This Podcast Will Kill You

by Exactly Right Media – the original true crime comedy network

15,516

This podcast might not actually kill you, but Erin Welsh and Erin Allmann Updyke cover so many things that can. In each episode, they tackle a different topic, teaching listeners about the biology, history, and epidemiology of a different disease or medical mystery. They do the scientific research, so you don’t have to. Since 2017, Erin and Erin have explored chronic and infectious diseases, medications, poisons, viruses, bacteria and scientific discoveries. They’ve researched public health subjects including plague, Zika, COVID-19, lupus, asbestos, endometriosis and more.Each episode is accompanied by a creative quarantini cocktail recipe and a non-alcoholic placeborita.Erin Welsh, Ph.D. is a co-host of the This Podcast Will Kill You. She is a disease ecologist and epidemiologist and works full-time as a science communicator through her work on the podcast. Erin Allmann Updyke, MD, Ph.D. is a co-host of This Podcast Will Kill You. She’s an epidemiologist and disease ecologist currently in the final stretch of her family medicine residency program.This Podcast Will Kill You is part of the Exactly Right podcast network that provides a platform for bold, creative voices to bring to life provocative, entertaining and relatable stories for audiences everywhere. The Exactly Right roster of podcasts covers a variety of topics including science, true crime, comedic interviews, news, pop culture and more. Podcasts on the network include My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, Buried Bones, That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast and more.

Recent Episodes

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Recent Reviews

TheNerdyBookseller

My favorite podcast

I love the way the Erins talk about how science and history collide. Always fascinating and super fun! Love the Book Club episodes too (they basically are my TBR list)
InstaAshley

Learn something new every episode

I’ve listened to this for years and only tried to self-diagnose from it once, haha. Love the Erins and the real-life stories. Still washing my hands too much over the Norovirus episode 🤮
Leash Ali

Really Good!

I’ve listened to basically every episode. If you are interested in how disease impacts our world you should listen.
Sheba Goodstein

Yesyesyesyesyesyessiiiiiir

This podcast is the best podcast I’ve ever played!!! My moms friend told me about it and it is sosososososo awesome 😎 ♥️♥️ PS spot the difference 👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨🧑‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨👩‍🎨
mixtnova

Top-tier Science and Humanity

Erin and Erin have fundamentally changed the way I see medicine. They not only bring scores of medical and historical facts and knowledge to each episode they create, but they humanize and contextualize every experience they talk about. I’ve been able to keep up with conversations with the nurses and healthcare professionals in my life just from what I’ve learned through this podcast, surprising everyone in the room (including myself). The hosts are incredibly entertaining and heartfelt people that bring a personal touchstone to diseases and conditions I’d only ever thought of as clinical. I can’t recommend this podcast enough.
sad little forest cryptid

Nerdy yay!!!

This podcast is the best! P.S. can you do an episode on autism please! I know it’s not the usual but I would love you guys to discuss its history!! 😖😄
Windsong3099

Compassionate and educational

The Erins are amazing. The show covers difficult topics with compassion, grace, and thorough research. Episodes can get graphic, but that kind of goes with the territory. Definitely recommend.
#diabetes4ever

ERIN.A FOREVER

Hello this is a great podcast and I LOVE episode 155! So I was wondering if you made an episode about Diabetes and if not can you please make one? Bye 👋
Marmo6

Like being back in school, when you loved school

I love this podcast, it’s like the presentation group project at the end of college courses, only you don’t have to do one, and you get to sit back, relax, and listen to only the best ones. Great chemistry between the hosts, no awkward group projects here. These women do their homework, and I love learning from them.
dmpinchot

Cute stories

I love that they tell historical stories. I’m hoping that they do the research. Fun way to pass the time.
kkolthoff

Disgusting but in a good way….

Alright, so let’s start this out by me saying I may be a borderline hypochondriac but I started listening in the scabies episode. I was so disgusted that I couldn’t stop listening and now I am obsessed. I have listened to about 25 more episodes and counting. Thank you ladies for your humor and informative podcast that makes my skin crawl… (again.. in a good way).
music;3

Cute!

I love Erin and Erin!
paigecm4

My favorite podcast

I first started listening to TPWKY a few years ago and have been an avid listener ever since! Recently I’ve been binging episodes while at work or walking to classes and I’m so grateful to the Erins for putting together such well researched episodes. Thanks to this show, I’ve discovered I’m really interested in public health and I’m hoping to pursue a career in that area or evolutionary biology-something I had no idea existed prior to listening! Also, as a rare disease patient and patient in general, I really appreciate how both Erins try to humanize diseases and highlight topics that are often overlooked. Each episode is a joy to listen to- fascinating, well written, and nuanced.
allyooper

Schilling for Pharma

This was recommended to me, I checked it out. The storytelling was fun, but I kept listening and while their format is really long and info could absolutely be condensed to half the time, I realized they offered solutions like immediately jumping to antibiotics and pharmaceutical products. There’s a whole host of things to do before that and they don’t recognize downsides to those solutions that can really affect your overall health. There is a bunch of misinformation here and not actual referenced science, just storytelling, which doesn’t help anyone looking for real answers. Disappointing.
DeyoeKing

Great STEM Podcast!

I learn so much and find the content fascinating.
Turtle McConnell

All the episodes!

I love your podcast! Thank you for what you do. I’m a new listener and many episodes have relevance to me or someone I know. From Alpha-Gal to Norovirus to tonsillectomies. I’m sending your episodes to those in my world to help make more informed decisions.
Hudy benudy

Best Podcast

It's so informative and provides historical context of the disease as well as the biological information and what it means for us today. The duo of Erin and Erin is a joy to listen to! Amazing and worth your valuable time.
Annamaul93

So uplifting and informative!

My partner and I are big fans of this podcast because it’s well researched, easily understood, and goes in depth about every topic they cover. It’s occasionally disgusting, because diseases, human bodies, and all the vectors that connect them can be pretty gross. We no longer listen during meals after the Norovirus episode, but we LOVE listening just about any other time. Some of my favorite episodes are the deep dives into rare conditions. They nail it! We look forward to hearing many more from these two wonderful women.
Erin Wannabe

Never Skip Pod

I absolutely love this pod! Every episode intrigues me, even if I don’t think the topic would be of interest. The Erins are incredible hosts and the content is so well-researched and well-explained.
Nimue2you

Love this podcast!

I learn so much from every episode. Erin and Erin make learning interesting. I needed teachers/professors like these two when going to school.
trulydooley

Interesting and Informative

There are so many things that can kill you! This podcast is well researched, entertaining and I have “huh! That’s cool” moments every time I listen. The hosts are genuinely excited by their topics and it makes you feel like you’re listening to two friends nerd out about weird and niche topics you never knew about. Or maybe you did know something about it but now you know MORE! This is a favorite podcast of mine and I recommend it to everyone! Happy listening!
Maffie81

Nerdy funny

This carbohydrate will kill you!! Hilarious!!
N. Arcocorrido

No filler—just fun facts! Yay!

Sooooo glad the hosts, who really come off as smart, warm, and considerate, really focus on talking about the facts they’re exploring from historical and medical angles. Unlike many podcasts, they don’t waste time on side conversations or chuckling about irrelevant comments. Instead, they focus on the facts and add depth of knowledge to the info. Great show!!
hana.casita

Love this show

Been listening for years - such a great show! Love the Erins!!
StefD43

Amazing show!

They cover everything…from stuff you’ve never heard of to the stuff you have. But, even with the stuff you’ve heard of they go into so much detail educating you (in a very entertaining way) all along. Truly love these BRILLIANT ladies!
smoby1231

Love love love

My new favorite!! I wish you ladies taught my pathophysiology class ❤️
athomp1221

Love the Erins!

I've been listening to this podcast since the beginning, and it's still one of my favorites!! Gotta love two intelligent, unproblematic ladies talking science and disease. 🩷
jo_1464

..

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Dmz89us

Interesting and informative podcast

I love this podcast because I learn things that I never would’ve known. It’s very interesting. However, I think part of the reason why I love it is because the voices of the podcasters are so soothing. Sometimes I actually listen to this podcast to fall asleep at night! Lol. The funny thing is is then I have to listen to the podcast over again the next morning because I want to find out what I missed when I fell asleep.
jacardona212

Great for nerds

This podcast is amazing. I’ve learned so much about so many diseases. My fountain of trivia grows weekly with this podcast.
7-Mary-4

The best medical podcast

Erin and Erin bring such joy and passion to disease that it’s contagious. Sorry, I couldn’t pass that up. I really hate puns, but I love this podcast. Their episode on Sickle Cell Disease was amazing. I’d also recommend the Rabies episode if you want to understand how terrifying a disease can be.
Erin Forresr

Not just because my name is Erin

I love this podcast so much and I’m so grateful that the Erins continue to evolve it while keeping the core of what makes it great.
seesaw70

Stop already

This show has so jumped the shark.
CRings

EEEk

I’ve been a listener for some time but over the last couple of weeks we’ve started to see an outbreak of EEE (Eastern Equine Encephalitis) in my area (like less than a mile from my horse pasture which backs up to a swamp). Imagine my surprise when I searched the name and the top results was my trusted “friends” here. I wasn’t a listener yet back when they published on the topic, but sure was glad to go back and listen to the episode. It’s a pretty scary time for us but knowing all the details helps me prepare for and protect my beloved animals and family from this nasty virus. Thank you for sharing this information.
sallygorp

Can’t get enough

Love this podcast. The Erins do an excellent job of explaining the science of diseases and miscellaneous maladies. One of my faves was lactose intolerance. To have something so prevalent explained so well! Always a total treat when a new one shows up in my feed. One thing to note, I personally don’t really care for the book club episodes. I like the routine of the regular episodes better.
Itstmack

Love!

