The Princeton Pulse Podcast

Heather Howard
  • 5.0 (23)
  • HEALTH & FITNESS

The Princeton Pulse Podcast highlights the vital connections between health research and policy. Hosted by Heather Howard, professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, the show brings together scholars, policymakers, and other leaders to examine today’s most pressing health policy issues – domestically and globally. Guests discuss novel research at Princeton along with partnerships aimed at improving public health and reducing health disparities. We hope you’ll listen in, as we put our fingers on the pulse, and examine the power and possibilities of evidence-informed health policy. The Princeton Pulse Podcast is a production of Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW). You can learn more about health-focused research led by Princeton faculty, students, and other CHW affiliates by visiting the CHW website at chw.princeton.edu and following us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Search for "PrincetonCHW" to find us. We invite you to subscribe to The Princeton Pulse Podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts

  1. NOV 4

    An Insider’s View on the Future of U.S. Health Policy

    This special episode of the Princeton Pulse Podcast features a conversation with Chiquita Brooks-LaSure, former Administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, known as CMS. Host Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, recently sat down with the renowned Princeton alumna to discuss the future of U.S. health care policy. Their talk was held in front of a live audience to kick off the Dean’s Leadership Series, hosted by the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs. Chiquita Brooks-LaSure is an inspiring changemaker in the realm of health and health care. She was the first Black woman to lead CMS, where she oversaw programs serving more than 150 million Americans. Under her leadership, from 2021-2025, CMS doubled health coverage under the Affordable Care Act marketplaces from 12 to 24 million enrollees, expanded and strengthened Medicaid, lowered prescription drug prices, and raised maternal health standards.  This candid and rich discussion addresses the future of Medicare and Medicaid under the current administration, policy pathways to strengthen these programs, and opportunities for advancing equity, access, and innovation in U.S. health care.  --- Learn more about Brooks-LaSure’s views on Medicare and Medicaid:  Medicare and Medicaid Turn Sixty Medicare Check-Up With Former CMS Administrator Chiquita Brooks-LaSure The Princeton Pulse Podcast is a production of Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW). The show is hosted by Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, produced by Aimee Bronfeld, and edited by Alex Brownstein. You can subscribe to The Princeton Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

    48 min

  2. OCT 2

    The Devastating Health Impacts of U.S. Foreign Aid Cuts

    This episode of the Princeton Pulse Podcast addresses the public health implications of U.S. foreign aid cuts, which have sent shock waves across the world. With the stroke of a pen, billions of dollars were abruptly pulled from projects dedicated to HIV prevention, treatments for deadly diseases, basic health care for children, and other essential services – rolling back decades of progress with severe consequences that could affect generations to come.  Without U.S. support, countless lives are at risk. While populations in low-income countries will hurt the most, citizens of all countries will pay the price, including Americans, as global health systems collapse, infectious diseases soar, and the world is less prepared for emerging health threats. Host Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, is joined by two distinguished guests. Pascaline Dupas, professor of economics and public affairs and director of the Center for Health and Wellbeing at Princeton University, and also a scientific director for JPAL, is a development economist. Over the past two decades, Dupas has conducted research aimed at reducing global poverty and identifying evidence-based solutions for critical health challenges in low-income settings. Also joining the show is Cindy Huang from the Center for Global Development, who has over 20 years of experience leading humanitarian and international development efforts across government and non-profit sectors.  The panel discusses the reach and effectiveness of global health programs, why U.S. foreign aid cuts will impede the discovery and adoption of life-saving interventions, how countries can become less reliant on external aid, and hope for the path forward. --- Articles relevant to topics discussed: Subsidizing secondary education has huge benefits, for this generation and the next Free contraception had no impact on birth rates in Burkina Faso The impact of price on take-up and use of preventive health products  The Future of US Foreign Assistance: Lessons and Strategic Directions  How Many Lives Does US Foreign Aid Save?  The Princeton Pulse Podcast is a production of Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW). The show is hosted by Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, produced by Aimee Bronfeld, and edited by Alex Brownstein. You can subscribe to The Princeton Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

