The wonderful podcast AcaDames interviewed me for their show today (episode S504)! If you'd like to listen, you can find AcaDames wherever you get your podcasts or go to acadamespodast.com. We talked about my experience being divorced and a single mom of 3 kids, my choice to take a faculty position to be near my family, setting boundaries at work, how I get away with not having a lot of meetings in my day, and my love of bringing people together and making connections, through parties that I thr...
Feb 25, 2021•1 min
Aisha Dickerson, PhD is an epidemiologist who studies environmental risk factors for neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Aisha tells me about her long and complicated path to her faculty position and her tenacity in getting there. Her path includes partying in undergrad, being rejected by an MSPH program but convincing admissions to enroll her, receiving many rejections of applications for faculty positions, and landing at Johns Hopkins. Aisha was the mascot Blaze for the Univers...
Feb 20, 2021•27 min•Season 1Ep. 30
Nur Zeinomar, PhD is a cancer epidemiologist who is an Instructor of Medicine in the Section of Cancer Epidemiology and Health Outcomes at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. She and I talk about how it does take a village to raise kids with two parents with demanding careers, and how she found that village in New York City. She also wanted to talk about her need for safe spaces to express her religion and culture, and her ultimate acceptance of her own unique qualities a Muslim Arab America...
Feb 13, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 29
Bill Miller, MD, PhD, MPH is Senior Associate Dean of Research, Professor of Epidemiology at the Ohio State University College of Public Health, and international expert in infectious disease epidemiology, and yet he describes himself as "an introverted imposter with ADD." Bill unpacks all of this, as well as being known in his family as "the dumbest smart kid" they ever knew. He also tells me about being comfortable with vulnerability, his 3-legged cat, his college athletic career, and what spo...
Feb 06, 2021•32 min•Season 1Ep. 28
Debbie Jakubowski is a PhD student at the University of Illinois at Chicago who credits her career in biostatistics partially to her start in the community college system. After obtaining a degree in mathematics from UC-Berkeley, Debbie got an MPH and began working at a biotech company as a statistician. She tells me the benefits and draw of working in industry, and why she will continue her work there after her PhD graduation. We also discuss her polish last name, her new @WildBoarEpi twitter a...
Jan 30, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 27
Lauren McCullough, PhD is a cancer epidemiologist who has mastered what people sometimes call "soft skills" (how you work). In this episode she talks about the 3 questions to ask yourself before setting goals, how to map goals onto time allocation, and how to get what you need in a mentor. Lauren is incredibly talented in the arts, as well! She tells me about being a national champion baton twirler and bowing out of the 2nd round of auditions to be a Beyonce backup dancer so go to grad school! S...
Jan 23, 2021•28 min•Season 1Ep. 26
Cara Eckhardt, PhD is my BFF. In part 2 of my conversation with her, Cara and I talk about our own 20-year friendship, how we have stayed close after so many years, the impact that celebrating each other's lives has helped us strengthen our connection, how adults form friendships generally, and how to not lose yourself after becoming a parent. There is also talk Flamenco singing, Sesame Street and Disney villains, my awful experience on the placebo in an allergy medicine RCT, and our epi-style F...
Jan 16, 2021•35 min•Season 1Ep. 25
Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is an epidemiologist, physician, progressive activist, educator, author, speaker, and political contributor to CNN. Abdul holds a doctorate in public health from Oxford University, and in addition to his academic contributions, he served as Health Director in the City of Detroit. In 2018, he ran for Governor of Michigan and was endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and others. And though he earned over 340,000 votes, he finished second of ...
Jan 09, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Yanica Faustin, PhD, moved from an R1 institution to a mid-sized private university where her job is mostly teaching and mentoring undergraduates in epidemiology and public health. She tells me about that choice and why she feels supported and happy there. Yanica also shares stories of her unique birthing experience, her obsession with Sims (the video game), barely tolerating her wife's love of skiing, and more! Support the show
Jan 02, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Lorraine Dean, ScD, social epidemiologist, discusses her very winding road to epidemiology, returning to academia after 2 years in a policy position, "failing up", and the impact she wishes to have as a Black female scholar. We also talk Reader's Digest wisdom, Covid stress management, pineapple pizza, and more! Support the show
Dec 19, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 22
Tim Lash, ScD is a cancer epidemiologist, editor-in-cheif of a major journal in our field, editor of the primary textbook in our field, and chair of an epidemiology department. He knows epidemiology! That's why I asked him to share his most important piece of advice for epidemiologists from PhD students to full professors. Tim and I talk about the huge social we put together for the 50th anniversary of our epidemiology society, and all of the hilarious prep involved in getting a band of 30 epide...
Dec 12, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Timothy Sheahan, PhD is a coronavirologist whose work on SARS-Cov2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) is contributing to critical and timely therapies and guidelines for public health and clinical care. Tim's appointment is within an epidemiology department! We talk about what it's like to rise to "fame" for his coronavirus research, how he keeps himself safe, and the high- and lowlights of this pandemic for his work. We also discuss making music, colonizing Mars (without the virus!), his fire obs...
