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In this episode, we’re joined by acclaimed investigative journalist Brian Deer, one of the most influential figures in modern medical reporting. A two-time British Press Awards winner and Honorary Doctor of Letters recipient from York St John University, Brian is best known for his rigorous investigations into public health, drug safety, and medical ethics.

His work for The Sunday Times exposed major failures in pharmaceutical oversight and unethical medical practices, including the investigation that dismantled the fraudulent research behind the claim that the MMR vaccine causes autism.

That reporting culminated in his award-winning book, The Doctor Who Fooled the World, a detailed examination of how a single false study triggered a global health crisis and lasting damage to public trust. Today’s conversation explores that story and its continuing impact.

01: 55 - Brian’s Journey into investigative Journalism

03:00 - The Vaccine Story

06:50 – What Made Brian Look into The MMR Vaccination and Andrew Wakefield?

10:00 – Turning Points in the Investigation

17:25 – How Did the Paper/ Study Get Published

20:00 – Push Back, Lawsuits and Personal Attacks

34:26 – Has the Public Completely Lost Trust in Vaccinations After Covid-19

38:55 – Was it Coincidence Book Released During Covid-19?

Website: https://briandeer.com

Twitter/X: @deerbrian

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Professor John J. Miller is the director of the Dow Program in American Journalism at Hillsdale College and one of the nation’s most respected literary journalists. A regular contributor to The Wall Street Journal, he previously spent many years as a writer and podcaster for National Review. Miller is also the founder and executive director of the Student Free Press Association, the non-profit organization behind The College Fix, which supports and promotes collegiate journalism.

The Chronicle of Higher Education has described him as “one of the best literary journalists in the country,” a reputation reflected in his body of work. He is the author of several books, including The Big Scrum: How Teddy Roosevelt Saved Football, which explores the surprising truths behind presidential intervention that helped shape the sport’s modern identity and the topic of today discussion.

01:20 – Journey into Journalism and What Inspired Writing: The Big Scrum

06:00 - Walter Camp and Theodore Roosevelt History with Football

10:30 – Early Violence and Brutality of Football & Charles Elliot’s Dislike for Football

17:40 – The Introduction of the Forward Pass

24:00 – Fights, Yale vs Harvard and the Flying Wedge

27:00 – Moments in Researching the Big Scrum

32:40 – Walter Camps Wife and Football

34:10 – Where You Can Find and Support Professor Miller

Twitter/x: @heymiller

https://www.heymiller.com/

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Welcome back to HeadFirst: A Concussion Podcast.

Today we have the honour and privilege of welcoming Dr Elisabeth Bik.

Trained originally as a microbiologist, Dr Elisabeth Bik has become a global authority on research ethics and scientific credibility. She is best known for her meticulous investigations into altered images and questionable data practices in academic publishing. Her work has flagged potential problems in thousands of research papers and has played a role in more than a thousand formal retractions tied to compromised scientific standards.

Beyond her investigative impact, Dr Bik’s own research has been widely cited, and her efforts to safeguard the integrity of science have been recognised with several prestigious international honours. Now working independently, she advises on research integrity while continuing to advocate for transparency and ethical responsibility across the scientific world.

01:59 – Dr Elisabeth Bik Journey into Microbiology and Plagiarism

04:44 – Why is Scientific Integrity Important and Why Should We Care?

07:44 – Reasons People Fabricate Result

10:54 – Choosing Research to Sleuth and Common Fabrications

15:44 – Process When Investigating Paper’s

18:53 – Biggest Case Dr Bik Has Worked on and Personal Attacks / Push Back

26:14 – Collateral Damage of Fabricated Research

29:49 – What Questions to ask About ‘Catchy’ Headline’s?

33:14 – How We Can Support and Help Dr Bik’s Work

Dr Elisabeth Bik

X/Twitter: @MicrobiomDigest

Patreon.com/elisabethbik

Website: https://scienceintegritydigest.com/about/

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In this special episode of Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast, we’re revisiting some of the most powerful, challenging, and eye-opening moments from our past conversations. If you’ve missed any of our critical discussions featuring athlete’s perspective and experiences with concussion, this episode brings the best of it all together.

Best of Episode 4: Athlete

02:20 - Andy Clarke - Episode 87: How Knock Differs from Other Sports

06:00 - Robbie O’Davis - Episode 106: Robbie’O Grand Final Dance

09:50 - Wally Lewis - Episode 73: Concussion Overtime + Awareness and Education

16:30 - Ian Roberts - Episode 63: Culture Over Time and Playing Experiences

22:00 - Hamish Brayshaw - Episode 78: The Open Letter to the AFL

24:10 - Will Schofield - Episode 79: Unrealistic Expectations of a Player

27:17 - Ian Greener - Episode 90: FA Guidelines and Old vs New Balls

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In this special episode of Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast, we’re revisiting some of the most powerful, challenging, and eye-opening moments from our past conversations. If you’ve missed any of our critical discussions brain function, dementia, litigation and autonomy this episode brings the best of it all together. We’ve carefully curated standout highlights from each major theme, featuring expert guests who have examined this complexities of concussion.

