How population health science and biomedical science together can create a healthier world.
I recently had the privilege of interviewing Dr. Arati Prabhakar, the current Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Our conversation was wide-ranging and I much enjoyed it (it can be viewed here on the White House website). At one point in the discussion, Dr. Prabhakar said, “Health is not all about the molecules.” I thought this was a terrific encapsulation of much of what we do in our engagement with health, a succinct distillation from someone who serves as the chief science and technology advisor to the president. Because, fundamentally of course, when we think of science and technology and health, we do often think about the molecules, about the “hard” sciences and the technological developments they yield. We are accustomed to measuring scientific advances in health as the emergence of new pills, potential genetic modifications, and biological enhancements. This perspective is understandable. Such innovations are important, and we would likely all agree that, when we get sick, we want to do so in a world with the best drugs and treatments. Yet it is also true indeed that “Health is not all about the molecules.” Drugs and treatments can help us when we are ill, but they are far less decisive in shaping the health of populations. Health, at its core, is a product of the conditions in which we live. Do we have clean air and water? Can we access nutritious food? Can we get a good education? Do we face racism, misogyny, and xenophobia? Are we financially afloat or do we lack the material resources to live economically secure lives? Such questions are at the heart of population health. They determine whether we live healthy lives or remain vulnerable to disease and preventable harm.
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