FDA Officially Approves Pfizer COVID Vaccine For Use | Greater Boston

Pfizer's COVID vaccine is now officially approved for use. Up until now, it had Emergency Use Authorization only. THE FDA’s decision to fully sign off came this morning after reviewing hundreds of thousands of pages of data from tens of thousands of trial participants around the world. Adam Reilly, in for Jim Braude, was joined by Dr. Sandro Galea, dean of Boston University's School of Public Health, on how the FDA’s COVID vaccine approval might change the game and whether local college campuses are ready for the influx of students as the Delta variant continues to spread.

This segment aired on August 23, 2021.

People Still Getting Infected With COVID-19, Despite High Vaccination Rate

Despite high vaccination rates in Massachusetts, some people are still getting sick with COVID-19.

The latest state data show more than 4,000 cases in people who have been fully vaccinated — and nearly 80 people have died.

Dr. Sandro Galea, dean and Robert A. Knox professor at Boston University, joined Deborah Becker on Morning Edition to talk about what this means now and possibly for the future.

This segment aired on July 16, 2021.

Beyond Vaccines: How Can We Prevent the Next Pandemic? | The Dose Podcast

Many Americans have started to behave as if the pandemic is over, but large numbers of people remain unvaccinated. At the same time, other parts of the world are experiencing their worst COVID-19 surges yet.

On the season finale of The Dose, Sandro Galea, M.D., physician, epidemiologist, and dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, talks about what it will take to vaccinate the entire world and how we can protect ourselves from future pandemics.

He explains that while vaccines may mitigate the crisis in the short run, they cannot be a substitute for long-term investments in the social services that keep people healthy.

Listen to the full podcast here.

"Vision, without execution, is hallucination." - Interviewing Dr. Sandro Galea | A Different Kind of Leader

Sandro Galea, MD, MPH, DrPH, a physician, epidemiologist, and author, is dean and Robert A. Knox Professor at Boston University School of Public Health. In this episode, Dr. Galea describes his early beginnings in Medicine and the decision to pivot towards a career in public health. He comments on the biomedical achievements in response to the pandemic, as well as the structural challenges that emerged and/or were exacerbated as a result of the pandemic. His advice to leaders in these uncertain times is to recognize both the successes and failures that are connected to the pandemic, particularly the health inequities that continue to be present in our society. The four key components of leadership that Dr. Galea addresses are: integrity, hard work, compassion, and self-restraint.

Listen to the full podcast here.

Silicon Valley Wants Dogs to Live Longer for Humans | Bloomberg Businessweek

Dr. Sandro Galea, Dean of Boston University School of Public Health, discusses why a variant from India is seen as a potential risk. Bloomberg Businessweek Editor Joel Weber and Bloomberg Businessweek Features Writer Ashlee Vance talk about how canine life-extension research by the startup Loyal could lead to breakthroughs for the rest of us. Bloomberg News Executive Editor David Gillen shares the Bloomberg Big Take story Inside China Huarong's Race to Prevent a Debt Disaster. Bloomberg News Auto Reporter Gabrielle Coppola breaks down Tesla's contract with Luminar Technologies to test and develop laser-sensor technology. And we Drive to the Close with Brendan Ahern CIO at KraneShares.

Listen to the full podcast here.

Episode 251: Reflecting On ‘Surviving The White Gaze’; Why Green Burials Are Surging In Popularity | New England News Collaborative

Rebecca Carroll’s new memoir details her experiences as a Black child raised by adoptive white parents in rural New Hampshire. This week on NEXT, Carroll talks about “Surviving The White Gaze.” Plus, epidemiologist and physician Dr. Sandro Galea on the impact of structural issues on public health — and how we should prepare for the next pandemic. And we learn about the practice of “green” burials, and why they’re becoming more popular.

Listen to the full podcast here.

Exploring Arts in Public Health with Dr. Jill Sonke, Dr. Sandro Galea, Dr. Maria Jackson, Sunil Iyengar, and David Leventhal | Health Promotion Practice

In this episode, guest host Dr. Jill Sonke is in conversation with four authors from HPP's Arts Supplement. They talk about how art has a key role at the heart of what public health is trying to do, go beyond the physical benefits of dance, and elevate cultural kitchens. This metaphor sparks a deep conversation the validity of art and its ability to build trust with communities. Dr. Sonke is in conversation with Dr. Sandro Galea from the Boston University School of Public Health, Maria Rosario Jackson from Arizona State University, Sunil Iyengar from the National Endowment for the Arts, and David Leventhal from the Dance for PD program.

Click here for to read more.

