Public Health On Call

Latest Episodes:

Are Humans Hot Enough to Survive a Fungal Apocalypse? Aug 10, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

New research has identified massive fungal blooms in North America in the Cretaceous period, suggesting significant ecological upheaval before and after the asteroid wiped out the dinosaurs. In this episode: Arturo Casadevall, senior author of the study, explains why these findings are so significant and his hypothesis that fungi gave mammals an evolutionary leg-up over reptiles.

Guest:

Dr. Arturo Casadevall, PhD, MS, is chair of the department of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and a global expert in host defense mechanisms, fungi, and antibody-based therapies. He is also co-author of the book What If Fungi Win? with Stephanie Desmon.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Show links and related content:

Fungal Surges Marked Cretaceous Mass Extinction that Ended Age of Dinosaurs—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
What zombie show 'The Last of Us' gets right about fungus in a warming world—Washington Post
What If Fungi Win?—Johns Hopkins University Press
The Discovery of a New Clade of Candida Auris—A "Critical Pathogen"—Public Health On Call (August 2024)

Transcript information:

Looking for episode transcripts? Open our podcast on the Apple Podcasts app (desktop or mobile) or the Spotify mobile app to access an auto-generated transcript of any episode. Closed captioning is also available for every episode on our YouTube channel.

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

The HPV Vaccine, 20 Years Later Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

In the two decades since the HPV vaccine was approved, women's risk of developing cervical cancer has dropped by 80% for those vaccinated before age 16 and 66% in those vaccinated after age 16. It has also lowered the risk of other HPV-related cancers in men. In this episode: Journalist Liz Szabo recounts the incredible successes of this intervention in preventing cancer and discusses the existing misinformation surrounding the vaccine, still considered by some to be too "new."

Guest:

Liz Szabo, MA, is an investigative health reporter with CIDRAP News.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Show links and related content:

20 Years of HPV Vaccine Success—CIDRAP News
Do I Need an HPV Vaccine?—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Preventing Cancer: The Far-Reaching Impact of Vaccines—International Vaccine Access Center

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

Prescription Denials Are on the Rise Aug 05, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

If you've ever been prescribed a new medication from your doctor only to be told by the pharmacy that your insurance won't cover it, you're not alone. In fact, new research shows that denials and requirements for prior authorizations are happening more frequently and that, in half of these cases, patients are subsequently forgoing their prescriptions. In this episode: Joseph Levy, lead author of the study, explains why this is the case and discusses the tradeoffs between controlling drug spending and ensuring access to necessary treatments.

Guest:

Joseph Levy, PhD, is a health economist and assistant professor in Health Policy and Management at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Show links and related content:

Insurance Denials for Brand-Name Prescription Drugs Rose Sharply From 2018 to 2024—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Insurance deny your prescription? You're far from alone, Hopkins study finds—The Baltimore Banner

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

The Peptide Episode Aug 03, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

In June, the FDA convened an advisory committee to discuss whether seven selected peptides should be permitted for legal sale under pharmacy compounding laws despite little research into safety and efficacy. Agency scientists oppose the decision while some committee members with ties to the growing industry support it. In this episode: Dr. Josh Sharfstein, who previously served as the Principal Deputy Commissioner of the FDA, explains what is happening and what it may mean for consumers and patients.

Note: That this episode was updated on August 5, 2026.

Guest:

Dr. Josh Sharfstein is distinguished professor of the practice in Health Policy and Management, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland's Health Department. He served as the Baltimore City Commissioner of Health from 2005 to 2009.

Host:

Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for Expert Insights, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Show links and related content:

FDA committee votes to make peptides more widely available—Science
July 23-24, 2026: Meeting of the Pharmacy Compounding Advisory Committee—FDA
Why Are People Injecting Themselves with Peptides?—The New Yorker
Peptide boom has states scrambling to protect consumers, Post investigation finds—Washington Post
How to Spot Unregulated Pharmacies and Falsified Medications—Public Health On Call (August 2025)

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

An Early Start to West Nile Virus Season? Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

West Nile virus is the most common mosquito-borne illness in the U.S., and while most people who contract it won't even know they're infected, it can be debilitating for older adults and the immunocompromised. In this episode: an expert in insect-borne diseases gives listeners the essential information on West Nile, offers a forecast on this year's disease season, and answers the most important question: can we just get rid of mosquitoes?

Guest:

Douglas Norris, PhD, is a professor of Molecular Microbiology and Immunology who studies vector-borne diseases.