    39 min

  3. AUG 20

    Innovations in Vaccine Development and Delivery

    Imagine a tiny patch that could painlessly deliver life-saving vaccines without a trained medical professional. Or a malaria vaccine that doesn’t require refrigeration, making it easier to distribute in tropical countries where the disease is commonly transmitted. Those innovations, among others, are on the cusp of transforming vaccine development and delivery, a top priority in global health.  This episode of the Princeton Pulse Podcast concludes a two-part series on vaccines, which protect hundreds of millions of people from preventable illnesses like smallpox, polio, and measles. The last show addressed concerning shifts in U.S. vaccine policy. This one focuses on progress and promise, even in the face of dwindling global health resources and a host of other challenges.  Host Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, is joined by two guests: Princeton Professor Andrea Graham, an evolutionary ecologist with strong research interests in immunity, disease ecology, and disease transmission; and Janeen Madan Keller, deputy director of global health policy and policy fellow at the Center for Global Development. Together, they highlight scientific discoveries that set the stage for a new generation of vaccines that could boost immunization rates around the world while preparing us for the next pandemic.  The panel shares exciting advances in the lab, from mRNA technology that can train the immune system to recognize, remember, and target invading pathogens, to plant-based edible vaccines. They also talk about overcoming barriers to access with solar-powered refrigerators that don’t depend on unreliable energy sources, combination vaccines that reduce the number of injections and medical visits, and other potential game changers that could ensure vaccines reach the people who need them most. --- Learn more about the Center for Global Development and its Tough Times, Tough Choices series. Visit Andrea Graham’s website to read about her lab’s research on the immune system and disease transmission. Listen to Alarming Trends in U.S. Vaccine Policy – And What We Can Do About It The Princeton Pulse Podcast is a production of Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW). The show is hosted by Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, produced by Aimee Bronfeld, and edited by Alex Brownstein. You can subscribe to The Princeton Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

    39 min

  4. AUG 4

    Alarming Shifts in U.S. Vaccine Policy – And What We Can Do About It

    In this episode, the Princeton Pulse Podcast explores recent developments in federal vaccine policy that have public officials deeply worried, along with strategies for reducing vaccine hesitancy and restoring public trust. Will Americans lose access to life-saving vaccines, one of the greatest achievements in public health? Will we see a resurgence of previously eradicated diseases, like measles, which is dangerously on the rise? What can we do at the state and local levels to counter misinformation and protect people from harmful diseases?  Host Heather Howard addresses these questions and more with two guests: Dr. Céline Gounder, a practicing infectious disease specialist and epidemiologist as well as a senior fellow at KFF, editor-at-large at KFF Health News, and medical contributor for CBS News; and Jason Schwartz, associate professor at the Yale School of Public Health, whose research examines vaccination and public health policy, medical regulation, and the impact of science in government decisions.  The panel discusses alarming trends in U.S. vaccination and immunity rates, our increasing vulnerability to disease outbreaks, the erosion of transparency and processes in scientific decision-making, and how states, the medical community, and researchers can help to rebuild trust in science and public health. --- Learn about the Vaccine Integrity Project of the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy and the Edelman Trust Barometer, which reports on public trust in institutions, media, and other sources of health information. View Jason Schwartz’s research at Yale School of Public Health. Dr. Céline Gounder shares health news, articles, and research at https://x.com/celinegounder. Read a recent op-ed co-authored by Professor Howard: New Jersey must act to protect public health from federal sabotage. The Princeton Pulse Podcast is a production of Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW). The show is hosted by Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, produced by Aimee Bronfeld, and edited by Alex Brownstein. You can subscribe to The Princeton Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

