guest Ever" to understand why people with food allergies and gut issues often face skepticism and judgment when sharing their needs. • Megan was inspired by a blog post about accommodating guests with multiple dietary restrictions and the heated debate in its comment se...
Send us a text Philosopher Megan Dean joins us to explore the complex ethics of food restrictions, from hospital feeding tubes to revealing how deeply our identity and relationships are intertwined with what and how we eat. In this episode we discuss Case of mushroom attempted mushroom poisoning - Ask Polly: My In-Laws are careless about my deadly food allergy! Smuggled Doughnuts and Forbidden Fried Chicken: Addressing Tensions around Family and Food Restrictions in Hospitals by Megan A....
Send us a text Chris and Jane kick off 2025 discussing their recent publication in the British Medical Bulletin titled "Obesity: Ethical Issues" and exploring how conversations about weight stigma have evolved in recent years. • Jane shares her experience appearing on ABC Radio National's "God Forbid" program where the topic shifted from "thinness and morality" to focusing entirely on obesity • Even as medical institutions acknowledge weight stigma is harmful, they continue to pathologize bo...
Send us a text **Below is AI generated** Is solidarity in healthcare a double-edged sword? That’s the intriguing question we explore with our returning guest, Pete West-Oram. In this episode, we dissect how solidarity can both unite and divide, especially when misinformation—what Pete candidly refers to as "bullshit"—pervades public discourse. With a focus on healthcare ethics, we discuss the destabilizing power of dishonest communication and its impact on societal issues like the genocide i...
Send us a text **Below is AI generated** What if the key to safer medicines lies in the blood of an ancient, alien-looking creature? Join us as we uncover the fascinating world of horseshoe crabs with our special guest, Richard Gorman. Rich's journey from human geography to animal ethics opens up a riveting discussion about the ethical implications of using animals in healthcare and the pivotal role horseshoe crabs play in pharmaceuticals. You'll be surprised to learn how these ancient creatu...
Send us a text ** Below is AI generated** What happens when religion, politics, and reproductive rights collide? Join us in this thought-provoking episode of Undisciplinary, featuring Risa Cromer, an Associate Professor in Anthropology at Purdue University. Risa takes us on her unique journey from a secular upbringing to studying the powerful intersections of religious politics and reproductive rights. Together, we explore the complex landscape of reproductive justice, revealing how reproduct...
Send us a text **Below is AI-generated (with some editing) ** Discover the commerical forces shaping our health as Dr. Mélissa Mialon describes the intricate web woven by large agri-food companies to influence health policies and sway public opinion. Our latest episode is a deep dive into the world where corporate interests meet public health, uncovering the stealthy methods these corporations use to assert their agenda. Dr. Mialon guides us through the labyrinth of systemic racism and the c...
Send us a text **The below is AI generated** Have you ever navigated the intricate dance of power and humility within the walls of a healthcare institution? Our latest episode features Dr. Supriya Subramani, shedding light on the ethical ballet between patients and doctors, infused with moral emotions and identity politics. As we weave through her interdisciplinary insights, Jane's battle with COVID offers a raw, firsthand perspective on these health research themes, grounding our discussion...
Send us a text Join us for a thought-provoking conversation as we explore the intricate layers of the Israeli-Gaza conflict with the help of Tamara Kayali Browne and Zohar Lederman. Their unique insights as a Palestinian bioethicist and an Israeli emergency medicine physician with a bioethics background guide us through the turbulence of war, politics, and the ethics of healthcare under fire. The moral maze of warfare challenges us to confront harrowing bioethical dilemmas, from the de...
Send us a text We take a moment to honor the memory of two profound contributors to the bioethics community, the late Dr Henry Kilham and Professor Miles Little. Their significant impacts on the ethical and medical landscapes, particularly in Australia, have shaped the ways we navigate difficult conversations. We also mark that is has been a year since Courtney's death. In light of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the Middle East, we consider the immense burdens borne by medical prof...
Send us a text [FYI the below is an AI generated program description - lol] Wondering how industry funding could potentially sway the direction of research? Stroll with us into the labyrinth of the University of Sydney's new Centre of Excellence in Gambling Research, partly supported by companies from the world of wagering. Listen as we peel back the layers of this complex relationship, shining a light on the possible implications, bias, and the ambiguity of the "social license" that these c...
Send us a text Prepare yourself for an enlightening exploration as we traverse the complex intersections of weight stigma, obesity, and the pharmaceutical industry with our distinguished guest, Dr. Patty Thille, an assistant professor in the Department of Physical Therapy at the University of Manitoba. Dr. Thille shares her unique insights into the insidious presence of weight stigma in healthcare, offering a fascinating narrative that spans from her formative years in women's studies t...
Send us a text In this episode Chris talks with Jacqueline Antonovich, Assistant Professor of History at Muhlenberg College. Jacki is a historian of health and medicine in the United States, with particular interests in how race, gender, and politics shape the medical field and access to health care. Her teaching interests include histories of public health, alternative medicine, disability, reproduction and childbirth, and epidemics. She also focus on the history of the American West, ninete...
Send us a text In this episode Jane and Chris talk with Associate Professor Seye Abimbola from the University of Sydney about their work on dignity in global health and the need for researchers and practitioners to have epistemic dignity as a precondition for health justice. When dignity meets evidence, The LancetUndisciplinary - a podcast that talks across the boundaries of history, ethics, and the politics of health. Follow us on Twitter @undisciplinary_ or email questions for "mai...
Send us a text In this episode Chris and Jane discuss Jane's recently published paper on polarisation and public health expertise. Undisciplinary - a podcast that talks across the boundaries of history, ethics, and the politics of health. Follow us on Twitter @undisciplinary_ or email questions for "mailbag episodes" undisciplinarypod@gmail.com