Public Health On Call

About this episode:  
Individuals awaiting organ transplants are often encouraged to reach out to family, friends, neighbors, and colleagues to ask if they will consider becoming a living organ donor. As social media expands our reach beyond our immediate communities, it could become a powerful tool in connecting recipients with donors. In this episode: Macey Levan, a kidney donor and researcher, explains why social media can be so useful in forging life-saving connections and what to consider when making the ask of an online community. 
Guest: 
Macey Levan, PhD, JD, is an associate professor of surgery and population health at NYU Grossman School of Medicine. She also serves as director of policy and external affairs for the Transplant Institute and director of the qualitative core in the Center for Surgical and Transplant Applied Research. 
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: 
Social Media in the Identification of Living Kidney Donors: Platforms, Tools, and Strategies—Current Transplantation Reports 

Social media and organ donation: Ethically navigating the next frontier—American Journal of Transplantation 

Kidney Donation: How to Make the Ask—National Kidney Foundation 

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

About this episode:  
Headlines about sick sloths in Florida and the reemergence of the New World screwworm in the southwest are raising concerns about potential animal-to-human spillover of certain diseases. In this episode: an update on gammaherpesvirus at Sloth World, why experts are concerned about new screwworm cases, and what both of these situations may mean for human health.
Guest: 
Dr. Meghan Davis, PhD, MPH, is a veterinarian and chair of the Master of Public Health program 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: 
Mass Sloth Deaths in Florida Are a Warning About Wildlife Trade and Pandemic Risk, Scientists Say—Inside Climate News

USDA Confirms Presence of New World Screwworm in the United States—USDA

Could One Health Prevent the Next Pandemic?—Public Health On Call (September 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:
@‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky

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@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

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

About this episode:  
Research on the potential impacts of certain medications, vaccines, and interventions on pregnant people and their fetuses is lacking. Much of this is due to culturally perceived risks associated with pregnancy and fears of litigation. In this episode: Ruth Faden, an expert in bioethics, explains how this gap in data can fuel other risks and how to ethically and responsibly include pregnant people in clinical trials.
Note: This conversation builds on a recent episode of playing god?, the podcast from the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. Listen to that episode here.
Guest: 
Ruth Faden, PhD, MPH, is the Philip Franklin Wagley Professor of Biomedical Ethics and the founding director of the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics. 
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: 
Two Bodies, One Prescription—playing god?

COVID-19 Vaccines and Pregnancy—Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health

The second wave: Toward responsible inclusion of pregnant women in research—International Journal of Feminist Approaches to Bioethics

Weighing the Risks and Benefits of Medication Use During Pregnancy—Public Health On Call (October 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:
@‌PublicHealthPod on Bluesky

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@‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook

@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

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

About this episode:  
Data from 2025 shows that over 300,000 children are living in foster care in the United States. The Administration for Children and Families—the federal agency that oversees child welfare programs—aims to keep more children out of the system and with their families. In this episode: a conversation with Assistant Secretary Alex Adams about recent changes to grants and policies that seek to support families affected by substance use and reform practices around survivor benefits for children who have lost their parents. 
Guest: 
Alex Adams, PharmD, MPH, is the Assistant Secretary for Family Support, leading the Administration for Children and Families.
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: 
Rolling Out the Welcome Mat for Prevention—The Imprint

Former Idaho official ended state taking foster kid's Social Security money. Are other states next?—Idaho Capital Sun

A Home for Every Child—Administration for Children and Families

The AFCARS Dashboard—Administration for Children and Families

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:
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@‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube

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

About this episode:  
Juneteenth is a holiday that asks Americans to balance celebration with the continued pursuit of freedom and equality. In this classic episode from 2022: Professor Janice Bowie talks about the meaning of Juneteenth and issues a call to reflect and recommit to championing progress within our own communities.  
Guest: 
Janice Bowie, PhD, MPH, is professor emeritus in Health, Behavior, and Society at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.  
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: 
Juneteeth: Sun, Sounds and the Spirit of Freedom—Smithsonian Institution 

Juneteenth National Independence Day Act—Congress.gov 

Where Research Meets the Street—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine 

The Concepts Behind the Language of Equity—Public Health On Call (February 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:
@‌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.