We treated the world as if everyone was living the same pandemic. But what if that was our biggest mistake? Dr. Tista Ghosh takes us inside her new book, Before The Next Crisis, sharing untold stories from the frontlines—stories that challenge what we thought we knew about COVID-19. This episode dives deep into the chaos, confusion, and courage that defined the crisis, and asks: how do we rebuild trust in science, and what should we do differently next time? References for Our Discussion ...
From family stories of freedom fighters to the chaos of COVID-19, Dr. Tista Ghosh’s journey is anything but ordinary. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, she opens up about growing up between cultures, navigating political minefields as Colorado’s Chief Medical Officer, and what she learned listening to frontline workers, which she captures in her new book, Before The Next Crisis. References for Our Discussion ◼️Tista Ghosh | Author ◼️Bird flu’s deadly return: Are we flyi...
Child trafficking isn’t just a distant headline—it’s a reality in many communities. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, we break down misconceptions, highlight the importance of prevention education, and discuss the policy changes making a difference. Erin Williamson shares hard-won lessons from the field and paints a hopeful vision for the future. Trigger Warning: This episode includes discussion of child trafficking, exploitation, and abuse. While the conversation ...
What if we did a rethink of child trafficking—beyond criminology—and started seeing it as a public health issue, shaped by poverty, trauma, and the systems around us? In this episode, we’re joined by Erin Williamson, Chief Programs and Strategy Officer at Love146, who brings two decades of experience working to keep kids safe from exploitation, as we dig into the real reasons kids become vulnerable and why true prevention means more than just catching the bad guys. Trigger Warning:&nb...
How do you help vulnerable kids not just survive, but thrive? Erin Williamson’s journey in social work and anti-trafficking reveals what it takes to build programs that truly change lives. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Erin shares the pivotal moments, tough decisions, and practical strategies that she’s used in her career to leave a lasting impact. References for Our Discussion ◼️Love146 - Ending Child Trafficking and Exploitation ◼️4 Approaches to Anti-Trafficking ...
Vaccines have saved millions of lives, but questions and doubts persist. We dig into the roots of vaccine hesitancy, the history of immunization, and the challenges of making informed choices in a world full of information (and misinformation). In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, we talk with Dr. Christopher Stobart about why vaccine skepticism isn’t new, how risk and trust shape our decisions, and what it really means to protect ourselves—and each other. References for O...
What’s lurking inside in the environment, inside of us, and what’s waiting to emerge? Virologist Dr. Christopher Stobart joins the Public Health Insight Podcast to explore the vast universe of viruses—how they infect, adapt, and sometimes leap from animals to humans. We break down the science behind how they spread, the resurgence of diseases like measles, and what could be the next big threat. References for Our Discussion ◼️ How the anti-vaccine movement weaponized a 6-year-old's measle...
Step into the invisible world of viruses, academia, and health research with Dr. Christopher Stobart, Associate Professor and virologist at Butler University. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Dr. Stobart shares his journey from aspiring heart surgeon to leading virologist, revealing how curiosity and unexpected opportunities shaped his path. References for Our Discussion ◼️ How the anti-vaccine movement weaponized a 6-year-old's measles death ◼️ Butler University Public...
What if we could vaccinate minds against misinformation before people encounter it? Dr. Stephen Barnard reveals the breakthrough science of "prebunking" - psychological inoculation that builds our resistance to manipulation tactics. Explore why traditional fact-checking fails and how rebuilding trust through relationships might be our most powerful defense against the post-truth era. References for Our Discussion ◼️ The new science of prebunking: how to inoculate against the spread of misi...
What's the difference between an honest mistake and a deliberate lie? In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Dr. Stephen Barnard breaks down the spectrum of problematic information and the psychological vulnerabilities that make us susceptible to false information—from echo chambers and political identity to our eroding trust in institutions. This conversation episode examines how misinformation spreads accidentally while disinformation campaigns deliberately exploit our ...
