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The Encephalitis Podcast is brought to you by the Encephalitis Society and covers everything to do surrounding inflammation of the brain. Interviews with neurologists, psychiatrists, survivors and in-depth looks at different aspects of encephalitis. For more information about encephalitis, visit www.encephalitis.info
Episodes

Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Japanese encephalitis in Australia
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Dr Lance Turtle joins The Encephalitis Podcast to talk about the Japanese encephalitis virus and its impact on Australia over the past 12 months.
Lance is a Reader and Honorary Consultant Physician in Infectious Diseases at the University of Liverpool.
As always, the questions are asked by our host, Dr Ava Easton, Chief Executive of the Encephalitis Society.
The Encephalitis Podcast is available on all podcast channels and on our YouTube channel.
For more information about Dr Lance Turtle: https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/infection-veterinary-and-ecological-sciences/staff/lance-turtle/
If you have been affected by encephalitis and are in need of some support, please visit https://www.encephalitis.info/support
For more information about Japanese encephalitis, visit https://www.encephalitis.info/japaneseencephalitis
If you have been affected by encephalitis and would like to become a member of the society, you can sign up here (membership is free and global): https://www.encephalitis.info/Pages/Category/membership
If you would like to donate to help fund research, information and support for those affected by encephalitis, please follow this link: https://www.encephalitis.info/donate/
Follow the Encephalitis Society:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EncephalitisSociety/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/encephalitis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_encephalitis_society_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-encephalitis-society

Wednesday Feb 22, 2023
Mental Health and Encephalitis
Wednesday Feb 22, 2023
Wednesday Feb 22, 2023
Welcome to a special World Encephalitis Day edition of the Encephalitis Podcast.
Dr Ava Easton, Chief Executive of the Encephalitis Society, is joined by Dr Thomas Pollak, from Kings College London, and Dr Jesus Ramirez-Bermudez, of the National Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery of Mexico, to talk about some two new important research papers around mental health and encephalitis.
An important note for our viewers and listeners: this podcast will be touching on some difficult areas, including more broad mental health issues and difficult topics such as self-harm and suicide.
If this is something which may lead to difficult emotions for you or for someone you know, please know that our support team are here to help and can be reached on support@encephalitis.info or by calling +44(0)1653 699599.
Also, in the links to this episode, you will find some resources which we have put together around mental health which we believe will be helpful to anyone affected by encephalitis and also their family and friends. This includes links to useful organisations around the world, a factsheet on mental health and lots of sources of support and information.
For more information about World Encephalitis Day on Wednesday, 22nd February, please visit www.worldencephalitisday.org
For information about mental health and encephalitis, visit https://www.encephalitis.info/pages/category/mental-health-and-encephalitis
If you have been affected by encephalitis and are in need of some support, please visit https://www.encephalitis.info/support
If you have been affected by encephalitis and would like to become a member of the society, you can sign up here (membership is free and global): https://www.encephalitis.info/Pages/Category/membership
If you would like to donate to help fund research, information and support for those affected by encephalitis, please follow this link: https://www.encephalitis.info/donate/
Follow the Encephalitis Society: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EncephalitisSociety/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/encephalitis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_encephalitis_society_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-encephalitis-society

Thursday Feb 16, 2023
Brain on Fire: A 10th anniversary interview with Susannah Cahalan
Thursday Feb 16, 2023
Thursday Feb 16, 2023
Best-selling author Susannah Cahalan joins host Dr Ava Easton for a special World Encephalitis Day edition of The Encephalitis Podcast.
Ten years ago, Susannah published Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness, the award-winning memoir and New York Times bestseller, which quickly become a Bible for members of the encephalitis community and many more people around the world.
Brain on Fire follows Susannah’s struggle with encephalitis and, in particular, her diagnosis and recovery.
It was later developed into a Hollywood film by Charlize Theron and starred Chloe Grace Moretz.
Susannah chats to Ava about the 10th anniversary, why the book resonated with so many people, its legacy, how she reacted when Hollywood came calling, and the impact it has had on the encephalitis community.
The 10th anniversary edition of Brain on Fire is available from all good booksellers, including
UK readers (Kindle and Paperback) https://www.amazon.co.uk/Brain-Fire-My-Month-Madness/dp/1451621388
For more information about World Encephalitis Day on Wednesday, 22nd February, please visit www.worldencephalitisday.org
If you have been affected by encephalitis and are in need of some support, please visit https://www.encephalitis.info/support
If you have been affected by encephalitis and would like to become a member of the society, you can sign up here (membership is free and global): https://www.encephalitis.info/Pages/Category/membership
If you would like to donate to help fund research, information and support for those affected by encephalitis, please follow this link: https://www.encephalitis.info/donate/
Follow the Encephalitis Society: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EncephalitisSociety/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/encephalitis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_encephalitis_society_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-encephalitis-society

