The Scholars Table with Dr. Banda14 Syys

Dean Monica Swahn: From the CDC to Leading a School of Public Health

Dr. Monica Swahn is Dean of the VCU School of Public Health, director of Global Women's Health for the VCU Institute for Women's Health, and holder of the Charles W. and Evelyn F. Thomas Endowed Professorship of Epidemiology.

She came to the role in July 2025 after serving as dean of the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services at Kennesaw State University, and before academia she spent nearly a decade at the CDC as a health scientist and epidemiologist.

In this conversation with Dr Banda Khalifa, she traces the route from a psychology degree to a PhD in epidemiology, through a decade inside government science, a Fulbright year building an alcohol research center at Makerere University in Uganda, and into academic leadership.

We cover:

What a decade at the CDC taught her about how evidence moves into decisions, and when it does not
Why she left government science for the university
Building research capacity in a partner institution so it survives after the funding ends
Presenting research to the WHO, UNDP, and PAHO
What a dean does all day, and what surprised her most
Her strategic vision for the VCU School of Public Health
What strong graduate applicants get right, and the mistake she sees most often
Advice for early-career professionals choosing between government, academia, and global work

The Scholars Table with Dr Banda brings scholars, leaders, practitioners, and emerging voices to the table for thoughtful conversations about health, science, academia, leadership, and public life.

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Inside the Johns Hopkins MPH: Admissions, Careers & One Health | Dr. Meghan Davis

An MPH is a major investment of time and money. What should you weigh before applying, and where can the degree take you?Dr. Banda welcomes Dr. Meghan Frost Davis, chair of the Master of Public Health...

1 Loka 53min

AI, Misinformation, and Global Health Security

Can AI and stronger readiness systems help us respond faster to the next pandemic, or just expose how fragile our systems are? Dr. Prativa Baral, Deputy Director of the Pandemic and Emergency Readines...

23 Heinä 45min

A purpose-driven career in public health | Prof. Tiffany Gary-Webb

In this episode of The Scholars Table, Dr. Banda Khalifa sits down with Prof. Tiffany Gary-Webb to discuss what it means to build a career in public health with purpose, clarity, and service.Prof. Gar...

16 Heinä 29min

Who Gets to Lead African Health? | Dr Catherine Kyobutungi, APHRC

Who gets to lead in African health? Dr Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director of APHRC, joins The Scholars Table with Dr Banda on African voices and African leadership in global health: who sets the...

9 Heinä 27min

Who Really Holds the Power in Global Health? | Prof. Lawrence Gostin

Who actually governs global health: WHO, powerful countries, donors, private industry, or law itself? Professor Lawrence O. Gostin, Founding Director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global H...

2 Heinä 31min

The Next Pandemic Is Already Warning Us | Jennifer Nuzzo on Ebola, Hantavirus & Preparedness

In this episode of Global Health Uncensored, Dr. Banda Khalifa speaks with Professor Jennifer Nuzzo, Director of the Pandemic Center and Professor of Epidemiology at Brown University School of Public ...

18 Kesä 25min

WHO Africa's Emergency Director on Pandemics, AI & the Future of Health Security in Africa

What does it actually take to lead emergency response across an entire continent? Dr. Marie Roseline Belizaire, Emergency Director at WHO Africa, joins Dr. Banda Khalifa for an honest, no-headlines co...

15 Kesä 52min