Integrating precision medicine and population health: challenges and opportunities | Precision Medicine Leaders Summit

Precision medicine approaches hold enormous promise to focus diagnostic approaches and potentially to improve treatment opportunities over a range of diseases. However, the promise of these approaches has largely lagged their achievement. The role that context plays in shaping our response to treatment is, in no small part, responsible for this promise-achievement gap. Population health science offers an approach to understand how we can integrate influence at various levels—from individual to environmental—in prevention and treatment. A forward looking agenda then integrates the building blocks of precision medicine and population health.

If you are a Precision Health member, you can watch the full keynote here.

The Shrinking of the Global Middle Class | Bloomberg Businessweek

Dr. Sandro Galea, Dean of Boston University School of Public Health, discusses the race to get people vaccinated before more Covid outbreaks occur. Bloomberg Businessweek Editor Joel Weber and Bloomberg News Senior Trade and Globalization Reporter Shawn Donnan talk about how millions have tumbled out of the global middle class. Bloomberg News Wall Street Reporter Sonali Basak shares the details of Jamie Dimon's annual letter to shareholders. And we Drive to the Close with Leo Kelly, CEO at Verdence Capital Advisors.

Listen to the full podcast here.

The Current | CBC Radio

Long-term care residents might have thought getting vaccinated would mean more freedom, but now they face lockdowns due to outbreaks among unvaccinated staff. We talk to epidemiologist Dr. Sandro Galea and his dad, Emidio, who has just spent the last 14 days in his room; and Susan Mintzberg, a PhD candidate studying the impact of loneliness on seniors in the School of Social Work at McGill University. 

Plus, many elders in the N.W.T. must move hundreds of kilometres to access care facilities as they age, cut off from their land and loved ones. We talk to elder and advocate Margaret Leishman in Kakisa, N.W.T., who wants more support for elders to age in place. Angela Grandjambe, housing manager for Fort Good Hope, tells us about a new facility that has just opened to allow seniors to stay close to their communities.

Listen to the full interview here.

We Asked 10 People To Imagine Life After The Pandemic. Here's What They Said | Cognescenti

Fundamentally, health is not health care. Decades of underinvestment in healthy environments, adequate education, safe workspaces and livable wages resulted in a country that was unhealthy and vulnerable to the ravages of a novel virus. The U.S. has had the highest per capita rate of COVID-19 infections throughout the pandemic.

This moment should teach us that avoiding the next pandemic will require us to rethink how we approach health, so there are no haves and have nots. It’s recognition that we cannot be healthy, unless we build a world with safe housing, good schools, livable wages, gender and racial equity, clean air, drinkable water, a fair economy.

It’s time to change how we think about health.

Listen to the whole interview here.

Rebuilding Trust In Public Health Will Take Long-Term Investment, Expert Says | WGBH

Wednesday marks one year since Governor Charlie Baker declared a state of emergency in Massachusetts due to the COVID-19 outbreak. More than half a million Americans have died since then, but with vaccines rolling out across the country, hope is on the horizon. Dr. Sandro Galea, the dean of Boston University’s School of Public Health joined Jim Braude to mark the anniversary, look back at what we have learned, and discuss the challenges that still lie ahead.

Read the full article here.

Engine Explosion Spurring Boeing 777 Groundings | Bloomberg Businessweek

Dr. Sandro Galea, Dean of the Boston University School of Public Health, provides a coronavirus and vaccine update. Bloomberg Businessweek Editor Joel Weber and Bloomberg Businessweek Features Writer Ashlee Vance talk about a 27-year-old who became a Covid-19 data superstar. Bloomberg New Economy Editorial Director Andy Browne walks through his column “America Needs A China Sputnik Moment.” Bloomberg News Aerospace Reporter Julie Johnsson shares her insight on an engine explosion spurring Boeing 777 groundings in the U.S. and Asia. And we Drive to the Close with James Cakmak, Partner and Technology Analyst at Clockwise Capital.

Hosts: Carol Massar and Tim Stenovec. Producer: Doni Holloway.

Listen to the full interview here.

The Interplay Between Environmental Exposures and Mental Health Outcomes - A Workshop | National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine

There is growing evidence that the environment can play an important role in mental health—yet research into the effects of environmental stressors rarely focuses on behavioral and mental health outcomes. This virtual workshop will bring together experts in mental health and environmental health research to explore emerging research on the relationship, harmful or beneficial, between environmental factors and mental health.

Join us as we explore ways to better integrate mental and behavioral health into multidisciplinary considerations of environmental health, and consider how mental and behavioral health impacts could become part of environmental risk assessments and public health decisions.

Workshop presentations and discussions will focus on topics such as:

New diagnostic tools and methodologies in neurobehavioral research frameworks to assess mental health effects.

Vulnerable populations, such as marginalized communities, adolescents, first-responders, and veterans.

Identifying public health actions that could help reduce the mental health impacts of environmental stressors.

Watch the video here.