Public Health On Call

15 minutes 24 seconds
The Peptide Episode
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.
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:
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.
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
3 August 2026, 10:00 am
15 minutes 38 seconds
An Early Start to West Nile Virus Season?
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:
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:
- 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:
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.
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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.
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
30 July 2026, 10:00 am
14 minutes 30 seconds
Immigration Crossfire in Tennessee Threatens Children's Health
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:
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.
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:
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.
Contact us:
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.
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
29 July 2026, 12:48 pm
13 minutes 10 seconds
All About Legionnaires' Disease
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:
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:
- 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:
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.
Contact us:
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.
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
27 July 2026, 10:00 am
16 minutes 46 seconds
Are SSRIs Being Overprescribed?
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:
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.
Contact us:
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.
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
23 July 2026, 10:00 am
15 minutes 17 seconds
Curbing Urban Sprawl: Why Better City Planning Could Mean Better Health
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:
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.
Contact us:
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.
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
22 July 2026, 10:00 am
16 minutes 52 seconds
Could GLP-1s Help Treat Addiction?
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:
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:
- Can Ozempic Cure Addiction?—The New Yorker
- Could popular weight loss drugs become the new treatment for addiction? Evidence is starting to mount—CNN
- Efficacy of the GLP-1 receptor agonist, semaglutide, in abstinence from illicit and nonprescribed opioids in an outpatient population with OUD: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial protocol—Addiction Science & Clinical Practice
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.
Contact us:
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.
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
20 July 2026, 10:00 am
19 minutes 21 seconds
The Explosive Diarrhea Episode
About this episode:
A parasite that can cause severe gastrointestinal discomfort is sickening people across the country. While cyclosporiasis cases are common in summer months, recent outbreaks in states like Michigan have far exceeded typical numbers. In this episode: Food safety expert David Acheson talks about how cyclosporiasis differs from other foodborne illnesses and the importance of a strong public health system for catching contaminants like this. Note: This episode was recorded on July 15, just before the investigation identified lettuce from Taylor Farms, the supplier to Taco Bell, as the culprit.
Guest:
Dr. David Acheson is the President & CEO of The Acheson Group Consulting Company. With more than 40 years of medical and food safety experience, Acheson has served in prominent roles at the FDA and the USDA Food Safety and Inspection Service.
Host:
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.
Show links and related content:
- Lettuce at Taco Bell in 5 states confirmed as source of a diarrhea-causing parasite outbreak—AP
- Surveillance of Cyclosporiasis—CDC
- CDC cuts back foodborne illness surveillance program—CIDRAP
- The outbreak that changed meat and poultry inspection systems worldwide—Animal Frontiers
- Peanut Outlook: Impacts of the 2008-09 Foodborne Illness Outbreak Linked to Salmonella in Peanuts—USDA
- What's Behind All the Food Recalls—Public Health On Call (November 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.
Contact us:
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.
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Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
17 July 2026, 10:00 am
18 minutes 11 seconds
How Storytelling Can Advance Public Health
About this episode:
When it comes to solving big public health issues, personal storytelling can turn abstract research into real impact. In this episode: Monica L. Wang, an award-winning public health researcher and educator, discusses her new book, "The Collective Cure: Upstream Solutions for Better Public Health," and how individual stories can help to identify and solve collective health challenges.
Guest:
Monica L. Wang, ScD, MS, is an associate professor at the Boston University School of Public Health and an adjunct professor at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She is also the editor at large of the Public Health Post.
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:
- The Collective Cure: Upstream Solutions for Better Public Health—Penguin Random House
- What public health can learn from the MAHA movement—STAT
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.
Contact us:
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.
Follow us:
Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
16 July 2026, 10:00 am
17 minutes 24 seconds
As Baby Boomers Age, Caregiving Trends Are Shifting
About this episode:
Between a growing aging population, the emergence of new technologies, and cuts to Medicaid spending, the landscape of American caregiving is shifting. In this episode: Researcher Jennifer Wolff walks through changes in caregiving trends, underscores the importance of more research on the topic, and highlights new programs that aim to support older adults and their caregivers.
Guest:
Dr. Jennifer Wolff is an expert in policy relating to the care of persons with complex health needs and disabilities, the Eugene and Mildred Lipitz Professor in Health Policy and Management, and director of the Roger and Flo Lipitz Center to Advance Policy in Aging and Disability.
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:
- About NHATS & NSOC—NHATS
- The Number Of Family Caregivers Helping Older US Adults Increased From 18 Million To 24 Million, 2011–22—Health Affairs
- Cognitive assessment & care plan services—http://Medicare.gov
- GUIDE (Guiding an Improved Dementia Experience) Model—http://CMS.gov
- America's Caregiver Crisis—Public Health On Call (July 2025)
- The Potential Impacts of Cuts to Medicaid—Public Health On Call (March 2025)
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.
Contact us:
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.
Follow us:
Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
15 July 2026, 10:00 am
17 minutes 17 seconds
A Forecast for the 2026 Hurricane Season
About this episode:
Strong El Niño activity in the Pacific could mean a quieter Atlantic hurricane season, but recent events like tropical storm Arthur show that extreme weather can still impact the U.S. this summer. In this episode: Hurricane specialist Michael Lowry returns to the podcast to give an update on the 2026 hurricane season, the promising role of AI in storm forecasting, and the state of meteorology amidst federal funding cuts.
Guest:
Michael Lowry is a hurricane specialist and storm surge expert for WPLG-TV in Miami, FL. He previously served as a senior scientist at the National Hurricane Center and as disaster planning chief at FEMA.
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:
- AI Weather Models Changing the Hurricane Forecast Game—Eye on the Tropics
- Remnants from Tropical Storm Arthur drench Gulf states, flooding homes and forcing evacuations—CBS News
- Congressional committees push back on Trump administration's proposed NOAA budget cuts—ABC News
- The Texas Floods and the Future of Forecasting—Public Health On Call (July 2025)
- Climate Change and Meteorology: 2025 Update—Public Health On Call (June 2025)
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.
Contact us:
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.
Follow us:
Note: These podcasts are a conversation between the participants, and do not represent the position of Johns Hopkins University.
13 July 2026, 10:00 am
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