About this episode:

Dr. Jirair Ratevosian was a high level global health official in the State Department—a job he left to pursue a Congressional seat in California’s 30th district. In this episode, he details what it takes to run for Congress (including knocking on more than 30,000 doors) and how he talked about public health with voters. Spoiler alert: He didn’t win, but he did learn a lot and is hopeful that Congress can again be a place where people go to solve problems.

Guests:

Dr. Jirair Ratevosian is an associate research scientist at Yale, an infectious disease fellow at Duke, and a graduate of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

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 and related content:

• What Running For Congress As An HIV Activist Has Taught Me—The Body

• Congressional Hopeful Jirair Ratevosian on Armenia, LGBTQ+ Rights, and the American Dream—Advocate

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