Episodes

  • 986 - "Information Sick"

    986 - "Information Sick"
    Dec 11 2025
    About this episode: The decline in journalism and the explosion of social media have converged to form an information crisis, with millions exposed to misleading and false information relevant to their health. In this episode: Joanne Kenen, Lymari Morales, and Josh Sharfstein—authors of a new book exploring this issue—talk about the diagnosis of "information sick," as well as its causes, symptoms, and solutions. Guests: Joanne Kenen is an experienced public health and health care journalist who has been the journalist in residence at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health since 2021. Lymari Morales, MPP, is the Associate Dean of Communications and Marketing at the School of Public Health. She previously worked in communications leadership roles at The Atlantic and Gallup, and in national newsrooms. Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. 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: Information Sick: How Journalism's Decline and Misinformation's Rise Are Harming Our Health—And What We Can Do About It—Johns Hopkins University Press Panel Discussion Inspired by the Book "Information Sick"—Johns Hopkins University A Playbook for Addressing Misinformation—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.
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    21 mins
  • 985 - How to Investigate a Cancer Cluster

    985 - How to Investigate a Cancer Cluster
    Dec 10 2025
    About this episode: In 1979, the town of Woburn, MA, raised the alarm as unusual numbers of children fell ill with leukemia. An investigation determined that this cancer cluster was likely caused by contaminated drinking water from two of the town's wells. In this episode: Suzanne Condon, who served as the associate commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Health at the time, and Megan Latshaw, an expert in disease clusters, explain what the Woburn investigation highlights about unusual patterns of cancer and how they are studied. Guests: Suzanne Condon, MSM, is an environmental health expert who served as the associate commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Health from 1980 to 2015. Megan Latshaw, PhD, MHS, is a professor in Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She is also the co-instructor of an online course on disease clusters. Host: Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. Show links and related content: How The Post found growing rates of cancer in America's Corn Belt—Washington Post Disease Clusters—Coursera LEUKEMIA STRIKES A SMALL TOWN—New York Times Childhood Leukemia in Woburn, Massachusetts—Public Health Reports 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.
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    16 mins
  • 984 - Sneak Attacks: How Viruses Can Hide In Our Bodies and Cause Problems Years Later

    984 - Sneak Attacks: How Viruses Can Hide In Our Bodies and Cause Problems Years Later
    Dec 8 2025
    About this episode: After recovering from an illness like the flu or mononucleosis, most of us will return to our normal lives without complications. But for some, viruses can linger in the body—sometimes for years—and reemerge, wreaking new havoc on the immune system and even triggering chronic diseases. In this episode: Virologist Maggie Bartlett explains how viruses—many of which are vaccine-preventable—can cause post-acute infection syndrome and what's needed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions. Watch the video version of this episode. Guests: Maggie L. Bartlett, PhD, is an assistant research professor in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the co-host of "Why Should I Trust You?". 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 Do More Than Prevent Disease—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health The Virus That Never Leaves—Dr. Maggie's Substack What We Know—And Still Don't Know—About Long COVID—Public Health On Call (October 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.
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    18 mins
  • 983 - Why Do We Believe Misinformation?

    983 - Why Do We Believe Misinformation?
    Dec 4 2025
    About this episode: Whether it's a social media post claiming that CBD oil can cure cancer or a very convincing AI video of a dog driving a semi-truck, falsehoods abound in our lives. But why do we believe misinformation, even when presented with evidence that debunks it? In this episode: Matthew Facciani, an expert on the topic, details the psychological identities and biases that make us vulnerable to false information and explains how good information can break through. Guests: Matthew Facciani, PhD, is an interdisciplinary social scientist and the author of "Misguided: Where Misinformation Starts, How It Spreads, and What to Do About It". 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: Book TV – Misguided: Where Misinformation Starts, How It Spreads, and What to Do About It—C-SPAN Misguided: Where Misinformation Starts, How It Spreads, and What to Do About It—Columbia University Press Misguided: The Newsletter—Substack 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.
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    19 mins
  • 982 - An Uncertain Outlook for Injury Prevention in the U.S.

