Public Health Insight
The Public Health Insight Podcast is a weekly podcast ranked in the top 5% of all podcasts globally. The podcast covers all things public health and global health, from the sustainable development goals to the social determinants of health, as well as interesting dialogues about the diverse career opportunities that exist in the fields. Since its launch in March 2020, the podcast has featured more than 40 high-profile guests and has built an audience in more than 5,000 cities in over 190 countries.
Episodes
283 episodes
Why Science Is In Grave Danger & What You Can Do About It
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 di...
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31:09
The 11-Mile Drive That Revolutionized Science
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...
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36:44
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The Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion: A Forgotten Public Health Blueprint
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 ...
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15:48
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The Aftermath of USAID Funding Cuts & a $150 Million Blow to Global Health’s Future
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 Healt...
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26:32
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Redefining Quality of Care in Sexual and Reproductive Health
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 ca...
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32:33
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The Many Lives of the 13th Surgeon General
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. T...
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33:52
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The Birth of Pediatric Surgery
Pediatric surgery as a specialty hasn’t been around for as long as you might think. Before 1946, it wasn’t even a line item in most hospitals—children simply waited for whichever general surgeon happened to be on call.In the second chapt...
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22:44
The Writing of a Biography on a Historical Figure in U.S. Public Health
Dr. C. Everett Koop was one of the most iconic figures in U.S. public health—instantly recognizable by his beard and bow tie, but much less known for the deeper convictions that guided his work. Despite his groundbreaking contributions to pedia...
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21:54
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A Public Health Mentorship Program Shaking Things Up in Canada
It started with an eye condition, a laptop, and a growing sense that public health professionals deserved more support. What came next? A mentorship model shaking things up across Canada.In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podca...
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19:03
When One of the World's Pickiest Eaters Becomes A Senior Policy Analyst
Carly La Berge never planned to work in public health. After years of pursuing a career in medicine, rejection letters, and frustrations in healthcare clinics sent her down an unexpected path — one fueled by advocacy, system change, and a lot o...
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43:24
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Telling Patient Stories The Right Way To Drive Change
When public health stories are told right, they don’t just inform—they move people.In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast with Alexson Calahan, Founder of Small Adventures Communications, we dive deep into the ‘how’
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31:42
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How Marketing, Communications, & PR Can Boost Public Health Impact
What does public health have to gain from public relations? In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, we speak with Alexson Calahan—Founder of Small Adventures Communications and a seasoned public relations expert with nearly 20 yea...
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30:09
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How A Pandemic Treaty Protects Global Health Security
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed the world’s vulnerabilities—and reignited global conversations about how to prepare for the next one.In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Dr. Garry Aslanyan returns to unpack the ...
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34:53
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Inside the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control: A Landmark WHO Treaty
The Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) might not make headlines today, but it was the first treaty negotiated under the World Health Organization—and it changed the global public health landscape forever.In this episode of th...
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35:44
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The World Health Organization Explained & Why Global Health Matters
You’ve heard of the World Health Organization (WHO), but do you know how it actually works and why it matters in your everyday life? In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Garry Aslanyan, Manager o...
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18:28
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Deconstructing Community Violence With Big Data & Machine Learning
Gun violence is now a leading cause of death in many demographics but how do you intervene when many of the underlying causes don’t have anything to do with guns in the first place?In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Lo...
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34:46
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A Meticulous Career In Criminal Justice & Violence Prevention
What does a meticulous career in criminal justice and violence prevention look like? Look no further than Lori Toscano. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Lori joins to share her initial ambition to become a grade...
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39:03
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Is Burnout The Price To Pay When Working In Public Health?
It’s understandable why many might think that burnout is inevitable when working in the field of public health? In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Marissa McCool, The Public Health Burnout Coach, joins to shatter ...
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39:29
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Doing Your Bachelor's and Master’s In Public Health, & Making Career Pivots When Life Happens
A career in public health can twist and turn in almost limitless directions. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Marissa McKool shares insights from her educational journey, her persistence in networking, and her t...
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31:29
Revolutionizing Patient Engagement In Healthcare with AI & Blockchain Technology
The potential of blockchain and AI in revolutionizing healthcare is immense. In this episode of the Public Health Podcast, social change futurist Sheila Phicil discusses how these technologies empower patients with data ownership and control. I...
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19:25
Financial Economics, Healthcare Administration, & Public Health
Who is a social change futurist? Whether you’re aspiring to make an impact in public health or curious about the intersection of finance, healthcare administration, and project management, Sheila’s career journey offers valuable ins...
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24:11
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Can A Sick Care System Address Inequities & The Social Determinants of Health?
Why are hospitals closing and what is their role in addressing health disparities?In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Sheila Phicil, a social change futurist, joins to talk about the complexities and challenges fa...
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26:09
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Is It OK To Make Money In Public Health? A Story of Purpose & Profit
“There are consultants for healthcare and public health making more than $1,200 an hour...""Why does Quisha make more than some of the on-call docs?” "Close your business or be terminated.” “Nobody becomes an e...
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37:00
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Discovering The Social Determinants of Health & Leaving Nursing For Public Health
Career paths in public health are rarely linear, and today’s guest proves it. From discovering the unexpected challenges of clinical nursing to earning an MPH for a broader perspective, Quisha Umemba shares how bold practical decisions—like tak...
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40:24
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Harvard's New Media, Medicine, & Health Grad Program w/ TV Writer & Producer, Dr. Neal Baer
Harvard has launched a Master's program that empowers students to use creative mediums to tackle critical healthcare issues, moving from raw data to emotional narratives that inspire action. Tune in to hear from writer, producer, an...
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14:35
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