On Good Authority

Is it safe to bring friends and family together for the holidays in a pandemic? Epidemiologist Susan Hassig answers COVID-19 safety questions about how to plan for Thanksgiving, what to consider for travel and holiday gatherings and whether this should be the year for Zoom celebrations. Read more from Dr. Hassig about winter and managing COVID-19 risks.

Several states are still counting ballots and the results will determine who leads the U.S. for the next four years. Tulane constitutional law expert Stephen Griffin explains what is happening now and how the 2020 race could change future elections.

How much is anxiety impacting our sleep habits and what can we do to combat those endless sleepless nights? Tonya Hansel in the Tulane School of Social Work gives tips for incorporating healthy sleep habits into our bedtime routine. For more information on healthy habits, check out these self-care resources.

Pediatrician and child and adolescent psychiatrist Dr. Lauren Teverbaugh discusses why celebrating milestones like Halloween are still important, how to talk to your family about celebrating safely and brainstorming new traditions during COVID. To learn more about Dr. Teverbaugh’s work, visit: https://news.tulane.edu/pr/tulane-child-psychiatrist-named-robert-wood-johnson-clinical-scholar

Julia Lang is the associate director of career education and life design at the Phyllis M. Taylor Center for Social Innovation and Design Thinking at Tulane. Her class “Taylor Your Life” helps students learn how to plan a fulfilling life and career. The same principles in her course are in “(Re) Designing Your Life in a post COVID-19 world,” her step-by-step guide to making big decisions in uncertain times. Click here to read her guide, which includes the worksheets she mentions in the podcast. To learn more about her life design class, visit: https://taylor.tulane.edu/life-design/.

What are conspiracy theories? Who buys into them? In confusing times like a global pandemic are we more susceptible and willing to believe in them? A discussion with Geoff Dancy, associate professor of political science at Tulane who teaches a course about conspiracy theories, answers questions about how we process information and why people are willing to believe.

Researchers are discovering that COVID-19 antibodies can vanish in as little as two months after infection. What does that mean for those who’ve recovered and efforts to find a vaccine? A discussion with virologist Bob Garry and immunologist James McLachlan about what we’ve learned about antibodies and why the innate immune system may be more important in fighting off the virus than first realized.

In this podcast, we’ll take you into the minds of Tulane experts. From climate change to coronavirus—we’ll check in with a good authority on the subject. 

What’s the latest on Covid-19? We’ll check in with Tulane scientist who are researching it. Has your whole life been overhauled? Our expert in design thinking has a checklist to navigate big changes.

These are just a few of the fresh topics we’re planning. From researchers in the field to scientists working in our labs, On Good Authority connects you to a world of expertise at Tulane University.