Transmission
- Episodes
- 15
- Format
- Series – listen from the start
- Latest episode
- Apr 24, 2025
About the podcast
Transmission is the award-winning podcast of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. Explore the exciting journeys of scientists and physicians battling diseases worldwide, from confronting Ebola in distant villages to the fight against COVID-19 in bustling urban settings. Join our researchers in their quest for a healthier world, from war zones to indigenous communities, addressing pressing issues like maternal deaths, HIV stigma, and access to life-saving drugs. Transmission: your front-row seat to the world of health, science and beyond. New episodes drop on Thursdays.
Episodes 15
S3E4: Innovation and hope
From new ways to control mosquitoes to the rise of African-led research: tune in to see the future of disease elimination. This episode will take you deep into the Peruvian Amazon, where our researchers are …
Show notes
From new ways to control mosquitoes to the rise of African-led research: tune in to see the future of disease elimination. This episode will take you deep into the Peruvian Amazon, where our researchers are collecting blood samples, to a high-tech insectary in the heart of Antwerp, Belgium, where large swarms of mosquitos and tsetse flies are bred.
For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.
This episode features:
- Jakke (Jan) Van Den Abbeele, parasitologist and insect molecular biologist, Head of the Unit of Trypanosoma (ITM)
- Anna Rosanas-Urgell, parasitologist and malariologist, Head of the Unit of Malariology (ITM)
- Ruth Müller, biologist and entomologist, Head of the Unit of Entomology (ITM)
- Veerle Vanlerberghe, epidemiologist and education coordinator at Department of Public Health (ITM)
- Halidou Tinto, ITM alumnus, parasitologist and Head of Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro in Burkina Faso
- Francesca Falconi, ITM alumna, microbiologist at Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Lima, Peru
Follow ITM and our work on:
To learn more about ITM's research on disease elimination, visit www.itg.be/en/research/disease-elimination
Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans
Creation & Production: Sonhouse
S3E3: The last mile
In this episode, we walk the last mile of disease elimination—the hardest mile of all, with few cases left to study. Discover the logistical, financial and mental challenges that come with it, as our …
Show notes
In this episode, we walk the last mile of disease elimination—the hardest mile of all, with few cases left to study. Discover the logistical, financial and mental challenges that come with it, as our researchers gather community participation and build research centres from scratch. Listen to find out what it really takes to eliminate a disease...
For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.
This episode features:
- Elena Nicco, epidemiologist, Senior Researcher in the Unit of Mycobacterial Diseases and Neglected Tropical Diseases (ITM)
- Jakke (Jan) Van Den Abbeele, parasitologist and insect molecular biologist, Head of the Unit of Trypanosoma (ITM)
- Anna Rosanas-Urgell, parasitologist and malariologist, Head of the Unit of Malariology (ITM)
- Ruth Müller, biologist and entomologist, Head of the Unit of Entomology (ITM)
- Halidou Tinto, ITM alumnus, parasitologist and Head of Clinical Research Unit of Nanoro in Burkina Faso
Follow ITM and our work on:
To learn more about ITM's research on disease elimination, visit www.itg.be/en/research/disease-elimination
Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans
Creation & Production: Sonhouse
S3E2: The growing threat
Imagine waking up one day feeling like your bones are breaking... Bone-break fever, or dengue, is a growing global threat fuelled by the climate crisis and urbanisation. In this episode, we uncover the …
Show notes
Imagine waking up one day feeling like your bones are breaking... Bone-break fever, or dengue, is a growing global threat fuelled by the climate crisis and urbanisation. In this episode, we uncover the creative, local and collective solutions needed to fight this disease, while the mosquitos that spread it are doing their best to outsmart us.
Have you encountered a tiger mosquito and are you in Belgium? Go to www.muggensurveillance.be and report your sighting!
For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.
