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

Dr. Mark Abdelmalek

Dr. Mark is a highly regarded skin cancer surgeon and award-winning journalist. For the past 15 years he has worked as a medical contributor, investigative reporter and producer at ABC News. His journalism career was shaped working alongside ABC News anchor Diane Sawyer sharing impactful stories with audiences of Good Morning America, World News Tonight, 20/20, Nightline, and Hulu. Dr. Mark is a recipient of the Alfred I. duPont-Columbia Award, one of journalism's most prestigious honors. His work has earned several Edward R. Murrow awards and he has been nominated for a Peabody Award and five Emmy Awards. He is an adjunct Associate Professor of Dermatology at University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine and is the founder of Dermatology of Philadelphia | Mohs Surgery Center in Philadelphia, PA.