Elise Hu

We'll be releasing these special episodes, showcasing our amazing fellows on certain Fridays throughout the rest of 2025 and into the new year.

So definitely stay tuned.

The Ted Fellows program supports a network of global innovators, and we're so excited to share their work with you.

Today, we'd like you to meet rainforest toxicologist and Ted Fellow, Claudia Vega.

What do penguins, the Amazonian rainforest, and the gold in your watch have in common?

It turns out, mercury.

Mercury.

Running a world-class lab in the middle of the Peruvian Amazon rainforest, Claudia studies the effects of mercury pollution from illegal artisanal gold mining, highlighting an urgent environmental and public health problem with far-reaching impacts.

She shares what led her to the rainforest, what she's learned from the indigenous communities she's worked with, and why it's imperative to understand that what happens in the Amazon matters to all of us everywhere.

After we hear from Claudia Vega, stick around for her conversation with TED Fellows Program Director Lily James Olds.

It's coming up.

And now a special conversation between Claudia Vega and TED Fellows program director, Lily James Olds, coming up right after the break.

That was Claudia Vega, a 2025 TED Fellow.

To learn more about the TED Fellows program and watch all the TED Fellows films, go to fellows.ted.com.

And that's it for today.

This episode was produced by Lucy Little, edited by Alejandra Salazar, and fact-checked by Eva Dasher.

The audio you heard at the top comes from the short film made by Divya Gidangi and Owen McLean.

Story edited by Corey Hajim and produced by Ian Lowe.

Video production manager is Searing Dolma.

Additional support from Lily James Olds, Leonie Horster, and Allegra Pearl.