In this anniversary episode, Editor-in-Chief Pooja Jha is joined by Deputy Editor Ivana Nedic and Senior Editor Stephanie Becker to mark five years of The Lancet Regional Health – Europe. Together, they reflect on key milestones from the journal’s first five years, look ahead to priorities for 2026, including new Series and collaborations, and discuss highlights from the January issue.

Tune in for a conversation on how the journal has evolved, what lies ahead for regional health research in Europe, and the editorial thinking shaping the year to come.

The lancet Regional Health – Europe

What are the risks of a future surge in variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease cases?

Join Senior Editor Stephanie Becker as she sits down with Professor Simon Mead to discuss the history of the bovine spongiform encephalopathy epidemic, what updated estimates for future vCJD cases mean for public health policy, and advances in biomarkers and treatments.

Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00294-7/fulltext

Alan Fraser and Stefan James talk to Acting Deputy Editor Heather Brown about the evidence needed for regulatory approval of high-risk medical devices, such as stents, valves, pacemakers, and orthopaedic implants. The CORE-MD project makes recommendations for what evidence should be needed and calls for greater transparency and predictability.

Click here to read the full article: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00252-2/fulltext

In this episode, Senior Editor Ivana Nedic is joined by Professor Sir Graham Thornicroft to discuss the urgent need to transform mental health in Europe.

Building on the newly launched Transforming Mental Health in Europe Series in The Lancet Regional Health – Europe, they explore its four key themes: persistent gaps in care, the mental health of healthcare workers, challenges facing children and young people, and the case of Central and Eastern Europe.

The conversation highlights priority areas for action, drawing on European examples, and considers how policy and services can drive meaningful and lasting change in mental health systems.

Read the Series:

https://www.thelancet.com/series-do/mental-health-europe?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_lanepemheurope25_lanepe

Raffaele Bugiardini and Karen Padilla Cabrera talk to Acting Deputy Editor Heather Brown about a new Series of papers on the inequalities and disparities that continue to undermine equity in cardiovascular health, particularly for women, racial and ethnic minorities, older adults, and individuals with mental health conditions.

Read the Series here:

https://www.thelancet.com/series-do/inequalities-disparities-cvd?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_lanepecardiohealth25_lanepe

Can nirsevimab transform prevention strategies for respiratory infection in infants? Join Stephanie Becker as she sits down with Aida Perramon-Malavez and Antoni Soriano-Arandes to explore the significant threat that respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) poses to young children.

Discover insights into the real-world impact of nirsevimab implementation during its first season, explore how prevention strategies vary across Europe, and hear about the urgent need for equitable access to vaccination worldwide.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00126-7/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_August_25_lanepe

Alcohol use disorder is a major public health issue affecting approximately 100 million people worldwide, yet treatment options remain very limited. Bo Söderpalm and Andrea de Bejczy join Rafael Cardoso from The Lancet Regional Health - Europe to discuss their trial, which for the first time combined administration of varenicline and bupropion for alcohol use disorder.

Read the full article:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00102-4/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_July_25_lanepe

What impact does growing up around intimate partner violence and abuse (IPVA) have on young people’s own relationships? Dr Annie Herbert and Dr Maria Barnes join Senior Editor Ivana Nedic from The Lancet Regional Health – Europe to discuss their recent UK-based study on how experiencing violence between parents can shape young people’s own intimate relationships. They explore key findings on victimisation and perpetration in early adulthood, gendered patterns of risk, and what these insights mean for prevention, support services, and future public health strategies to tackle IPVA.

Read the full article here:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanepe/article/PIIS2666-7762(25)00070-5/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_July_25_lanepe

Find out more:
https://bright.blogs.bristol.ac.uk/

Content warning: This conversation is about intimate partner violence and abuse. Please consider your own emotional and psychological safety before listening to the content. If you or someone you know needs support, please visit No More (https://www.nomore.org/) or Victim Support Europe (https://victim-support.eu/).