    42 min

  5. APR 24

    Why Medicaid Cuts Endanger Our Children – and Our Nation’s Future

    As Congress considers $880 billion in Medicaid cuts, the health and wellbeing of our children, and our nation’s future, perilously hang in the balance.  Today’s episode explores how the proposed cuts would put young lives at risk. Defunding this critical safety net for Americans would threaten the health, development and future prosperity of the more than 37 million children who rely on Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Plan (CHIP). It could force states to ration care; delay access to vaccinations, screenings, and other essential services; burden families with crushing medical bills; perpetuate cycles of poverty; and exacerbate children’s health disparities.  The panel also highlights how the benefits of these public health insurance programs – for families and our society – exceed the costs to government. Babies and mothers are more likely to survive. Kids are less likely to have chronic conditions, preventable disease, and mental illness as they grow older, and more likely to attend college, to work, and to pay taxes as adults. Research clearly shows that investing in our children’s health not only improves the quality of life for the kids who depend on Medicaid and CHIP but also contributes to our nation’s economic growth and prosperity.  Host Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health, is joined by two guests: renowned economist Janet Currie, a Princeton professor and co-director of the University’s Center for Health and Wellbeing, whose pioneering research in the economic analysis of child development has helped to shape public policy over the past several decades; and  Abuko Estrada, Vice President of Medicaid and Child Health Policy at First Focus on Children, who brings deep experience working on Medicaid and children’s health policy at the state and federal levels, inside and outside of government. --- Read related papers authored by Janet Currie:  Administrative Burdens and Child Medicaid and CHIP Enrollments | NBER What We Say And What We Do: Why US Investments In Children’s Health Are Falling Short | Health Affairs Read more about the impact of proposed Medicaid and CHIP cuts on children’s health, from First Focus on Children:  Prescription for Disaster: The Impact of Proposed Medicaid and CHIP Cuts on Children’s Health | First Focus on Children  The Princeton Pulse Podcast is a production of Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW). The show is hosted by Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, produced by Aimee Bronfeld, and edited by Alex Brownstein. You can subscribe to The Princeton Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

    36 min

  6. 12/17/2024

    Climate Change: A Health Threat for Humanity

    The World Health Organization is not mincing words when it comes to climate change, calling it one of the greatest health threats for humanity.  On this episode of the Princeton Pulse Podcast, we discuss the increasingly dire health impacts of global warming – from air pollution to water contamination, higher disease burdens, and a host of other outcomes that directly or indirectly endanger human health and wellbeing. Scientists warn that these consequences will only worsen over time if we don’t take immediate action, and that lower-income countries and communities that are least equipped to adapt will suffer the most. Host Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health, confronts the challenges of climate change from a public health perspective with two distinguished guests: climate scientist Michael Oppenheimer, a Princeton professor and director of the university’s Center for Policy Research on Energy and the Environment; and Dr. Jeremy Hess, a professor and director of the Center for Health and the Global Environment at University of Washington.  The panel takes a candid look at the mechanisms by which climate change  affects human health and the urgent need for mitigation. They talk about the increasing scale, frequency and intensity of extreme weather; heat-related illness; human migration; food supply threats; equity concerns; and the policy issues and implications in light of a changing administration. At the same time, they offer hope for the path forward, noting a worldwide energy revolution that will continue to drive progress, even if it’s at a slower pace. --- Watch a recent episode of RNZ’s “30 with Guyon Espiner” podcast series, where Oppenheimer discusses many aspects of global climate change. Oppenheimer participated in a UN Climate Week symposium moderated by David Wallace-Wells, an opinion writer and columnist for The New York Times Magazine. Tipping points in the climate system was the central issue. The panel discussed research on mortality caused by tropical cyclones in the United States. Read the paper published in Nature. The Center for Health and the Global Environment at University of Washington developed an interactive decision tool that links heat-health risk assessment with evidence-based guidance on how to protect public health under changing climate-related environmental conditions.  This article, co-authored by Heather Howard and published by Health Affairs, examines how state health programs The Princeton Pulse Podcast is a production of Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW). The show is hosted by Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, produced by Aimee Bronfeld, and edited by Alex Brownstein. You can subscribe to The Princeton Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

