Public Health On Call

About this episode:  
Suicide rates in the U.S. are highest among American Indian and Alaska Native populations and are concentrated among young people. Personal brushes with this devastation sparked members of the White Mountain Apache tribe to develop an innovative and community-centered suicide prevention program. In this episode: Novalene Alsenay Goklish and Emily Haroz of the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health discuss the impact of the Celebrating Life program and how its deep roots in the tribal community allow caseworkers and staff to connect directly with those in need.  
Note: This episode includes discussions of suicidality and suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, there is 24-hour assistance in the United States available by dialing 988.
Guest: 
Novalene Alsenay Goklish, DrPH, MS, is an assistant scientist with the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health.
Emily Edmunds Haroz, PhD, MHS, MA, is an associate professor of International Health and Mental Health, and a faculty member at the Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health.
Host: 
Lindsay Smith Rogers, MA, is the producer of the Public Health On Call podcast, an editor for The Uptake, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 
Show links and related content: 
Celebrating Life—Johns Hopkins Center for Indigenous Health

Suicide Prevention Programs for Native American Youth—Bloomberg American Health Initiative

Decreases in Suicide Deaths and Attempts Linked to the White Mountain Apache Suicide Surveillance and Prevention System, 2001–2012—American Journal of Public Health

Suicide Data and Statistics—CDC

Why the Health of Indigenous People Impacts Us All—Public Health On Call (October 2022)

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. You can also email PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu to request a transcript.
AI disclosure (as of September 2026):
The conversations you hear on the podcast are happening between real humans, and real humans are developing and researching episodes behind the scenes. In addition to real human audio engineers, Public Health On Call uses AI production tools to assist with the removal of filler words and improve audio quality. If you have any questions about our use of AI, please reach out to PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu. 
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. You can also leave us a voicemail at ‪(667) 217-6214‬ for the chance to hear your voice on the podcast.
Follow us:
@‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky

@‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram

@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

Here's our RSS feed

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

About this episode:  
Since its inception, the Environmental Protection Agency has served as the bedrock for major policy initiatives to protect human and environmental health in the U.S.—from safeguarding access to clean air and water to reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. But a recent move towards deregulation reflects major changes happening at the agency. In this episode: Tom Burke, who served as the deputy assistant administrator of the EPA from 2015 to 2017, talks about his serious concerns about recent policy moves—and his confidence that the future of environmental health nonetheless remains strong.
Guest: 
Tom Burke, PhD, MPH, is an emeritus professor at Johns Hopkins and a former top official with the Environmental Protection Agency in the Obama administration.
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. 
Show links and related content: 
EPA Hits 40-Year Lows in Staffing After Trump Targets Its Public Health Experts—Inside Climate News

The EPA's Approval of Two New Pesticides—Public Health On Call (March 2026)

The Future of the Environmental Protection Agency Under Trump—Public Health On Call (December 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. You can also email PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu to request a transcript.
AI disclosure (as of September 2026):
The conversations you hear on the podcast are happening between real humans, and real humans are developing and researching episodes behind the scenes. In addition to real human audio engineers, Public Health On Call uses AI production tools to assist with the removal of filler words and improve audio quality. If you have any questions about our use of AI, please reach out to PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu. 
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. You can also leave us a voicemail at ‪(667) 217-6214‬ for the chance to hear your voice on the podcast.
Follow us:
@‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky

@‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram

@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

Here's our RSS feed

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

About this episode:  
A leaf of iceberg on a sandwich or a serving of chopped romaine in a salad can add a satisfying crunch to your lunch—but does it offer much of anything else? In this episode: Washington Post food policy columnist Tamar Haspel unpacks the environmental implications of growing lettuce, the limited nutritional benefits offered by the crop, and why it's such a common culprit behind outbreaks of foodborne illnesses.
Guest: 
Tamar Haspel is an author and columnist with the Washington Post, who covers food, health, and science.
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: 
Why we should stop eating lettuce, cyclospora or not—The Washington Post

