Public Health On Call

About this episode:  
A massive incinerator located in the Curtis Bay neighborhood of Baltimore will no longer burn medical waste under a new deal with the state of Maryland. It's a big win for local activists and neighbors who have long voiced concerns about the facility's repeated air pollution violations and residents' health. In this episode: Community leader Shashawnda Campbell and professor Christopher Heaney detail the neighborhood advocacy and research partnerships that led to this pivotal moment—and the work still ahead to safeguard the health of communities like Curtis Bay.
Guest: 
Shashawnda Campbell is a community leader and the environmental justice director of the South Baltimore Community Land Trust.
Christopher Heaney, PhD, MS, is an associate professor of Environmental Health and Engineering and Epidemiology 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 The Uptake, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 
Show links and related content: 
Troubled Baltimore incinerator will stop burning medical waste under state deal—The Baltimore Banner

Curtis Bay Energy will end incineration of medical waste under agreement with state—Maryland Matters

Explosion at CSX coal terminal rattles Baltimore buildings—WUSA9

Air Pollution in Baltimore's Curtis Bay Community Linked to Nearby Coal Terminal Activities and Wind—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

Community vs. Coal: Reclaiming Health in Curtis Bay—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine

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:  
In addition to making you feel a bit jetlagged, the semiannual practice of moving our clocks forward and back can have health impacts. And while many Americans agree that we should "lock the clock," there's a growing debate about whether the clock should be fixed to daylight saving time or standard time. In this episode: Sleep expert Vadim Zipunnikov discusses the biology behind changing clocks and why many scientists—himself included—are on team standard time.
Guest: 
Vadim Zipunnikov, PhD, MS, MA, is a professor of Biostatistics 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 The Uptake, and the director of content strategy for the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. 
Show links and related content: 
H.R.139 - Sunshine Protection Act of 2025—Congress.gov

7 Things to Know About Daylight Saving Time—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

End of daylight saving time can send our internal clocks into a tailspin—The Hub

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:  
Headlines about an alleged sexual assault at Cornell University provide a devastating reminder of how common sexual violence is in the U.S., particularly among high school and college students. In this episode: Michele Decker, whose research focuses on gender-based violence prevention and response, discusses the scope of sexual violence as a public health problem, misconceptions about how it's perpetrated, and evidence-backed methods for prevention, survivor support, and accountability.
Note: This episode includes discussion of incidents of sexual assault. If you or someone you know are concerned about having experienced sexual violence or supporting a survivor, you can reach out to to http://RAINN.org or call 800-656-HOPE or text HOPE to 64673.
Guest: 
Michele Decker, ScD, MPH, is a Bloomberg Professor of American Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the founder and director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Global Women's Health and Gender Equity.
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: 
Stop downplaying the plague of violence against women—The Hill
How a Cornell Student Went From Shame to Action—The New York Times

The Jeanne Clery Act—Clery Center

Chanel Miller reads her entire victim impact statement—60 Minutes via YouTube

The "Red Zone" of Sexual Assault—Johns Hopkins Student Well-Being Blog

Child Sexual Abuse is Preventable, Not Inevitable—Public Health On Call (August 2026)

The 30th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women Act—Public Health On Call (October 2024)

Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners (SANE) and the Dual Crises of Nurse Shortages & Post-Roe Fallout—Public Health On Call (November 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:  
We promise this episode won't put you to sleep. Adam Milam is a cardiothoracic anesthesiologist with a PhD in public health who leverages this unique background to improve the quality of care for his patients inside the operating room and beyond. In this episode: Dr. Milam shares how his public health training has allowed him to probe at larger questions about ethics and care as a clinician, and how his time in the operating room has given him a sense of urgency in solving population-level challenges.  
Guest: 
Dr. Adam Milam, PhD, MHS, is a professor of anesthesiology at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, and he serves as vice chair for health outcomes in the department of anesthesiology and critical care medicine.
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: 
Equity and Quality—Improving Health Care Delivery Requires Both—JAMA

Advancing Health Equity Research in Perioperative Medicine—Anesthesiology & Analgesia

Social drivers of health and perioperative outcomes: Identifying domains and barriers with significant impact—The American Journal of Surgery

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: 
Kratom is an imported leaf containing opioid-like psychoactive compounds that can be found at your local convenience store or online. Recently linked to the deaths of two college students, the product sits at the intersection of burgeoning research, drug policy limitations, and harm reduction, leaving the potentially dangerous compounds found in kratom unregulated. In this episode: Drug safety expert Caleb Alexander and host Lindsay Smith Rogers discuss what kratom is and where regulation of the drug stands.
Guest: 
Dr. G. Caleb Alexander, MS, is an internal medicine physician and co-director of the Center for Drug Safety and Effectiveness. He holds joint appointments in Epidemiology at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.
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: 
Temporary Control of 7-Hydroxymitragynine (7-OH) and Other Kratom-Related Substances Under the Controlled Substances Act—Congressional Research Service Legal Sidebar

The rise of novel, semi-synthetic 7-hydroxymitragynine products—Addiction

Kratom: Summary of State Laws—Legislative Analysis and Public Policy Association

Kratom found at locations where two Ole Miss students were discovered dead—NBC News

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.