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By the end of your practicum, you'll land in one of three boxes — and you don't get to pick which one.. or do you?   In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, host Gordon Thane draws on his own journey to show why the students who thrive aren't the ones who wait for direction. From an unpaid MPH practicum placement to now being on the advisory board of that same organization member; he explores:  how to tailor your practicum experience to the next job opportunity you’d like to pursue, and why the learning contract you signed may be out of date by the time you start day one, and how to build three references who'd hire you again tomorrow.  Host & Producer ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

You can disagree on policy. You can't disagree on facts. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Dr. Brian Castucci unpacks what it really means when science bends to political power, whether silencing dangerous voices is ever justified, why public health is losing the war it should be winning - culminating in an uncomfortable truth: if you can't stand the people you're trying to reach, you've already lost.  References for Our Discussion ◼️About Brian C. Castrucci ◼️A New AI Platform to Strengthen Health Communication and Combat False Narratives ◼️Science to People: VeriSci Guest ◼️Dr. Brian Castrucci, DrPH Host & Producer ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

How often do public health organizations decide what a community needs — without actually asking them? This episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast sees Gordon sit down with Alexandra Piatkowski, epidemiologist and founder & CEO of Piat Public Health, to unpack one of public health's most foundational — and often misused — tools: the community needs assessment. They explore why existing quantitative data is never enough on its own, how health equity moves from buzzword to practice, and what it really takes to do a needs assessment well when budgets are tight and funders want results fast. References for Our Discussion ◼️Piat Public Health Guest ◼️Alexandra Piatkowski, MPH, PMP Host & Executive Producer ◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

What does it take to hit the ground running after grad school? For Alexandra Piatkowski, the answer started long before graduation — by deliberately building real-world experience while still a student. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Gordon sits down with the founder of Piat Public Health to trace a career that blends epidemiology, health policy, and project management into something entirely her own. Alexandra shares how stacking hands-on experience during school set her up to thrive and how that momentum carried her all the way to co-leading the development of Canada's first accredited geriatric emergency department.  References for Our Discussion ◼️Piat Public Health Guest ◼️Alexandra Piatkowski, MPH, PMP Host & Executive Producer ◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

Prevention is the most powerful public health tool we have and yet the hardest to fund. Dr. Hope Ferdowsian of Phoenix Zones Initiative explains how her organization is changing that: informing global health strategies, training cross-sector professionals, and advancing a justice-centered framework called Just One Health that targets root causes, not symptoms. She also shares a bold 10-year vision — where well-being replaces GDP, animals gain rights recognition, and prevention is the default.  References for Our Discussion ◼️Phoenix Zones Website Guest ◼️Hope Ferdowsian, Co-Founder and President of Phoenix Zones Initiative Host ◼️ Purva Mehta, BMSc, MSc Producer ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

Animal abuse is a predictor child abuse. Slaughterhouse locations correlate with violent crime. Over three-quarters of emerging infectious diseases trace back to how we treat animals and ecosystems. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Dr. Hope Ferdowsian connects these patterns to a single root cause: systems built on hierarchies that reduce living beings to their financial worth. She challenges public health to stop treating symptoms, expand its moral circle beyond humans, and finally address the conditions that create disease, violence, and exploitation in the first place. References for Our Discussion ◼️Phoenix Zones Website Guest ◼️Hope Ferdowsian, Co-Founder and President of Phoenix Zones Initiative Host ◼️ Purva Mehta, BMSc, MSc Producer ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

Healing people requires healing animals and the systems we share. Dr. Hope Ferdowsian traces that conviction from a sheep named Crystal on an Oklahoma farm to sanctuary chimpanzees with PTSD, to asylum seekers she's evaluated across borders. The through-line isn't a coincidence — it's a career built on understanding humanity through animals, following suffering wherever it leads, and finding resilience on the other side. References for Our Discussion ◼️Phoenix Zones Website Guest ◼️Hope Ferdowsian, Co-Founder and President of Phoenix Zones Initiative Host ◼️ Purva Mehta, BMSc, MSc Executive Producer ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

