Banda Forum

Epizodes

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  AI, Misinformation, and Global Health Security 23.07.2026 45min

  Can AI and stronger readiness systems help us respond faster to the next pandemic, or just expose how fragile our systems are? Dr. Prativa Baral, Deputy Director of the Pandemic and Emergency Readiness Lab (PERL) and Assistant Professor at McGill University, joins The Scholars Table with Dr Banda on AI, misinformation, and global health security. The conversation covers where AI genuinely helps in emergencies, preparing for misinformation before a crisis, and what recent outbreaks reveal about global readiness. Hosted by Dr Banda Khalifa.
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  A purpose-driven career in public health | Prof. Tiffany Gary-Webb 16.07.2026 29min

  In this episode of The Scholars Table, Dr. Banda Khalifa sits down with Prof. Tiffany Gary-Webb to discuss what it means to build a career in public health with purpose, clarity, and service.Prof. Gary-Webb reflects on her journey through epidemiology, health equity, mentorship, leadership, and community-centered research. The conversation explores how public health careers are shaped by more than titles or publications. They are shaped by the problems we choose to work on, the communities we remain accountable to, and the people we help bring along the way.Together, they discuss the importance of staying grounded, building meaningful collaborations, mentoring the next generation, and using research to address inequities that affect real lives.This episode is for students, early-career researchers, public health professionals, and anyone thinking deeply about how to build a career that is both excellent and useful.
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  Who Gets to Lead African Health? | Dr Catherine Kyobutungi, APHRC 09.07.2026 27min

  Who gets to lead in African health? Dr Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director of APHRC, joins The Scholars Table with Dr Banda on African voices and African leadership in global health: who sets the agenda, where credibility comes from, and what changes when African institutions lead. A Ugandan physician and epidemiologist, she co-directs CARTA and has spent her career arguing for African leadership in health and research. Hosted by Dr Banda Khalifa.
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  Who Really Holds the Power in Global Health? | Prof. Lawrence Gostin 02.07.2026 31min

  Who actually governs global health: WHO, powerful countries, donors, private industry, or law itself? Professor Lawrence O. Gostin, Founding Director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law and Distinguished University Professor at Georgetown University, joins The Scholars Table with Dr Banda for a conversation on law, power, and the next pandemic.One of the most influential voices in global health law, public health ethics, human rights, and pandemic governance, Professor Gostin examines where real power sits in global health decision-making, what the WHO Pandemic Agreement adopted in May 2025 can and cannot do, and the unresolved fight over pathogen access and benefit-sharing heading into 2026.
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  The Next Pandemic Is Already Warning Us | Jennifer Nuzzo on Ebola, Hantavirus & Preparedness 18.06.2026 25min

  In this episode of Global Health Uncensored, Dr. Banda Khalifa speaks with Professor Jennifer Nuzzo, Director of the Pandemic Center and Professor of Epidemiology at Brown University School of Public Health. Professor Nuzzo is a globally recognized leader in global health security, public health preparedness and response, and health systems resilience. Her work includes co-leading the Global Health Security Index and advising governments and organizations on how to measure and improve readiness for infectious disease threats.The conversation examines whether the world has truly learned from COVID-19 or is still reacting too late, funding too slowly, and hoping fragile systems hold. Drawing on current events, including a hantavirus cluster and an Ebola outbreak in Central and East Africa, Dr. Khalifa and Professor Nuzzo discuss how outbreaks are detected, how risk is communicated, and whether preparedness is treated as a permanent public good or only remembered after lives are lost.
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  WHO Africa's Emergency Director on Pandemics, AI & the Future of Health Security in Africa 15.06.2026 52min

