"It's really cool when you feel like you can show up for someone who felt like they didn't have anyone." We're launching a new focus on This is Viral and turning our attention towards the career possibilities that open up when you choose to pursue public health. To kick things off, meet Ibukun Omole, a UVA graduate who has spent the last year working as a fellow in the Washington AIDS Partnership. Music by Ketsa Join the Public Health Academic Resource Center (ARC) community on Discord ! Visit o...
Apr 28, 2022•28 min•Season 1Ep. 17
“Who run the world? Girls!” -Beyoncé Host Sarah Moxham returns to lead This is Viral's first all-women podcast episode. Joining her at the table are former UVA track/cross country runners, Georgie Mackenzie and Libby Davidson. This is their "love story" with running, and its peak highs and lows. A key study that inspired this episode details the gender-based differences in patterns of disordered eating in female student-athletes compared to male student-athletes of the same sports. How might dis...
Mar 25, 2022•33 min•Season 1Ep. 16
Have you ever wanted to learn about the life and mindset of a D1 athlete or a professional soccer player? Look no further! Host Paco Abiad reconnects with some old friends: USMNT and New England Revolution defender, Henry Kessler, and University of Virginia forward, Cabrel Happi Kamseu, to discuss the world of soccer (or football for anyone outside of the U.S.) and the sport's parallels with life and mental health. We hope you enjoy this innovative approach to discussing mental health care in ou...
Jan 29, 2022•23 min•Season 1Ep. 15
A story about Community health, the Meaning of "Siyabonga," and How to Be the Worst Uber Passenger! Host Paco Abiad takes a deep dive into conversation with Fulbright Scholar Scarlett Bergam to learn all about what it's like to be living and working in South Africa this year amidst the latest developments with the COVID-19 Omicron variant. Today's story is one of the geographic beauties of South Africa and the resilient and collectivist culture of the local people. We hope that today's episode h...
Dec 18, 2021•30 min•Season 1Ep. 14
Are you in need of some soul-filling conversation? Do you want to learn a little bit about the U.S. healthcare system? Look no further than this episode, featuring Dr. Rick Mayes! Join co-hosts Paco and Daniel as they dive into what the Affordable Care Act is and what it means for providing access for mental health care. Make sure to listen all the way through the end, as Dr. Mayes shares some tips and strategies to promote our own well-being as we head into the fall season. Music by Ketsa Visit...
Aug 20, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 13
How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected our collective mental health? Does America have the policies and infrastructure to protect and promote our mental health? These are the burning questions that our team is investigating during this mini-series of content around mental health. Why are we launching this project? Hear what our guest, Dr. Zelle, has to say to find out more. Music by Ketsa Visit our website ! Public Health Bookworm Reading List Podcast Resources Thank you to Anchor for sponsoring...
Aug 13, 2021•26 min•Season 1Ep. 12
We Need to Talk About Anti-Asian Hate. In the aftermath of the Atlanta shootings and the continued senseless acts of xenophobia against AAPI, host Paco Abiad takes the microphone to share some of his raw thoughts and emotions as a Filipino-American and also as someone who's been researching the consequences of xenophobia during COVID-19 for the past year. For more information and specific breakdowns/trends of reported xenophobic incidents, please visit StopAAPIHate.org. Visit our newly published...
Apr 05, 2021•21 min•Season 1Ep. 11
Between Helplessness and Hope, Fear and Fortitude, Isolation and Innovation. This has been a Year of COVID-19. Join us in this very special episode of This is Viral as host Paco Abiad takes us back through the different stages, or rather, seasons, of the pandemic since it began in March 2020. This pandemic has fluctuated in waves that reflect both case transmission and our collective well-being. Today you'll hear from the voices of frontline healthcare workers, students, the immunocompromised, c...
Mar 27, 2021•45 min•Season 1Ep. 10
"In the midst of my symptoms, I wrote on my phone that I was teetering on the edge of disaster." We’re fast approaching a year since the SARS-CoV-2 disrupted life as we know it. As public schools prepare for students to return to physical classrooms and college students return for the spring semester, let’s pause for a moment to hear about how the virus can affect younger patients long after they've survived the initial infection. Who better to share this story of caution than a COVID-19 survivo...
