Nextopic

Sociologist and political economist, Dr. Mauro Guillén joins us for a talk on the sociological and business impacts of the pandemic. Will people want to live in cities in the future?How does globalization affect manufacturing during a crisis? And what role does the pandemic play in women's rights? The Wharton School's Dr. Guillén goes on a brilliant exploration of trends that will change the way we live, work, and play in this new strange world. Listen now.

Historian of early modern medicine, Dr. Nükhet Varlık takes us on a trip through past pandemics, shedding light on the Black Death of 1346, the Spanish Flu of 1918, and the dynamic relationship between societies and epidemic diseases. How did our ancestors learn to live with a pandemic? And weirdly enough, why was the 1918 pandemic erased from society’s memory? Listen now to find out what we can learn from the past and apply to the future of pandemics.

Clinical psychologist and author of ‘The Psychology of Pandemics’, Dr. Steven Taylor explores the psychological impact of the COVID-19 outbreak through modern and historical lenses. Does the hoarding of toilet paper seem odd to you? Are you curious about the validity of claims that untested drugs or home remedies can cure the coronavirus? Dr. Taylor offers his thoughts on these phenomena and explores with us the history of the human pandemic response, corporate profiteering from pandemics in the past and present, and the interaction between society, technology and government during times of crisis. 

It’s no secret that COVID-19 has severely stressed the healthcare system both in the US and abroad. America has been enacting new policies and applying short-term solutions during this time in order to get through the pandemic. Will we treat this as a one-off or effect lasting change in the healthcare industry? 

This week on Nextopic: As the world navigates the COVD-19 pandemic, RA Capital Managing Partner Peter Kolchinsky dissects the shortcomings of the US healthcare system which have become a point of heated debate. A biotechnology investor by trade and a Ph.D. in Virology, Peter walks us through the world of biotechnology entrepreneurship and investment, sheds a light on some lesser-known pandemics, and reviews the state of the pharmaceutical and insurance industries. He further discusses the economic incentives (or lack thereof) that influence the ability of individuals to receive proper healthcare. “The reality is America’s doing the best job in the world of funding innovation and it’s doing a pretty bad job in making that innovation affordable to all of its own citizens,” he says. 

Peter explores new and innovative ideas on how to incentivize biotechnology research and modify healthcare policy to better serve us all through the nation-wide adoption of a universal healthcare system. 

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