Dec 05, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Cheryl Clark, DrPH is an epidemiologist who has worked in the government for over two decades. We talk about her role now improving maternal and child health programs in state health departments and her commitment to health equity. We also discuss Cheryl's amateur art hobby, drinking salsa, Don Cheadle starring in her mystery novel, and more! Support the show
Nov 28, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Cara Eckhardt, PhD is my BFF and a nutritional epidemiologist. In this episode, Cara talks about her choice to move back to her home state and take a faculty position that focuses on teaching epidemiology to undergraduates. We also discuss her dreams of being a presidential debate moderator, Werther's originals, bralettes, soup dumplings, jaunty hats, grape flavor, and more! Support the show
Nov 26, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 18
Leslie McClure, PhD, Chair of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Drexel, discusses the benefits of hidden mentoring, what it feels like to be a department chair, and the impact of early-career failure on her trajectory. She also talks hot flashes, foolishly cutting her own bangs, that horse thing with Daniel Radcliffe, and more! Support the show
Nov 21, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 17
Louisa Smith, MS is an epidemiology PhD student at Harvard who was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer at age 28. After a year of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation, she now has no evidence of disease! On this episode, Louisa talks about her treatment, quantifying and graphing her own data, joining a randomized trial, and thinking about her future and how she wants to spend her time now. Louisa tells me about a Modern Epidemiology textbook-yearbook, an outhouse race she won, and choosing her ...
Nov 14, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Bertha Hidalgo, PhD, genetic epidemiologist, discusses how she is using her status as an Instagram influencer to promote public health and what it is like being a Latina in America and in academia. Bertha also talks about working in Dr Anthony Fauci's lab, her closet with 50 handbags, and fountain Diet Coke and baby carrots. I also give her a baseball quiz! Support the show
Nov 07, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 15
The pod's twitter account hit 2000 followers, and I promised my 9-year-old something special when we hit this mark. So, here is Layla Bodnar, 4th grader, the baby of 3 kids, interviewing me (and me also interviewing her). Clearly, she has potential to be a podcaster in her own right! Support the show
Nov 03, 2020•13 min
Geetika Kalloo, PhD decided that academia was not a good fit for her. After much reflection and confusion, she decided to take a job in healthcare consulting and is now so happy! Geetika and I share some of the many lessons we've learned in therapy, and we bond over our love of robes. She talks Frasier, cold-shoulder tops, and much more! Support the show
Oct 31, 2020•31 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Will Goedel, PhD, HIV epidemiologist, discusses how his identification as an LGBT faculty member has shaped his experience. He also talks about skipping a postdoc and going right into a faculty position. Talking to gay Galapagos tortoises, egg everything bagel, telling someone they have food in their teeth, and more! Support the show
Oct 24, 2020•29 min•Season 1Ep. 13
Hoda Abdel Magid, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow studying inequities in chronic disease, talks about challenges and joys of her postdoc, her love (I mean LOVE) of journal club, her 2 Gen Z sisters, her wish to be a standup comedian, and much more! Support the show
Oct 17, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 12
PhD candidate Mya Roberson, MSPH talks about her interest in applying epidemiologic methods to health service research, and how her roles as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Research Scholar and a Truman Scholar helped shape this focus. She also discusses contortion and aerial arts, Guy Fieri, an epic face-plant, and more! Support the show
Oct 10, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Jonathan Jackson, PhD, cognitive neuroscientist and fake epidemiologist, talks about failure had its importance in shaping his career and life, 40-60 feral hogs in Texas, white guilt wine, 5th grade teacher massages, and more! Support the show
Oct 03, 2020•27 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Because the world is a dark place, Matt Fox, DSc and I throw our dorky headphones back on and talk about silly stuff. We also discuss a question we got from episode 107 on kindness. Support the show
Sep 29, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 9
Michelle Caunca, PhD is a MD/PhD student who studies neuro epi. She talks about struggles of being in her training program, being a second generation Filipino American, twirling rifles, Kitchen Aid mixers, Trader Joe's snacks, and more! Support the show
Sep 26, 2020•25 min•Season 1Ep. 8
Matt Fox, DSc, infectious disease epidemiologist and epi methods expert, discusses kindness in academia: what is it, why it's not as common, and how we can change the culture. We also talk funny zoom call goodbyes, armpit farts, deli meat sheets, and more! Support the show
Sep 19, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 7
Erika Braithwaite is a PhD-trained epidemiologist who decided to go against the grain and find happiness by using her degree to start an analytics business. She talks about her struggles in her doctoral training and how she ended up an entrepreneur. Hatred of camping, sweating maple syrup, nostalgic tv and other fun stuff also come up! Support the show
Sep 12, 2020•24 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Julia Marcus, PhD, infectious disease epidemiologist, tells us what it feels like to be suddenly receiving near-constant national media attention for her message encouraging a nuanced approach to Covid-19 risk reduction. She also talks organ performance, quarantine sweatpants uniform, and more! Support the show
Sep 05, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 5
Epidemiology methods expert Hailey Banack, PhD talks about prioritizing personal and family life in job searches, the insanity of Covid parenting, hating blenders, folding pizza, ketchup bellybuttons and more! Support the show
Aug 29, 2020•26 min•Season 1Ep. 4
Dr. Theresa Chappel talks applied epidemiology and how the birth of her child shapes her research, as well as riding giraffes, bad reality tv, Philly cheese steaks, and more! Support the show
Aug 22, 2020•23 min•Season 1Ep. 3