Feb 27, 2021•29 min•Season 1Ep. 9
And we're back! Join us today as co-hosts Paco and Sarah meet up with a fellow high school classmate to learn about her experiences as a Black woman and activist both in her hometown and college environment. You won't want to miss these truths that Seriah Barnes is about to share! Visit our newly published website ! Public Health Bookworm Reading List Podcast Resources Music by Ketsa Thank you to Anchor for sponsoring this episode. Follow @thisisviralpodcast on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. ...
Feb 06, 2021•17 min•Season 1Ep. 8
November's been a busy month, hasn't it? We're premiering a new element of This is Viral, What's the News with Katy Q! In today's episode, host Paco Abiad is rejoined by Dr. Kathryn Quissell, but you can call her Katy. Together, they analyze the outcomes of the latest U.S. elections and breaking news about promising vaccines. Got questions about what this means for pubic health? We've got the answers right here! Public Health Bookworm Reading List Podcast Resources Music by Ketsa Thank you to An...
Nov 21, 2020•22 min•Season 1Ep. 7
This episode gives a whole new meaning to "I Can't Breathe." Have you ever heard of pollution inequity? You're about to find out how minority communities are exposed to more pollution than they contribute. In the next episode of the "I Can't Breathe" series, we learn about the very real consequences of climate change on population health. In our first episode featuring a physician, we chat with pediatrician and founder of Virginia Clinicians for Climate Action, Dr. Samantha Ahdoot. If you're won...
Oct 31, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 6
Watermelon Chicken Salad, anyone? Welcome to the launch of a new series of episodes, each of which provide a unique perspective on COVID-19's impact on different topics. First up, we're examining what it's like for college students to experience the fall semester amidst fluctuating patterns of COVID-19 infections. Join co-hosts Paco Abiad, Fariha Mujeebuddin, and Ryan Orr as they listen to four distinct college student reflections. The schools featured include: New York University (NYU), Univers...
Oct 10, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 5
What can activists do to promote embodied solidarity to ally with the Black community? In the next episode of the I Can't Breathe series, co-hosts Paco Abiad and Mikayla Marraccini embark on a journey of social ethics with Dr. Nichole Flores, a religious studies professor at the University of Virginia. Join them in a riveting conversation that connects the dots between Black Lives Matter, the hardships of the Latinx community, protests in sports, and performing arts centers. Join This is Viral i...
Sep 12, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 4
What do you do when someone doesn't believe that racism is a health issue? *Note: Within this episode, we use the term Black bodies when discussing systemic racism in the healthcare field. While the intentions are benign, we acknowledge that language matters and that a better phrase is Black People or Lives, because the Black community is more than their bodies.* Epidemiologist and infectious disease expert Dr. Nadia Abuelezam joins co-hosts Paco Abiad and Casey Grage to build upon the previousl...
Aug 29, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 3
Medical anthropologist Dr. Gertrude Fraser and co-hosts Paco Abiad and Joyce Cheng launch the I Can't Breathe Series. Dr. Fraser discusses her mindset teaching medical anthropology at UVA, maternal mortality as an example of racial health disparities, and her personal experiences with police safety as a form of racial privilege. Donate to Sister Song to support indigenous women and women of color achieve reproductive justice. Public Health Bookworm Reading List for further learning, readings rec...
Jul 31, 2020•35 min•Season 1Ep. 2
Anti-racism is more than a trending topic. We’re pleased to announce an upcoming series on anti-racism and its intersection with health. Our team has been working hard to listen, reflect, and research content on this enormous topic. Topics we'll be focusing on include: Defining systems of inequality and how they contribute to racial health disparities, emphasizing the importance of anti-racism, what progress has been made since George Floyd's death and what systemic changes remain, the risks of ...
Jul 20, 2020•8 min
"What the heck is public health and what does that have anything to do with me?" Host Paco Abiad chats with Doctor Kathryn Quissell from the University of Virginia to expand on the core values of public health, how she came to dedicate herself to researching health inequities, and who would benefit from a little public health knowledge. (Hint: the answer is everyone!) To learn more about the research interests of the guest expert, each episode features additional reading material so that you may...
Jun 20, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 1
Hello! Thank you tuning into our show, This is Viral. We are a team of students, activists, and public health nerds. Our mission is to foster passionate and insightful conversations on a variety of public health topics that apply to listeners of all backgrounds. With the help of featured guest experts, we know we can get the job done. We hope you enjoy this healthy dose of content!
Jun 12, 2020•59 sec
