All Blog Posts

A science-based breakdown of the hantavirus cruise outbreak, including airborne transmission, Andes virus, person-to-person spread, and how to communicate honestly during evolving outbreaks.

Issue #3 It Passes Between Us On transmission, transformation, and the language before pathogens Welcome to Field Notes. Each week, I take one idea from the episode and follow it where it leads. For Outbreak After Dark, that idea isn’t just biological—it’s how we make sense of what we don’t fully understand. If you want the full story, you can read or listen to the episode here. In the Margins There’s a line in the episode about garlic—how it shows up both in early infection

A deep dive into the strangest medical treatments in history—from bloodletting and mercury to tobacco smoke enemas and early infection therapies—exploring how medicine evolved before germ theory and what those practices reveal about the origins of modern science.

Issue #2 When Infection Doesn't End On persistence and what gets lost when infection is treated as an event Welcome to Field Notes . Each week, I take one idea from the episode—something that feels like a hinge point—and follow it where it leads. Not to repeat the science, but to see what it reveals. If you want the full story, you can read or listen to the episode here . In the Margins Most of the time, we treat infection like something that declares itself and then resolves

Summary Epstein–Barr virus is one of the most common infections in the world—by adulthood, nearly 95% of people carry it. Most remember it, if at all, as “just mono.” A brief illness. A recovery. The end of the story. Except it isn’t. EBV doesn’t leave. It stays—inside the very immune cells responsible for remembering infection. For most people, it exists quietly, held in check by the immune system. But under certain conditions, that balance can shift, linking this common vir

Murine typhus is a flea-borne infection often missed due to nonspecific symptoms and subtle presentation. This episode explores its transmission, urban ecology, and why infections that don’t fit expectations are frequently overlooked.

Issue #1 When Systems Adapt On flexibility, vectors, and persistence Welcome to the first issue of Field Notes. Each week, I take one idea from the episode—something that feels like a hinge point—and follow it where it leads. Not to repeat the science, but to see what it reveals. In the Margins What makes murine typhus unusual isn’t the pathogen—it’s the flexibility of the system. The transmission cycle used to be a closed loop of rats, fleas, and humans. Now the system inclu

A one-year anniversary episode of Infectious Dose exploring how science communication, misinformation, trust, and storytelling shape how we understand infectious disease.

Step inside a BSL-4 lab in this immersive podcast episode. Experience high-containment science, biosafety systems, and what it really feels like inside the suit.

Plague doctors weren’t just eerie figures in beaked masks—they were part of early epidemic response systems. This episode explores their real history, the science behind their methods, and why their image still fascinates us today.

A systems-level guided tour of the Vaccine Safety Series. Explore how vaccines are tested, monitored, and misunderstood—and how institutional failures can shape public trust in science.

Interview with biomedical researcher Mark Ungrin on how misinformation can originate inside scientific institutions and shape public health policy.

Mpox explained: symptoms, transmission, viral evolution, clade Ib, vaccines, global health inequity, and why scientists are watching the virus closely.

From zombie ants to Toxoplasma gondii, this Outbreak After Dark episode explores parasites that manipulate love, fear, and mating—and what that means for humans.

Nipah virus is deadly but rarely spreads far. Learn why R₀ stays low, what would trigger a pandemic shift, and why spillover recurs in Kerala.

Explore the resurgence of syphilis, its public health impact, treatment challenges, and the legacy of mistrust from Tuskegee to today.

RSV explained: symptoms, red flags, treatment, and prevention. What parents and caregivers need to know about this common respiratory virus.

Spiders, venom, and fear—this Outbreak After Dark episode separates real science from myths about spider bites and outbreaks.

A biodefense expert explains what biological weapons really are, why most pathogens aren’t weapons, and how misinformation increases real biological risk.

A conversation with astronaut and Texas congressional candidate Terry Virts on science-based leadership, public health, vaccines, and why evidence matters in policy decisions.