Brain and Dementia

01:40 Amanda Ellison Episode 92 – Lobes and Functions of the Brain

07:50 Tommy Wood Episode 94 - Inflammation in the Brain: Causes and Effects

11:40 Robert Stern Episode 105 – Dementia

13:36 Rachel Grashow Episode 82 - Co-morbidities Mimicking Dementia Like Disease

17:17 Judith Gates Episode 89 - Bill Gates and Personal Experience

Law

25:32 Peter Jess Episode 85 - Concussion Protocol Stand Down Times and Unpacking AFL litigation

33:06 Eric Windholz Episode 96 - Legal Case’s Club vs Organisations

Autonomy

36:30 Stephen Casper Episode 83 - Consent and Bodily Autonomy Versus Fiduciary

**Full episode and context Dr Casper asked my thoughts on the question before his responses**

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In this special episode of Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast, we’re revisiting some of the most powerful, challenging, and eye-opening moments from our past conversations. If you’ve missed any of our critical discussions around ethics in sport, emerging concussion research, the social impact of brain injury, or the role of journalism in shaping public understanding, this episode brings the best of it all together. We’ve carefully curated standout highlights from each major theme, featuring expert guests who have examined the cultural, ethical, and scientific complexities of concussion—and why these conversations matter now more than ever.

Youth Concussion

02:00 - Christina Master - Episode 103: Most common Ways Youth Population are Concussed

09:30 - Julie Stamm - Episode 66: Hippocampus and Brain Development in Children

Equipment/ Research/Ethics

14:00 - Lopez Frias - Episode 71: What is Ethics and Why is It Important in Sport

21:55- Joe Warne - Episode 59: Research Methods

28:30 - Kathleen Bachynsski Episode 100: Media and Marketing of Helmets in Football Causing Confusion

33:00 - James Smoliga – Episode 101: Q-Collar and the Flawed Science

Sociology/ Journalism

48:15 - Dominic Malcom - Episode 76: Concussion in Sports: It’s Time to Drop the Tobacco Analogy

52:13 - Rachel Grashow - Epsiode 82: Perceived Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy and Suicidality in Former Professional Football Players:

57:47 - Stephanie Convery – Episode 68: Understanding the Adrenaline of Boxing and After the Count: The Death of Davey Browne

01:07:30 Irvin Muchnick - Episode 98: Chris Benoit and Irvin’s Work Journalistic Work in Concussion/ mTBI

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In this special episode of Headfirst: A Concussion Podcast, we’re revisiting some of the most insightful, thought-provoking, and eye-opening moments from our past episodes. If you’ve missed any of the crucial conversations we've had about history, concussions and CTE, this episode is your chance to catch up with all the best bits. We’ve hand-picked highlights from each major theme, featuring expert guests who’ve shared their knowledge and research to shed light on the complexities of concussion and its long-term impacts.

History

05:29 - Stephen Townsend – Episode 93 (Re-release of Episode 34): History of Concussion in Australia

08:06 - Tony Collins – Episode 70: First Documented Cases of Concussion

13:15 - Stephen Casper – Episode 83: Historical Concepts and Activities of Brain Injury

What is Concussion

16:30 - Jon Patricios – Episode 65: What is a Concussion

19:20 - Tommy Wood – Episode 94: Understanding Concussions, mTBI, and the Egg Analogy

26:28 - Nick Rushworth – Episode 77: Differences Between Mild, Moderate, and Severe Traumatic Brain Injuries

Repetitive Head Impacts & CTE

31:03 - Robert Cantu – Episode 81: What is RHI and CTE

35:34 - Robert Stern – Episode 105: Understanding RHI and CTE

43:58 - Matt Ventresca & Kathryn Henne – Episode 95: Sociocultural Perspectives

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Robbie O’Davis is a name etched into Newcastle Knights folklore. To the red-and-blue faithful, he’s better known as “Robbie O’Save-Us,” the fearless fullback whose blistering speed, courage under pressure, and game-changing brilliance helped define an era. Across more than 200 appearances for Newcastle, Robbie became one of the club’s most trusted match-winners, the kind of player teammates relied on and opponents feared.

His impact stretched far beyond club footy. Robbie represented Queensland in State of Origin and proudly wore the green and gold for Australia, placing him among rugby league’s elite. His list of achievements tells the story: two NRL Premierships, a Clive Churchill Medal, a Rugby League World Cup winner’s medal, the State of Origin Shield, and the Wally Lewis Medal—previously known as the Ron McAuliffe Medal—for player of the Origin series. Few players reach those heights, and even fewer do so with Robbie’s blend of flair, toughness, and heart.

Recognition followed throughout his career and beyond. He was named in the Newcastle Knights’ “Team of the Era” (1988–2007) and, in 2022, was inducted into the Newcastle National Rugby League Hall of Fame, cementing his place as one of the club’s all-time greats.

But like many athletes whose professional careers end long before the passion fades, life after football brought challenges that required just as much determination as his playing days. Retirement didn’t come with a roadmap, and navigating the transition demanded every bit of the resilience that made him a standout on the field. His story is not only about sporting success—it’s about identity, perseverance, and finding purpose

01:35 - Robbie’s Journey into Rugby League

08:20 - Robbie’O Grand Final Dance

12:00 - Athlete Mentality

16:10 – Robbie’s Broken Nose and Palate Injury

19:05 – Concussion Experience and Dad’s Influence

22:10 – Pressure of Playing for a Town Like Newcastle

26:00 – Repetitive Head Impacts, Concussions and Effects Post Career

32:25 – NRL Study and Independent Results

39:00 – Public Perception and Risk of Sport

46:00 – Thought on Family Playing Rugby

50:40 – Advice Through Lived Experience with Repetitive Head Impacts

58:00 – Favourite Moments/ Memories of Robbie’s Career

Robbie O Instagram: @robbieosaveus1

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