Shiny Epi People

Sarah Birken, PhD is an Associate Professor in the Department of Implementation Science in the School of Medicine at Wake Forest University, and Sarah co-hosts the AcaDames podcast. In this sort-of Acadames-Shiny Epi People cross-over episode, Sarah tells me the pod's origin story, how she has changed as a podcaster, and what she loves and finds challenging about it. We also talk vulnerability and "radical honesty" along with knitting nothing but long strips, needing a butt emoji, judgy autocorrect, our phone obsession, and more! 

You can find AcaDames wherever you get your podcasts or AcaDamespodcast.com. Sarah refers to an episode of AcaDames called "Bodies." That was episode S107: Journal Club: Bodies.

Support the show

The wonderful podcast AcaDames interviewed me for their show today (episode S504)!  If you'd like to listen, you can find AcaDames wherever you get your podcasts or go to acadamespodast.com. We talked about my experience being divorced and a single mom of 3 kids, my choice to take a faculty position to be near my family, setting boundaries at work, how I get away with not having a lot of meetings in my day, and my love of bringing people together and making connections, through parties that I throw and (of course) Shiny Epi People! 

Support the show

Aisha Dickerson, PhD is an epidemiologist who studies environmental risk factors for neurodevelopmental and neurodegenerative disorders. Aisha tells me about her long and complicated path to her faculty position and her tenacity in getting there. Her path includes partying in undergrad, being rejected by an MSPH program but convincing admissions to enroll her, receiving many rejections of applications for faculty positions, and landing at Johns Hopkins. Aisha was the mascot Blaze for the University of Alabama, auditioned for the reality show Love Connection, and can be bribed with carrot cake. You'll LOL with this one for sure!

Support the show

Nur Zeinomar, PhD is a cancer epidemiologist who is an Instructor of Medicine in the Section of Cancer Epidemiology and Health Outcomes at Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey. She and I talk about how it does take a village to raise kids with two parents with demanding careers, and how she found that village in New York City. She also wanted to talk about her need for safe spaces to express her religion and culture, and her ultimate acceptance of her own unique qualities a Muslim Arab American. Nur tells me about her life as the default parent, her love of Syrian cooking, her "resting nice face", and much more!

Support the show

Bill Miller, MD, PhD, MPH is Senior Associate Dean of Research, Professor of Epidemiology at the Ohio State University College of Public Health, and international expert in infectious disease epidemiology, and yet he describes himself as "an introverted imposter with ADD." Bill unpacks all of this, as well as being known in his family as "the dumbest smart kid" they ever knew. He also tells me about being comfortable with vulnerability, his 3-legged cat, his college athletic career, and what sports he would like to compete in if he were an Olympian.

Support the show

Debbie Jakubowski is a PhD student at the University of Illinois at Chicago who credits her career in biostatistics partially to her start in the community college system. After obtaining a degree in mathematics from UC-Berkeley, Debbie got an MPH and began working at a biotech company as a statistician. She tells me the benefits and draw of working in industry, and why she will continue her work there after her PhD graduation. We also discuss her polish last name, her new @WildBoarEpi twitter account, selfies with the brain, her cat's speech impediment, and more!

Support the show

Lauren McCullough, PhD is a cancer epidemiologist who has mastered what people sometimes call "soft skills" (how you work). In this episode she talks about the 3 questions to ask yourself before setting goals, how to map goals onto time allocation, and how to get what you need in a mentor. Lauren is incredibly talented in the arts, as well! She tells me about being a national champion baton twirler and bowing out of the 2nd round of auditions to be a Beyonce backup dancer so go to grad school!

Support the show

Cara Eckhardt, PhD is my BFF. In part 2 of my conversation with her, Cara and I talk about our own 20-year friendship, how we have stayed close after so many years, the impact that celebrating each other's lives has helped us strengthen our connection, how adults form friendships generally, and how to not lose yourself after becoming a parent. There is also talk Flamenco singing, Sesame Street and Disney villains, my awful experience on the placebo in an allergy medicine RCT,  and our epi-style Fyre Fest.

The audio clips of Cara singing flamenco include fast-paced Tanguillos (a classic form of flamenco from Cadiz, Spain), slow and lovely Guajiras (an example of “ida y vuelta” flamenco showing a style that flowed to Cuba and came back to Spain with Cuban influences), as well as a cover of the song, “Naita,” a modern pop song with Flamenco influences about social disparities by the Spanish group, Ojos de Brujos.

Support the show

Dr. Abdul El-Sayed is an epidemiologist, physician, progressive activist, educator, author, speaker, and political contributor to CNN. Abdul holds a doctorate in public health from Oxford University, and in addition to his academic contributions, he served as Health Director in the City of Detroit. In 2018, he ran for Governor of Michigan and was endorsed by Senator Bernie Sanders, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, and others. And though he earned over 340,000 votes, he finished second of three in the Democratic Primary. Abdul tells me his views on the moral imperative that epidemiologists have in advocating for public health. He also shares what he worries about, how he maintains hope, how he handles imposter syndrome, and meeting Bernie, AOC, and Cher. This episode will inspire you!

Support the show

Yanica Faustin, PhD, moved from an R1 institution to a mid-sized private university where her job is mostly teaching and mentoring undergraduates in epidemiology and public health. She tells me about that choice and why she feels supported and happy there. Yanica also shares stories of her unique birthing experience, her obsession with Sims (the video game), barely tolerating her wife's love of skiing, and more!

Support the show