This episode features:
- Ruth Müller, biologist and entomologist, Head of the Unit of Entomology (ITM)
- Veerle Vanlerberghe, epidemiologist and education coordinator at Department of Public Health (ITM)
- Jakke (Jan) Van Den Abbeele, parasitologist and insect molecular biologist, Head of the Unit of Trypanosoma (ITM)
- Francesca Falconi, ITM alumna, microbiologist at Instituto de Medicina Tropical Alexander von Humboldt, Lima, Peru
Follow ITM and our work on:
To learn more about ITM's research on disease elimination, visit www.itg.be/en/research/disease-elimination
Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans
Creation & Production: Sonhouse
S3E1: Breaking the triangle
In this episode, we explore the deadly triangle that sustains many infectious diseases. We look over the shoulders of the experts who are fighting sleeping sickness, witnessing their progress... and their …
Show notes
In this episode, we explore the deadly triangle that sustains many infectious diseases. We look over the shoulders of the experts who are fighting sleeping sickness, witnessing their progress... and their setbacks. Prepare to enter a strange world where little blue flags save lives, and where tsetse breeding factories emerge as unexpected allies.
For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.
This episode features:
- Elena Nicco, epidemiologist, Senior Researcher in the Unit of Mycobacterial Diseases and Neglected Tropical Diseases (ITM)
- Jakke (Jan) Van Den Abbeele, parasitologist and insect molecular biologist, Head of the Unit of Trypanosoma (ITM)
Follow ITM and our work on:
To learn more about ITM's research on disease elimination, visit www.itg.be/en/research/disease-elimination
Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans
Creation & Production: Sonhouse
Transmission: Season 3 Trailer
Episode NotesWelcome to Transmission, the award-winning podcast by the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. In season 3, you’ll follow our researchers as they try to control the diseases that threaten the …
Show notes
Episode NotesWelcome to Transmission, the award-winning podcast by the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. In season 3, you’ll follow our researchers as they try to control the diseases that threaten the world, from the mysteries of sleeping sickness to the rising danger of dengue. Gear up to visit cutting-edge insectaries, field labs in the most remote forests, and anything in between.
For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.
Follow ITM and our work on:
Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans
Creation & Production: Sonhouse
S2E4: Resilience - the only way to prepare
Urbanisation, ageing, climate change, a new pandemic... How we can prepare our health systems if we don't know what's going to hit them next? The answer lies within all of us: we must become more resilient.For …
Show notes
Urbanisation, ageing, climate change, a new pandemic... How we can prepare our health systems if we don't know what's going to hit them next? The answer lies within all of us: we must become more resilient.
For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.
This episode features:
- Lenka Beňová, maternal health expert, Head of the Unit of Maternal and Reproductive Health (ITM)
- Saleh Aljadeeah, pharmacist and researcher, Unit of Pharmaceutical Public Health (ITM)
- Bruno Marchal, health care organisation specialist, Head of the Unit of Health Systems Organisation (ITM)
- Prashanth N Srinivas, medical doctor and researcher, Head of Institute of Public Health (IPH) in Bengaluru, India
Follow ITM and our work on:
To learn more about ITM's research on sustainable health systems, visit www.itg.be/health-systems
Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans
Creation & Production: Sonhouse
S2E3: In search of quality
When buying medication, we don't usually ask ourselves, "Is this going to be effective?" or "Is it safe?" Yet all over the world, people worry about the quality of health products and care they get. And rightly …
Show notes
When buying medication, we don't usually ask ourselves, "Is this going to be effective?" or "Is it safe?" Yet all over the world, people worry about the quality of health products and care they get. And rightly so. Follow our researchers as they fight this injustice, and discover "the canary in the coal mine" of our health care system.
For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.
This episode features:
- Lenka Beňová, maternal health expert, Head of the Unit of Maternal and Reproductive Health (ITM)
- Raffaella Ravinetto, pharmacy expert, Head of Department of Public Health (ITM)
- Christelle Boyi Honsou, medical doctor and researcher, Centre of Research in Human Reproduction and Demography (CERRHUD), Benin
Follow ITM and our work on:
To learn more about ITM's research on sustainable health systems, visit www.itg.be/health-systems
Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans
Creation & Production: Sonhouse
S2E2: Access - something worth fighting for
Racism, conflict, lack of funding, transportation issues, lifestyle or stigma: there are a lot of factors that can keep people from getting the care and medication they need. In this episode, we explore those …
Show notes
Racism, conflict, lack of funding, transportation issues, lifestyle or stigma: there are a lot of factors that can keep people from getting the care and medication they need. In this episode, we explore those hurdles all over the world, taking you from Belgium to Zambia.