Friday Jan 13, 2023
An interview with Jackie Stebbins
Friday Jan 13, 2023
Friday Jan 13, 2023
In this episode, Dr Ava Easton talks to author and motivational speaker Jackie Stebbins.
In 2017, the former trial lawyer from Bismarck, North Dakota, became ill with encephalitis and experienced a host of difficulties, such as insomnia, paranoia, hallucinations and memory loss.
In the summer of 2018, after being voluntarily hospitalized in the psychiatric ward, she was finally diagnosed with seronegative autoimmune encephalitis.
To help her recovery, she began writing and speaking about her journey with encephalitis.
Today, Jackie hosts the podcast, Brain Fever and is also the author of the JM Stebbins blog. In 2022, her memoir, Unwillable: A Journey to Reclaim My Brain, was published by Wisdom Editions.
We hope you enjoy this conversation with the articulate and passionate encephalitis awareness advocate!
For more information about Jackie and her book, blog and podcast, please visit https://www.jmstebbins.com/
If you have been affected by encephalitis and are in need of some support, please visit https://www.encephalitis.info/support
If you have been affected by encephalitis and would like to become a member of the society, you can sign up here (membership is free and global): https://www.encephalitis.info/Pages/Category/membership
If you would like to donate to help fund research, information and support for those affected by encephalitis, please follow this link: https://www.encephalitis.info/donate/donate/10
Follow the Encephalitis Society:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EncephalitisSociety/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/encephalitis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_encephalitis_society_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-encephalitis-society

Monday Dec 12, 2022
Seizures and encephalitis
Monday Dec 12, 2022
Monday Dec 12, 2022
In this edition of The Encephalitis Podcast, Dr Ava Easton is joined by Dr Greta Wood for a discussion around seizures and encephalitis.
In this wide-ranging conversation, they discuss an important new research paper before answering some questions around seizures and encephalitis.
Greta is an Academic Clinical Fellow in Infectious Diseases at the University of Liverpool and has a wide range of research interests, including the socio-economic impact of infectious diseases and multi-morbidity.
She is also a member of the COVID-19 Clinical Neuroscience Study which is investigating the neurological and neuropsychiatric complications of COVID-19.
The Encephalitis Podcast is also available on podcast channels, such as Apple, Google Play, Podbean and Spotify.
Find out more about seizures and encephalitis by viewing our factsheet: https://www.encephalitis.info/seizures-and-encephalitis
For more information about Greta, visit https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/infection-veterinary-and-ecological-sciences/staff/greta-wood/
The research paper, Acute seizure risk in patients with encephalitis, can be found here: https://neurologyopen.bmj.com/content/4/2/e000323
If you have been affected by encephalitis and are in need of some support, please visit https://www.encephalitis.info/support
If you have been affected by encephalitis and would like to become a member of the society, you can sign up here (membership is free and global): https://www.encephalitis.info/Pages/Category/membership
If you would like to donate to help fund research, information and support for those affected by encephalitis, please follow this link: https://www.encephalitis.info/donate/donate/10
Follow the Encephalitis Society: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EncephalitisSociety/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/encephalitis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_encephalitis_society_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-encephalitis-society

Monday Nov 21, 2022
The COVID-19 Clinical Neuroscience Study
Monday Nov 21, 2022
Monday Nov 21, 2022
We are delighted to welcome back Professor Benedict Michael to The Encephalitis Podcast.
Ben talks to host Dr Ava Easton about the COVID-19 Clinical Neuroscience Study – a £2.3 million research study looking in the acute neurological and neuropsychiatric complications of COVID-19.
He also shares his thoughts on being a front-line medic during the pandemic, the NHS in general and the upcoming Encephalitis Conference.
Ben is a Professor of Neuroscience at the University of Liverpool, a Medical Research Council Clinician Scientist and Honorary Consultant Neurologist at the Walton Centre, also in Liverpool. Ben is also Vice President of our Scientific Advisory Panel and helps to drive forward our research agenda and organise the Encephalitis Conference, among many other important areas of our work.
For more about the COVID-CNS study or to take part, visit https://www.liverpool.ac.uk/covid-clinical-neuroscience-study/
Follow the COVID-CNS study on Twitter: https://twitter.com/covidcns
Follow Ben on Twitter: https://twitter.com/BenedictNeuro
If you have been affected by encephalitis and are in need of some support, please visit https://www.encephalitis.info/support
If you have been affected by encephalitis and would like to become a member of the society, you can sign up here (membership is free and global): https://www.encephalitis.info/Pages/Category/membership
If you would like to donate to help fund research, information and support for those affected by encephalitis, please follow this link: https://www.encephalitis.info/donate/donate/10
Follow the Encephalitis Society: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EncephalitisSociety/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/encephalitis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_encephalitis_society_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-encephalitis-society

