Health in a Handbasket

We all know that meat production emits a substantial amount of greenhouse gases, nearly 60% by some estimates, and so we need to do something about it. Darren Player, Associate Professor in Musculoskeletal Bioengineering, discusses the development of lab-grown meat, why he's working on engineering new, sustainable sources of meat and how he's doing it. We're also joined by Beren Fidan, a Colotaruna Soprano, who is vegan and shares her thoughts on the ethics of lab-grown meat and whether it's a viable option for her. 

 Date of episode recording: 2024-04-22T00:00:00Z
 Duration: 35:08
 Language of episode: English
 Presenter:Ferdouse Akhter
 Guests: Darren Player; Beren Fidan
 Producer: Ferdouse Akhter; Shakira Crawford

What is Health in a Handbasket?

If you find the term 'healthcare engineering' a bit bamboozling, don't worry, you're not alone. 'Engineering' usually brings to mind images of bridges and buildings. Healthcare engineering is essentially using maths and science to solve healthcare problems. This covers an incredibly broad range of activities – from 3D-printed prosthetic limbs to artificial intelligence to predict cancer. At the UCL Institute of Healthcare Engineering, our mission is to develop digital and medical technologies that transform lives across the globe. In the 'Health in a Handbasket' podcast series, we meet the people behind these amazing innovations and how they're making a positive difference. We chat with them about their work, what gets them out of bed in the morning, and how they go to where they are today.