Public Health Post

PHPod explores the world of health communications, how it can improve, and why we need it now more than ever.

PHPod sits down with the incoming PHP fellows to discuss their interests in public health and health communication as they head into their year-long fellowships.

PHPod speaks with Leo Martinez, a global health researcher and tuberculosis expert, to explore the historical and epidemiological complexities of TB.

PHPod sits down with experts to discuss alcohol use in the U.S. and initiatives to promote healthy drinking habits amidst social pressures.

PHPod host Abby Varker speaks with Krista Fisher, a research fellow at Movember Institute, about the influence of toxic masculinity, intersectionality, and engagement in online spaces on men's mental health outcomes.

What role does public health play in our elections? PHPod host Abby Varker talks with Matt Motta, a political scientist and assistant professor of health law, policy & management at Boston University School of Public Health, and Marjorie Decker, Massachusetts State Representative and Chair of the Joint Committee on Public Health, to learn more about how public health is regulated and what we should be paying attention to in an election.

PHPod host Abby Varker speaks with Drs. Nathan Kalman-Lamb and Derek Silva, authors of the book "The End of College Football" and co-hosts of The End of Sport podcast, to explore the intersection of football, athlete safety, and public health.

PHPod host Abby Varker explores how public transportation can be a mode of public health improvement with Jed Paul, physician and social media influencer (@jeddeo1), and Jonathan Buonocore, assistant professor of environmental health at Boston University School of Public Health.

Same-sex marriage was legalized in the U.S. in 2015 through the Supreme Court decision in Obergefell v. Hodges. Most American queer youth and young adults have grown up in a world where they have more rights and opportunities than those who came before them. But sexuality and gender are still strong determinants of health, and many sexual and gender minorities still suffer from systemic bias that affects their health. With all the progress that's been made, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ+) young people still struggle to overcome barriers to health, leading to worse outcomes. These youth should be set up for healthy lives, and early intervention may be the key. In this episode of PHPod, host Abby Varker speaks with experts about the current health landscape that queer youth and young adults are facing in the U.S., touching on gender-affirming care, minor consent laws, substance use, and harm reduction techniques. They also discuss the possible strategies to enable LGBTQ+ people to live healthier lives in the future.

Kat O'Hare, a part-time therapist at Mass Bay Counseling and a tattoo artist in Cambridge, Massachusetts, spoke with PHPod about tattooing as a practice of body reclamation, the importance of trauma-informed care in this work, and how she brings patience and empathy to her work to create empowering experiences for her clients.

PHPod sits down with new fellows, Lia Musumeci, Heather Sherr, Jude Sleiman, Abby Varker, and Dani Weissert, to discuss health communications and their public health interests going into their year-long fellowships with Public Health Post.

PHPod sits down with Leah Watson, a senior staff attorney with the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Racial Justice Program, to discuss book bans happening across the country and censorship in the classroom. Watson is a former high school teacher in Atlanta, Georgia, and her current focus with the ACLU is on classroom censorship efforts, otherwise known as educational gag orders.

PHPod sits down with Christina Dobbs, an assistant professor at Boston University Wheelock College of Education and Human Development and the director of the college's English Education for Equity and Justice program, to discuss the current onslaught of book challenges and bans in classrooms across the country and the actions being taken to support teachers and students during this time.

PHPod host Kara Schmidt sits down with Ryann Monteiro, a Boston University School of Public Health alum and an Indigenous public health practitioner and educator, to discuss food sovereignty and indigenous food practices related to cultural preservation and revitalization.

PHPod host host Kara Schmidt sits down with Rev. Dr. Anastasia Kidd, director of Contextual Education at Boston University School of Theology, and Massachusetts State Senator Becca Rausch to discuss the fat liberation movement, weight stigma, and current legislation that has been introduced to address weight discrimination in the Commonwealth.

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women Epidemic by PHPod

PHPod sits down with Jennifer Barnes-Balenciaga to discuss her work with health policy and the ballroom community. As co-director of the Crystal LaBeija Organizing Fellowship and Commissioner for Gender Equity in New York City, Jennifer shares about her work in HIV and Mpox research and what drives her. Join the conversation and learn more about the intersection of Black and trans communities with health policy and research.

Former writing fellow Connor McCombs sits down with our new fellows to discuss health communication and their public health interests going into their year-long writing fellowship with Public Health Post.

In this month's episode of PHPod, hosts Bethany Hallenborg and Connor Mccombs sit down with Abbie Green, the founder and executive director of EveryBODY Gymnastics, a gymnastics incubator focused on teaching the sport to anyone willing to learn. Born out of the COVID-19 pandemic, EveryBODY has a mission to show that there is no wrong body, shape, size, or age for gymnastics.

At the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Expo in November, PHPod spoke with Michael Curry, CEO of the Massachusetts League of Community Health Centers; Nicole Huberfeld, Edward R. Utley Professor of Health Law at Boston University School of Public Health; and Christina Dantam and Rhea Manocha, members of the Grassroots Maternal and Child Health Initiative at Indiana University Fairbanks School of Public Health, about their work putting public health into action.

PHPod hosts Bethany Hallenborg and Connor McCombs attended the American Public Health Association Annual Meeting & Expo held in Boston in November. They met people who are doing public health in action. In this episode, two public health students sat down to talk about their work, their time at APHA, and where they see public health going. Both guests, Emma Blackson and Diana Vasquez, discussed their research in K-12 school settings, their findings, and where they hope to go in the future as they continue working in public health. This is part one of a two-part podcast series.

Kevin Outterson works to improve access to antibiotics and address drug-resistant bacteria. He is the executive director of CARB-X (Combating Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Biopharmaceutical Accelerator) and a Boston University College of Law professor. Listen his PHPod conversation with Connor McCombs and Bethany Hallenborg to learn what's being done on a global scale to prevent antibiotic resistance.

Paul Lakosky of the Dave Purchase Project and the North American Syringe Exchange Network discusses his 30 years working in public health harm reduction, syringe exchange, and the importance of destigmatizing drug use with PHPod hosts Bethany Hallenborg and Connor McCombs. Join the conversation and learn what's being done to reduce the harm of drug use as the we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Associate Dean Yvette Cozier talks about this year's SPH Reads selection, The Fortune Men, with PHP fellows Connor McCombs and Bethany Hallenborg. Cozier explains how the book's themes of immigration, incarceration and injustice are as relevant in the US today as they were in 1950s Wales.

Andrew Stokes, an assistant professor in the Department of Global Health at the Boston University School of Public Health, discusses under-reporting of COVID-19 deaths in the United States and the ensuing investigations with PHP Fellows Bethany Hallenborg and Connor McCombs. They talk about the interdisciplinary efforts of researchers and journalists to discover where and why COVID-19 deaths may be under-reported and why accurate counts matter in this first episode of PHPod's third season.

Rubina Veerakone introduces the 2022 Public Health Post Fellows: Hannah Tremont, Abby Outterson, Bethany Hallenborg, Connor McCombs, and Barbara Espinosa. They talk about health communication and their public health interests heading into the year-long writing fellowship.

PHPod explores public health careers with career coach Heather Krasna.

Ruth Rollins, founder of We Are Better Together Warren Daniel Hairston Project, talks with PHP fellow Rubina Veerakone about how her organization connects and heals women and girls affected by homicide and incarceration to prevent the cycles of violence and victimization

Walae Hayek discusses period poverty with PHP Fellow Rubina Veerakone in Episode 2. They talk about the efforts of the student-run organization, The Period Project, to bring menstruation supplies, education and advocacy to Boston University and beyond.

In season 2, episode 1, the four 2021 Public Health Post fellows talk about activism with Craig Andrade, director of the Activist Lab at the Boston University School of Public Health.

John Rosenthal, co-founder of Stop Handgun Violence, details the impact of Massachusetts' success with public policy on gun control and the choices officials must make to replicate that success nationwide.

Sarah Kliff, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, offers her thoughts on health care reform, coronavirus, journalism in a time of misinformation, and the relationship between healthcare and public health.

Michael Stein, Chair of the Boston University School of Public Health Department of Health Law, Policy and Management, gives insight on the financial health of his patients while summarizing his new book, "BROKE: Patients Talk about Money with Their Doctor."

Cyrus Shahpar, Director of the Prevent Epidemics Team at the Resolve to Save Lives, puts forward his definition of epidemic intelligence and gives his thoughts on what we can learn from the response to Ebola.

Raagini Jawa, an expert in infectious disease and addiction medicine, considers her recovery from symptoms of Covid-19 during the 2020 Election.

Ibram X. Kendi reflects on Covid-19, the history of health disparities, freedom, and his best-selling book, "How to Be an Antiracist."

Dr. Michael Siegel, an expert in tobacco control, alcohol use, and firearm violence, explains the surge in respiratory illness and death associated with vaping.

LaShyra “Lash” Nolen, first-year medical student at Harvard Medical School, offers her perspective on public health at a time when the country struggles to respond to two epidemics: coronavirus and police violence against minority communities.

Dr. Marian Jarlenski, Assistant Professor of Health Policy and Management at the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health, presents her research challenging claims that induced abortion harms women’s health, a line of reasoning that has emerged as state legislators increasingly seek to enact laws to regulate the provision of abortion.

Dr. Michael Stein and Dr. Sandro Galea discuss PAINED, a collection of 50 short essays and 20 databytes that stimulate the national conversation about health. Michael Stein is the Chair of health law, policy, and management at the Boston University School of Public Health and the Executive Editor of Public Health Post. Sandro Galea is the Dean and Robert A. Knox professor at the Boston University School of Public Health.

Dr. Mary Bassett, Director of the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, reflects on white supremacy as a determinant of health, lessons learned from the radical health movement, Black reparations, and advice for the next generation organizing to dismantle white supremacy in health systems.

Harper Watters, a soloist in the Houston Ballet, speaks on art and public health, leveraging social media, representation of LGBTQ communities of color, and advice for the next generation trying to make their voices heard about HIV.

Michael Botticelli, Executive Director of the Grayken Center for Addiction, describes the state of the opioid epidemic, explains how policies changed in the eras of Obama and Trump, highlights bi-partisan efforts, and offers advice to the current generation of public health practitioners responding to the epidemic.