Why Should I Trust You?

Bold, unfiltered, and uncompromisingly honest, Why Should I Trust You? is a weekly podcast that looks at the breakdown in trust for science and public health. It drops every Thursday, with occasional additional special episodes sprinkled in.

Hosted by Brinda Adhikari, the former executive producer of “The Problem with Jon Stewart” and a former TV news journalist; Tom Johnson, the former executive producer of “The Circus,” and also a former TV news journalist; Dr. Maggie Bartlett, a virologist and assistant research professor at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health; and Dr. Mark Abdelmalek a skin cancer surgeon, a medical journalist and a dermatologist practicing in Philadelphia - each week we try to figure out what is behind this staggering collapse in trust and see if we can rebuild towards trust again.

We hear from people who are wary about public statements, recommendations and studies coming from what they view as an elitist and conflict-riddled scientific establishment. And we hear from those in this establishment who fear the consequences of what they see as a dangerous trend towards anti-expertise. And then somehow, we will seek a path through all this!

Co-host

Maggie Bartlett

Dr. Maggie L. Bartlett is an Assistant Research Professor at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Program Director for the Global Virus Network. She specializes in emerging infectious diseases, focusing on RNA persistence and post-infectious conditions. Her groundbreaking work spans neurotropic viral diseases, post-viral syndromes, and immune-privileged zones. She founded a production company called Infectious Insight to connect high-caliber media professionals and world-renowned experts in pandemic resilience to drive science-centric content accessible to all.