Podcasts Picks: This Podcast Will Kill You

Hosted by: Erin Welsh & Erin Allmann Updyke
Exactly Right Media // Medical History, Medical Mystery

Okay, so this podcast won't actually kill you, but the topics discussed certainly can. Hosts Erin Welsh, Ph.D. and Erin Allmann Updyke, Ph.D. (The Erins) met during graduate school while studying disease ecology. This Podcast Will Kill You was born from a mutual fascination with epidemics and medical mysteries and a desire to share this (often disgusting, but always interesting) knowledge with a world wider than their colleagues. With topics ranging from smallpox to MRSA to Lyme disease and everything in between, The Erins never shy away from the gruesome and grotesque aspects of the diseases they cover. This isn't your run-of-the-mill medical discussion, though. Welsh is a disease ecologist and epidemiologist studying tick-borne disease transmission, while Allmann Updyke is an epidemiologist and disease ecologist working through medical school. Basically, they really know their stuff. Each episode is filled with intriguing insight into diseases and their origins, and The Erins often kick back and enjoy a drink during their show — such as a "Placeborita" or, more recently, a "Quarantini." For those interested in current events, This Podcast Will Kill You has taken an extensive look at COVID-19, amassing 14 chapters in the series at the time of publication. With the pandemic continuing to ravage the globe and, more specifically, the United States, it is very likely that this series will continue well into the year. So sit back, relax, and pour yourself a drink — just don't forget to wash your hands!

— Ally Kutz

Listen at: thispodcastwillkillyou.com | Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher