Public Health On Call
Evidence and experts to help you understand today’s public health news—and what it means for tomorrow.
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883 - How An Advocate is Thinking About Family Planning
04/16/2025
883 - How An Advocate is Thinking About Family Planning
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: 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 , the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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882 - Personnel Cuts at the CDC
04/14/2025
882 - Personnel Cuts at the CDC
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: 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 , an editor for , and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —The Guardian —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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881 - The Building H Index: Ranking Consumer Products By Their Impacts On Our Health
04/09/2025
881 - The Building H Index: Ranking Consumer Products By Their Impacts On Our Health
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: is a cofounder of the Building H Index. Host: 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: 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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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880 - “The FDA As We’ve Known It Is Finished”
04/08/2025
880 - “The FDA As We’ve Known It Is Finished”
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: served as the FDA Commissioner under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. Host: 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 New York Times —NPR Shots —Public Health On Call (June 2022) —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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879 - The Impacts of Terminating COVID-era Funding for States
04/07/2025
879 - The Impacts of Terminating COVID-era Funding for States
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: is the Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health. Host: 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: —Reuters —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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878 - Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in the ER
04/03/2025
878 - Opioid Use Disorder Treatment in the ER
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: is an emergency department and addiction medicine PA at Marshall Medical Center in Placerville, California. Host: 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 Shift Blog cvb x—Public Health On Call (April 2024) —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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877 - Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
04/02/2025
877 - Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance
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: is the former CEO of , 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, , will be released next fall. Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the , the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —NPR Goats and Soda —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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876 - Preventing Mpox Transmission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
03/31/2025
876 - Preventing Mpox Transmission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo
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: 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. 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 , the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs —Human Rights Watch —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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875 - Tradeoffs: Why Many Republicans Think Shrinking Medicaid Will Make It Better
03/27/2025
875 - Tradeoffs: Why Many Republicans Think Shrinking Medicaid Will Make It Better
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: is the executive producer and host of the and an adjunct senior fellow at the Leonard Davis Institute of Health Economics at the University of Pennsylvania. is a reporter and producer for the . Show links and related content: —Tradeoffs The Potential Impacts of Cuts To Medicaid—Public Health On Call (March 2025) —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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874 - The Potential Impacts of Cuts To Medicaid
03/26/2025
874 - The Potential Impacts of Cuts To Medicaid
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: is an expert in health policy and a professor in and at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. is an expert in policy relating to the care of persons with complex health needs and disabilities, in , and director of the . Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the , the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —Public Health On Call (September 2024) —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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873 - Drowning As A Public Health Issue
03/24/2025
873 - Drowning As A Public Health Issue
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: 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 , the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health (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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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872 - Ketamine and Esketamine
03/20/2025
872 - Ketamine and Esketamine
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: is a psychiatrist and director of the . is a psychiatrist and co-director of the . Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the , an editor for , and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health —Hopkins Medicine —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 or . Follow us: Here's our
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871 - A Potentially “Game-Changing” Approach to Preventing Ovarian Cancer
03/19/2025
871 - A Potentially “Game-Changing” Approach to Preventing Ovarian Cancer
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: is an OBGYN, a professor in the Johns Hopkins Medicine Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, and the director of . Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the , the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —Johns Hopkins Medicine —JNCI Cancer Spectrum —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 or . Follow us: Here's our
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870 - The Origins, Impacts, and Challenges of Misinformation
03/17/2025
870 - The Origins, Impacts, and Challenges of Misinformation
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: is the Lee Kum Kee Professor of Health Communication at the and chaired the blue ribbon panel examining misinformation about science. Host: 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: —National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine —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 or . Follow us: Here's our
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869 - The Evidence on Vaccines and Autism
03/14/2025
869 - The Evidence on Vaccines and Autism
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: is the director of the . Host: 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: —Forbes —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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868 - COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma: From Emergency to Everyday
03/13/2025
868 - COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma: From Emergency to Everyday
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: is a professor in and a researcher at the . Host: Thomas Locke is the host of and , podcasts from the department of at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: d—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health —The Hub —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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867 - Everything Is Tuberculosis: A Conversation With John Green
03/12/2025
867 - Everything Is Tuberculosis: A Conversation With John Green
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 and the educational channel . John serves on the board of trustees for the global health nonprofit and on the Fight to End Tuberculosis. John lives with his family in Indianapolis. You can visit him online at or join the TB Fighters working to end tuberculosis at . Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the , an editor for , and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: (book)— —YouTube –Vlogbrothers —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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866 - Vaccines 101: Understanding the Vaccines on the Childhood Vaccination Schedule