  What does it actually take to lead emergency response across an entire continent? Dr. Marie Roseline Belizaire, Emergency Director at WHO Africa, joins Dr. Banda Khalifa for an honest, no-headlines conversation about pandemic preparedness, AI, funding cuts, and the future of health security in Africa. From outbreak fieldwork in the DRC to regional emergency leadership at WHO AFRO, Dr. Belizaire has spent her career where success depends not just on technical guidance, but on trust, logistics, diplomacy, and coordination under pressure. In this episode, she breaks down where emergency-response delays really come from, the three highest-leverage fixes for Africa, what the Pandemic Agreement still needs to deliver, how global health survives the era of "America First" funding cuts, and where AI genuinely helps and where it risks widening inequity.
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  Dean Adnan Hyder on Public Health Leadership, Purpose, and the Future of Global Health 09.06.2026 37min

  In this episode of The Scholars Table, Dr. Banda Khalifa sits down with Dean Adnan Hyder, Dean and Robert A. Knox Professor at Boston University School of Public Health, for a thoughtful conversation on public health leadership, global health, graduate education, and building a meaningful career with purpose.Dean Hyder reflects on his journey from medicine to public health, his training at Johns Hopkins, his leadership vision for Boston University School of Public Health, and the skills future public health professionals need in a rapidly changing world.The conversation also explores what makes a strong public health applicant, how students can think about choosing the right graduate program, the challenges of funding and access for international students, and why passion, strategy, opportunity, and accountability matter in leadership.Dean Hyder also shares a powerful message for emerging public health leaders: public health is not just a career path; it is a commitment to impact, equity, and improving people’s lives.
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  Africa Must Build, Not Beg 16.03.2026 54min

  In conversation with Professor Christian Happi, the real subject is not recognition, but authorship: who gets to produce the knowledge, tools, and institutions that shape the future of health.
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  The best MPH in Africa?: Ensign University (Practicum, Scholarships, Career Paths) 21.02.2026 34min

  Thinking about an MPH in Africa that meets global standards—without the confusion? In this episode of Ensign Scholars Table, we sit down with President Stephen Alder of Ensign Global University (Ghana) to unpack what makes Ensign’s Master of Public Health (MPH) stand out: a practice-first practicum, scholarship opportunities, and real career pathways across government, NGOs, global health organizations, and academia.
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  Global Health Is About Power: Seye Abimbola on Knowledge, Voice & Who Gets Heard 07.02.2026 38min

  Global health isn’t just technical, it’s political. In this episode of The Scholars Table, we sit with Seye Abimbola to unpack how knowledge, power, and voice shape what gets funded, published, and implemented in global health.We discuss:How power determines whose knowledge is seen as legitimateRepresentation vs real shifts in powerWhat early-career researchers misunderstand about publishing & peer reviewHow peer review can be rigorous AND justHow to stay critical in global health without becoming cynicalGraduate study & academic opportunities in Australia (University of Sydney context)
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  Professor Ana Navas-Acien: PhD Mentorship, Academic Leadership & Building an Impactful Research Career 12.01.2026 29min

  Discover what it really takes to stand out in PhD applications, excel in doctoral interviews, and build a meaningful, long-term academic research career. In this episode, Professor Ana Navas-Acien shares practical, experience-driven insights on PhD selection, mentorship, academic leadership, and how to create impactful research that lasts beyond publications.Whether you’re preparing for a PhD interview, choosing mentors, navigating academic culture, or aiming to become a future research leader, this conversation breaks down the hidden signals committees look for and the habits that sustain a successful academic career over decades.
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  The Future of Epidemiology: AI, Public Health & Global Talent at Harvard 29.12.2025 32min

  In this wide-ranging conversation, we sit down with Dr. Albert Hofman, Chair of the Department of Epidemiology at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, to go beyond rankings, GPAs, and buzzwords.Dr. Hofman shares rare insight from decades of global academic leadership, covering PhD admissions, mentorship, funding cuts, and the future of epidemiology in an era shaped by AI, climate change, and widening inequities.This episode is essential viewing for PhD applicants, early-career researchers, faculty, and global health leaders, especially those navigating elite academic spaces from outside traditional pipelines.
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  A New Dean at Johns Hopkins: A Vision That Will Shape Public Health’s Future 05.12.2025 39min

