Serum

A Black physician, his quest to cure AIDS, and the chase to find out what happened next.

A production of WHYY’s The Pulse and Local Trance Media. For more on Serum, subscribe to our newsletter: https://localtrance.substack.com/

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Recent Reviews
  • SupermanMikail
    Interesting story…
    "Serum" podcast is an incredibly engaging and fast-paced thrill ride that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The storyline is expertly crafted, with just the right balance of suspense and mystery to keep listeners hooked. The characters are dynamic and well-developed, making it easy to become emotionally invested in their journey. Each episode builds on the last, creating a thrilling and immersive listening experience. Whether you're a fan of the thriller genre or simply enjoy a good story, "Serum" is a must-listen. It's a testament to the power of audio storytelling and a shining example of what a great podcast can be. Highly recommended for anyone looking for a gripping, well-told tale.
  • Ripendelicious
    Riveting story
    I truly enjoyed this podcast - couldn’t wait for new episode. The host was engaging and I just loved the various voices telling this story. So good!
  • Nurse_Erica83
    This is a must listen podcast
    Couldn’t stop listening. Finished all episodes in one night. Grant is doing it right and I can’t wait to hear more!
  • YoCo Belli
    Surprisingly Engaging
    Serum is the best type of podcast. Thorough, engaging ,compassionate of the people involved and revealing. This is not the type of podcast that I would usually listen to but once I began I couldn’t stop. There is still so much story to be told but wow.
  • TrixyB
    Wait, what‽‽
    This reporter has done an amazing job unwinding the threads of a seemingly preposterous story… lending weight to the saying that truth is stranger than fiction.
  • Wilsonac2
    Amazing Reporting
    Grant is the epitome of an investigative journalist, I’m a fan for life. This series is real news at its finest and a truly amazing story!
  • cgjbvxs
    Interesting, gripping
    Very well investigated and reported.
  • theuknownreviewer
    Loved it!
    I loved this podcast and I thought it was well written and well edited and very compelling. I was alive during the early 80s in New York City when AIDS first hit. If you weren’t there, You cannot imagine how scary getting a diagnosis was. It haunts me to this day even though I was never positive I lost so many friends. Great job Grant. I’m very sad to know that our government did not welcome Gary Davis with open arms and do the proper testing.
  • StarSharon
    Good investigative journalism
    I was able to hear the podcast here and I was able to hear all the rest of the episodes on NPR online podcasts. The journalist tracks down the people involved and gets them to talk to him. He speaks with Precious Thomas, the seven year old, supposedly cured. She's now an adult and she has so much to say about what was really going on. She also add insight into her life with the lady that that raised her. He tracks down one of actual small group of persons involved in the small clinical trial in Mexico and the man describes much more about the story. He makes contact after contact, driving and flying to multiple destinations and meeting with them in person to doggedly pursues what really happened with this story.
  • perry_bh
    Hooked til the end
    This is a phenomenal podcast!
  • GDS_11
    Great intrigue….
    The highs, lows, and the unbelievable stories - many of which turn out to be true and based on objective facts - makes for a MUST listen. Grant Hill is a podcast virtuoso and has done a GREAT job on this series. We need more serum!!
  • JKP9999
    A must listen!
    This is a truly fascinating and enthralling story! My husband and I are hooked and can’t wait to find out where it goes!
  • Berenley
    Amazing
    This series is filled with suspense and plot twists. Well told, diligent reporting. From Tulsa to England and Africa Gary Davis left a mark and everyone wanted a piece of his serum. Grateful you are telling this story!!!
  • Young Scratch
    Suspense, intrigue, bombshells, and skullduggery!
    This is radio at its most thrilling. Serum is a story abounding with such suspense, improbability, intrigue, bombshells and skullduggery, that I frequently had to rewind to verify what my ears were insisting upon.
  • calgiants
    Fantastic writing and production
    One of the best investigative podcasts I have listened to in a long time. Grant’s writing is top notch and the theme song is constantly stuck in my head. Shoutout GFE. You won’t want to miss this one.
  • Vennie Kocsis
    This Story Must Go Viral
    I have been on the edge of my seat for this podcast series. I can’t wait for the next episode. It’s excellent, well researched, well edited and phenomenally narrated. Grant you did your due diligence, and I am impressed.
  • Nonperm
    Obvious fraud/mental illness
    The reporter has no business being as credulous as he is about a “goat serum” that cures AIDS. I understand wanting to do stories about the black community but this is really scraping the bottom of the barrel.
  • jhh Vb
    Twists turns suspense
    Hard to predict where this series goes next, excellent reporting and story telling
  • Rooster314
    Intrigue, hope, dignity. This is the new podcast you should be listening to.
    Fast moving but even-handed and respectful of the gravity of the topic, host Grant Hill deftly immerses the listener in the hopes, politics, and intrigue of one of the most storied and controversial potential AIDS treatments of all time. The story unwinds decades old threads and uncovers entirely new angles to the story that interviewees had previously never been able to share. Institutional actors and black box research bureaucracies could never satisfy the need for hope and dignity in the face of unprecedented death. For the stigmatized and oppressed communities suffering from the disease, any FDA attention towards Dr. Gary Davis might have provided a powerful indication that the government did care about finding a cure. Instead, research was marred by funding hurdles, political instability, legal trouble, and, possibly, outright violence. Researchers, lawyers, public figures, and regular people who saw and suffered from the crisis are all interviewed. I rarely start listening to a new podcast, but the story here is thrilling - I find myself thinking about the next release every week. Tight editing, expert sound design, and evocative graphic design round out a profoundly good listening experience.
  • Avi W-A
    Wild
    Is the story really real? Kinda real? Not real at all? Does it matter? I’m hooked.
  • whipitoutnowboy
    Wake Up!!!
    It’s time to get Woke. All of our lives depends on our unity in humanity.
  • anizorb
    There’s so much to this story
    So many twists and turns; wild that it’s real and wild that I knew nothing about it before this!
  • Jo Anna
    This story needs to be told
    When I found out what this podcast was about, I had to listen. Serum is an important story that the people need to know about! I can’t wait to listen to the whole season!
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