Science

Complicating The Narrative

by Salma Abdalla

Share this ranking Is this your show? Claim it

Listen on Apple Podcasts RSS feed

Chart positions today · United States

Not on the United States charts we track today.

If you like Complicating The Narrative, try…

Hidden Brain

Also in Science

Radiolab

Also in Science

Ologies with Alie Ward

Also in Science

StarTalk with Neil deGrasse Tyson

Also in Science

Science Vs

Also in Science

Boring History for Sleep

Also in Science

Latest episodes

Transferable skills, entrepreneurialism, and climate change in public health with Sandro Demaio

October 20, 2026 · 41 min

How does a medical doctor go from managing patients’ blood sugar and kidney failure to designing global health policy, and now to leading action on climate change? Sandro Demaio joins Salma to discuss his career from working as a…
Vaccine skepticism, political polarization, and the health risks of ads with Matthew Motta

October 6, 2026 · 55 min

How much of what you believe about health comes from your political identity and who you are listening to? Matt Motta joins Salma to explore how political identity shapes what people believe about health. They start by discussing…
Ebola, MAHA, and what public health stops hearing with Craig Spencer

September 22, 2026 · 1 hr 14 min

Why does public health still struggle to be trusted both at home and abroad? Craig and Salma discuss the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, which has disappeared from the news but continues building up to be the…
Listening to patients to improve health systems with Margaret Kruk

September 8, 2026 · 49 min

When was the last time a health system asked people for what they needed? Margaret Kruk joins Salma to discuss health systems and one of their key components: the experience of patients. They start their conversation with an overview of…
Closing the know-do gap in global public health with Kumanan Rasanathan

August 18, 2026 · 47 min

In this last episode of the Building Better Ways of Knowing (BBWK) mini-series, Kumanan joins Salma to discuss knowledge systems and their articulations with public health practice in the global context. They begin the conversation by…

Show 7 more episodesShow fewer episodes

Purple Public Health episode—NIH funding, broken by design with Michael Lauer

August 14, 2026 · 58 min

Almost nothing about how the United States government funds health research was chosen. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) began with leftover penicillin money and a letter to medical school deans. The decision to fund projects rather…
With, not for: communities as public health co-designers with Sara Bannoura and Darren Jackson

August 11, 2026 · 43 min

Sara and Darren join Salma to discuss Civic City’s community-first model. They start the conversation by exploring how Civic City uses knowledge, narrative, and design to co-create solutions with communities. To make this tangible, they…
The future of higher education with Mitchell Stevens and Sandro Galea

August 4, 2026 · 39 min

This episode is a re-run of the Ideas Matter podcast episode “The Future of Higher Education” hosted by Dean Sandro Galea—Vice Provost for Interdisciplinary Initiatives at WashU and Co-Director of the Building Better Ways of Knowing…
The inherent values of science and public health with Anya Plutynski

July 28, 2026 · 32 min

How do values shape the actions and agenda of public health science? Anya and Salma begin their conversation by discussing how values are inherently embedded in every decision that scientists make, but cannot be considered a contaminant…
Past turning points, present tensions, and the future of public health with Merlin Chowkwanyun

July 21, 2026 · 50 min

How and why have certain methods, topics, and assumptions been favored by public health throughout history, and how has that shaped the truths we know today? Merlin joins Salma to discuss how history provides the framework to understand…
History, stories and the shaping of public health with Rebecca Messbarger

July 14, 2026 · 33 min

What is the relevance of history, and individual stories, when framing current public health research and practice? Rebecca and Salma discuss the role of population-level history, and individual stories, in public health as part of the…
The future of science and the replication crisis with John Ioannidis and Sandro Galea

July 7, 2026 · 31 min

This episode is a re-run of the Ideas Matter podcast episode “The Future of Science and the Replication Crisis” hosted by Dean Sandro Galea, Co-Director of the Building Better Ways of Knowing initiative, in conversation with Professor John…

Full episode archive on Apple Podcasts →

About the show

In this podcast, hosted by Dr. Salma Abdalla—Assistant Professor and Director of the Healthier Futures Lab at Washington University in St. Louis—we provide rigorous, evidence-based analysis of complex population health challenges. In a time of social, economic, and political upheaval—marked by eroding public trust, polarized narratives, and growing uncertainty—this podcast aims to challenge oversimplified narratives about the forces that shape the health of populations. Salma engages guests from across disciplines in rigorous, evidence-based conversations that challenge conventional wisdom. The conversations sometimes pose uncomfortable questions, seek nuanced perspectives, and question not just what we think, but how we arrive at our conclusions in public health. We explore the inherent complexities, real-world tradeoffs, and unintended consequences of public health interventions. Our goal is to empower listeners with nuanced understanding, helping them navigate these multifaceted issues in an informed and balanced way. The podcast is supported by the Washington University School of Public Health — https://schoolofpublichealth.washu.edu — and the Frick Initiative. Host: Dr. Salma Abdalla Editors: Catalina Melendez Contreras and Zachary Linhares Music: Eden Avery / Melting Glass from Epidemic Sound https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/2fqOXWpHab/ Contact us at: s.abdalla@wustl.edu