    982 - An Uncertain Outlook for Injury Prevention in the U.S.
    Dec 3 2025
    About this episode: Injury prevention—a field focused on preventing injuries from falls, choking, homicides, car crashes, and other incidents—saves lives and money. Now, the United States' leading injury prevention unit, the CDC Injury Center, is grappling with cuts to funding and personnel that debilitate critical work. In this episode: Natalie Draisin, an injury prevention expert, details the lifesaving work at risk in extended funding battles. Guests: Natalie Draisin, MPH, MBA, is the director of the North America Office and United Nations representative for the FIA Foundation, an organization promoting road safety. She also serves as an advisor on road safety to WHO and the International Transport Forum. 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. Show links and related content: Injury prevention is in danger from federal cuts—Baltimore Sun With CDC injury prevention team gutted, 'we will not know what is killing us'—NPR Dr. Debra Houry on Her Decision to Leave the CDC—Public Health On Call (September 2025) Women's History Month: A Conversation With Sue Baker, the "Mother of Injury Prevention"—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.
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    17 mins
  • 981 - Maine's Largest Ever HIV Outbreak

    981 - Maine's Largest Ever HIV Outbreak
    Dec 1 2025
    About this episode: For over two years, the city of Bangor, ME, has been in the throes of a serious HIV outbreak, exacerbated by a combination of local political battles and negative perceptions of drug users and unhoused people. In this episode: Aneri Pattani, who has been reporting on this outbreak, discusses the challenges of tracking transmission and treating those infected, and how harm reduction measures might finally turn the tide. Guests: Aneri Pattani, MPH, is a senior correspondent at KFF Health News, where she focuses on mental health and substance use disorders. 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. Show links and related content: An HIV Outbreak in Maine Shows the Risk of Trump's Crackdown on Homelessness and Drug Use—KFF Health News Penobscot County HIV Outbreak—Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention Rapid Assessment Amid an Injection Drug Use-Driven HIV Outbreak in Massachusetts' Merrimack Valley: Highlights from a Case Study—AIDS and Behavior 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.
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    16 mins
  • 980 - Why Early Introduction Helps Reduce Children's Peanut Allergies

    980 - Why Early Introduction Helps Reduce Children's Peanut Allergies
    Nov 24 2025
    About this episode: Since 2015, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended that parents and caregivers introduce peanuts to children's diets at around four to six months old to avoid the onset of a peanut allergy. In this episode: Pediatric allergist David Hill explains why early allergen introduction is safe and effective and how these recommendations have led to a significant reduction in peanut allergies in children. Guests: Dr. David Hill, PhD, is an allergist, immunologist, and an attending physician at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He is also an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. 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. Show links and related content: Guidelines for Early Food Introduction and Patterns of Food Allergy—Pediatrics Peanut Allergies Have Plummeted in Children, Study Shows—New York Times Randomized Trial of Peanut Consumption in Infants at Risk for Peanut Allergy—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.
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    15 mins
  • 979 - Why Are More People Choosing Not to Vaccinate Their Pets?

    979 - Why Are More People Choosing Not to Vaccinate Their Pets?
    Nov 20 2025
    About this episode: As hesitancy about human vaccines rises, so too does skepticism of routine pet immunizations. In this episode: Veterinarians Meghan Davis and Kaitlin Waite explain what's behind growing anti-vaccine sentiment among pet owners, how veterinarians are navigating this divide, and why an understanding of the human-animal bond can yield better public health outcomes for all. Guests: Meghan Davis, PhD, MPH, DVM, is a veterinarian and public health researcher at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health with a joint appointment at the School of Medicine. Kaitlin Waite, MPH, DVM, is a veterinarian and a postdoctoral fellow at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, where she also serves as the Deputy Director of Outreach Core at the POE 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. Show links and related content: Here's Why Fewer People Are Vaccinating Their Pets—TIME Vaccine Skepticism Comes for Pet Owners, Too—New York Times The importance of vaccinating your pet—Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine Could One Health Prevent the Next Pandemic?—Public Health On Call (September 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.
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    17 mins