Evidence and experts to help you understand today’s public health news—and what it means for tomorrow.
Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Listeners of Public Health On Call that love the show mention: um hum, singapore, public health, first responders, researchers, practitioners, coronavirus, scientists, response, doctors, digestible, ahead, experts, covid, timely, expertise, married, easy to understand, science, essential.
The Public Health On Call podcast is an invaluable resource for anyone seeking accurate and up-to-date information about public health, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. The hosts and experts on the show deliver the best science available in a calm, supportive manner that fosters understanding and provides comfort in uncertain times. It feels like receiving a warm hug from a kind, smart friend who is dedicated to keeping you well-informed. The episodes are never preachy but instead offer honest discussions backed by facts.
One of the best aspects of this podcast is its commitment to debunking misinformation with kindness and evidence-based information. The hosts have the patience of saints as they patiently address and correct misconceptions surrounding public health and COVID-19. They provide clarity amidst the chaos and possess a wealth of knowledge that they use to guide listeners through the complexities of this global crisis.
However, one area where the podcast could improve is in providing more specific sources for their discussions. While the information presented is well-researched and based on expert opinions, it would be helpful to have direct links or references to studies or articles mentioned in each episode's show notes. This would allow listeners to further explore topics discussed on their own and evaluate the level of evidence used to inform opinions.
In conclusion, The Public Health On Call podcast is an exceptional resource for those seeking reliable information about public health, especially during these challenging times. It offers informative discussions with experts from various fields, providing valuable insights into COVID-19 and other important public health issues. While there may be room for improvement in terms of sourcing specific references, overall, this podcast delivers essential information in a clear and accessible way that truly benefits its listeners.
About this episode: What might be in store for the 2025 hurricane season? Meterologist Brian McNoldy returns to the podcast to talk about how things are shaping up, a look back at how last summer's unprecedented mix of heat and moisture played out in an extremely active season, and a zoomed-out look at climate change trends as larger patterns beyond individual events and year-over-year comparisons. Guest: Brian McNoldy is a senior research associate at the Rosenstiel School of Marine Atmosphere and Earth Science at the University of Miami. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Meteorology and Climate Change—Public Health On Call (July 2024) Get ready for several years of killer heat, top weather forecasters warn—AP ‘Bomb cyclone' adds to growing extreme weather trend—News@TheU (2024
About this episode: Juneteenth was declared a federal holiday in 2021 but many people don't know the history or how to recognize the day. In this episode: a look back at a 2022 conversation with Janice Bowie about how to celebrate, reflect, and recommit to social justice this Juneteenth. Guest: Janice Bowie is a Bloomberg Centennial Professor in Health, Behavior, and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research focuses on health equity and disparities. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Juneteeth: Sun, Sounds and the Spirit of Freedom—Smithsonian Instutition Juneteenth National Independence Day Act—Congress.gov 9 Places to Celebrate Juneteenth This Year—The New York Times Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: Homicides in the U.S., particularly those involving gun violence, peaked in 2022 following a rapid rise during the COVID pandemic. In the years that followed, there were notable decreases and 2025, so far, shows one of the most dramatic reductions in homicides in decades. In this episode: A look at some of the reasons behind the rise and fall of deaths, and why staying the policy course may be key to avoiding another spike. Guest: Daniel Webster is a Bloomberg Professor of American Health who has studied gun violence and prevention for more than thirty years. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Deadly decisions? Trump guts anti-crime program as summer violence looms—USA Today Supreme Court upholds Biden regulations on ‘ghost gun' kits—NBC News City of Baltimore Reaches Settlement in Polymer80—Mayor Brandon Scott, Baltimore City A Safer Gun Buying Process—Public Health On Call (February 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: Humanitarian health systems provide relief like food, water, and medicine in crisis situations. They operate within a carefully organized framework built on core principles including impartiality and neutrality. In this episode: what's happening with humanitarian aid in Gaza and the importance of a new framework for global humanitarian efforts. Guest: Dr. Paul Spiegel is a physician, epidemiologist and the director of the Center for Humanitarian Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr Spiegel has worked in humanitarian emergencies for the last 30 years. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Group Accuses Hamas of Threatening Aid Workers in Gaza—The New York Times A Flawed Attempt at Delivering Gaza Aid Led to a Wave of Deaths—The Wall Street Journal (paywall) The Humanitarian Response in Gaza—Public Health On Call (January 2024) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: In 2016, the nonprofit Braver Angels was founded to bring together diverse groups of people to try and figure out why productive communication has become so difficult. During the pandemic, the conversations got even harder. In this episode: How Braver Angels is bringing together questioners and supporters of public health to hear each other out with a goal of humanizing, understanding, and remembering that “everyone is worth listening to.” Guests: Dr. Leslie Lapato is a retired psychiatrist who has worked with Braver Angels since 2017 in a variety of roles including alliance chair, debate chair, debate whip, moderator, and organizer. Dr. Beth Malow is a neurology sleep physician and science communicator who has worked with Braver Angels since 2017 in a variety of roles including moderator, workshop designer, and debate chair. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Our Mission—Braver Angels Confronting our COVID condescension—Braver Angels Colorado Springs company works with Braver Angels to promote civility through debates—The Gazette Braver Angels spreads its ‘building bridges' gospel across Greater Minnesota—MinnPost Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: A recent MAHA report from the Department of Health and Human Services stated that a trio of common procedures for children—tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy, and tympanostomy tube (ear tube) placement—“cause harm without offering benefits.” In this episode: a look at what these surgeries are, the advantages and risks, and what the report said—and didn't say—about the value of these procedures when properly indicated. Guests: Dr. Emily Boss is the director of pediatric otolaryngology at Johns Hopkins. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: The MAHA Report: Make Our Children Health Again—The White House MAHA kids' health report misinforms about tonsillectomies and ear tubes—STAT (Opinion) Tympanostomy Tubes or Medical Management for Recurrent Acute Otitis Media—The New England Journal of Medicine Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: Would it be a good idea to have tariffs on pharmaceuticals? In this episode: a conversation about the rationales for tariffs as well as potential downsides—like higher drug prices—and what could really help with supply and pricing issues. Guest: Dr. Mariana Socal studies the pharmaceutical market and is an associate professor in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Tariffs as a Hidden Tax: Price Pass-Through in Multi-Stage Supply Chains—Johns Hopkins Carey Business School Trump's pharmaceutical tariffs could raise costs for patients, worsen drug shortages—NBC Los Angeles Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: A new report from the Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition documents incidents of violence against health care facilities and workers in conflict zones around the world. In this episode: why it's important to track these trends, how incidents are reported and investigated, and a look at the 2024 report with examples from various conflict zones around the world including Sudan, Ukraine, and Gaza. Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University. Guests: Joe Amon is the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Public Health and Human Rights. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Safeguarding Health in Conflict Coalition, 2024 Report Allegations of War Crimes by Leaders of Hamas and Israeli Officials Before the International Criminal Court—Public Health On Call (June 2024) Human Rights and Health Care in the Middle East Crisis—Public Health On Call (December 2023) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: June is Gun Violence Awareness Month with a focus on safe storage, a key factor in preventing gun-related injuries and deaths. In this episode: a look at how safe storage saves lives, evidence-based tools and tips for lawmakers, gun owners, parents, pediatricians, and more; and how to normalize conversations about safe storage in everyday life. Guests: Dr. Katherine Hoops, is a pediatrician and the director of Clinical Practice at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. Cass Crifasi is the co-executive director at the Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Gun Violence Awareness Month Campaign—The Center For Gun Violence Solutions Safe & Secure Gun Storage Prevents Injuries (PDF) How To Talk To Other Parents About Guns In The Home (PDF) Safe and Secure Gun Storage Solutions—The Center For Gun Violence Solutions What The Conviction of a Parent of a High School Shooter Could Mean—Public Health On Call (March 2024) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: Last week, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., announced that the COVID vaccine will no longer be recommended for healthy children or pregnant women. In this episode: a vaccine policy expert unpacks the announcement — how it differs from past policy changes, and its potential impact on Americans. Note: This episode was recorded on May 28, 2025. Guest: Sarah Despres has over 25 years of experience in public health policy and advocacy and is an expert on immunization policy. She has served on the HHS National Vaccine Advisory Committee from 2012-2017. She has also served on the board of Vaccinate Your Family, a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring children and adults have access to vaccines. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: U.S. Will No Longer Recommend Covid Shots for Children and Pregnant Women—The New York Times Who Decides Which Vaccines Americans Should Get and When?—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (March 2025) Pediatric COVID Vaccines—Public Health On Call (May 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: Travel can open our eyes to the world and make us better global citizens. But there's no denying the environmental impacts of travel. Plus, with climate change happening everywhere, it's becoming more difficult for tourists to predictably see and do some things without factoring in extreme weather. In this episode: how travelers can be more mindful and a look at how a travel company is thinking about the industry's carbon footprint. Guest: Cameron Hewitt is a travel writer and photographer, and for the last 25 years he's been a co-writer for Rick Steves' Europe, one of the biggest names in travel for guidebooks, public television, radio, and tours. You can follow his adventures on Instagram and Facebook. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Our Climate Smart Commitment—Rick Steves' Europe How a traveler's mindset can grow your understanding—Rick Steves, TEDxSeattle Salon Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: The approval of pediatric COVID vaccines during the height of the pandemic brought reassurance to many parents and pediatricians who were caring for children with severe infections and, sometimes, Multi-system Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MISC)—a rare but extremely dangerous condition that could impact even the healthiest kids after a COVID infection. But what's the picture of pediatric COVID vaccination now? In this episode: a discussion about the risks and benefits of pediatric COVID vaccination in 2025. Guest: Dr. Erica Prochaska is a pediatric infectious disease physician at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: New FDA framework on Covid vaccines leaves pediatricians confused and concerned—STAT News A Pediatric Cardiologist on What We Know—And Don't Know—About COVID-19-Related Multi-System Inflammatory Syndrome in Children—Public Health On Call (June 2020) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: A look inside the ongoing public health response to measles outbreaks in Lubbock, a city in West Texas. Guest: Katherine Wells is the director of Lubbock Public Health in West Texas. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Lubbock's public health director fights to stop measles and build public trust—The Texas Tribune Texas Isn't Declaring a Measles Victory Yet—Bloomberg Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: It's graduation time at the Bloomberg School! Doctoral candidate Jeff Marr joins the podcast to talk about how an economics major and an early internship at a health care system led to an interest in examining how health care markets and public policy work. Soon-to-be Dr. Marr discusses his dissertation looking at how predictive algorithms lead to decisions about care coverage. Guest: Jeffrey Marr is a healthcare economist and doctoral candidate at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. In July 2025, he will join Brown University as an Assistant Professor of Health Services, Policy, and Practice. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Algorithmic Decision-Making in Health Care: Evidence from Post-Acute Care in Medicare Advantage Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: While cigarette use has radically declined in the U.S., many still die from smoking here and around the world. World No Tobacco Day—celebrated annually on May 31 since the 1980s—has helped expose tobacco industry tactics and highlight progress in global tobacco control. This year, a look at how manufacturers are increasing efforts to hook younger users on new products like e-cigs with fun packaging, new flavors, fashionable designs, and gimmicks including video games and social media integration. Guests: Kevin Welding is an economist studying corporate influence on public health at the Institute for Global Tobacco Control. Tuo-Yen Tseng is a health policy researcher who studies social and behavioral change at the Institute for Global Tobacco Control. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: World No Tobacco Day 2025 Evidence and Resources—Institute for Global Tobacco Control 25 Years of Fighting Tobacco—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Quit Smoking—American Lung Association The Inside Story of the 1964 Surgeon General's Report That Changed How Americans Viewed Smoking—Public Health On Call (July 2024) An Update on Efforts to Prevent Tobacco-Caused Death and Disease—Public Health On Call (February 2024) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: This week, President Trump signed an Executive Order aimed at lowering prescription drug costs. In this episode: a look at why the U.S. spends three to four times more for drugs than many peer countries, its current approach to drug pricing policy, the directives laid out in the Executive Order, and how other countries negotiate their prices. Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University. Guest: Dr. Gerard Anderson is an expert in health policy and a professor in Health Policy and Management and International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Delivering Most-Favored Nation Prescription Drug Pricing to American Patients—Executive Order, The White House The Potential Impacts of Cuts to Medicaid—Public Health On Call (March 2025) What's Next For Prescription Drug Pricing?—Public Health On Call (February 2023) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed
About this episode: Diagnoses of autism are on the rise, but is this the result of more children being affected by the condition, or is more of a consequence of broader criteria and more screening? In this episode: a look at a new study about the number of children diagnosed with autism and what this research shows—and doesn't show. Guest: Dr. Christine Ladd-Acosta is an autism researcher and vice-director of the Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities. She is the lead Maryland investigator on a national study about the rate of autism. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Prevalence and Early Identification of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children Aged 4 and 8 Years - Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring Network, 16 Sites, United States 2022—CDC's MMWR RFK Jr.'s autism study to amass medical records of many Americans—CBS News The NIH-Funded Autism Study Hoping to Pinpoint Gene-Environmental Interplay—Public Health On Call (March 2025) Vaccines Don't Cause Autism. Why Do Some People Think They Do?—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Discovering How Environment Affects Autism—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine (2023) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: In 2003, George W. Bush's President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) was the largest commitment to a single disease in U.S. history. Renewed under every subsequent presidency since, PEPFAR has saved more than 25 million lives and prevented some 5 million perinatal infections globally. But now, policy changes that effectively end PEPFAR have the potential to completely reverse course and the world could see HIV/AIDS infections on par with a time even before effective antivirals existed. In this episode: Dr. Chris Beyrer talks about his recent Lancet essay, “On Going Backwards,” why any retreat now will make it harder to regain lost ground, and how this policy change has the potential to impact millions of lives. Guest: Dr. Chris Beyrer is the past president of the International AIDS Society and an expert in global health and human rights. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: On Going Backwards—The Lancet (Perspectives) By executive order: The likely deadly consequences associated with a 90-day pause in PEPFAR funding—Journal of the International AIDS Society Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: A look back at health policy in the first 100 days of Trump's second presidential administration including global health, vaccines, and the Department of Health and Human Services restructuring—plus a few things to keep an eye on for the future. Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University. Guest: Dr. Josh Sharfstein served in a number of political roles in his career including as the Secretary of the Maryland Department of Health, the Principal Deputy Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, as Commissioner of Health for Baltimore City, and as a Congressional health policy advisor. He is currently a health policy distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: The First Week's Executive Orders—Public Health On Call (January 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed
About this episode: In the early 2000s, babies in Baltimore were dying at an alarming rate. In this episode: a look at Baltimore's enormously successful health program to reduce infant mortality and close unacceptable disparities in infant death and how it has developed into a program that offers support and resources for individuals and families across the lifespan. Guests: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is the vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a former Baltimore City Health Commissioner. Rebecca Dineen is the assistant commissioner for Maternal and Child Health at the Baltimore City Health Department. Stacey Stephens is the director and clinical instructor of B'More For Healthy Babies at Promise Heights. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: B'More For Healthy Babies B'More for Healthy Babies Turns 15—Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs The Public Health Strategy Behind Baltimore's Record-Low Infant Mortality Rate—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Baltimore City Youth Data Scorecard: Babies Born Healthy Indicator Details—Baltimore's Promise Babies kept dying in Baltimore. People worked together to understand why.—Maryland Matters Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services with a mission to protect the nation's workforce from occupational hazards and illnesses. Their work includes setting policy and best practices around safety standards for things like exposure to toxic chemicals, firearms in the workplace, and even protecting workers' data. NIOSH is among the many Centers that suffered personnel and funding cuts under HHS's recent restructuring. In this episode: a look at NIOSH's work and how the cuts may impact worker safety—particularly at a time when there is great interest in leveling up the manufacturing industry in the U.S. Guest: Ram Ramachandran is the director of the Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health. Cass Crifasi is the director of Occupational Injury Epidemiology and Prevention Program at the Johns Hopkins Education and Research Center for Occupational Safety and Health. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: American workers deserve better than to lose their safety watchdogs—The Hill (Opinion) The CDC's critical occupational safety institute has been virtually wiped out—STAT Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: Zyn nicotine pouches are suddenly everywhere. What are they and how can they impact health? In this episode: A look at the popular products, what they are and how they work, how they're marketed, and what we know—and don't yet know—about their long-term health impacts or whether they could be a tool to help people quit tobacco products. Guest: Meghan Moran is an associate professor in the Department of Health, Behavior and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a researcher who studies how communications from advertising to misinformation shape public health issues such as vaccine promotion, cancer screening, and tobacco control. Johannes Thrul is an associate professor in the Department of Mental Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and a substance use disorder researcher. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: A Cross-Sectional Survey on Oral Nicotine Pouches; Characterizing Use—Motives, Topography, Dependence Levels, and Adverse Events—Nicotine & Tobacco Research What's That in Your Mouth, Bro?—The New York Times What We Know (and Don't) About Nicotine Pouches—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Electronic Cigarettes Part 1: Do E-cigs Help People Quit Smoking?—Public Health On Call (May 2024) Electronic Cigarettes Part 2: How Serious are the Health Risks Associated with E-cigs?—Public Health On Call (May 2024) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: Dr. Scott Harris has worked as a leader in Alabama's public health department for eight years and recently became that national president of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. In this episode: A conversation with Dr. Harris about lessons learned from the pandemic and how the current moment is presenting new challenges with measles outbreaks and plenty of unknowns. He also talks about keeping his staff motivated and on task to meet their bottom line: protecting the health and safety of Alabamians. Guest: Dr. Scott Harris is the State Health Officer of the Alabama Department of Public Health and the President of the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO)
