If you just look at his resume, it sounds almost made up: Political Science at NC State, a Master’s at Columbia, a DRPH at UNC, and a decade in the trenches as an epidemiologist across three states. Then, employee number three at a “tiny foundation”—now president and CEO, shaping how America thinks about public health. This episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast dives into the forks in the road, the mentors, and the scars that turned Dr. Brian Castrucci into the leader he is today.

References for Our Discussion

◼️About Brian C. Castrucci

◼️A New AI Platform to Strengthen Health Communication and Combat False Narratives

◼️Science to People: VeriSci

Guest

◼️Dr. Brian Castrucci, DrPH

Host

◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Producer

◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

◼️Abhinya Gulasingam

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

Welcome to the Public Health Insight Podcast, where we go beyond the headlines to explore the ideas, challenges, and people shaping health in communities around the world.

Every Tuesday, host Gordon Thane brings you conversations with researchers, practitioners, and changemakers tackling the most urgent questions in public health.

From the former CEO of Gavi to the attorney who exposed DuPont's forever chemicals—these are the stories that matter.

🎧 Start with any episode that sparks your curiosity
📅 New episodes every Tuesday
🌍 Join listeners in 7,000+ cities across 190 countries

Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your favorite platform.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

Find out why brilliant candidates still miss out on job opportunities and why Gordon thinks we’re in the midst of a job interview crisis, where candidates often show up underprepared.

Host & Producer

◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

Collective action is the engine of public health transformation. In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Dr. Vinu Ilakkuvan shares the tactics that turn community frustration into real-world victories, like Pittsburgh’s fight for public water. The conversation also explores how building coalitions, fostering local connections, and embracing joy can challenge entrenched power and spark lasting change.

References for Our Discussion

◼️An overview of the commercial determinants of health

◼️Pop Health

◼️Gaslit Blogs

Guest

◼️Dr. Vinu Ilakkuvan, DrPH, Founder and Principal Consultant, PoP Health

Host(s)

◼️Purva Mehta, BMSc, MSc

Producer(s)

◼️Abhinya Gulasingam

◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

What if the real force shaping our health isn’t our doctor, our diet, or even our zip code - but the invisible hand of corporate power?

In this eye-opening episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, we go beyond the usual talk of social determinants to expose the deeper, upstream forces that shape our health: the commercial and political power wielded by corporations. Tune in as we sit down with public health disruptor Vinu Ilakkuvan, who unpacks how corporate interests manipulate narratives, shift blame onto individuals, and quietly influence everything from policy to what’s on our grocery store shelves - in essence the root causes of the root causes.

References for Our Discussion

◼️An overview of the commercial determinants of health

◼️Gaslit Blogs

Guest

◼️Dr. Vinu Ilakkuvan, DrPH, Founder and Principal Consultant, PoP Health

Host(s)

◼️Purva Mehta, BMSc, MSc

Producer(s)

◼️Abhinya Gulasingam

◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

What drives someone to leave a traditional career path and take on the hidden forces shaping our health? In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Dr. Vinu Ilakkuvan traces her journey from an early interest in journalism to biomedical engineering and economics, and ultimately to public health. She reflects on the pivotal moments, values, and experiences that inspired her to found Pop Health and Gaslit, and explains why empowering communities is at the heart of her mission.

References for Our Discussion

◼️An overview of the commercial determinants of health

◼️Gaslit Blogs

Guest

◼️Dr. Vinu Ilakkuvan, DrPH, Founder and Principal Consultant, PoP Health

Host(s)

◼️Purva Mehta, BMSc, MSc

Producer(s)

◼️Abhinya Gulasingam

◼️Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

What does it take to get vaccines to everyone who needs them?

In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, Dr. Seth Berkley, former CEO of Gavi, joins us to break down the global fight for vaccine access, from the spread of misinformation to the race against new pandemics. We explore why vaccine equity matters, what’s at stake when funding and trust falter, and the lessons we need to learn to protect everyone, everywhere, in the present and future.

References for Our Discussion

◼️Fair Doses: An Insider's Story of the Pandemic and the Global Fight for Vaccine Equity

◼️How children will be impacted by U.S. cuts to global vaccine alliance

◼️The diseases that could return as vaccination rates decline — and why you should care

Guest

◼️Dr. Seth Berkley, MD

Host & Producer(s)

◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

We're giving away a copy of Dr. Seth Berkley's new book, Fair Doses: An Insider's Story of the Pandemic and the Global Fight for Vaccine Equity. To enter, just send an email to ThePublicHealthInsight@gmail.com with "Book Giveaway" as the Subject Line.

Entries close on November 26th and we'll reach out to the winner of the contest on November 27th. You must live in the U.S. to be able to participate.

A billion children. Millions of lives saved. And you’ve probably never heard the full story—until now.

In this episode of the Public Health Insight Podcast, host Gordon sits down with Dr. Seth Berkley, the mastermind behind Gavi and author of "Fair Doses," to pull back the curtain on the alliance that quietly changed global health forever. From high-stakes decisions during the COVID-19 pandemic to the relentless pursuit of vaccine equity, this episode is packed with the real stories, hard lessons, and bold ideas that rarely make the headlines.

References for Our Discussion

◼️Fair Doses: An Insider's Story of the Pandemic and the Global Fight for Vaccine Equity

◼️How children will be impacted by U.S. cuts to global vaccine alliance

◼️The diseases that could return as vaccination rates decline — and why you should care

Guest

◼️Dr. Seth Berkley, MD

Host & Producer(s)

◼️ Gordon Thane, BMSc, MPH, PMP®

Production Notes

◼️ Music from Johnny Harris x Tom Fox: The Music Room

Subscribe to the Newsletter

Subscribe to The Insight newsletter so you don’t miss out on the latest podcast episodes, live events, job skills, learning opportunities, and other engaging professional development content here.

Leave Us Some Feedback

If you enjoy our podcasts, be sure to subscribe and leave us a rating on Apple Podcast or Spotify, and spread the word to your friends to help us get discovered by more people. You can also interact directly with the podcast episodes on Spotify using the new “comment” feature! We’d love to hear what you think.

Send us a Text Message to let us know what you think.

We're giving away a copy of Dr. Seth Berkley's new book, Fair Doses: An Insider's Story of the Pandemic and the Global Fight for Vaccine Equity. To enter, just send an email to ThePublicHealthInsight@gmail.com with "Book Giveaway" as the Subject Line.

Entries close on November 26th and we'll reach out to the winner of the contest on November 27th. You must live in the U.S. to be able to participate.