In this episode of Infectious Dose, Heather McSharry talks with Terry Virts—retired NASA astronaut, Air Force colonel, and candidate for Congress in Texas—about what happens when leadership ignores science.

Drawing on his experience in aviation, spaceflight, and risk analysis, Terry discusses the real-world consequences of sidelining evidence in public health, climate, and emergency preparedness. The conversation covers COVID-era misinformation, vaccines, measles outbreaks, healthcare access in Texas, and the dismantling of scientific institutions.

The episode also explores the parallels between spaceflight safety systems and high-containment biosafety labs—highlighting why science-based leadership isn’t optional when lives are on the line.

🔗 A full transcript PDF is available in the companion blog post at InfectiousDose.com. And Terry's campaign website is: https://www.terryvirts.com/

Follow Terry: @AstroTerry on Insta/Twitter/Bluesky and astro_terry on Threads

Follow Heather: @pathogenscribe on Insta/Twitter/Bluesky/Threads