    46 min

  7. 09/26/2024

    Health Policy Issues on the Ballot

    The 2024 elections will be among the most consequential in American history, as voters grapple with profound policy differences on everything from the economy to foreign policy, climate change, and, of course, health care.  This episode of the Princeton Pulse Podcast unpacks the health policy issues at play. Host Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health, is joined by Joanne Kenen, a contributing editor to Politico Magazine, and journalist in residence at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the Institute for Policy Studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Nursing. Kenen is a leading health care journalist and trenchant observer at the intersection of health care policy and politics. Over the course of her career, she has covered implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the Covid-19 pandemic, and much more.   Howard and Kenen discuss how the upcoming election could impact the health and wellbeing of millions of Americans. They address reproductive health care, the fate of the ACA, prescription drug costs, Medicare, and broader questions on the future of Medicaid and our health care safety net.   --- Read KFF Election Coverage  (KFF is an independent health policy organization.) Read one of Kenen’s most recent articles for Politico.  Read other articles about health policy and the upcoming election: Health Is on the Ballot in the Presidential Election  (JAMA) History Repeats—The Election Battle for Medicaid in 2024  (JAMA) The Princeton Pulse Podcast is a production of Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW). The show is hosted by Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, produced by Aimee Bronfeld, and edited by Alex Brownstein. You can subscribe to The Princeton Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

    46 min

  8. 09/09/2024

    AI in Health Care: Promise or Peril?

    This episode of the Princeton Pulse Podcast takes on one of the hottest topics in health care – and in Washington: the use and regulation of artificial intelligence, or AI.  Research suggests that AI could revolutionize the delivery of health care, from pinpointing cancers that are invisible to the human eye, to powering wearable devices that can detect abnormalities before a medical emergency occurs. In the simplest of terms, AI enables computers and machines to perform tasks like a human might. With the ability to analyze huge sets of data in a matter of seconds, it could help clinicians make better, faster, smarter decisions and lead to improved health outcomes. But the use of AI is not without risk. There are profound ethical and regulatory issues at play. Host Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health, explores the promise and potential perils of AI with two advocates for effectively and responsibly incorporating new tools into our health care system. This episode features: Niraj Jha, an engineering professor at Princeton University, who is developing a software package that could enhance the reliability of medical diagnoses; and Representative David Schweikert from Arizona’s First Congressional District, a congressional leader on these issues.  The panel discusses how smartphones and smartwatches can serve as portable medical labs; the ways in which AI can support clinical and policy decision-making; mitigating risks related to accuracy, bias, privacy, and security; the potential for cost savings; and innovations that are on the cusp of virtually transforming health care in the United States and beyond. --- Read about Niraj Jha’s grant-funded project aimed at developing a software package to enhance the reliability of AI for medical diagnosis and other applications. This paper provides information about his research on counterfactual decision-making. Read about the Healthy Technology Act, introduced by Congressman Schweikert, which qualifies AI and machine learning technologies as practitioners eligible to prescribe drugs. He also proposed legislation to establish reimbursement guidance for remote monitoring devices that use AI to treat patients. The Princeton Pulse Podcast is a production of Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW). The show is hosted by Heather Howard, a professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, produced by Aimee Bronfeld, and edited by Alex Brownstein. You can subscribe to The Princeton Pulse Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.

    45 min
See All (21)

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
23 Ratings

About

The Princeton Pulse Podcast highlights the vital connections between health research and policy. Hosted by Heather Howard, professor at Princeton University and former New Jersey Commissioner of Health and Senior Services, the show brings together scholars, policymakers, and other leaders to examine today’s most pressing health policy issues – domestically and globally. Guests discuss novel research at Princeton along with partnerships aimed at improving public health and reducing health disparities. We hope you’ll listen in, as we put our fingers on the pulse, and examine the power and possibilities of evidence-informed health policy. The Princeton Pulse Podcast is a production of Princeton University's Center for Health and Wellbeing (CHW). You can learn more about health-focused research led by Princeton faculty, students, and other CHW affiliates by visiting the CHW website at chw.princeton.edu and following us on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Search for "PrincetonCHW" to find us. We invite you to subscribe to The Princeton Pulse Podcast on Apple podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts

Information

  • Creator
    Heather Howard
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2025
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The Princeton Pulse Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Princeton Pulse Podcast

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