Absolutely love this podcast! My entire feed is all basic girl true crime with a hint of spooky, and I’m so thankful that I found This Podcast Will Kill You via Exactly Right! Absolute best for long drives when I can really listen and learn. The format is great and I truly feel like I learn so much! I am in NO way a science girl, but you ladies tell the best stories and I’m so thankful for all that you do!
ChefAnika

5 stars for the Erins

Fascinating, knowledgeable, and science based. Love it!
fitgal1961

Info

Good guests with great info but audio of guests needs improvement. Hosts overuse valley girl phrases “like” all the time. “Ya” really distracting. They need to sound more professional.
ian lllllllll

Best podcast ever

I can’t say enough good things about this podcast. The ability to present complex topics in a way that is relatable and entertaining makes each episode unforgettable. As a nurse, I have some background in the more medical topics, but my wife is an engineer and has no background in the medical field. Even with our extremely different backgrounds, we are both able to immerse ourselves and really gain a lot from the podcast. Alright, I need to get back to listening now, and finish up this review!
BurgundyM.

Fascinating, informative, and fun!

I never thought I’d combine the words “infectious disease” and “delightful” in the same sentence. Informative, empathetic,engaging, and entertaining. Well done!
tofulish

How can a show on diseases be this delightful?

Updated: I’m still a huge fan because they do an amazing job making very complicated information accessible and enjoyable! There are no words for how much fun this podcast is. The Erins have a real gift for distilling and explaining complicated topics with a sense of wonder and humor that is so engaging. I’m so grateful!
I'm from Pennsylvania

Love this pod!!

Been listening for years - the hosts are so knowledgeable, have such an amazing dynamic together, and honestly such pleasant voices which is important in this medium 😅 finally writing a review because the celiac episode was so satisfying as someone who developed acne in my early 20s and after a few years of trying to figure out the cause, turned out to be some sort of gluten sensitivity, and then ultimately celiac. Anyways, this was really insightful and I just adore these 2. That’s all! :)
MattVillamaino

Great podcast

The podcast is interesting with both the history and the scientific information about each topic. Fun to listen to with good enthusiasm from the Erins.
AspenRoberts

Ugh

Unfortunately for me I got curious and wanted to put your voices to your faces and now my entire reality has shattered because I simply cannot imagine Erin W.’s mouth making the voice that I was SO sure belonged to Erin AU. Any suggestions to erase this information from my brain would be appreciated. Love the show
kaleykk

Thank you, Erin & Erin!

Review 3: I’ve been a listener for many years - just wanted to add that I love the new format! Weekly episodes and multi-ep deep dives on big topics! Review 2: I’m editing my review from several years ago to include a thank you to the Erins for helping us navigate COVID. The vaccine episodes, breaking down the learnings as they emerged, and equipping us with facts helped me immeasurably during a terrifying 2020 (and beyond). I don’t know what I would’ve done without this podcast. Review 1: i love how excited the hosts get - it makes me excited to learn, too! informative, interesting, and compelling every time.
TB0330

Great podcast!

I am a Veterinarian and i love listening to Erin and Erin weekly! They are so informative and entertaining!
sussfoo

Love!!

I love Erin and Erin! They’re cute and smart! I love hearing all the details of how different diseases work, and the cross over eps with In Defense of Plants about poisons and natural medicines.
JazzSingerJC

Nerdy & Delightful

The Erin’s give me a break each week from all of the political pods I listen to. TPWKY is fun, funny, educational, and so important. As a migraine sufferer, the migraine episode was so validating and informative. Thank you Erin & Erin! Can’t wait for what you have in store for us.
Wisonsin fan

Love, love, love this podcast

I have been listening since the beginning Every episode is so interesting. I love that they are broken up into different sections so you are educated about the biology, history and current events. We work with rabies and botulism at my lab so learning how those diseases affect the body really helped my understanding.
Hatzal

Excellent review of Parkinsonism.

If you or a loved one have this disease, you need to listen to it! My suspicions confirmed about my mate’s anxiety, acidic stomach, halting or freezing explained. Thank you!

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