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.

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.

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.