For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.
This episode features:
- Lenka Beňová, maternal health expert, Head of the Unit of Maternal and Reproductive Health (ITM)
- Christopher Kenyon, medical doctor and STI expert, Head of the Unit of Sexually Transmitted Infections (ITM)
- Saleh Aljadeeah, pharmacist and researcher, Unit of Pharmaceutical Public Health (ITM)
- Raffaella Ravinetto, pharmacy expert, Head of Department of Public Health (ITM)
- Bernadette (Bernie) Hensen, epidemiologist, Head of the Unit of Sexual health including HIV (ITM)
- Prashanth N Srinivas, medical doctor and researcher, Head of Institute of Public Health (IPH) in Bengaluru, India
- Tim Devriese, journalist
Follow ITM and our work on:
To learn more about ITM's research on sustainable health systems, visit www.itg.be/health-systems
Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans
Creation & Production: Sonhouse
S2E1: Don't take it for granted
If we imagine a health system as a box, then what would it contain? And what happens if it gets shaken – by a conflict, a pandemic or even something as seemingly unrelated as structural traffic jams? Join us …
Show notes
If we imagine a health system as a box, then what would it contain? And what happens if it gets shaken – by a conflict, a pandemic or even something as seemingly unrelated as structural traffic jams? Join us, as we travel from the Syrian war zone to a remote Indian community fighting addiction... with frisbees.
For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.
This episode features:
- Lenka Beňová, maternal health expert, Head of the Unit of Maternal and Reproductive Health (ITM)
- Bruno Marchal, health care organisation specialist, Head of the Unit of Health Systems Organisation (ITM)
- Christopher Kenyon, medical doctor and STI expert, Head of the Unit of Sexually Transmitted Infections (ITM)
- Saleh Aljadeeah, pharmacist and researcher, Unit of Pharmaceutical Public Health (ITM)
- Prashanth N Srinivas, medical doctor and researcher, Head of Institute of Public Health (IPH) in Bengaluru, India
- Tim Devriese, journalist
Follow ITM and our work on:
To learn more about ITM's research on sustainable health systems, visit www.itg.be/health-systems
Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans
Creation & Production: Sonhouse
Narrator: Lara Chedraoui
Transmission: Season 2 Trailer
Transmission is the new podcast of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. Our enlightening and intimate series shares the personal and professional experiences of researchers and physicians as they …
Show notes
Transmission is the new podcast of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. Our enlightening and intimate series shares the personal and professional experiences of researchers and physicians as they relentlessly battle diseases, advance scientific research and fight for the health of people globally.
For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.
Follow ITM and our work on:
Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans
Creation & Production: Sonhouse
S1E4: The next one
When it comes to the next pandemic, the question is not "if" but "when". In this compelling episode, you will meet the most likely candidates for the next outbreak, and find out how well-prepared we are for …
Show notes
When it comes to the next pandemic, the question is not "if" but "when". In this compelling episode, you will meet the most likely candidates for the next outbreak, and find out how well-prepared we are for it.
For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.
This episode features:
- Kevin Ariën, virologist, Head of Department of Biomedical Sciences, ITM Antwerp
- Laurens Liesenborghs, infectious disease specialist, Head of the Unit of Clinical Emerging Infectious Diseases, ITM Antwerp
- Katharina (Kathy) Kreppel, epidemiologist, Head of the Unit of Emerging Infectious Diseases, ITM Antwerp
- Johan van Griensven, neglected tropical diseases expert, Head of Department of Clinical Sciences , ITM Antwerp
- Isabel Brosius, infectious disease specialist, Unit of Tropical Diseases, ITM Antwerp
- Alexandre Delamou, medical doctor and public health expert, Director of Centre d'Excellence d'Afrique, Guinea
- Jean-Jacques Muyembe, virologist and microbiologist, Director of the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), DRC
Follow ITM and our work on:
To learn more about outbreaks and outbreak research, go to www.itg.be/outbreaks.
Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans
Creation & Production: Sonhouse
S1E3: A leap of faith
Why do or don't we follow advice from healthcare professionals and authorities? What have previous outbreaks taught us about this "human factor"? Follow our researchers as they pitch their tent under …
Show notes
Why do or don't we follow advice from healthcare professionals and authorities? What have previous outbreaks taught us about this "human factor"? Follow our researchers as they pitch their tent under snake-filled trees and talk to people in remote villages to get answers to the most pressing health questions.