03/11/2025
866 - Vaccines 101: Understanding the Vaccines on the Childhood Vaccination Schedule
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: is the executive director of the at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the , an editor for , and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —Public Health On Call — —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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865 - Deep-Sea Mining
03/10/2025
865 - Deep-Sea Mining
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: is a deep-sea ecologist, conservation technologist, and an ocean educator. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the , an editor for , and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —Bluesky —Southern Fried Science —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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864 - The Measles Outbreak in Texas and Beyond
03/07/2025
864 - The Measles Outbreak in Texas and Beyond
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 claims about treatments including vitamin A, steroids, and antibiotics. Guest: is the executive director of the at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the , an editor for , and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —Texas Department of State Health Services —Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health —The New York Times —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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863 - The NIH-Funded Autism Study Hoping to Pinpoint Gene-Environmental Interplay
03/06/2025
863 - The NIH-Funded Autism Study Hoping to Pinpoint Gene-Environmental Interplay
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: is the vice director at the , and associate director for epigenomic analysis at the . is an epidemiologist and professor of mental health at the . Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the , the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —The Hub —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 or . Follow us: Here's our Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
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862 - The Misinformation Around Seed Oils
03/05/2025
862 - The Misinformation Around Seed Oils
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: 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 , the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —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 or . Follow us: Here's our
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861 - Ending Neglect of Tropical Diseases
03/04/2025
861 - Ending Neglect of Tropical Diseases
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: is the North America director of the . Host: Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the , the largest center at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of 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 or . Follow us: Here's our
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860 - Why Gender and Gender Identity Matter for Health
03/03/2025
860 - Why Gender and Gender Identity Matter for Health
About this episode: In today’s episode: defining sex, gender, and gender identity, and why the concepts of gender and gender identity help with the understanding of and response to health challenges. Guests: is an epidemiologist at the University of Michigan. Host: 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 Washington Post Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us or . Follow us: Here's our
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859 - What Foreign Aid Means For National Security
02/28/2025
859 - What Foreign Aid Means For National Security
About this episode: The abrupt halt of USAID funded programs around the world has caused confusion and chaos, and the consequences are likely to have a long tail. In today’s episode: Joe Amon, an expert in global aid and human rights, discusses some of the direct and indirect impacts of disengaging from this work. Guests: is the director of the . Host: 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: —Public Health On Call (December, 2024) —The Council on Foreign Relations Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us or . Follow us: Here's our
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858 - A Safer Gun Buying Process
02/26/2025
858 - A Safer Gun Buying Process
About this episode: Firearm purchaser licensing laws that have provisions such as enhanced background checks and in-person applications curb homicides and suicides, they’re bipartisan, and a majority of Americans—including gun owners—support them. In today’s episode: A look at a new report with recommendations for building a safer gun-buying process and why now is the time to implement these solutions. Guests: is co-director of . is the director of research translation at the . Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the , an editor for , and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: (pdf)—The Center For Gun Violence Solutions —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 or . Follow us: Here's our
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853 - The Hazy World of Cannabis Policy
02/26/2025
853 - The Hazy World of Cannabis Policy
About this episode: Although cannabis is legal in nearly half of all U.S. states, policy is complicated. There's federal law, which prohibits the sale of THC-containing cannabis but not hemp. There's state law, which is an even more complex patchwork. In this episode: A new report looks at how this hazy landscape is impacting public health policy and equity. Guests: is a neuroscientist and the director of the at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York. is a legal expert and the director of the at The Ohio State University. Host: 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: —National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Medicine —Public Health On Call (January, 2024) —Public Health On Call (August, 2023) Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us or . Follow us: Here's our
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857 - The Concepts Behind The Language of Equity
02/25/2025
857 - The Concepts Behind The Language of Equity
About this episode: In today’s episode: A discussion with Dr. Lisa Cooper, the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Equity, about opposition to the terms "diversity," "equity," and "inclusion." Guests: is a public health physician, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor at Johns Hopkins and a winner of a MacArthur genius grant for her work to understand and reduce health disparities. Host: 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: —Public Health On Call (February, 2022) —Johns Hopkins Magazine Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us or . Follow us: Here's our
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856 - The Unequal Impacts of Abortion Bans
02/24/2025
856 - The Unequal Impacts of Abortion Bans
About this episode: Since the overturning of Roe v. Wade, some states have imposed severe restrictions on access to abortion. In this episode: New research on what's happened to infant death and birth rates in these states. Guests: is a Johns Hopkins demographer the department of . is a Johns Hopkins demographer and perinatal epidemiologist in the department of . Host: Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the , an editor for , and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Show links and related content: —The New York Times —Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health —Public Health On Call (June, 2024) (The Turnaway Study)—NPR —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 or . Follow us: Here's our
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855 - Can The CDC Communicate More Transparently With The Public?
02/21/2025
855 - Can The CDC Communicate More Transparently With The Public?
About this episode: During the pandemic, CDC recommendations about masking and other issues were the source of controversy. Some have asked whether the agency can better communicate the basis of its recommendations — and even seek public input along the way—to increase public understanding and acceptance. In today’s episode, Johns Hopkins cardiologist Dr. Joseph Marine and Dr. Peter Lurie of the Center for Science in the Public Interest join the podcast to discuss how the CDC can communicate more transparently to build more public trust. Guests: is a cardiologist and a professor of medicine at Johns Hopkins. is the president and executive director of the , and a former Associate Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration. Host: 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: —American Heart Association (April, 2023) Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us or . Follow us: Here's our
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