The Scholars Table with Dr. Banda

Dr Banda Khalifa
  • 5.0 (1)
  • Education
  • Updated Biweekly

The Scholars Table with Dr Banda brings scholars, leaders, practitioners, and emerging voices to the table for thoughtful conversations about health, science, academia, leadership, and public life. Hosted by Dr Banda Khalifa, each episode explores the journeys, ideas, and decisions shaping meaningful careers, public health, and global impact.

  1. Dean Adnan Hyder on Public Health Leadership, Purpose, and the Future of Global Health

    5d ago

    Dean Adnan Hyder on Public Health Leadership, Purpose, and the Future of Global Health

    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.

    38 min
  2. Africa Must Build, Not Beg

    Mar 16

    Africa Must Build, Not Beg

    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.

    55 min
  3. The best MPH in Africa?: Ensign University (Practicum, Scholarships, Career Paths)

    Feb 21

    The best MPH in Africa?: Ensign University (Practicum, Scholarships, Career Paths)

    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.

    35 min
  4. Global Health Is About Power: Seye Abimbola on Knowledge, Voice & Who Gets Heard

    Feb 7

    Global Health Is About Power: Seye Abimbola on Knowledge, Voice & Who Gets Heard

    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 legitimate Representation vs real shifts in power What early-career researchers misunderstand about publishing & peer review How peer review can be rigorous AND just How to stay critical in global health without becoming cynical Graduate study & academic opportunities in Australia (University of Sydney context)

    39 min
  5. Professor Ana Navas-Acien: PhD Mentorship, Academic Leadership & Building an Impactful Research Career

    Jan 12

    Professor Ana Navas-Acien: PhD Mentorship, Academic Leadership & Building an Impactful Research Career

    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.

    30 min
  6. The Future of Epidemiology: AI, Public Health & Global Talent at Harvard

    12/29/2025

    The Future of Epidemiology: AI, Public Health & Global Talent at Harvard

    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.

    33 min
  7. A New Dean at Johns Hopkins: A Vision That Will Shape Public Health’s Future

    12/05/2025

    A New Dean at Johns Hopkins: A Vision That Will Shape Public Health’s Future

    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.

    40 min
  8. What ‘Impact’ Actually Means in Global Health

    11/17/2025

    What ‘Impact’ Actually Means in Global Health

    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.

    48 min
See All (21)

About

The Scholars Table with Dr Banda brings scholars, leaders, practitioners, and emerging voices to the table for thoughtful conversations about health, science, academia, leadership, and public life. Hosted by Dr Banda Khalifa, each episode explores the journeys, ideas, and decisions shaping meaningful careers, public health, and global impact.

Information