For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.
This episode features:
- Katharina (Kathy) Kreppel, epidemiologist, Head of the Unit of Emerging Infectious Diseases, ITM Antwerp
- Charlotte Gryseels, medical anthropologist, senior researcher in Unit of Socio-Ecological Health Research, ITM Antwerp
- Jean-Jacques Muyembe, virologist and microbiologist, Director of the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), DRC
- Sokha Suon, public health specialist, programme coordinator at National Centre for HIV/AIDS Dermatology and STDs, Cambodia
Follow ITM and our work on:
To learn more about outbreaks and outbreak research, go to www.itg.be/outbreaks.
Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans
Creation & Production: Sonhouse
S1E2: Solving the riddle
Meet the members of the Outbreak Research Team. Follow in the footsteps of the most talented scientists as they travel the world to get a grasp on global health challenges, or toil away in hi-tech labs to solve …
Show notes
Meet the members of the Outbreak Research Team. Follow in the footsteps of the most talented scientists as they travel the world to get a grasp on global health challenges, or toil away in hi-tech labs to solve the complex riddles that come with new infectious diseases.
(c) The news broadcasts at the beginning of this episode were taken from VRT-Beeldarchief. The audio interview with Isabel Brosius was broadcast in "Laat" on 19 May 2022.
For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.
This episode features:
- Laurens Liesenborghs, infectious disease specialist, Head of the Unit of Clinical Emerging Infectious Diseases, ITM Antwerp
- Katharina (Kathy) Kreppel, epidemiologist, Head of the Unit of Emerging Infectious Diseases, ITM Antwerp
- Johan van Griensven, neglected tropical diseases expert, Head of Department of Clinical Sciences , ITM Antwerp
- Charlotte Gryseels, medical anthropologist, senior researcher in Unit of Socio-Ecological Health Research, ITM Antwerp
- Isabel Brosius, infectious disease specialist, Unit of Tropical Diseases, ITM Antwerp
- Jean-Jacques Muyembe, virologist and microbiologist, Director of the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), DRC
- Alexandre Delamou, medical doctor and public health expert, Director of Centre d'Excellence d'Afrique, Guinea
Follow ITM and our work on:
To learn more about outbreaks and outbreak research, go to www.itg.be/outbreaks.
Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans
Creation & Production: Sonhouse
S1E1: And so it begins...
Listen to real-life stories from the frontlines of the fight against Ebola and other deadly infectious diseases. Get ready to learn more about where outbreaks start and why, and how viruses evolve, leaping from …
Show notes
Listen to real-life stories from the frontlines of the fight against Ebola and other deadly infectious diseases. Get ready to learn more about where outbreaks start and why, and how viruses evolve, leaping from animals to humans.
For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.
This episode features:
- Kevin Ariën, virologist, Head of Department of Biomedical Sciences, ITM Antwerp
- Laurens Liesenborghs, infectious disease specialist, Head of the Unit of Clinical Emerging Infectious Diseases, ITM Antwerp
- Katharina (Kathy) Kreppel, epidemiologist, Head of the Unit of Emerging Infectious Diseases, ITM Antwerp
- Jean-Jacques Muyembe, virologist and microbiologist, Director of the National Institute of Biomedical Research (INRB), DRC
Follow ITM and our work on:
To learn more about outbreaks and outbreak research, go to www.itg.be/outbreaks.
Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans
Creation & Production: Sonhouse
Transmission: Trailer
Transmission is the new podcast of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. Our enlightening and intimate series shares the personal and professional experiences of researchers and physicians as they …
Show notes
Transmission is the new podcast of the Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp. Our enlightening and intimate series shares the personal and professional experiences of researchers and physicians as they relentlessly battle diseases, advance scientific research and fight for the health of people globally.
For more information on Transmission, go to www.itg.be/podcast.
Follow ITM and our work on:
To learn more about outbreaks and outbreak research, go to www.itg.be/outbreaks.
Strategy & Creation: Onlyhumans
Creation & Production: Sonhouse
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