Shows
Epidemiological PodcastsPatriotism in a Divided WorldThis week, I embark on a contemplative journey, sharing a unique perspective on patriotism that transcends conventional allegiance to country. Born in Mexico and residing in the United States, I dive into the complex relationship between patriotism, sports, and national identity, challenging the tribal divisions often amplified by global events. This episode offers a candid reflection on the essence of patriotism beyond flag-waving and anthem-singing. Through personal anecdotes and thoughtful commentary, I explore the value of freedom of expression, the perils faced by dissenters in less tolerant societies, and the nuanced appreciation for the freedoms available in his adopted...
2024-02-2404 min
Epidemiological PodcastsPolitics and Public HealthIn this episode, I share my thoughts following a conversation with fellow public health professionals. I talk about the challenges we face in urban public health, the relationship between socio-economic factors and crime, and the complexities surrounding homelessness.
I also explore how political ideologies, both conservative and liberal, influence our approaches to critical issues like vaccination mandates, gun safety, and mental health.
Drawing on my personal and professional experiences, I discuss the often difficult balance between scientific evidence and political biases in shaping public health policies.
The featured image for this episode was...
2024-01-2708 min
Epidemiological PodcastsMy Chat With ChatGPTI'm an early adopter of technology, even the more controversial technology. I don't know why ChatGPT has awakened so many fears because it is clear to me that it is just another tool for us humans to use for good or evil. In this episode, I talk about my relationship with ChatGPT, what I use it for... And I even interview the darned thing. It's pretty cool, and it won't eat your lunch if you won't let it.
2024-01-2009 min
Epidemiological PodcastsI Like Flying, Except When I Don'tYou might not know that I am a big fan of aviation. But I'm also one who gets nervous in planes with turbulence. Go figure.
2024-01-0606 minEpidemiological PodcastsBack From The SicknessA quick 5-minute update about my recent illness, and how -- yet again -- I am promising to keep up this podcast.
2023-11-2604 minEpidemiological PodcastsCatching up with you on August 13Just a quick, five minute episode to get you caught up. I’ll do better next time. Promise.
2023-08-1404 min
Epidemiological PodcastsI Don't Believe in Stuff Because I Know StuffMy parents made sure I knew stuff, so I wouldn't fall for stuff. Scammers have to work hard to get me, and they hate that. I can see through the web of lies of antivaxxers and people who try to sell me Supplements or Complementary and Alternative Medicine (SCAM). I hope I'm passing all this on to my daughter, so she knows stuff and can identify bullsh*t when she sees it.
2022-12-1308 minEpidemiological PodcastsWe Need to Stand Up and Defend LGBTQ+ RightsExperiences in high school led me to understand how LGBTQ+ people needed me to stand with them, defend them, and, most of all, love them. And now, we in public health need to stand up against policies from governments who are looking to hurt transgender kids.
2022-10-2223 minEpidemiological PodcastsA Walk On The C&O TrailI went for a walk to clear my head and start thinking of things to do for next week. Here are some of my thoughts.
2022-10-1617 minEpidemiological PodcastsThat Time I Was The Greyhound And She Was The RabbitAfter a bad breakup twenty years ago, I decided to take up running. I met some women and even went on dates because of running. But there was this one race where I made a fool of myself just in time to avoid being labeled a criminal.
2021-10-1407 minEpidemiological PodcastsIt’s okay to listen to a podcast and cryMy culture is kind of weird. We’re not allowed to do the things our bodies and minds ask of us, like crying. If you cry, you’re apparently not a man, or you’re less of a man. Of course, that is not the case. You need to be who you are, and who the world needs you to be.
2021-10-0911 minEpidemiological PodcastsLet’s Talk About Walking Away From ArguingWhen I was younger, getting into internet arguments was kind of fun, even when said arguments were not productive or had the possibility of becoming violent. As I’ve aged, one of the best things I’ve learned has been to know when to walk away from arguing. Even better, I’ve learned to apologize. I’ve learned good sportsmanship in life, I guess. Let me tell you all about it.
2021-01-1309 minEpidemiological PodcastsLet's Talk About ReligiosityI'm a scientist, so I get a lot of questions about my religion. Like others have said, many of those questions are more in order to pass judgment or to identify with me than to really get to know me. That's okay. It's how humans work.
This year, I've seen many people claim to be of one religion but act nothing like it. We see it all the time with the current Administration in the White House, right? We have someone who claims to be Christian but puts their needy neighbors in cages. And their followers, who...
2020-12-3115 minEpidemiological PodcastsLet's Talk About How We Justify Our Actions in This PandemicHave you ever wondered why infectious diseases are a thing? I mean, why do people keep giving things like gonorrhea or HIV to each other? Why do we get colds? The reason here is that viruses and bacteria that cause disease have figured out that we humans just can't seem to stay away from each other and/or follow public health guidance.
This pandemic would have been over in a matter of weeks if we all would have just stayed home, worn masks and got tested. If we all cooperated with contact tracers, this thing would be...
