The Scholars Table with Dr. Banda

What happens to patients when funding for essential health services is suddenly withdrawn? Rabih Torbay, CEO of Project HOPE, joins Dr Banda Khalifa on The Scholars Table to discuss humanitarian aid, global health leadership and the people providing care in conflict zones. After growing up during Lebanon’s civil war, Rabih trained as an engineer and built a business in Sierra Leone. An encounter w...

What does it take to build a career in global health, and is the field still worth entering in 2026? In this episode of  The Scholars Table , Dr Banda Khalifa speaks with  Professor Judd Walson , Chair of the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Professor Walson reflects on his unconventional path from anthropology and street performance to cli...

An MPH is a major investment of time and money. What should you weigh before applying, and where can the degree take you? Dr. Banda welcomes Dr. Meghan Frost Davis, chair of the Master of Public Health program at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, for a conversation about public health training, leadership, and career choices. From her path through veterinary medicine to her work...

Dr. Monica Swahn is Dean of the VCU School of Public Health, director of Global Women's Health for the VCU Institute for Women's Health, and holder of the Charles W. and Evelyn F. Thomas Endowed Professorship of Epidemiology. She came to the role in July 2025 after serving as dean of the Wellstar College of Health and Human Services at Kennesaw State University, and before academia she spe...

Can AI and stronger readiness systems help us respond faster to the next pandemic, or just expose how fragile our systems are? Dr. Prativa Baral, Deputy Director of the Pandemic and Emergency Readiness Lab (PERL) and Assistant Professor at McGill University, joins The Scholars Table with Dr Banda on AI, misinformation, and global health security. The conversation covers where AI genuinely helps in...

In this episode of  The Scholars Table , Dr. Banda Khalifa sits down with Prof. Tiffany Gary-Webb to discuss what it means to build a career in public health with purpose, clarity, and service. Prof. Gary-Webb reflects on her journey through epidemiology, health equity, mentorship, leadership, and community-centered research. The conversation explores how public health careers are shaped by more t...

Who gets to lead in African health? Dr Catherine Kyobutungi, Executive Director of APHRC, joins The Scholars Table with Dr Banda on African voices and African leadership in global health: who sets the agenda, where credibility comes from, and what changes when African institutions lead. A Ugandan physician and epidemiologist, she co-directs CARTA and has spent her career arguing for African leader...

Who actually governs global health: WHO, powerful countries, donors, private industry, or law itself? Professor Lawrence O. Gostin, Founding Director of the O'Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law and Distinguished University Professor at Georgetown University, joins The Scholars Table with Dr Banda for a conversation on law, power, and the next pandemic. One of the most influenti...

In this episode of Global Health Uncensored, Dr. Banda Khalifa speaks with Professor Jennifer Nuzzo, Director of the Pandemic Center and Professor of Epidemiology at Brown University School of Public Health. Professor Nuzzo is a globally recognized leader in global health security, public health preparedness and response, and health systems resilience. Her work includes co-leading the Global Healt...

What does it actually take to lead emergency response across an entire continent? Dr. Marie Roseline Belizaire, Emergency Director at WHO Africa, joins Dr. Banda Khalifa for an honest, no-headlines conversation about pandemic preparedness, AI, funding cuts, and the future of health security in Africa.  From outbreak fieldwork in the DRC to regional emergency leadership at WHO AFRO, Dr. Belizaire h...

In this episode of  The Scholars Table , Dr. Banda Khalifa sits down with  Dean Adnan Hyder , Dean and Robert A. Knox Professor at  Boston University School of Public Health , for a thoughtful conversation on  public health leadership, global health, graduate education, and building a meaningful career with purpose . Dean Hyder reflects on his journey from medicine to public health, his training a...

In conversation with Professor Christian Happi, the real subject is not recognition, but authorship: who gets to produce the knowledge, tools, and institutions that shape the future of health.

Thinking about an MPH in Africa that meets global standards—without the confusion? In this episode of Ensign Scholars Table, we sit down with President Stephen Alder of Ensign Global University (Ghana) to unpack what makes Ensign’s Master of Public Health (MPH) stand out: a practice-first practicum, scholarship opportunities, and real career pathways across government, NGOs, global health organiza...

Global health isn’t just technical, it’s political. In this episode of The Scholars Table , we sit with Seye Abimbola to unpack how knowledge, power, and voice shape what gets funded, published, and implemented in global health. We discuss: How power determines whose knowledge is seen as legitimate Representation vs real shifts in power What early-career researchers misunderstand about publishing...

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 f...

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, climat...

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 ab...

What does it take to move from clinical work to shaping global policy? In this episode of  Global Health Uncensored , we sit down with a leading health economist and former senior advisor to multilateral institutions who now leads global impact measurement at one of the world’s largest companies. She shares how her early medical training in Nigeria shaped her systems thinking, how she navigated ca...

Former CDC Director  Dr. Tom Frieden  joins us to discuss what the world must do now to prevent the next pandemic. From lessons learned during COVID-19 to actionable steps for global health security, this conversation reveals what it takes to protect lives and strengthen health systems worldwide. #TomFrieden #GlobalHealth #PandemicPreparedness #BandaGlobalForum

What does it  really  take to succeed in global health?  In this eye-opening episode of  The Scholars Table , Dr. Ngozi shares the unfiltered truth about building a sustainable and impactful career in public health, beyond the classroom and credentials. From navigating career transitions and fieldwork challenges to thriving as a woman of color in high-stakes leadership roles, Dr. Ngozi unpacks the...

In this powerful episode of  The Scholars Table , Dr. Banda Khalifa sits down with  Prof. Madhukar Pai , the Inaugural Chair of the Department of Global and Public Health at McGill University and Canada Research Chair in Epidemiology & Global Health, for an unfiltered conversation on the state of global health today. Prof. Pai offers not just critique, but also clarity —a call to reimagine glo...

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) is consistently ranked among the world's top public health schools. But what makes its graduate programs unique, and what should applicants know before applying? In this episode of The Scholar’s Table, Dr. Banda Khalifa speaks with Professor Ahmed Rashid, Pro-Director of Education at LSHTM. Professor Rashid oversees the school’s Mast...

Thinking about graduate school in public or global health? 🇨🇦Join Dr. Banda Khalifa on The Scholars Table as he interviews Prof. Eduardo Franco, Director and Associate Dean at McGill University—one of Canada’s top institutions for public health education and research. Whether you're considering applying to grad school or want to understand how Canada is leading global public health education,...

In this inspiring episode, Dr. Banda Khalifa sits down with  Professor Sandro Galea , one of the most influential voices in global public health, to explore the future of health education, equity in admissions, and the next frontier of innovation at  Washington University’s new School of Public Health .   About Our Guest: Professor Galea is the  Margaret C. Ryan Dean of the School of Public Health...

In this episode of Global Health Uncensored, we sit down with two extraordinary global health leaders: Dr. Chikwe Ihekweazu, Assistant Director-General at the World Health Organization (WHO), and Mrs. Vivianne Ihekweazu, a renowned public health expert and communications professional. Together, they provide invaluable insights into pandemic preparedness, health system challenges, and the power of...