Public Health

Fungi are everywhere, and most are harmless to healthy people. But changes in the global climate, in human settlement patterns, and even in our own body temperatures have made fungal pathogens an increasing health threat. Angel Desai discusses what fungal pathogens are, why they are becoming more dangerous, and how the public health community can respond.

More than half of US states have legalized cannabis, but it remains federally prohibited, which means regulations are decided on a state-by-state basis with little federal guidance. What are the public health implications of current cannabis policy? On this episode, Yasmin Hurd discusses the complex landscape of modern cannabis products, what’s known about their public health impacts, and strategies policymakers could use to minimize harms.

Patient advocates are cautiously optimistic that forthcoming studies will track their concerns and lead to treatments.

The word “bureaucracy” conjures up images of red tape, not cutting-edge innovation. But some of the most significant scientific and health innovations of the past century have actually come from scientist-bureaucrats at government research institutes. Natalie Aviles explains how the mission and culture of the National Cancer Institute have enabled its scientist-bureaucrats to conduct pioneering cancer research.

A unique class of scientist-bureaucrats at the National Cancer Institute shows that government science is an asset we can’t afford to lose.

Tribal Epidemiology Centers, tasked with analyzing the health data of American Indian and Alaska Native communities and reducing health disparities, are often prevented from accessing public health data that are necessary to respond effectively to crises—including the COVID-19 pandemic. Data-sharing policies and culture must change to prevent further harm.

On this episode of The Ongoing Transformation podcast, host Sara Frueh talks to Georges Benjamin, executive director of the American Public Health Association, about how the US health care system creates disparities and how we can fix them.

Global health professionals Tina Purnat and Elisabeth Wilhelm talk about we can work to stop misinformation by understanding and delivering communities’ information needs.

Amanda Arnold, vice president of governmental affairs and policy at Valneva, a private vaccine development company, talks about the role industry plays in the science policy enterprise and what she has learned about the US innovation ecosystem from working across sectors.

Efforts to share health data across borders snag on legal and regulatory barriers. Before detangling the fine print, let’s agree on overarching principles.

When an interdisciplinary, international group of researchers turned their attention—and a tool for knowledge structuring—to work out the mechanisms of COVID-19, they learned how diverse scientists can synthesize information constructively.

With a smaller budget than hoped for, ARPA-H must focus. Here’s how the new agency can synergize existing government efforts and advance breakthrough technologies that protect us all.