Host:

Show links and related content:

CDC Encourages Americans to Stay Mosquito Bite-Free during America's 250th Independence Day holiday weekend—CDC
Early, intense West Nile season may signal a severe year for the mosquito-borne illness, CDC says—CNN
How to Prevent Dengue or "Break-Bone Fever"—Public Health On Call (May 2024)
Why Are Some Humans' Scents More Preferable to Mosquitoes?—Public Health On Call (June 2023)

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

Immigration Crossfire in Tennessee Threatens Children's Health Jul 29, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Children in Tennessee who need ventilators, chemotherapy and other essential medical treatments—but who have no means to pay for them—turn to the Children's Special Services program. But as a result of a new state law, hundreds of children and their families were told to withdraw from the program or risk being reported to immigration officials. In this episode: Dr. Morgan McDonald explains what happened—and how a lawsuit is aiming to preserve lifesaving care.

Guest:

Dr. Morgan McDonald is a pediatrician, a public health physician, and a Nashville Metro Health board member.

Host:

Show links and related content:

Tennessee to restrict medical aid for critically ill undocumented children—Washington Post
Snader v. Tennessee Department of Health—Tennessee Justice Center
A Doctor Uses Social Media to Advocate for Children in Immigration Detention—Public Health On Call (May 2026)

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

All About Legionnaires' Disease Jul 27, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Cooling towers rife with Legionella bacteria are fueling an outbreak of a serious respiratory disease in New York City. Legionnaires' disease is common in the summer months as the water we use to shower and cool our air conditioning systems warms, creating a breeding ground for bacteria. In this episode: Environmental scientist Natalie Exum details the symptoms of Legionnaires' disease, who is most at risk of infection, and how cities can monitor and treat water systems to reduce exposure.

Guest:

Natalie Exum, PhD, MS, is an assistant professor of Environmental Health and Engineering at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Host:

Show links and related content:

Fourth death confirmed in NYC Legionnaires' disease outbreak—NBC News
Legionnaires' Disease—NYC Health
Two-Year Evaluation of Legionella in an Aging Residential Building: Assessment of Multiple Potable Water Remediation Approaches—Science of the Total Environment

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

Are SSRIs Being Overprescribed? Jul 23, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, or SSRIs, are the most widely used class of antidepressants. While these medications have undoubtedly saved lives, they have also gained scrutiny for having significant side effects and being difficult to taper off of. In this episode: Two psychiatrists talk about the existing recommendations for deprescribing and why SSRIs remain a critical treatment tool despite pressure from federal health officials to wean Americans off of them.

Guest:

Dr. Paul Nestadt is an associate professor of Mental Health who studies the epidemiology of suicide and serves as the primary supervising psychiatrist for the Johns Hopkins Hospital Anxiety Disorders Clinic.

Dr. Jimmy Potash, MPH, is the director of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences and psychiatrist-in-chief at Johns Hopkins Medicine.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Show links and related content:

Kennedy Starts a Push to Help Americans Quit Antidepressants—The New York Times
Prescriptions for Antidepressants Increasing among Individuals with no Psychiatric Diagnosis—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Tapering of SSRI treatment to mitigate withdrawal symptoms—Lancet Psychiatry
Changes in antidepressant use by young people and suicidal behavior after FDA warnings and media coverage: quasi-experimental study—BMJ
Cognitive Behavior Therapy for Generalized Anxiety Disorder Among Older Adults in Primary Care—JAMA

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

Curbing Urban Sprawl: Why Better City Planning Could Mean Better Health Jul 22, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

Recent research from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health finds that living in a compact metropolitan setting could yield more health benefits than living in a more sprawling suburban area. In this episode: the report's lead researcher, Shima Hamidi, explains why this is the case and how communities can reshape infrastructure to foster mobility and connection.

Guest:

Shima Hamidi, PhD, MSc, is a Bloomberg Associate Professor of American Health in the Department of Environmental Health and Engineering and director of the Center for Smart Transportation.

Host:

Stephanie Desmon, MA, is a former journalist, author, and the director of public relations and communications for the Johns Hopkins Center for Communication Programs.

Show links and related content:

Sprawl Rankings Reveal Health Benefits and Cost Offsets in Compact, Connected U.S. County and Metro Areas—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health
Mapping Urban Sprawl in the U.S.@bloombergamericanhealth via Instagram
Associations between Urban Sprawl and Life Expectancy in the United States—International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
Relationship between urban sprawl and physical activity, obesity, and morbidity - update and refinement—Health & Place

Transcript information:

Have a question about something you heard? Looking for a transcript? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or visit our website.

Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.

Could GLP-1s Help Treat Addiction? Jul 20, 2026

Show notes

About this episode:

As GLP-1 use surges among U.S. adults for weight loss and diabetes management, researchers are exploring whether these medications could play a role in treating substance use disorders. In this episode: an addiction medicine doctor gives a research update, discusses promising early results, and ponders the larger questions these treatments pose about satiety.

Guest:

Dr. Sarah S. Kawasaki is the director of addiction medicine services at the Pennsylvania Psychiatric Institute and an assistant professor of psychiatry at PennState Health. (Full disclosure: Public Health On Call Host Dr. Josh Sharfstein is the proud brother of Dr. Kawasaki)

Host:

Show links and related content: