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Field Notes #18: Trace Evidence
Field Notes is where I take one idea from the episode and follow it to see what it reveals.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Aug 129 min read


Afternoon Picnic: How Microbes Move Through a Summer Meal
Follow the hidden microbes of a summer picnic, from Salmonella and Listeria to norovirus, food safety, coolers, cross-contamination, and picnic leftovers.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Aug 1222 min read


The Vaccine Executive Order: What You Need to Know
What does the August 10 vaccine executive order actually do? A clear look at childhood vaccine changes, MMR, access, insurance, and what parents should know.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Aug 1117 min read


Outbreak Watch: August 7, 2026
Outbreak Watch: Get the latest updates on Active Outbreaks, Global Signals, and Surveillance Milestones

Heather McSharry, PhD
Aug 616 min read


Field Notes #17: First Watch
Field Notes is where I take one idea from the episode and follow it to see what it reveals.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Aug 56 min read


Field Notes #16: Thresholds
Welcome to Field Notes After Dark, where I take one idea from the episode and follow it where it leads.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Aug 56 min read


Field Notes #15: Passengers
Field Notes is where I take one idea from the episode and follow it to see what it reveals.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Aug 56 min read


Morning Swim: The Hidden Microbial World of Freshwater Lakes
Explore the hidden microbial world of freshwater lakes, including swimmer's itch, harmful algal blooms, Naegleria fowleri, and how scientists monitor water quality.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Aug 416 min read


For Medicinal Purposes: Whiskey, Jazz, and Germs
Step inside a 1920s speakeasy to explore medicinal whiskey and Prohibition.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Jul 295 min read


Do No Harm: The Birth of Infection Prevention
In this final installment of our Turning Points in Infectious Disease series, we trace the remarkable transformation that changed that reality. From Ignaz Semmelweis's controversial handwashing campaign in a Vienna maternity ward to Louis Pasteur's germ theory, Joseph Lister's antiseptic surgery, and Florence Nightingale's vision for cleaner, healthier hospitals,

Heather McSharry, PhD
Jul 2116 min read


Outbreak Watch: July 17, 2026
Outbreak Watch: Get the latest updates on Ebola, New World screwworm, U.S. cyclosporiasis, H5 avian influenza, and why disease surveillance matters.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Jul 1611 min read


Field Notes #14: Counterpoint
Why are vaccines easy for some diseases and elusive for others? Explore how pathogens like influenza, HIV, and malaria challenge prevention in different ways.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Jul 156 min read


A Shot in the Dark: The Science That Outsmarted Smallpox
Discover how Edward Jenner's bold experiment transformed medicine, launched the science of vaccination, and helped eradicate smallpox in this episode of Infectious Dose exploring one of history's greatest public health turning points.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Jul 1521 min read


Field Notes #13: Close Quarters
What military outbreaks reveal about infectious disease, crowded environments, and the hidden design choices that shape health and vulnerability.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Jul 145 min read


Holding the Line: How Prevention Became Military Strategy
Discover how infectious disease transformed military history in Holding the Line: How Prevention Became Military Strategy. From George Washington and Florence Nightingale to Walter Reed, military vaccination, COVID aboard the USS Theodore Roosevelt, and today's influenza outbreaks, explore the history of force health protection and preventive medicine.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Jul 819 min read


Field Notes #12: What Travels Between Wounds and Wights
Discover how wounds become chemical signals that attract parasites, predators, microbes, and other organisms. Plus the latest Ebola, Marburg, hantavirus, and New World screwworm outbreak updates.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Jul 15 min read


Field Notes #11: Nightfall
Field Notes #11: Nightfall explores why dusk is one of nature's busiest transitions, from mosquitoes and bats to owls and moths, plus the latest updates on Ebola, hantavirus, and New World screwworm.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Jul 15 min read


On the Fly: Lessons From a Screwworm
Podcast episode on New World screwworm: how sterile insect releases eradicated a flesh‑eating parasite from North America, why Texas is seeing new screwworm cases in 2026, and what this outbreak reveals about prevention and the consequences of disabling the public health infrastructure that protects us.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Jul 118 min read


Outbreak Watch: Line of Sight
Outbreak Watch: Line of Sight examines the growing Ebola outbreak in the DRC, the Hondius hantavirus response, and emerging screwworm detections in the U.S., exploring how surveillance, visibility, and uncertainty shape outbreak response.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Jun 1913 min read


Field Notes #10: Eavesdropping
Petrichor feels deeply human, but the smell of rain may not be for us at all. A look at geosmin, animal behavior, and the ecological signals hidden in summer storms.

Heather McSharry, PhD
Jun 175 min read
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