In this episode we are joined by Infectious disease specialist Dr. Nahid Bhadelia, the Founder and Director of the Centers on Emerging Infectious Diseases, and Director of the Biothreats Emergence, Analysis and Communications Network (BEACON) . Dr. Bhadelia also has fron line experience providing direct patient care and participating in outbreak response during multiple Ebola outbreaks in East and West Africa in 2014 and 2019.

In the episode we discuss the the rapidly evolving Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the recent Andes Hantavirus cluster linked to the MV Hondius cruise ship.

Dr. Bhadelia explains why the rare Bundibugyo strain of Ebola is particularly concerning, including the lack of established vaccines and treatments, the challenges of outbreak response in conflict zones, and the growing spread into urban centers and neighboring countries. The conversation also explores how Ebola is actually transmitted, why healthcare workers remain at high risk, and how misinformation, unsafe burials, and limited resources complicate containment efforts.

The episode also touches on the recent hantavirus cases associated with cruise ship MV Hondius, current understanding of person-to-person transmission of the Andes Hanta virus, and why experts are monitoring the situation closely while emphasizing that it is unlikely to become a pandemic threat.

Dr. Nahid Bhadelia is the founding director of the Boston University Center on Emerging Infectious Diseases and a board-certified infectious diseases physician. She is an Associate Professor at the BU School of Medicine and a national expert in global health security, pandemic preparedness, and emerging infectious threats.

From 2022 to 2023, Dr. Bhadelia served as Senior Policy Advisor for Global COVID-19 Response at the White House, where she led U.S. interagency efforts on global vaccine donations and helped direct Project NextGen, a $5 billion initiative to develop next-generation vaccines and treatments for pandemic-prone viruses. She also served on the White House MPOX Response Team.

Dr. Bhadelia has extensive frontline and research experience responding to outbreaks including Ebola, COVID-19, Zika, and other high-consequence pathogens, with work spanning the U.S., West and East Africa, and Uganda. She previously led the Special Pathogens Unit at Boston Medical Center, a state-designated Ebola Treatment Center, and is a co-founder of BEACON, an open-source outbreak surveillance network.

She currently serves on national and international advisory bodies including the National Academies and the World Health Organization, teaches global health security at Tufts University’s Fletcher School, and has published in Nature, Science, and The New England Journal of Medicine. Her expertise has been featured by NBC and MSNBC, The Atlantic, Time, National Geographic, and NOVA.

NURSES WEEK SPECIAL!!!

In our latest episode we are joined by Avital Rech who is the current Nursing Director of the Medical, Cardiac and Float Pool ICUs at Boston Medical Center. Avital joins us to discuss her role in nursing management, and her experiences and career path in nursing that led to her current role, where she is responsible over 200 staff members within the ICU. She also discusses what nurse management entails, the difficulties in balancing the needs of her unit and her nurses, while still trying to adhere to the budget and staffing guidelines of the hospital. She also discusses her research in early mobility in ICU and her work in lessening the physical restraints of incarcerated patients.

Avital Rech is an RN and current director of nursing for the Medical, Cardiac and Float Pool ICUs at Boston Medical Center, her 26 year career ranges from staff RN, to the Cardiac Cath Lab, to Float Pool RN, Rapid Response nurse and ICU RN, for the past 17 years she has managed three different ICU populations as well participated in multiple research studies in the ICU.

In our latest episode we are joined by Zania Campos, MPA, ABCP, Director of Emergency Management at Boston Medical Center, to discuss the critical role of emergency management, what it is, how it effects the way healthcare systems respond to disasters, and how preparations are made for a variety of scenarios ranging from natural disasters and terror attacks to biological warfare and nuclear attacks

Zania leads preparedness and response efforts for one of New England’s busiest safety-net hospitals. In this role, she oversees disaster planning, large-scale emergency exercises, and real-time incident command—ensuring the hospital system is ready to respond when it matters most.

Zania brings nearly 14 years of service in the United States Marine Corps, where she has developed the discipline, leadership, and operational mindset that continue to shape her approach to crisis response today. She currently serves with the Service Component Operational Logistics Augmentation Cell (SCOLAC) as an aviation logistician and joint mortuary affairs planner, contributing to the coordination and execution of complex sustainment and operational support missions.

In addition to her military service, she holds a Master’s of Public Administration and is a Certified Business Continuity Professional, bringing expertise in continuity planning, emergency preparedness, and coordinated response across complex systems.

Zania also serves as a board member on the Veteran’s Equality Review Board whose mission is to assist with the reinstatement of Veteran benefits for those were dishonorably discharged due to discriminatory reasons.

Zania’s “dominating against all” attitude drives her work in preparing for emergency situations and developing solutions to problems most of us never think about. She is with us today to discuss her role, what emergency management is, and what she does so the rest of us can sleep safely at night.