Epidemiologist Anne Rimoin Knows All This Has Happened Before (and It Will All Happen Again) (epidemiologist: bird flu / Covid / pandemics and art)

I'm joined by epidemiologist DR. ANNE RIMOIN, who will be discussing her scientific work and art’s role in our relationship to disease, pandemic potential viruses like H151 (avian flu), and what if anything we learned from COVID. She’s a Professor of Epidemiology at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health where she is also the Gordon-Levin Endowed Chair in Infectious Diseases and Public Health and the director of the Center for Global and Immigrant Health.We discuss the following and much more:The challenges of being a scientist in America in 2025Her journey from record company intern to the Peace Corps to leading epidemiologistHer lifelong love affair with Africa, especially Congo, and her years fighting disease thereHow the inter-cultural communication skills she learned in Benin and, later, Congo, inform her role as a science communicator today – but also, what this skill reveals about the failure of many, especially on the Left, to communicate effectivelyThe profound risk of cutting federal funding for disease prevention when the H151 virus, also known as avian flu, is knocking on our doorWhat COVID taught her was the real threat to society in the inevitable event of another pandemic (spoiler: the answer is not “dying from virulent disease”)Whether a Black Plague-like pandemic – or even one as lethal as the one in Emily St. John Mandel’s novel Station Eleven – could occur in the 21st century given our scientific achievementsThe portrayal of pandemics in media, or the lack thereof with regard to COVIDBONUS EPISODEA bonus ep is available in which Anne discusses a seminal piece of art from her life: Ricardo Lemvo and Makina Loca’s song “E MOYO” from their 2014 album La Rumba SoYo. Anne has a unique relationship to the song, as you’ll find. She'll continue discussing her experiences as a scientist in Congo, including how she acquired a Congolese name that translates to “The Woman Who Never Gives Up”.You can listen to this bonus chat at Apple, Spotify, and Substack:Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5am-storytalk/id1807437928?i=1000710646191Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/7o2ZImXOZuozSjwzDN5lCl?si=bfb71c3c080b48ebSubstack: https://colehaddon.substack.com/p/bonus-podcast-epidemiologist-anne?utm_source=publication-searchBecome a paid supporter of this podcast at Apple or Substack and you'll get access to all bonus episodes five to six months earlier than at Spotify.SUBSCRIBE TO THE '5AM STORYTALK NEWSLETTER'⁠⁠https://colehaddon.substack.com/⁠⁠You'll gain access to both the 5AM StoryTalk newsletter and all episodes of this podcast – including exclusive bonus episodes in which my guests discuss seminal pieces of art from their lives. Ask questions in the comments section there, too!SUBSCRIBE TO THE '5AM STORYTALK PODCAST' AT APPLE⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/5am-storytalk/id1807437928⁠⁠A paid subscription at Apple will get you access to all of my bonus episodes in which my guests return to break down a seminal artwork from their lives.TIP JARNot up for a paid subscription but appreciate the work that’s gone into making this podcast happen? You can “buy me a coffee” ⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/colehaddon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SOCIAL MEDIAFollow Cole/5AM StoryTalk at…⁠⁠5AM StoryTalk @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/5amstorytalkpodcast/⁠⁠⁠Cole Haddon @ Instagram⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/colehaddonwashere/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠https://bsky.app/profile/colehaddon.bsky.social⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.threads.com/Colehaddonwashere⁠⁠⁠EMAIL⁠[email protected] StoryTalk would like to acknowledge the Traditional Owners of the land on which this podcast is recorded, the Djarra people of the Kulin Nation and pay respects to Elders past and present.This podcast's music is by ⁠⁠Cary Brothers⁠⁠. ⁠⁠https://www.carybrothers.com/⁠⁠