Thanks for sharing this reflection, and particularly the call to action for all of us. Your post reminds me of two lines from Herman Hesse's Siddhartha:
1. The Ferryman’s advice: "Listen better."
2. Siddhartha’s inner strength: When entering the chaos of the modern world, he relies on the discipline he learned as an ascetic: “I can think. I can wait. I can fast.”
Although listening is sometimes perceived as a weakness, it ultimately proves to be a fundamental strength—one that ensures inclusivity as we collectively strive to build a healthier world for all. I look forward to learning more on closing the gaps between public health sciences and communities, come 2026.
Thoughtful synthesis of a tumultuos year for public health institutions. The point about science-values tension is well taken, though I wonder if the issue is less about public health becoming too ideological and more about a generl erosion of epistemic trust across institutions. During my time working adjacent to health policy last year, what struck me was how often legitimate methodological concerns got weaponized into broader anti-expertise narratives. The call to lean into rigorous science while maintaining core values feels like the right balance, even if threading that needle is brutal in practice.
Enjoyed reading this recap of 2025. It seems the political economy of health (and our work as actors within it) has rapidly changed and will continue to do so. This rapid change can be reversed, but more concerning is the undercurrent of distrust and anti-intellectualism that threatens the very foundations of this ecosystem. I'm weary of the moment when the divide between the public (and the forces that shape public opinion) and public health experts, especially in academia, grows ever wider. As a collective, we need new ways of responding to the momentum of distrust and anti-intellectualism.
Thanks for sharing this reflection, and particularly the call to action for all of us. Your post reminds me of two lines from Herman Hesse's Siddhartha:
1. The Ferryman’s advice: "Listen better."
2. Siddhartha’s inner strength: When entering the chaos of the modern world, he relies on the discipline he learned as an ascetic: “I can think. I can wait. I can fast.”
Although listening is sometimes perceived as a weakness, it ultimately proves to be a fundamental strength—one that ensures inclusivity as we collectively strive to build a healthier world for all. I look forward to learning more on closing the gaps between public health sciences and communities, come 2026.
Thoughtful synthesis of a tumultuos year for public health institutions. The point about science-values tension is well taken, though I wonder if the issue is less about public health becoming too ideological and more about a generl erosion of epistemic trust across institutions. During my time working adjacent to health policy last year, what struck me was how often legitimate methodological concerns got weaponized into broader anti-expertise narratives. The call to lean into rigorous science while maintaining core values feels like the right balance, even if threading that needle is brutal in practice.
Enjoyed reading this recap of 2025. It seems the political economy of health (and our work as actors within it) has rapidly changed and will continue to do so. This rapid change can be reversed, but more concerning is the undercurrent of distrust and anti-intellectualism that threatens the very foundations of this ecosystem. I'm weary of the moment when the divide between the public (and the forces that shape public opinion) and public health experts, especially in academia, grows ever wider. As a collective, we need new ways of responding to the momentum of distrust and anti-intellectualism.