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.

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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.

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.

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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.

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.

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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.