Dr Shalin Naik from the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute is co-hosting a new ABC health and medical science education series, Ask the Doctor, which premieres at 8pm on Tuesday 16 May.In a twelve-part series, the state of the nation’s health is placed under the microscope with each episode featuring a different theme ranging from: weight loss, to sleep, to allergies.
Joining locum Dr Renee Lim and disease prevention specialist Dr Sandro Demaio, Institute stem cell biologist Dr Shalin Naik brings to the table his expertise in biomedical research. In particular, immunology and developmental biology – the building blocks of life.
Dr Naik said the show was a fun and factual way to engage the Australian community with science. “Raising the awareness and profile of science among members of the public, of all ages and backgrounds, is something I feel passionately about. “My role on the show is to help explain some of the science behind the health and medical research topics covered. “I’m reaching out to people who never knew they had an interest in science to draw them into the world of wonder I get to experience on a daily basis,” he said.
Dr Naik said he personally experienced some of the latest medical advances and treatments being developed. “On one occasion, I subjected myself to freezing cold temperatures as part of a world-first experiment demonstrating how fat could actually help the body to shed weight. “I can now say that I’ve put my body on the line for science education,” he said.
The show’s executive producer Ariel White from WTFN Productions said the aim of the production was to create a series that would deliver the latest in medical research, but in such a way that was reliable, relatable and entertaining. “Ask the Doctor presents the perfect combination between expertise and personality proving that learning about medical research and health can be fun,” she said.
Ask the Doctor airs Tuesdays at 8pm on ABC until 1 August 2017. Episodes are also available on ABC iview.
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