Why salad is so overrated—The Washington Post

The Explosive Diarrhea Episode—Public Health On Call (July 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. You can also email PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu to request a transcript.
AI disclosure (as of September 2026):
The conversations you hear on the podcast are happening between real humans, and real humans are developing and researching episodes behind the scenes. In addition to real human audio engineers, Public Health On Call uses AI production tools to assist with the removal of filler words and improve audio quality. If you have any questions about our use of AI, please reach out to PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu. 
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. You can also leave us a voicemail at ‪(667) 217-6214‬ for the chance to hear your voice on the podcast.
Follow us:
@‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky

@‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram

@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

Here's our RSS feed

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

About this episode:  
Vitamin A is essential for good vision, a healthy immune system, cell growth, and reproductive health, and it has proved to be a critical tool in fighting childhood mortality in parts of the world where access to nutrient-rich foods is limited. But while Vitamin A has saved many lives, supplementation isn't necessary for most people, despite what you may read online. In this episode: a slate of experts from the Johns Hopkins University join host Lindsay Smith Rogers to dive into the history of vitamin A supplementation, how it has shaped global health, and what this incredible nutrient can't do despite its benefits.  
 
Note: This episode was produced in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University sesquicentennial campaign.
Guests: 
Brian Foster, PhD, MSc, is an associate professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and director of the laboratory of cardiovascular biochemistry. 
Amanda Palmer, PhD, MHS, is an associate professor of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 
Dr. Alfred Sommer, MHS, is a Johns Hopkins University distinguished service professor and dean emeritus of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 
Keith P. West, Jr., DrPH, MPH, is the George G. Graham professor of International Health 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: 
The Story of Dean Sommer and Vitamin A—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health 

Bellagio brief: vitamin A deficiency and childhood mortality—Bulletin of the Pan American Health Organization 

Moving from science to public health programs: lessons from vitamin—American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 

Double blind, cluster randomised trial of low dose supplementation with vitamin A or β carotene on mortality related to pregnancy in Nepal—The BMJ 

Posner Fellow Studies Role of Vitamin A and Advocates for Patients—Johns Hopkins University & Medicine 

In A Grain Of Golden Rice, A World Of Controversy Over GMO Foods—NPR 

Poison Centers Observe Increased Vitamin A Exposures in Children During Measles Outbreak—America's Poison Centers 

Remedy Supported by Kennedy Leaves Some Measles Patients More Ill—New York Times

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. You can also email PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu to request a transcript.
AI disclosure (as of September 2026):
The conversations you hear on the podcast are happening between real humans, and real humans are developing and researching episodes behind the scenes. In addition to real human audio engineers, Public Health On Call uses AI production tools to assist with the removal of filler words and improve audio quality. If you have any questions about our use of AI, please reach out to PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu. 
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. You can also leave us a voicemail at ‪(667) 217-6214‬ for the chance to hear your voice on the podcast.
Follow us:
@‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky

@‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram

@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

Here's our RSS feed

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

About this episode:  
Scientists, tech companies, and world leaders are sounding the alarm on potential threats to humanity as AI models grow more powerful. Is part of this threat related to the technology's biological capabilities? In this episode: Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, answers: yes. He provides an overview of what AI is capable of doing and what possible threats could be around the corner if policies don't intervene to control these developments.
Guest: 
Dr. Tom Inglesby is a professor of Environmental Health and Engineering and the director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security.
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. 
Show links and related content: 
A.I. Queries From Abroad Raise Fears of a Biological Weapons Race—The New York Times

How AI makes biological research more dangerous—Axios

Detecting and countering misuse of AI: September 2026—Anthropic

Generative design of bacteriophages with genome language models—Science

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. You can also email PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu to request a transcript.
AI disclosure (as of September 2026):
The conversations you hear on the podcast are happening between real humans, and real humans are developing and researching episodes behind the scenes. In addition to real human audio engineers, Public Health On Call uses AI production tools to assist with the removal of filler words and improve audio quality. If you have any questions about our use of AI, please reach out to PublicHealthQuestion@jhu.edu. 
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. You can also leave us a voicemail at ‪(667) 217-6214‬ for the chance to hear your voice on the podcast.
Follow us:
@‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky

@‌PublicHealthPod on Instagram

@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

Here's our RSS feed

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