About this episode: May is Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Awareness Month. In this episode: Dr. Nicole Baumgarth talks all things ticks including how climate change is increasing their territory, the diseases they spread such as Lyme and Heartland virus, disease prevention, and the latest on vaccines and treatments. Guest: Dr. Nicole Baumgarth is the director of the Johns Hopkins Lyme and Tickborne Diseases Research and Education Institute. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Lyme Disease: Diagnosis, Prevention, and How Long COVID is Helping to Advance Awareness and Research for Chronic Lyme—Public Health On Call (June 2022) Tick Talk—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine (2022) Healthy Ecosystems, Healthy Humans—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine (2024) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: Since 2021, countries have been drafting a treaty to help the world better prevent and respond to pandemics. On April 16, the WHO announced an agreement for the world's first pandemic treaty. In this episode: a look at what it took to get here, what provisions were included and excluded, and what it means that the U.S. was not at the table for negotiations and will not be a signer. Guest: Alexandra Phelan is an expert in global health law and an associate professor and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Why We Desperately Need—and Still Don't Have—A Global Pandemic Treaty—Public Health On Call (June 2024) Center for Health Security Urges the Inclusion of Pathogen Access and Benefit Sharing (PABS) in Pandemic Agreement—The Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security Countries Agree on Treaty Aimed at Preventing Global Health Crises—The New York Times Global pandemic treaty finalized, without U.S., in ‘a victory for multilateralism'—http://Science.org Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: World Malaria Day is April 25. In this episode: guest host Thomas Locke takes us to Capitol Hill where we meet malaria champions, scientists, and leaders who gather in Washington, DC, as part of the ‘United to Beat Malaria' campaign urging Congress to continue supporting global malaria efforts. Show links and related content: The Malaria Minute Podcast—The Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute United to Beat Malaria Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: In honor of Earth Day, we bring you a special episode of Public Health On Call: an essay read by Sam Myers, director of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health. In his essay, he explores the incredible human evolution and technological innovation that has brought us to a moment in time where our own ascendance is threatening our future well-being on this planet. It's time to face a crucial question: Can we change? Guest: Sam Myers is the founding director of the Planetary Health Alliance and the faculty director at the brand new Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health. Show links and related content: The Case for Planetary Health (essay)—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine The Johns Hopkins Institute for Planetary Health Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: News about HKU5, a new bat coronavirus with the ability to spread to humans, was met with concerns in the scientific community—mostly because of how the research was done. In this episode: Johns Hopkins virologist Andy Pekosz talks about the different levels of biosecurity in laboratories where scientists study some of the world's most dangerous viruses, how these standards vary worldwide, and what that could mean for studying future viruses with pandemic potential. Guest: Dr. Andy Pekosz is a virologist at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with appointments in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and Environmental Health and Engineering. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Recent Virus Research Should Raise the Alarm—The New York Times (Opinion) Chinese researchers find bat virus enters human cells via same pathway as COVID—Reuters The virus hunters who search bat caves to predict the next pandemic—CNN Health (2020) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: Innocent Grant is a family planning advocate from Tanzania. In this episode: How Grant's experiences approaching mis- and disinformation about sexual and reproductive health at home are now helping him to frame this work as the U.S. threatens to cut a portion of its global funding of family planning. He also discusses the threats to major progress in outcomes like maternal mortality and the economic empowerment of young families—and how advocates can find common ground rooted in evidence. Guest: Innocent Grant is a family planning advocate and an MSPH student at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: The International Conference on Family Planning Young & Alive Initiative Medical eligibility criteria for contraceptive use—WHO Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: In the early months of the new administration, several thousand CDC employees were dismissed, were asked to leave, or resigned. In this episode: what we know about these personnel losses, a look at some critical programs that may no longer exist, and concerns about what this means for America's health. Guest: Dr. David Fleming served as Deputy Director for Science and Public Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 2000-2003 and has had a long career in global and public health strategies. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: ‘No guidance and no leadership': chaos and confusion at CDC after mass firings—The Guardian Fact Sheet: HHS' Transformation to Make America Healthy Again—The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: Consumer products from auto makers to housing developers to streaming and food delivery services all have impacts on our health. In this episode: A look at the Building H Index, which calculates a health score for these products and services and makes recommendations to companies about how to make their products healthier. Note: Building H is a program of the nonprofit Public Health Institute and the Index does not receive any funds from the companies that are rated. Guest: Steve Downs is a cofounder of the Building H Index. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Building H Index Public Health Institute Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: Last week, the Department of Health and Human Services abruptly fired around 10,000 employees, 3,500 of which were within the FDA alone—an organization of around 18,000 total employees as of January 2025. In this episode: A look at the work of the FDA and how it may be hampered by such significant cuts, and how patients may be among those most impacted. Guest: Dr. Robert Califf served as the FDA Commissioner under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Dr. Peter Marks's Resignation Letter (PDF)—The New York Times Widespread firings start at federal health agencies including many in leadership—NPR Shots The U.S. Food Safety System—Public Health On Call (June 2022) FDA Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf on Bivalent COVID-19 Vaccines, Combating Misinformation, and Building Trust—Public Health On Call (August 2022) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: The Department of Health and Human Services's abrupt termination of $11 billion in health funding to states has interrupted projects across the country. In this episode, a look at one state—Connecticut—where the state with federal approval had been using the funding to upgrade aging technology and respond to urgent threats like measles. Note: This conversation was recorded prior to a federal judge's issuing of a temporary restraining order blocking the cuts—for now. Guest: Dr. Manisha Juthani is the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: U.S. Judge blocks $11 billion Trump administration health funding cut for now—Reuters CT has 69 public health contracts canceled after Trump funding cuts, issues stop work orders—CT Insider Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: People come to the emergency department seeking all kinds of urgent care. What if they could also get treatment for opioid addiction? In this episode: a look at how one rural hospital started prescribing buprenorphine to ER patients, and how scaling up treatment while reducing stigma at hospitals across the US is now helping thousands of patients every year. Guest: Arianna Campbell is an emergency department and addiction medicine PA at Marshall Medical Center in Placerville, California. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: USACS Physician Assistant, Ariana Campbell, PA-C, Aims to Eliminate the Stigma of Substance Use Through Education and Intervention—The Shift Blog The New Federal Regulations Aimed At Making Methadone More Accessible—And Less Stigmatizingcvb x—Public Health On Call (April 2024) A New Type of Overdose Response—Public Health On Call (March 2023) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: For 25 years, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance has been a global effort to purchase and distribute lifesaving vaccines to the poorest of countries and help them build up their health systems. Now, it's the latest chop in a blitz of proposed federal funding cuts to global health. In this episode: an overview of Gavi's innovative model that buys vaccines for 50% of the world's children and has prevented around 19 million deaths, and the catastrophic potential if the U.S. withdraws its financial support. Guest: Dr. Seth Berkley is the former CEO of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. He is a senior advisor to the Pandemic Center and an adjunct professor of the practice in epidemiology at the Brown University School of Public Health. His new book, Fair Doses, will be released next fall. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, has its billion dollar grant cut by Trump administration—NPR Goats and Soda US decision to end support for Gavi puts millions of children's lives at risk—Medecins Sans Frontieres Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: Amidst an ongoing outbreak of a deadly clade of mpox in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs has been part of the response team. Working with local partners, CCP has developed community outreach and strategic communications campaigns to help protect people, reduce transmission, and get the outbreak under control. When USAID funding was abruptly canceled, the program was granted a waiver to continue work. But now, as the waiver faces expiration, the program's future is uncertain which could put the DRC, Africa, and even the world at risk of an mpox epidemic. Guests: Dr. Didier Mbayi Kangudie is the Chief of Party for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He spent 11 years with USAID as a senior health advisor and has more than 25 years of experience blending clinical work, public health and global health programming. Shannon McAfee is team lead for Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs country programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea, which include projects focused on integrated health, the GHSA portfolio, education, Ebola, and the COVID-19 response. She has 25 years of experience designing, leading and implementing health and development projects across 16 countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: CCP Resumes Mpox Oubreak Prevention Work in the Democratic Republic of Congo—Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs African Governments Falling Short on Healthcare Funding: Slow Progress 23 Years After Landmark Abuja Declaration—Human Rights Watch Why The Mpox Crisis Spreading Across Africa is a Global Concern—Public Health On Call (August 2024) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: As a follow up to our recent episode titled The Potential Impacts of Cuts To Medicaid, we're partnering with our friends at the Tradeoffs podcast. Guest hosts Dan Gorenstein and Ryan Levi, longtime health reporters, take a deeper look at why many Republicans believe a smaller Medicaid program would be a better Medicaid, what proposed cuts might look like, and the challenges Republicans may face in trying to get cuts passed in Congress. Guests: Dan Gorenstein is the executive producer and host of the Tradeoffs Podcast and an adjunct senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. Ryan Levi is a reporter and producer for the Tradeoffs Podcast. Show links and related content: Why Many Republicans Think Shrinking Medicaid Will Make It Better—Tradeoffs The Potential Impacts of Cuts To Medicaid—Public Health On Call (March 2025) The Oregon Experiment—Effects of Medicaid on Clinical Outcomes—The New England Journal of Medicine (2013) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: Medicaid helps make health care accessible to millions of adults and children in the U.S. In this episode: a look at the potential impacts of federal budget cuts on states, hospitals, physicians, and the beneficiaries themselves. Guests: Dr. Gerard Anderson is an expert in health policy and a professor in Health Policy and Management and International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. Jennifer Wolff is an expert in policy relating to the care of persons with complex health needs and disabilities, the Eugene and Mildred Lipitz Professor in Health Policy and Management, and director of the Roger and Flo Lipitz Center to Advance Policy in Aging and Disability. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: 2024 Election Series: What's At Stake For Health Insurance, Medicare/Medicaid, and Drug Pricing—Public Health On Call (September 2024) Ex-GOP lawmaker: Medicaid cuts politically risky—Politico Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: According to the WHO, there are an estimated 300,000 drowning deaths worldwide each year and a quarter of them are children under 5. But because the risk factors are so diverse—from backyard swimming pools to monsoons to the fishing industry—preventing drowning deaths requires viewing the problem through a public health lens and investing in a multitude of approaches, many of which turn out to be beneficial to communities beyond basic water safety. Guest: Caroline Lukaszyk is a technical officer for injury prevention at the World Health Organization. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Troubled Waters: Are day care centers a solution to preventing child drowning deaths in Bangladesh?—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Preventing Drowning In Bangladesh (video)—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: Ketamine is in the news again. In this episode: a conversation about the differences between ketamine and esketamine—an FDA-approved medicine for treatment-resistant depression—why we're hearing so much about ketamine right now, and the importance of administering esketamine in a clinical setting as part of a broader comprehensive mental health strategy. Guest: Dr. Paul Kim is a psychiatrist and director of the Johns Hopkins Treatment Resistant Esketamine Antidepressant Targeted (TREAT) Depression Clinic. Dr. Paul Nestadt is a psychiatrist and co-director of the Johns Hopkins Treatment Resistant Esketamine Antidepressant Targeted (TREAT) Depression Clinic. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: What to Know About Ketamine—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Esketamine for Treatment-Resistant Depression—Hopkins Medicine What Ketamine Does to the Human Brain—The Atlantic Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed
About this episode: For some people with a high risk of ovarian cancer, a standard approach has been full removal of the reproductive organs. But new research points to a far less invasive procedure called a salpingectomy, or removal of the fallopian tubes, as a potential “game changer” in ovarian cancer. In this episode: understanding high grade serous carcinoma—the most common type of ovarian cancer—the lack of screening tools, and why fallopian tube removal isn't yet available to more people. Guest: Dr. Rebecca Stone is an OBGYN, a professor in the Johns Hopkins Medicine Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, and the director of The Kelly Gynecologic Oncology Service. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: A Game-Changer for Ovarian Cancer—Johns Hopkins Medicine Salpingectomy for ectopic pregnancy reduces ovarian cancer risk—JNCI Cancer Spectrum Salpingectomy for the Primary Prevention of Ovarian Cancer: A Systematic Review—NIH Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed
About this episode: A new report on misinformation and disinformation from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine is helping to define what misinformation is and how it starts and how to combat it. In this episode: a conversation about the findings, and how to get away from misinformation as a name-calling contest. Guest: Vish Viswanath is the Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and chaired the blue ribbon panel examining misinformation about science. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: Science Misinformation, Its Origins and Impacts, and Mitigation Strategies Examined in New Report; Multisector Action Needed to Increase Visibility of, Access to High-Quality Science Information—National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine The Anatomy of Deception: Conspiracy Theories, Distrust, and Public Health In America—Public Health On Call (October 2024) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed
About this episode: Questions about vaccines and autism have been around for a while despite multiple scientific studies that do not show a connection. In this episode: where the concerns started, the science behind why experts have concluded there is no link, and why these questions still persist. Guest: Dan Salmon is the director of the Johns Hopkins Institute For Vaccine Safety. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: CDC Wants to Revisit Debunked Theories of Links Between Vaccines And Autism—Forbes Vaccines 101: Vaccine Safety Science—Public Health On Call (February 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic when there were no vaccines or treatments, convalescent plasma—antibody-containing blood from people who recovered from COVID—saved countless lives through Emergency Use Authorization. In this episode: special guest host Thomas Locke of MMI Monthly: From Bench To Breakthrough discusses the evolution of CCP therapy, from emergency use during the pandemic to now, nearly five years later, crossing the finish line with recent FDA approval as a potential treatment for immunocompromised patients. Guest: David Sullivan is a professor in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology and a researcher at the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute. Host: Thomas Locke is the host of MMI Monthly: From Bench to Breakthrough and Malaria Minute, podcasts from the department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Bloomberg School Researchers Support First Blood Center to Receive Full FDA Approval to Provide Convalescent Plasma for Patients Who Are Immunocompromised—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Convalescent Plasma Offers ‘Blueprint' For Future Pandemics—The Hub How a Boy's Blood Stopped an Outbreak—The Wall Street Journal (Opinion) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: John Green is a New York Times bestselling author and YouTuber known for writing books like The Fault In Our Stars. His latest book is about tuberculosis. In this episode: A conversation with John Green about why he chose to write about TB, the current state of public health and its challenges, and how the disease and its prevalance reflects so much back on us in terms of who we are as a society. Guest: John Green is the award-winning, #1 bestselling author of books including Looking for Alaska, The Fault in Our Stars, Turtles All the Way Down, and The Anthropocene Reviewed. With his brother, Hank, John has co-created many online video projects, including Vlogbrothers and the educational channel Crash Course. John serves on the board of trustees for the global health nonprofit Partners In Health and spoke at the United Nations High-Level Meeting on the Fight to End Tuberculosis. John lives with his family in Indianapolis. You can visit him online at http://johngreenbooks.com or join the TB Fighters working to end tuberculosis at http://tbfighters.org . Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Everything Is Tuberculosis (book)—http://Everythingistb.com Henry Reider, TB Survivor—YouTube Henry's story–Vlogbrothers Tuberculosis in the U.S.—Public Health On Call (February, 2025) Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: In another episode in our series on vaccines: the different types of vaccines and how they work, and the logic and timing of the childhood vaccination schedule. Also: A conversation about measles vaccinations for children younger than 1 year. Guest: Dr. Bill Moss is the executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Vaccines 101 Series: From Molecular Science to Global Policy—Public Health On Call All About the Recommended Immunization Schedules—http://Healthychildren.org What experts say about childhood vaccines amid the Texas measles outbreak—ScienceNews Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: At the bottom of the world's oceans lie valuable deposits of cobalt, manganese, and other minerals. In today's episode: a deep dive on deep-sea mining, the environmental impacts, and how the world might approach regulating mining in areas that technically belong to everyone. Guests: Andrew Thaler is a deep-sea ecologist, conservation technologist, and an ocean educator. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: @drandrewthaler—Bluesky Deep-sea Mining: What went down in 2024?—Southern Fried Science Withdrawal Agreement Could Signal Shift in Deep Sea Mining Activity—Forbes Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: A measles outbreak that started in west Texas has sickened more than 150 people and killed a child. In today's episode: the scope of the outbreak and how it's spreading, the challenges of trying to control it, and misleading claims about treatments including vitamin A, steroids, and antibiotics. Guest: Dr. Bill Moss is the executive director of the International Vaccine Access Center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Measles Outbreak Updates—Texas Department of State Health Services Measles Outbreaks in the U.S. Highlight the Importance of Vaccination—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health As Measles Spreads, Kennedy Embraces Remedies Like Cod Liver Oil—The New York Times The Story of Dean Sommer and Vitamin A—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Transcript information: Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel. Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: A large-scale, multi-country autism study involving more than 175,000 individuals is hoping to find interplay between genes and the environment that may influence autism diagnosis and symptoms. But proposed NIH funding cuts could imperil the study's future. In this episode: A look at an NIH-funded study that hopes to improve the quality of life for people with autism and their caregivers, and find better tools for diagnosis and treatment. Guests: Christina Ladd-Acosta is the vice director at the Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities, and associate director for epigenomic analysis at the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes, Data Analysis Center (ECHO-DAC). Heather Volk is an epidemiologist and professor of mental health at the Wendy Klag Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: NIH funding makes large scale Johns Hopkins autism study possible—The Hub Discovering How Environment Affects Autism—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
About this episode: Research shows that seed oils, like sunflower and sesame, can contribute to better health. So why are wellness influencers talking about a group called “the hateful eight,” which include non-seed oils like soybean and canola? In this episode: a breakdown of what seed oils are (and aren't), misconceptions around inflammation and omega 6's, and how processed foods play into the conversation. Note: This episode mentions Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and was recorded prior to his confirmation as Secretary of HHS. Guests: Christopher Gardner is the director of nutrition studies at the Stanford Prevention Research Center. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Are Seed Oils Actually Bad For You?—The New York Times Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed
About this episode: Neglected diseases like mycetoma, Chagas disease, and leishmaniasis impact more than a billion people worldwide every year and kill hundreds of thousands. In this episode: Why these illnesses don't get widespread attention or the resources needed for prevention, diagnosis and treatment, and how in a shifting global funding landscape, cross-sector collaboration is key to alleviating suffering. Guests: Delali Attipoe is the North America director of the Drugs for Neglected Disease initiative (DNDi). Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs, the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: Chagas: The Most Neglected of Neglected Tropical Diseases—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Neglected Diseases and Public Health—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website. Follow us: @PublicHealthPod on Bluesky @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram @JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook @PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube Here's our RSS feed
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