This Week in Parasitism (TWiP) is a podcast about eukaryotic parasites started by Vincent Racaniello and Dickson Despommier. Daniel Griffin, MD joined the team in January 2015, followed by Christina Naula.
The TWiP hosts strive for an informal yet informative conversation about parasites which is accessible to everyone, no matter what their science background. As science professors at Columbia University, Dickson and Vincent have directed research laboratories focused on parasites and viruses. Their enthusiasm for teaching inspired them to reach beyond the classroom with new media. TWiP is for everyone who wants to learn about parasites in a relaxing way.
Music used on TWiP is composed and performed by Ronald Jenkees and used with permission.
About the Hosts of TWiP
Vincent Racaniello, Ph.D.
Vincent is a Professor of Microbiology at Columbia University Medical Center. He has been studying viruses for over 30 years, starting in 1975, when he entered the Ph.D. program in Biomedical Sciences at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine of the City University of New York with a focus on influenza viruses …
Read Vincent’s full bio here.
@profvrr on X and Instagram
Dickson D. Despommier, Ph.D.
Dickson was born in New Orleans in 1940 and grew up in the San Francisco Bay area until he was age 11. His family moved to New Jersey, where he remained until he was out of college. He obtained his BS in Biology at Fairleigh Dickinson University in 1962, MS in Medical Parasitology at Columbia University in 1964, and Ph.D. from the University of Notre Dame in 1967. Dickson spent 3 years at Rockefeller University in New York as a guest investigator before his first academic appointment at The Medical College of Ohio in 1971 as an Assistant Professor of Microbiology. He moved to Columbia University in 1972 and remained there until my retirement in 2009 as a Professor of Microbiology and Public Health. He won Teacher of the Year six times and National Teacher of the Year in 2003. He held an RO1 NIH Research Research Grant from 1972-1997. All of his research centered around the biology of Trichinella spiralis.
Daniel Griffin, MD, Ph.D. CTropMed CTH
A physician-scientist, board-certified in Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease with expertise in Global Health, Tropical Medicine, Parasitology, and Virology, including SARS-CoV2 (COVID-19). Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Optum TriState and an Infectious Disease Physician at Columbia University. An active clinician and internationally invited speaker lecturing for multiple organizations, including the University of Glasgow, the Peace Corp, University of Minnesota, Foundation for International Medical Relief of Children (FIMRC), Floating Doctors, and Remote Care Education, as well as for other groups in Asia, the Caribbean, Central America, Africa, and India. One of the hosts of the popular podcasts This Week in Parasitism, This Week in Virology, and The IDPuscast. One of the authors of Parasitic Diseases, now in its 7th Edition with thousands of copies distributed to over 100 countries worldwide. His non-profit organization Parasites Without Borders shares office space with MicrobeTV.
Christina Naula, Ph.D.
Christina is the academic lead for the Glasgow Study Course in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene. The course prepares medically qualified students for the Diploma in Tropical Medicine & Hygiene exam set by the Royal College of Physicians (RCP) in London and takes a blended approach to learning with the majority of the curriculum taught online.
She is also the program coordinator for a new online Master’s program in One Health teaching several courses related to the study of diseases.
Both posts draw on Christina’s extensive experience as university teacher, research and teaching coordinator, and as postdoctoral researcher with focus on the kinetoplastic parasites Trypanosoma brucei (the causative agent of African sleeping sickness) and leishmania (causative agents of the leishmaniases).
In 2021 Christina joined the podcast “This Week in Parasitism”(TWiP) team.