The Contagion of Liberty with Prof. Andrew Wehrman
“Those who cannot remember the past are doomed to repeat it.” That’s for damn sure when it comes to vaccinations. Abdul reflects on the hypocrisy at the heart of the anti-vaxxer movement. Then he chats with Prof. Andrew Wehrman, historian and author of “The Contagion of Liberty,” about the role of smallpox inoculation in revolution-era America.
4 Huhti 202359min
The Synthetic Biology Future with Michael Specter
What happens when we can program our biology like we do software in a computer? Humanity’s finding out. It means we can translate a virus’s genome into a vaccine in less than a year, like we did to create the COVID mRNA vaccines. But it also means that anyone sitting in their mom’s basement can download that genome, too. Abdul reflects on the possibilities and pitfalls, then he interviews Michael Specter, Staff Writer at The New Yorker, about his new audiobook about synthetic biology’s future, “Higher Animals.”
28 Maalis 202353min
Why Are Girls Hitting Puberty Younger? with Jessica Winter
Puberty is awkward. But that’s, in part, because we continue to feed the stigma around it. Now, puberty is happening earlier for girls, a trend accelerated by the pandemic. Abdul reflects on what that means for public health. He speaks with Jessica Winter, an editor at the New Yorker, who wrote about this trend to understand why it’s happening and how we can make the experience easier.
21 Maalis 202351min
The Weight Loss Wizard of Oz(empic) with Dr. Shauna Levy
Semaglutide — sold as Ozempic or Wegovy – offers nothing short of a revolution for changing body weight with a medication. With A-list celebrities racing to get their hands on them, these new treatments pose critical questions about the very nature of body weight, obesity, and their relationship to health. On the one hand, it and similar drugs offer a relatively safe, very effective way to drop body fat. On the other, to what end? Abdul sits down with Dr. Shauna Levy, an obesity medicine doctor, to talk about how semaglutide works, what it means for the patients she treats, and what it means for how we ought to think about body weight.
14 Maalis 202348min
Private Equity vs. Public Health with Eileen O’Grady
Across the country, healthcare chains have been buying hospitals up like properties on a Monopoly board — changing their names and shuttering hospitals in rural communities. What’s driving this? The corporate influence on healthcare. Private equity firms with no expertise in healthcare have gotten into the game of consolidation, too, buying up clinics, healthcare companies, and community hospitals and stripping them for their parts. Abdul talks about the consequences and interviews Eileen O’Grady, a researcher and organizer who’s been on the front lines of exposing it.
7 Maalis 202357min
Public Health Workers Are NOT Okay with Elizabeth Holzschuh
It’s been a long three years since the COVID-19 pandemic began. And though the pandemic isn’t over — the public health workforce feels done. Public health departments around the country are facing low morale, high vacancy, and a workload that doesn’t want to ease up. Abdul talks about the impact of public health burnout and sits down with Elizabeth Holzschuh, director of epidemiology at a local health department in Kansas to talk about what it looks like on the ground — and what needs to be done to address it.
28 Helmi 202356min
Twice as Hard with Jasmine Brown
Becoming a doctor is hard. Becoming a doctor when you face discrimination because of your race AND gender? Twice as hard. Abdul reflects on the obstacles that hold back promising future healthcare providers. He interviews Jasmine Brown, a medical student and author of a new book, Twice as Hard, detailing the history of America’s pioneering Black women doctors.
21 Helmi 20231h 5min
Caffeinated with Murray Carpenter
Caffeine is the most important drug that no one is willing to label. Across its forms–whether coffee, tea, coke, or energy drinks–93% of Americans report regular caffeine use. Abdul reflects on caffeine’s highs and lows. Then he sits down with Murray Carpenter, journalist and author of “Caffeinated: How our Daily Habit Helps, Hurts, and Hooks Us.”
14 Helmi 202352min
