In this episode, science broadcaster Dr Güneş Taylor speaks with endocrinologist Dr Saira Hameed about her new book Signals: The Inside Story of Our Hormones. From exhaustion and infertility to appetite, mood and libido, Hameed explores the vast and often misunderstood hormonal system that regulates almost every aspect of human life.

Drawing on patient stories and recent medical research, Hameed explains how hormones act as the body’s internal signalling network — and what happens when those signals misfire. The conversation examines new approaches to diagnosis and care, the discovery of previously unknown hormones linked to fat and metabolism, and the realities behind the growing wellness market around testosterone and male health.

Dr Saira Hameed is a Consultant Endocrinologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and a Senior Tutor and Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer at Imperial College London. She is the author of Signals: The Inside Story of Our Hormones.

Dr Güneş Taylor is a science broadcaster and Fellow at the Centre for Reproductive Health.