What if the prescription wasn't a pill, but cash? Rx Kids gives expecting and new mothers up to $7,500, no questions asked. Laura Keen from GiveDirectly explains why giving money to everyone — not just the poorest — actually works better, why nearly every eligible mom in Flint signed up, and what happened to preterm births, evictions, and depression when communities invested in families from day one. Plus, how a program centered on babies united both sides of the political aisle. References for Our Discussion ◼️The US town that pays every pregnant woman $1,500: ‘We’re not OK with our babies being born into poverty’  ◼️Direct Unconditional Cash Transfers Boost Well-Being for Mothers and Babies  ◼️Perinatal Cash Transfers and Birth Outcomes: A Population-Based, Quasi-Experimental Study of the Rx Kids Unconditional Cash Prescription During Pregnancy and Infancy  ◼️Hardship and Hope: The Relationship Between Unconditional Prenatal and Infant Cash Transfers, Economic Stability, and Maternal Mental Health and Well-Being ◼️To End Extreme Poverty, Give Cash — Not Advice | Rory Stewart | TED ◼️New research: Cash for pregnant moms in Flint led to healthier births and millions in healthcare savings  Guest ◼️Laura Keen, U.S. Program Director, GiveDirectly Host ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® Producer ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® ◼️Abhinya Gulasingam Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

Flint, Michigan was once known as one of America's most prosperous industrial cities. Decades of deindustrialization and a water crisis changed that, but crisis isn't the whole story. Laura Keen of GiveDirectly joins the podcast to explore the resilience behind the popular headlines, the gaps in America's safety net, and what the expanded Child Tax Credit revealed about child poverty. All of it set the stage for Rx Kids — one of the most ambitious social programs in the country. References for Our Discussion ◼️The US town that pays every pregnant woman $1,500: ‘We’re not OK with our babies being born into poverty’  ◼️Direct Unconditional Cash Transfers Boost Well-Being for Mothers and Babies  ◼️Perinatal Cash Transfers and Birth Outcomes: A Population-Based, Quasi-Experimental Study of the Rx Kids Unconditional Cash Prescription During Pregnancy and Infancy  ◼️Hardship and Hope: The Relationship Between Unconditional Prenatal and Infant Cash Transfers, Economic Stability, and Maternal Mental Health and Well-Being ◼️To End Extreme Poverty, Give Cash — Not Advice | Rory Stewart | TED ◼️New research: Cash for pregnant moms in Flint led to healthier births and millions in healthcare savings  Guest ◼️Laura Keen, U.S. Program Director, GiveDirectly Host ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® Producer ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® ◼️Abhinya Gulasingam Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

She studied philosophy at UPenn, sharpened her Spanish watching telenovelas with a host mom in silk robes and kitten heels, then moved to Peru and built staircases so families wouldn't fall carrying water. Laura Keen's path wound through cocoa farms in West Africa, anti-trafficking work in the Amazon, and the inner workings of fair trade — each stop ultimately leading her to GiveDirectly and a radically simple idea that's reshaping how we think about poverty.  References for Our Discussion ◼️The US town that pays every pregnant woman $1,500: ‘We’re not OK with our babies being born into poverty’  ◼️Direct Unconditional Cash Transfers Boost Well-Being for Mothers and Babies  ◼️Perinatal Cash Transfers and Birth Outcomes: A Population-Based, Quasi-Experimental Study of the Rx Kids Unconditional Cash Prescription During Pregnancy and Infancy  ◼️Hardship and Hope: The Relationship Between Unconditional Prenatal and Infant Cash Transfers, Economic Stability, and Maternal Mental Health and Well-Being ◼️To End Extreme Poverty, Give Cash — Not Advice | Rory Stewart | TED ◼️New research: Cash for pregnant moms in Flint led to healthier births and millions in healthcare savings  Guest ◼️Laura Keen, U.S. Program Director, GiveDirectly Host ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® Producer ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® ◼️Abhinya Gulasingam Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

