The Aedes aegypti mosquito transmits deadly viruses like Zika, chikungunya, and dengue, but doesn’t actually get sick from the diseases it carries. George Dimopoulos of the Johns Hopkins Malaria Research Institute talks with Stephanie Desmon about a new discovery of a protein, Argonaute 2, that plays a key role in the mosquito’s immune system, and how genetically modifying mosquitos could make them vulnerable to the viruses they carry. They also discuss how much of an impact killing off large numbers of mosquitos would have, both on the burden of disease and larger ecological balance.

676 - Could We Genetically Modify Mosquitos to Die From the Diseases They Carry?

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It’s graduation time at the Bloomberg School! Doctoral candidate Francesca Marino joins the podcast to talk about how her interest in neuroscience led her to pursue a degree in epidemiology, and about her research looking into whether and how daily patterns of physical activity tracked through a wearable device could indicate cognitive health or decline. Guest: Dr. Francesca Marino is a recent graduate of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health whose research focuses on the epidemiology of aging. Host:  Dr. Josh Sharfstein is vice dean for public health practice and community engagement at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, a faculty member in health policy, a pediatrician, and former secretary of Maryland’s Health Department. Show links: Associations of Physical Activity and Heart Rate Variability from a Two-Week ECG Monitor with Cognitive Function and Dementia: the ARIC Neurocognitive Study—PubMed Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health  Activity, Sleep & Dementia—Hopkins Bloomberg Public Health Magazine Contact us: Have a question about something you heard? Want to suggest a topic or guest? Contact us via email or  on our website. Follow us:   @‌PublicHealthPod on X   @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Instagram   @‌JohnsHopkinsSPH on Facebook   @‌PublicHealthOnCall on YouTube   Here's our RSS feed  

762 - Interview With a Graduate: A New Doctor of Epidemiology Connects Physical Activity to Cognitive Health

Armed internal conflict  in Sudan has created a humanitarian crisis with millions of people displaced both internally and to neighboring countries. Dr. Salim Mohamednour, a medical epidemiologist with expertise in emergency response and the national health coordinator at the WHO country office in Sudan, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the unfolding catastrophe and what needs to be done. Special thanks to Aseel Salih, Hassan Salih, and Laila Zomorodian, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health students who assisted with the production of this podcast. A note that Dr. Mohamednour is not representing the WHO on the podcast. Content warning: this episode contains depictions of violence. Listeners interested in contributing can consider supporting the World Food Program, the  Sudanese American Physicians Association, and Sadagaat.

761 - The Humanitarian Crisis in Sudan

The planetary health crisis can’t be ignored in hospitals where patients are sick from climate-driven things like asthma from air quality emergencies, COVID-19 from a zoonotic spillover event, and cardiovascular complications from heat waves. Chris Lemon, an ER doctor and Bloomberg Health Initiative fellow who focuses on the intersection of climate change and health, talks with Stephanie Desmon about his work bringing planetary health dialogue to hospital staff while also looking at ways health systems can lower their massive carbon footprints.

760 - Planetary Health in the ER: The Role of Medicine In The Earth Crisis

From mushrooms to microscopic organisms, fungi represent a serious—and still relatively unexplored—threat to human health. Dr. Arturo Casadevall returns to the podcast to talk about his new book, What If Fungi Win? which looks at why certain fungal infections take off, why they’re so hard to treat, and why we will most certainly see more of them with climate change and treatment-resistant strains. Learn more: https://www.press.jhu.edu/books/title/53673/what-if-fungi-win 

759 - Book Club: What If Fungi Win?

Johnson v. Grants Pass, a case before the U.S. Supreme Court, raises the question of whether homelessness can be criminalized. Ashley Meehan, a doctoral student at Johns Hopkins, talks with Dr. Josh Sharfstein about the public health dimensions of this issue. They discuss her research looking into what happens to people after encampment sweeps and what policies would benefit not only people experiencing homelessness but their communities and cities as well. Listen to our previous episode on this issue: https://johnshopkinssph.libsyn.com/621-the-health-consequences-of-displacing-people-experiencing-homelessness

676 - Could We Genetically Modify Mosquitos to Die From the Diseases They Carry?

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