While Twitter was still seen as a platform for users to provide seemingly trivial updates, sociology graduate student Stephen Barnard began a decade-long deep dive into how the platform was reshaping journalism and democracy itself. This episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast explores Dr. Barnard's unexpected path into pioneering digital media research and his reflections on citizen journalism during the Ferguson protests and the dismantling of information gatekeeping that gave us today...
In the thrilling conclusion to our mini‑series with Dr. Don Weiss, we crack open three of New York City’s most chilling public health case files. From the anthrax bioterrorism attacks that rattled a nation to a toddler’s X‑ray that revealed a murderous heavy‑metal plot, to a bacterial “serial killer” hiding in plain sight. All these stories from Dr. Weiss' new book illuminates the fascinating world of epidemiology. References for Our Discussion ◼️ [New Book] Disease Detectives: True Stori...
What does it take to track down an outbreak in one of the world’s busiest cities? Dr. Don Weiss reveals his step-by-step playbook for disease surveillance and investigation in New York City—a global crossroads where public health threats can escalate fast. From rapid detection to pinpointing sources, discover how Dr. Weiss and his team used science, strategy, and detective work to protect millions in a city where every second counts. References for Our Discussion ◼️ [New Book] Disease Detec...
A curious 8-year-old with a love for chemistry grows up to investigate some of America's most dangerous disease outbreaks—then risks his entire career to speak truth to power. Dr. Don Weiss spent more than two decades as an epidemiologist, investigating everything from post-9/11 anthrax letters to lead poisoning outbreaks. But one of his biggest challenges would come later in his career, when he decided to become a whistleblower. During the 2022 Mpox outbreak in New York City, Dr. Weiss belie...
The research that gave us COVID vaccines in record time, that's working on cancer cures, and that's preparing us for climate change is under unprecedented threat. Massive budget cuts are shutting down labs, halting breakthrough research, and dismantling America's scientific infrastructure. But scientists aren't sitting idle. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, host Gordon Thane speaks to one of such scientists, Dr. James Alwine, about how researchers are mobilizing to defend...
In 1970, a young man, from a paper mill town in Pennsylvania, borrowed his roommate's car and drove 11 miles to see a new medical school. That casual drive would lead to one of the most widely used techniques in molecular biology and biomedical research. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Dr. James (Jim) Alwine reflects on the fortuitous moments behind his career, how science builds on centuries of knowledge, the power of NIH funding, why "silly science" saves lives, and th...
The Ottawa Charter offered a bold idea: that health isn't just shaped in hospitals or clinics, but in the everyday decisions we make about policy, environments, education, and empowerment. Nearly four decades later, that idea feels more urgent than ever. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, host Gordon Thane unpacks the story of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. From its origins in Ottawa, Ontario, to the movement it tried to spark, we’ll explore why the Charter felt r...
One morning in February 2025, EngenderHealth received the kind of email every global health leader dreads—three major USAID grants were gone. No warning. No appeal. Just: “not in the national interest.” In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, we unpack the real-world consequences: canceled surgeries, programs being stretched to their limit, and the ripple effects that reach far beyond borders. EngenderHealth’s CEO, Traci Baird, returns to share how her team acted fast—redirectin...
The path to global reproductive rights often begins in the most local of places—a single clinic, a single conversation, a single patient. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, host Purva Mehta explores how Traci Baird’s career unfolded from counselling women in a North Carolina clinic to scaling abortion access across five continents. Along the way, she redefined what quality care looks like, led bold expansions into medication abortion, and championed inclusive sexual health ...
By 1981, the U.S. Surgeon General’s office was a shadow of its former self—no ships, no quarantine stations, barely a dozen staff, and one statutory duty: publish the annual smoking report. Yet the Reagan White House still saw an opportunity. They tapped Dr. C. Everett Koop, a pediatric surgery legend whose outspoken pro-life views looked perfect for them in shoring up the administration’s social-conservative base. In the final chapter of this three-part mini-series on the Public Health Insig...
Parisa. H
please add subtitle thanks for sharing