Imagine surviving a snake bite only to battle depression for years. Half of hospitals can't properly treat snake bites and almost all healthcare workers struggle to administer life-saving anti-venom in many ways. Dr. David Lalloo illuminates a crisis killing more people than many familiar diseases, yet receiving a fraction of the funding.  From recent strides in quality control to universal antivenom approaches and simple prevention measures, this conversation reveals the challenges of snakebite envenoming and the promising solutions that could finally end it. References for Our Discussion ◼️Strike Out Snakebite: The Global Snakebite Taskforce ◼️Snakebites kill 130,000 people a year. This UK lab may have the answer ◼️Why giant statues of snakes popped up in Geneva Guest ◼️Professor David Lalloo Host ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® Producer ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® ◼️Abhinya Gulasingam Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

Right now, someone is being bitten by a venomous snake. Over the course of a year, 138,000 deaths and 400,000 disabilities. Yet snake bite remains one of the world's most neglected health crises. Professor David Lalloo explains why this preventable tragedy persists—from the science of venom to the economics of anti-venom, and why the right treatment might not exist where people need it most. References for Our Discussion ◼️Snakebites kill 130,000 people a year. This UK lab may have the answer ◼️Why giant statues of snakes popped up in Geneva Guest ◼️Professor David Lalloo Host ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® Producer ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® ◼️Abhinya Gulasingam Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

A young doctor faces a choice: wait in line after a lecture or go to the pub. He waits. Fast forward, he's on a plane to Papua New Guinea. He arrives expecting malaria research—but finds 25% of ICU beds filled with snakebite victims.  Professor David Lalloo didn't plan to dedicate his life to one of the world's most neglected health crises. He stumbled into it. And it took until 2017 for the WHO to even recognize snakebite as a disease worth fighting. This is the story of how one split-second decision changed everything, and why getting the world to care is harder than solving the problem itself. References for Our Discussion ◼️Snakebites kill 130,000 people a year. This UK lab may have the answer ◼️Why giant statues of snakes popped up in Geneva Guest ◼️Professor David Lalloo Host ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® Producer ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® ◼️Abhinya Gulasingam Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room Subscribe to the Newsletter Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here. Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

Public health says "don't drink and drive." Bud Light says "don't let the party stop—have a designated driver". One feels like a lecture, the other made millions take notice. That communication gap is why public health messaging still misses the mark despite saving millions of lives. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Dr. Brian Castrucci explains how AI platforms and influencer partnerships could go a long way in helping public health step out of the shadows. From the De Beaumont Foundation's toolkit to communicate with policymakers to the VeriSci AI platform that puts sophisticated messaging in practitioners' hands, Brian shows why public health must meet people where they are: on social media, not government webpages. The field that gave Americans decades of extra life now faces a choice—adapt or disappear. References for Our Discussion ◼️Poll: 100 Days In, Americans’ Perceptions, Expectations, and Trust in Public Health ◼️Poll: 79% of Americans Support Routine Childhood Vaccine Requirements ◼️About Brian C. Castrucci ◼️A New AI Platform to Strengthen Health Communication and Combat False Narratives ◼️Science to People: VeriSci Guest ◼️Dr. Brian Castrucci, DrPH Host ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® Producer ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® ◼️Abhinya Gulasingam Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room Subscribe to the Newsletter Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here. Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

79% of Americans support childhood vaccine requirements—including the majority of Republicans. So why does it feel like everyone in the U.S. is against public health? In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Dr. Brian Castrucci reveals what public opinion polling actually shows: Americans are far more united on health issues than we think. The problem isn't what people believe—it's the messages we're sending and who's delivering them. References for Our Discussion ◼️Poll: 100 Days In, Americans’ Perceptions, Expectations, and Trust in Public Health ◼️Poll: 79% of Americans Support Routine Childhood Vaccine Requirements ◼️About Brian C. Castrucci ◼️A New AI Platform to Strengthen Health Communication and Combat False Narratives ◼️Science to People: VeriSci Guest ◼️Dr. Brian Castrucci, DrPH Host ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® Producer ◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP® ◼️Abhinya Gulasingam Production Notes ◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room Subscribe to the Newsletter Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here. Leave Us Some Feedback If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think. Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.