Monday Oct 17, 2022
Measles, encephalitis and childhood vaccinations
Monday Oct 17, 2022
Monday Oct 17, 2022
Welcome to a special edition of the Encephalitis Podcast. As it is Encephalitis Information Week (Oct 17 to 21, 2022), we wanted to talk about the theme of this year’s campaign - measles.
This is a topic we wanted to discuss as recent research revealed that uptake of the Measles, Mumps and Rubella – or MMR vaccine - in England has fallen to its lowest levels in a decade and indeed even before the covid-19 pandemic the WHO declared that the UK had lost its measles-free status.
The issue around childhood vaccinations is not restricted to the UK, however.
In July, the World Health Organization revealed that 25 million children globally missed out on one or more of the doses of the vaccine against diptheria, tetanus and pertussis. That is the largest sustained decline in childhood vaccinations in approximately 30 years, according to the WHO and UNICEF.
But why is the uptake of this vaccine at an all-time low? Is measles still a threat? How contagious is measles? Is there a risk of an outbreak?
All these questions and more are answered by this episode's guest, Professor Benedict Michael, Chair of Infection Neuroscience at the University of Liverpool. Podcast host: Dr Ava Easton, Chief Executive of the Encephalitis Society
If you want to find out more about measles and Encephalitis Information Week, please visit www.encephalitis.info/informationweek
If you have been affected by encephalitis and are in need of some support, please visit https://www.encephalitis.info/support
If you have been affected by encephalitis and would like to become a member of the society, you can sign up here (membership is free and global): https://www.encephalitis.info/Pages/Category/membership
If you would like to donate to help fund research, information and support for those affected by encephalitis, please follow this link: https://www.encephalitis.info/donate/donate/10
Follow the Encephalitis Society: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EncephalitisSociety/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/encephalitis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_encephalitis_society_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-encephalitis-society

Monday Sep 26, 2022
An Interview with Suzie Miller
Monday Sep 26, 2022
Monday Sep 26, 2022
Suzie Miller - the author of Prima Facie - joins The Encephalitis Podcast to talk about her career, personal experiences of encephalitis which she contracted in her early 30s, becoming an Ambassador with the Encephalitis Podcast and much more.
Born in Melbourne, Suzie is an award-winning playwright and screenwriter who has a background in law and science, working as a human rights lawyer and children's rights lawyer before leaving the law to pursue a theatre writing career full-time.
Prima Facie debuted in Australia in 2019, winning several awards, before moving to London's West End starring Jodie Comer. It will be heading to Broadway in 2023.
We hope you enjoy Suzie's conversation with Dr Ava Easton, the host of The Encephalitis Podcast.
For more about Suzie and her work, visit her website http://www.suziemillerwriter.com/
If you would like to find out more about Prima Facie, visit their official website https://primafacieplay.com/
If you have been affected by encephalitis and are in need of some support, please visit https://www.encephalitis.info/support
If you have been affected by encephalitis and would like to become a member of the society, you can sign up here (membership is free and global): https://www.encephalitis.info/Pages/Category/membership
If you would like to donate to help fund research, information and support for those affected by encephalitis, please follow this link: https://www.encephalitis.info/donate/donate/10
Follow the Encephalitis Society: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EncephalitisSociety/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/encephalitis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_encephalitis_society_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-encephalitis-society

Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
An interview with Abi Morgan
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
Tuesday Aug 02, 2022
Award-winning playwright and screenwriter Abi Morgan joins Dr Ava Easton in this edition of the Encephalitis Podcast.
Abi, who is perhaps best known for the films Suffragette, The Iron Lady and Shame, is now an author, having recently published, This is Not a Pity Memoir.
The book tells the story of her husband when he develops Anti-NMDAR encephalitis, the impact his illness had on their family, and also Abi’s own illness.
Ava said: “I devoured this book. It’s incredibly written, profoundly insightful and, at times, brutally authentic. But also, as Abi says, not a pity memoir, but a love story.”
We hope you enjoy this wonderful conversation!
This is Not a Pity Memoir is available from all online good bookshops.
If you have been affected by encephalitis and are in need of some support, please visit https://www.encephalitis.info/support
If you have been affected by encephalitis and would like to become a member of the society, you can sign up here (membership is free and global): https://www.encephalitis.info/Pages/Category/membership
If you would like to donate to help fund research, information and support for those affected by encephalitis, please follow this link: https://www.encephalitis.info/donate/donate/10
Follow the Encephalitis Society: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EncephalitisSociety/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/encephalitis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_encephalitis_society_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-encephalitis-society

Thursday Jun 09, 2022
An Interview with Dr Gavin Francis
Thursday Jun 09, 2022
Thursday Jun 09, 2022
In this episode of The Encephalitis Podcast, Dr Ava Easton talks to Dr Gavin Francis, a GP and author, about his book, Recovery: The Lost Art of Convalescence.
This is a fascinating interview about how - and why - we get better, revealing the many shapes recovery takes, its shifting history and the frequent failure of our modern lives to make adequate space for it.
For more about Gavin, his work and books, visit http://www.gavinfrancis.com/
To order a copy of Recovery: The Lost Art of Convalescence, visit https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B099BVT2VH/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_hsch_vapi_tkin_p1_i0
If you have been affected by encephalitis and are in need of some support, please visit https://www.encephalitis.info/support
If you have been affected by encephalitis and would like to become a member of the society, you can sign up here (membership is free and global): https://www.encephalitis.info/Pages/Category/membership
If you would like to donate to help fund research, information and support for those affected by encephalitis, please follow this link: https://www.encephalitis.info/donate/donate/10
Follow the Encephalitis Society: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EncephalitisSociety/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/encephalitis
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the_encephalitis_society_/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-encephalitis-society