13. Redefining the Unacceptable

Dr. Jim Curran has served as dean and professor of epidemiology at the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University since 1995, following 25 years of leadership at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Curran is co-director of the Emory Center for AIDS Research and he holds faculty appointments in the Emory School of Medicine and the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing.

In this episode, Dr. Curran discusses our nation’s need for the next generation of the public health workforce and how our universities, associations and employers are preparing individuals to meet those demands. Dr. Curran also discusses his work at CDC during the very early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, how far the world has come since that challenging time and the road to eliminate the disease.

Key Takeaways:

[1:21] Dr. Jim Curran shares what sparked his interest in public health

[2:23] How the Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University has evolved to become the largest school of public health in the world.

[3:33] Dr. Curran talks about the most intriguing current research taking place at Rollins School of Public Health at Emory University.

[4:51] How deeply the public health workforce shortage in the USA should be addressed

[7:08] How is Emory University working to strengthen the workforce for the future?

[8:24] Dr. Curran shares his view related to the greatest human resource needs to tackle some of the current challenging health threats.

[9:13] Dr. Curran talks about the biggest challenges he faced while working in the field of HIV/AIDS at CDC 40 years ago.

[14:50] Dr. Curran explains how the discovery of retroviral therapy changed the life quality of patients with HIV/AIDS as well as it is proven to reduce the transmission of the virus to other people.

[17:25] The audiences that are harder to reach with HIV prevention messages

[19:18] Dr. Curran talks about the opportunities and challenges with the future of public health

[22:03] The challenges presented by an increasing aging population

[23:57] Dr. Curran extends his advice for those thinking of pursuing a career in public health

[24:59] Dr. Curran talks about how the role of collaboration can make a difference in improving the work of public health

Mentioned in This Episode:

CDC Foundation Answer this episode’s question: What is the best career advice you ever received? Share your experience with us. Just email your answer to [email protected] and you'll have the chance to win some CDC Foundation merchandise. For more information about this episode go to Contagious Conversations.