What if we could vaccinate minds against misinformation before people encounter it? Dr. Stephen Barnard reveals the breakthrough science of "prebunking" - psychological inoculation that builds our resistance to manipulation tactics. Explore why traditional fact-checking fails and how rebuilding trust through relationships might be our most powerful defense against the post-truth era.

References for Our Discussion

◼️ The new science of prebunking: how to inoculate against the spread of misinformation

◼️Psychological inoculation improves resilience against misinformation on social media

◼️STEPHEN R. BARNARD Website

Guest

◼️Dr. Stephen Barnard

Host(s) & Producer(s)

◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

What's the difference between an honest mistake and a deliberate lie? In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Dr. Stephen Barnard breaks down the spectrum of problematic information and the psychological vulnerabilities that make us susceptible to false information—from echo chambers and political identity to our eroding trust in institutions. 

This conversation episode examines how misinformation spreads accidentally while disinformation campaigns deliberately exploit our biases for profit and power. Through examples ranging from pharmaceutical marketing disguised as news to the viral spread of COVID conspiracy theories, we uncover the human psychology behind our information crisis and why public health misinformation can literally be a matter of life and death.

References for Our Discussion

◼️ The new science of prebunking: how to inoculate against the spread of misinformation

◼️Psychological inoculation improves resilience against misinformation on social media

◼️STEPHEN R. BARNARD Website

Guest

◼️Dr. Stephen Barnard

Host(s) & Producer(s)

◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

While Twitter was still seen as a platform for users to provide seemingly trivial updates, sociology graduate student Stephen Barnard began a decade-long deep dive into how the platform was reshaping journalism and democracy itself. This episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast explores Dr. Barnard's unexpected path into pioneering digital media research and his reflections on citizen journalism during the Ferguson protests and the dismantling of information gatekeeping that gave us today's media ecosystem.

References for Our Discussion

◼️ The new science of prebunking: how to inoculate against the spread of misinformation

◼️Psychological inoculation improves resilience against misinformation on social media

◼️STEPHEN R. BARNARD Website

Guest

◼️Dr. Stephen Barnard

Host(s) & Producer(s)

◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

In the thrilling conclusion to our mini‑series with Dr. Don Weiss, we crack open three of New York City’s most chilling public health case files. From the anthrax bioterrorism attacks that rattled a nation to a toddler’s X‑ray that revealed a murderous heavy‑metal plot, to a bacterial “serial killer” hiding in plain sight. All these stories from Dr. Weiss' new book illuminates the fascinating world of epidemiology.

References for Our Discussion

◼️ [New Book] Disease Detectives: True Stories of NYC Outbreaks

◼️ Debate Over Monkeypox Messaging Divides N.Y.C. Health Department

Guest

◼️Dr. Don Weiss

Host(s) & Producer(s)

◼️ Leshawn Benedict, MPH, MSc, PMP®

◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

What does it take to track down an outbreak in one of the world’s busiest cities? Dr. Don Weiss reveals his step-by-step playbook for disease surveillance and investigation in New York City—a global crossroads where public health threats can escalate fast.

From rapid detection to pinpointing sources, discover how Dr. Weiss and his team used science, strategy, and detective work to protect millions in a city where every second counts.

References for Our Discussion

◼️ [New Book] Disease Detectives: True Stories of NYC Outbreaks

◼️ Debate Over Monkeypox Messaging Divides N.Y.C. Health Department

Guest

◼️Dr. Don Weiss

Host(s) & Producer(s)

◼️ Leshawn Benedict, MPH, MSc, PMP®

◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

A curious 8-year-old with a love for chemistry grows up to investigate some of America's most dangerous disease outbreaks—then risks his entire career to speak truth to power.

Dr. Don Weiss spent more than two decades as an epidemiologist, investigating everything from post-9/11 anthrax letters to lead poisoning outbreaks. But one of his biggest challenges would come later in his career, when he decided to become a whistleblower.

During the 2022 Mpox outbreak in New York City, Dr. Weiss believed the official health messaging was dangerously misleading. When his internal concerns were ignored, he faced an impossible choice: stay silent or speak out and risk destroying his career. In the end, he chose integrity over job security—and the article published in the New York Times meant that his career would ultimately pay the price.

