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Infectious IDeasAuthor: National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID)
You are listening to Infectious IDeas, a podcast presented by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID), that goes beyond the science to explore the personal stories behind the people doing the work. Each episode features thought-provoking conversations with inspiring leaders and humble heroes making a powerful impact on public health. Through their experiences, we uncover the human side of infectious disease prevention and treatmentall driven by a shared vision of healthier lives for all. Language: en-us Genres: Life Sciences, Natural Sciences, Science Contact email: Get it Feed URL: Get it iTunes ID: Get it |
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Science, Resilience, and the Road Ahead with Jeremy Farrar, FRS
Episode 6
Tuesday, 6 January, 2026
Send us a textIn this episode, Jeremy Farrar, FRS, of the World Health Organization (WHO), joins new hosts Rebecca Alvania, PhD, MA, MPH, and Robert H. Hopkins, Jr., MD, for an insightful conversation on the power of science, the importance of community, and the urgent need for trust and collaboration in an increasingly polarized world. Drawing on decades of experience—from the early days of HIV/AIDS to pandemic preparedness, vaccine development, and global health leadership—Dr. Farrar shares personal lessons on failure, leadership under pressure, and why optimism, humility, and inclusion are essential to shaping the future of public health.Show NotesA physician-scientist, international health leader, and advocate, Dr. Farrar’s work has spanned HIV/AIDS, research on avian influenza, and leadership at Wellcome, where he helped guide the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He now serves as assistant director-general of health promotion and disease prevention and control at WHO, providing leadership on infectious and noncommunicable diseases, health promotion, food safety, and the health impacts of environmental change. In 2019, NFID honored him with the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions to global public health. TranscriptAlvania:Welcome to the NFID podcast, Infectious IDeas. This is Rebecca Alvania, NFID CEO, and with me is my co-host, NFID Medical Director, Dr. Bob Hopkins. Hopkins:Hey, happy to be here, Rebecca. Alvania:Our guest today is Dr. Jeremy Farrar. He serves as the World Health Organization's Assistant Director-General of health promotion and disease prevention and control. Many of you know him for his groundbreaking work on infectious diseases with pandemic potential. He's also held major leadership roles, including director of the Welcome Trust and co-founder of Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), the global effort to speed vaccine development and ensure access worldwide. In 2019, NFID honored him with the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Humanitarian Award. It recognized his impact on global public health and his commitment to making the world a more equitable place. Jeremy, thank you so much for joining us. Farrar:Great pleasure. Alvania:All right, we're going to start at the beginning. You began your career working in HIV AIDS. How did those early experiences shape you as a scientist?Farrar:That would have been in the late 1980s and of course, that was the time that HIV was becoming known about. And I do remember—I was a medical student, and soon after graduating—just the impact this had. I was working in London at the time, and medical students and doctors had got used to the idea that many things were treatable, and then suddenly you had mostly young individuals coming in. And frankly, there was very little anybody could do. Obviously, we didn't know what the cause was, and that was devastating, actually. But also on the positive side, as a result of great science and great public health, some solutions did start to come, and I pay huge tribute to the community who were then known to be living with HIV, because the role they played in pushing science and pushing public health was, I think, absolutely groundbreaking. And I'm not sure the establishment would have got there quite the way it did without that pressure from the community. So, three lessons: one, is the devastating impact of something new, in this case, HIV. Secondly, the incredible power of science. And thirdly, the critical importance of communities being part of engagFollow NFID on social media