2020-12-1909 minEpidemiological PodcastsLet's Talk About Faith With a Lowercase FDo you take apart your car engine and make sure that it is functioning at 100% before you take a drive? Do you check and double-check to make sure that your airplane pilot went to the proper school, knows what to do in an emergency and doesn't have something in their past that would make you think twice about flying with them?
A lot of what we do day after day -- without thinking about it -- we do on faith, with a lowercase F. We don't really think too much about stuff because doing so would drive...
2020-12-1012 minEpidemiological PodcastsA Long Walk in the Woods in the Middle of a PandemicI finally worked out a schedule whereby I can get more days off and get some rest before long hauls of long days fighting the pandemic. So I went for a long walk and thought about our mortality. Fun stuff... Creatives out there, listen and thank you.
2020-04-2206 minEpidemiological PodcastsA Call from the Pandemic to Protect Our Source of Knowledge and WisdomIn which I tell you why it’s hurtful to say it’s okay for older folks to die during the pandemic. When they do, we lose knowledge. We lose wisdom. We lose valuable lessons that we could use right now to deal with all this. Don’t be okay with older folks dying.
2020-04-0408 min
Epidemiological PodcastsEpidemiological Podcast S0E3: Hi, I’m a DoctorA quick 9-minute story of last Wednesday, the day I successfully defended my doctoral dissertation. It was quite a "day of days," and it ended very well. It brought together five years of hard work. So what's next? Listen to find out!
2018-07-0509 min
Epidemiological PodcastsEpidemiological Podcast S0E2: The Weight of the EvidenceOn today's podcast, I talk to you about a recent tragedy in our family and how it helped me understand anti-vaccine parents a little more. Not completely, but just enough to realize that there is very little in the way of a debate that one can have with them.
See, When people who don't believe that vaccines save lives tell you that there is no evidence that vaccines are safe, they're either misinformed or lying. On the flip side, when they tell you that there is evidence that vaccines cause autism, they're either misinformed or lying again. There is plenty...
2017-07-1233 min
Epidemiological PodcastsEpidemiological Podcast S0E1: The Perfect Epidemiological Surveillance SystemToday, I thought I'd share with you a 15-minute presentation I gave in Mexico City last about two weeks ago. It was on a paper I wrote based off a previous blog post. I talk about what I imagine to be the perfect system for keeping track of the population's health... That is, if money, technology, laws, and ethical considerations were not in the way of such things.
Yes, I'm giving the podcast a season and names. The first season runs from now until the end of the year and will be season zero, along with previous episodes. Kind of...
2017-07-0214 min
Epidemiological PodcastsTalking Tuesday on a Friday: June Update!A few minutes where I catch you up on the craziness around me. Nothing bad, mostly good... Thanks for your time. Hope you enjoy it.
2017-06-0207 min
Epidemiological PodcastsPodcast: October 2016 UpdateYeah, yeah… It’s been a while. I missed you too. Here’s 12 minutes of me catching you up on what happened this summer with dad getting cancer, me picking up cycling and swimming, and taking some exams. Also, there is something about Puerto Rico and Zika in there. As always, you can just download it by clicking here.
2016-10-0512 min
Epidemiological PodcastsTalking Tuesday: Spanish Interview on Flu EditionBack in 2010, right before the flu season started, the bosses at the health department allowed me to do an interview with an AM radio station out of Washington, DC. The interviewer was awesome, and she really did a good job of asking pertinent questions and keeping my answers in line. It was a great opportunity to practice public speaking and speaking in Spanish. Although it is my first language, sometimes I forget some of its conventions. I've speaking English too long, I guess.
2016-05-2428 min
Epidemiological PodcastsTalking Tuesday: Catch-Up EditionThe best kinds of friends are those who you can lose contact with for months and then catch-up with quickly over some coffee or hot tea or hot chocolate... Or a beer. In this episode, I try to catch-up with you after being gone a while.
2016-05-1712 min
Epidemiological PodcastsTalking Tuesday, On A Saturday, In A BlizzardWhat else was I going to do while I waited out the great Northeast Blizzard of 2016 but do a podcast? And what is a better way to do it than to invite a couple of friends to chat with? I used a new app called ZCast to record a chat with Briana Morgan and Craig Egan about “Impostor Syndrome” and “Trolling”…
2016-01-2430 min
Epidemiological PodcastsTalking Tuesday: NorovirusIf you have ever had Norovirus, then you will remember it for a while. Let me tell you about it, and tell you to wash your hands once, twice, and three times. Listen to this, then go wash your hands. If you want to download the mp3 file, click here.
2015-09-0809 min
Epidemiological PodcastsTalking Tuesday: My Spanish is not very pretty these daysGrowing up, mom used to make me speak English well or Spanish well, but never both. I thought I spoke good Spanish, until I came to Colombia. My Spanish is different, and, in translating a document from English to Spanish, I learned my written Spanish needs a lot of work.
2015-07-0203 min