About this episode

Dr. Andrew Wakefield discusses his controversial career and the implications of questioning established medical narratives.

Few figures in modern medicine have generated as much controversy as Dr. Andrew Wakefield. A former physician and researcher who published more than 150 scientific papers, Wakefield lost his career, fellowships, and medical license while pursuing questions surrounding childhood vaccines, intestinal inflammation, and neurological injury in children. In this episode, Wakefield shares how parents first brought him stories they believed no one was willing to hear, what happened when his research collided with powerful institutions, and how he went from physician to filmmaker and author after years of public scrutiny and professional consequences. We discuss autism, chronic illness, scientific dissent, censorship, media narratives, pharmaceutical liability, public trust, and the responsibilities that come with asking difficult questions. We also discuss his upcoming novel The Bequest (releasing June 26, 2026), and the deeply personal question that helped inspire it: what happens to children with autism when their parents are gone? Whether you agree with him, disagree with him, or simply want to understand one of the most polarizing figures in modern medicine, this conversation offers…

People in this episode

Host: Tab Salsman

Guest: Dr. Andrew Wakefield

Topics covered

• controversy in medicine
• vaccines
• autism
• scientific dissent
• censorship
• public trust

Keywords

• Andrew Wakefield
• vaccines
• autism
• medical controversy
• scientific research
• public trust
• censorship

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: The Bequest

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