Épisodes

  • A Revolutionary Approach to Health Care Pricing
    Jul 8 2025

    Since the 1980s, the U.S. has experimented with various forms of managed health care. But none of them has managed to control costs or improve health outcomes, argues Senior Fellow Hayden Rooke-Ley. In this episode of Humans in Public Health, he explains a radical new idea from CAHPR researchers for delivering lower health care costs that is actually quite old-fashioned: a return to fee-for-service.

    Read the JAMA article here.

    Voir plus Voir moins
    15 min
  • LIVE RECORDING: How Do Urban Landscapes Shape Our Health?
    Jun 10 2025

    A special live Commencement & Reunion Weekend episode of Humans in Public Health brings experts from epidemiology together with the director of Urban Studies at Brown for a discussion on cities: How they collect public health problems and the ways they might help us to address those same issues.

    Voir plus Voir moins
    37 min
  • Rhode Island's Response to the Overdose Crisis
    May 13 2025

    This episode of Humans in Public Health features Professor Alex Macmadu, an epidemiologist who has spent her career studying the opioid and overdose crisis. She shares insights on Rhode Island’s bold step in opening the first state-approved overdose prevention center in the U.S. and what her research reveals about community attitudes toward harm reduction. Listen in to learn how evidence, advocacy and compassion are shaping the future of public health responses to drug use.

    Voir plus Voir moins
    12 min
  • Who Employs Your Doctor?
    Apr 10 2025

    What happens when private equity firms buy hospitals and doctor’s offices? In this episode of Humans in Public Health, host Megan Hall sits down with health care economist Yashaswini Singh to unpack how private equity is reshaping the American health care system—often behind the scenes. From rising costs to shifting priorities in patient care, Singh explains why the recent collapse of Steward Health Care is just the tip of the iceberg. Whether you’ve heard the term “private equity” or not, this conversation will change the way you think about your next doctor’s visit.

    Voir plus Voir moins
    16 min
  • The Moment Everything Changed: Voices from the Start of the Pandemic
    Mar 11 2025

    March 2020—life as we knew it changed overnight. In this special episode of Humans in Public Health, we take you back to the early days of the pandemic, when uncertainty loomed, fear spread and the world held its breath. Through personal stories and firsthand accounts from public health experts, we revisit the emotions, decisions and pivotal moments that shaped those first weeks. How did people react? And what have we learned since? Tune in for a compelling look at the moment everything changed.

    Sound Effects in this episode from Freesound.org, courtesy of the following users:

    Isaacburkevideo, Shaunhillyard, Wjoojoo, Charlie72203, Univ_lyon3, Richwise, Hardance, Kyles, Takimeko, nixeno, Humanoide9000, pblzr, Felixblume, Voxhumanamusicurators.

    Voir plus Voir moins
    30 min
  • Forever Chemicals: Hidden Dangers in Everyday Beauty
    Feb 11 2025

    They’re not just in your nail polish. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl chemicals are everywhere—in our homes, clothing, the personal care products we use, and in our bodies. Postdoctoral researcher Amber Hall explains the dangers PFAS pose, especially to developing humans, and helps us learn how to avoid them. The burden of protecting our children’s health from toxic chemicals, she argues in the latest episode of Humans in Public Health, shouldn’t be borne by individuals. Regulation, Hall says, is needed to push through product-level change and protect the public’s health.

    Sound Effects in this episode from Freesound.org, courtesy of:

    • TRP
    • Atks_
    • Ingeos
    • DeVern

    Mentioned in this episode:

    Tell someone you know!

    And one last thing! If you enjoyed today’s episode, text a friend and let them know about the show.

    Voir plus Voir moins
    14 min
  • How Research Shapes Health Policy on Capitol Hill
    Jan 14 2025

    Host Megan Hall sits down with Jared Perkins, director of health policy strategy at Brown University's Center for Advancing Health Policy through Research. They discuss how academic research makes its way from dense journals to policymakers on Capitol Hill, bridging the gap between science and legislation. Jared offers insights into the challenges of health policy under a shifting political landscape and explains how researchers can play a vital role in shaping decisions that impact healthcare nationwide.

    Voir plus Voir moins
    13 min
  • Harnessing AI for Smarter Health Policy Research
    Dec 10 2024

    Professor Alyssa Bilinski set out to answer a seemingly simple question: how often are pregnant people included in medical trials? Finding the answer, however, was anything but simple. With 90,000 records to analyze, she turned to AI for help—but ensuring the accuracy of the results required a creative approach. Discover how Bilinski tested and refined AI algorithms to deliver reliable insights and advance health policy research.

    Mentioned in this episode:

    Tell someone you know!

    And one last thing! If you enjoyed today’s episode, text a friend and let them know about the show.

    Voir plus Voir moins
    13 min