Shiny Epi People

Lorraine Dean, ScD, social epidemiologist, discusses her very winding road to epidemiology, returning to academia after 2 years in a policy position, "failing up", and the impact she wishes to have as a Black female scholar. We also talk Reader's Digest wisdom, Covid stress management, pineapple pizza, and more!

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Tim Lash, ScD is a cancer epidemiologist, editor-in-cheif of a major journal in our field, editor of the primary textbook in our field, and chair of an epidemiology department. He knows epidemiology! That's why I asked him to share his most important piece of advice for epidemiologists from PhD students to full professors. Tim and I talk about the huge social we put together for the 50th anniversary of our epidemiology society, and all of the hilarious prep involved in getting a band of 30 epidemiologists to play and sing at the event. Tim also tells stories of wearing a screen door, nearly failing college physics, his big college t-shirt collection, and more!

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Timothy Sheahan, PhD is a coronavirologist whose work on SARS-Cov2 (the virus that causes Covid-19) is contributing to critical and timely therapies and guidelines for public health and clinical care. Tim's appointment is within an epidemiology department! We talk about what it's like to rise to "fame" for his coronavirus research, how he keeps himself safe, and the high- and lowlights of this pandemic for his work. We also discuss making music, colonizing Mars (without the virus!), his fire obsession as a kid, and much more!

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Cheryl Clark, DrPH is an epidemiologist who has worked in the government for over two decades. We talk about her role now improving maternal and child health programs in state health departments and her commitment to health equity. We also discuss Cheryl's amateur art hobby, drinking salsa, Don Cheadle starring in her mystery novel, and more!

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Cara Eckhardt, PhD is my BFF and a nutritional epidemiologist. In this episode, Cara talks about her choice to move back to her home state and take a faculty position that focuses on teaching epidemiology to undergraduates. We also discuss her dreams of being a presidential debate moderator, Werther's originals, bralettes, soup dumplings, jaunty hats, grape flavor, and more!

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 Leslie McClure, PhD, Chair of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at Drexel, discusses the benefits of hidden mentoring, what it feels like to be a department chair, and the impact of early-career failure on her trajectory. She also talks hot flashes, foolishly cutting her own bangs, that horse thing with Daniel Radcliffe, and more!

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Louisa Smith, MS is an epidemiology PhD student at Harvard who was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer at age 28. After a year of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation, she now has no evidence of disease! On this episode, Louisa talks about her treatment, quantifying and graphing her own data, joining a randomized trial, and thinking about her future and how she wants to spend her time now. Louisa tells me about a Modern Epidemiology textbook-yearbook, an outhouse race she won, and choosing her PhD program based on the outcome of a basketball game. Louisa is delightful, and her story is so uplifting!

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Bertha Hidalgo, PhD, genetic epidemiologist, discusses how she is using her status as an Instagram influencer to promote public health and what it is like being a Latina in America and in academia. Bertha also talks about working in Dr Anthony Fauci's lab, her closet with 50 handbags, and fountain Diet Coke and baby carrots. I also give her a baseball quiz!

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The pod's twitter account hit 2000 followers, and I promised my 9-year-old something special when we hit this mark. So, here is Layla Bodnar, 4th grader, the baby of 3 kids, interviewing me (and me also interviewing her). Clearly, she has potential to be a podcaster in her own right!

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Geetika Kalloo, PhD decided that academia was not a good fit for her. After much reflection and confusion, she decided to take a job in healthcare consulting and is now so happy! Geetika and I share some of the many lessons we've learned in therapy, and we bond over our love of robes. She talks Frasier, cold-shoulder tops, and much more!

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