  In this powerful and historic conversation, we sit down with Professor. Keshia M. Pollack Porter, the first Black Dean and only the second woman to lead the #1 school of public health in the USA,  Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in more than a century. This is the beginning of a new vision for public health, leadership, and the next generation of change-makers.The Dean opens up about her early life, her academic journey, and the leadership lessons that shaped her rise within one of the world’s most influential public health institutions.
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  What ‘Impact’ Actually Means in Global Health 17.11.2025 48min

  What does it take to move from clinical work to shaping global policy? In this episode of Global Health Uncensored, we sit down with a leading health economist and former senior advisor to multilateral institutions who now leads global impact measurement at one of the world’s largest companies.She shares how her early medical training in Nigeria shaped her systems thinking, how she navigated career pivots into health economics and policy, and what it really means to drive change in complex institutions.
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  How to Build a Safer World: Lessons from a former US CDC Director 06.11.2025 49min

  Former CDC Director Dr. Tom Frieden joins us to discuss what the world must do now to prevent the next pandemic. From lessons learned during COVID-19 to actionable steps for global health security, this conversation reveals what it takes to protect lives and strengthen health systems worldwide.#TomFrieden #GlobalHealth #PandemicPreparedness #BandaGlobalForum
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  How to Break Into Global Health in 2025 (Advice No One Told You) 19.10.2025 42min

  What does it really take to succeed in global health? In this eye-opening episode of The Scholars Table, Dr. Ngozi shares the unfiltered truth about building a sustainable and impactful career in public health, beyond the classroom and credentials. From navigating career transitions and fieldwork challenges to thriving as a woman of color in high-stakes leadership roles, Dr. Ngozi unpacks the real mindset, skills, and strategies you need to make it in global health today.
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  The State of Global Health: Power, Policy & What Comes Next 04.10.2025 55min

  In this powerful episode of The Scholars Table, Dr. Banda Khalifa sits down with Prof. Madhukar Pai, the Inaugural Chair of the Department of Global and Public Health at McGill University and Canada Research Chair in Epidemiology & Global Health, for an unfiltered conversation on the state of global health today.Prof. Pai offers not just critique, but also clarity —a call to reimagine global health with equity, justice, and local leadership at its center.
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  How to Get Into LSHTM in the UK | Admissions & Funding Advice with Prof. Ahmed Rashid 04.10.2025 30min

  The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is consistently ranked among the world's top public health schools. But what makes its graduate programs unique, and what should applicants know before applying?In this episode of The Scholar’s Table, Dr. Banda Khalifa speaks with Professor Ahmed Rashid, Pro-Director of Education at LSHTM. Professor Rashid oversees the school’s Master’s and Doctoral programs and is a leading voice in global medical education.
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  Inside Canada’s Top Graduate School for Global Health | Dean Franco 04.10.2025 53min

  Thinking about graduate school in public or global health? 🇨🇦Join Dr. Banda Khalifa on The Scholars Table as he interviews Prof. Eduardo Franco, Director and Associate Dean at McGill University—one of Canada’s top institutions for public health education and research.Whether you're considering applying to grad school or want to understand how Canada is leading global public health education, this episode delivers practical advice and big-picture vision.
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  Inside WashU’s New Public Health School: Dean Sandro Galea on the Future of Health Education 05.08.2025 16min

  In this inspiring episode, Dr. Banda Khalifa sits down with Professor Sandro Galea, one of the most influential voices in global public health, to explore the future of health education, equity in admissions, and the next frontier of innovation at Washington University’s new School of Public Health. About Our Guest:Professor Galea is the Margaret C. Ryan Dean of the School of Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis, and holds the prestigious Eugene S. and Constance Kahn Distinguished Professorship. A global leader and academic visionary, he’s reshaping how we think about public health education and leadership in the 21st century. What You’ll Learn in This Episode:The mission and distinctiveness of WashU’s brand-new School of Public HealthA bold vision for inclusive and equitable graduate admissionsThe future of financial access and scholarship models in public health educationHow climate change, AI, and data science are being integrated into the curriculumCandid advice for students, early-career professionals, and aspiring leaders in public health