Tony Goldberg has traveled the globe investigating diseases that can move between animals and people. Sometimes that means studying the parasites that attack him along the way, including a tick that hitched a ride from Uganda up his nose.

Goldberg is based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison but was educated in part at the University of Illinois, where he's giving a free public lecture at 4 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 27. He talked with The 21st Show about his work, how cuts in federal funding have affected disease research, and why human behavior — more than science — may be the weakest link in preventing disease.

Every year, thousands of students come to the U.S. from China to study. But now, the Chinese government is urging students to take a closer look at the risks of coming to U.S. universities. And, we're speaking with a University of Chicago student who was subpoenaed by the prominent Pearson Family after publishing news about them in the college newspaper. Plus, summer means it’s time to get outside, and maybe go for a hike. It also means a higher risk of tick bites. And, more than a decade ago, Mayor Richard M. Daley pledged that Chicago would be the “greenest city in America” by 2020. Where does that promise stand today?

Illnesses from mosquitoes, ticks and fleas have tripled in the U.S. between 2004 and 2016, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 

Few people appreciate ticks the way scientists do, but everyone can enjoy films featuring them at this year's Insect Fear Film Festival on the University of Illinois campus.

On the 21st: Why this tick season could be one of the worst in years. Plus, we revisit our conversation about antibiotics and gut health.