References for Our Discussion

◼️ [New Book] Disease Detectives: True Stories of NYC Outbreaks

◼️ Debate Over Monkeypox Messaging Divides N.Y.C. Health Department

Guest

◼️Dr. Don Weiss

Host(s) & Producer(s)

◼️ Leshawn Benedict, MPH, MSc, PMP®

◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

The research that gave us COVID vaccines in record time, that's working on cancer cures, and that's preparing us for climate change is under unprecedented threat. Massive budget cuts are shutting down labs, halting breakthrough research, and dismantling America's scientific infrastructure. But scientists aren't sitting idle.

In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, host Gordon Thane speaks to one of such scientists, Dr. James Alwine, about how researchers are mobilizing to defend public health through grassroots organizing, strategic communication, and citizen advocacy. From the rapid formation of Defend Public Health to early victories in protecting critical agencies, we uncover the tactics that are working and why your voice as a citizen carries more weight than you might think.

References for Our Discussion

◼️ Trump Is Killing Life-Saving Health Research

Guest

◼️James Alwine, PhD | Emeritus Professor of Cancer Biology, University of Pennsylvania; Visiting Professor, University of Arizona; Coordinating Committee Member, Defend Public Health

Host(s) & Producer(s)

◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

In 1970, a young man, from a paper mill town in Pennsylvania, borrowed his roommate's car and drove 11 miles to see a new medical school. That casual drive would lead to one of the most widely used techniques in molecular biology and biomedical research.

In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Dr. James (Jim) Alwine reflects on the fortuitous moments behind his career, how science builds on centuries of knowledge, the power of NIH funding, why "silly science" saves lives, and the threats now dismantling the foundations of health research.

References for Our Discussion

◼️ Trump Is Killing Life-Saving Health Research

Guest

◼️James Alwine, PhD | Emeritus Professor of Cancer Biology, University of Pennsylvania; Visiting Professor, University of Arizona; Coordinating Committee Member, Defend Public Health

Host(s) & Producer(s)

◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

The Ottawa Charter offered a bold idea: that health isn't just shaped in hospitals or clinics, but in the everyday decisions we make about policy, environments, education, and empowerment. Nearly four decades later, that idea feels more urgent than ever.

In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, host Gordon Thane unpacks the story of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. From its origins in Ottawa, Ontario, to the movement it tried to spark, we’ll explore why the Charter felt revolutionary in 1986, how it slipped from practice, and why its vision still matters today.

Hosts & Producers

◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

References for the Discussion

◼️ Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion: An International Conference on Health Promotion

◼️ The 1st International Conference on Health Promotion, Ottawa, 1986

◼️ Milestones in health promotion : statements from global conferences

◼️ Health promotion emblem

Podcast Production Notes

◼️ 1st news clip adapted from  ‘UN: Chronic, Non-Communicable Disease Is World's Leading Killer’ [Voice of America]

◼️ 2nd audio clip adapted from ‘Health Report - WHO Campaign to Beat Cardiovascular Disease’ [Voice of Africa]

◼️ 3rd audio clip adapted from ‘Global Cancer Crisis: WHO's Urgent Call to Action’ [News Central TV]

◼️ 4th audio clip adapted from ‘Why is diabetes spreading around the world? | Inside Story’ [Al Jazeera English]

Credits

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

One morning in February 2025, EngenderHealth received the kind of email every global health leader dreads—three major USAID grants were gone. No warning. No appeal. Just: “not in the national interest.”

In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, we unpack the real-world consequences: canceled surgeries, programs being stretched to their limit, and the ripple effects that reach far beyond borders. EngenderHealth’s CEO, Traci Baird, returns to share how her team acted fast—redirecting emergency funds, forming unlikely partnerships, and putting resilience to the test. Because when lives are on the line, waiting for policy to catch up isn’t always an option.

References for Our Discussion

◼️EngenderHealth

◼️DOGE Makes Its Latest Errors Harder to Find

Guest

◼️Traci Baird

Host(s)

 Purva Mehta, BMSc, MSc

Producer(s)

◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.