Association of Health Care Journalists

Get Organized: Tips and tools for keeping on track and managing clutter
2026-02-19 13:00 - 14:00 (America/New_York)
Join fellow freelance journalists for a Lunch and Learn discussion about staying on track and how to manage your electronic and physical clutter.

At AHCJ’s Lunch and Learns, freelancer members chat about a designated topic over Zoom every third Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. ET. Registration is required for Lunch and Learns and is only available to current freelance AHCJ members.

Virtual freelance happy hour
2026-02-20 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-03-20 16:00 - 17:00, 2026-04-24 16:00 - 17:00
Freelancers are invited to a casual virtual happy hour — come as you are, bring a drink, and enjoy conversation with peers.

Vaccine trends and misinformation among older adults
2026-02-26 13:00 - 14:00
Vaccine uptake for influenza, COVID-19, RSV and shingles among adults over age 60 remains low, according to data from the University of Michigan and the CDC. Older adults with multiple chronic conditions are especially vulnerable to these diseases. Meanwhile, emergency department visits and hospitalizations for some of these viruses are increasing, CDC tracking data points to high respiratory virus activity in Alabama and trending upwards in the Pacific Northwest, California, and parts of the south, including Florida, Louisiana and Arkansas. Misinformation, cost and fear of side effects are just a few of the rationales given for not staying up-to-date on these important preventive measures.

In this webinar, experts in epidemiology and infectious disease will review the latest data and immunization trends. We’ll also discuss how these vaccines may provide additional protective benefits beyond preventing severe disease and how journalists can help counter misinformation.

Moderator

Liz Seegert

AHCJ Health Beat Leader for AgingLiz Seegert is AHCJ’s health beat leader on aging. She’s an award-winning, independent health journalist based in New York’s Hudson Valley, who writes about caregiving, dementia, access to care, nursing homes and policy. Seegert is also a contributing writer for Fortune.com, the American Journal of Nursing, and PBS/NextAvenue.org, reporting on myriad health topics, including social determinants of health and women’s health.

She has written for TIME Health, The Wirecutter, Money.com, Medscape, Consumer Reports, The Guardian and Medical Economics, as well as dozens of other trade and mainstream media. Her articles have been syndicated in Forbes.com, the Los Angeles Times, the Hartford Courant, The Saturday Evening Post and other major outlets.

Jennifer Dowd, Ph.D.

Professor of demography and population health and deputy director, Leverhulme Centre for Demographic Science, University of OxfordDr. Jenn Dowd has training in Demography, Economics, and Epidemiology, earning a PhD from Princeton University and a postdoctoral fellowship as a Robert Wood Johnson Health and Society Scholar at the University of Michigan.

Jenn’s academic work focuses on statistical analysis of large datasets to better understand population health and mortality. She is interested in how the economic and social world “gets under the skin” to impact our biology. This has included deep dives into the biology of stress, infections and immune function, and the human microbiome. In a currently funded 5-year project from the European Research Council (ERC), she explores reasons underlying stalling life expectancy in the U.S. and Europe.

Subscribe to Jenn’s Substack Newsletter: Data for Health

Preeti Malani, M.D., MSJ

Professor of medicine, division of infectious diseases, Michigan MedicineMalani’s research interests focus on at the intersection of infections and aging. She is deputy editor and director of editorial equity for JAMA and the JAMA Network and previously served as the University of Michigan’s chief health officer and as a member of Michigan’s COVID-19 Nursing Home Task Force during the height of the pandemic.

Understanding ChatGPT Health: How large language models are being used to triage care
2026-03-12 12:00 - 13:00
Earlier this year, OpenAI launched ChatGPT Health, a feature allowing users to incorporate data from their medical records and wellness apps to ask questions about their health and test results, and understand potential treatment options.

In this webinar, panelists will cover how it works, the potential benefits and cautions for this and other ChatGPT platforms, how patients and physicians are using large language models in health care now, and what journalists and consumers need to know.

Moderator

Karen Blum

AHCJ Health Beat Leader for AI and Patient SafetyKaren Blum is AHCJ’s health beat leader for AI and Patient Safety, guiding coverage at the intersection of emerging technology and patient protection. An independent health and science journalist based in the Baltimore area, she previously covered Health IT for AHCJ.

Blum has written for publications such as the Baltimore Sun, Pharmacy Practice News, Clinical Oncology News, Clinical Laboratory News, Cancer Today, CURE, AARP.org, General Surgery News and Infectious Disease Special Edition; has covered numerous medical conferences for trade magazines and news services; and has written many profiles and articles on medical and science research as well as trends in health care and health IT. She has been a contest judge for AHCJ’s Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. Blum also is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors (ASJA) and chairs its Virtual Education Committee.

Henry Bair, M.D., MBA

Resident physician, Wills Eye HospitalHenry Bair M.D., MBA, is a resident physician at Wills Eye Hospital in Philadelphia. Previously, he was a fellow at Stanford University’s Clinical Excellence Research Center, a researcher at the Stanford Center for Policy, Outcomes, and Prevention, and curriculum director of digital health courses at Stanford Medical School. His writings on health policy and digital health have appeared in JAMA Pediatrics, NEJM AI, Digital Health, Public Health Reports, and Academic Medicine, as well as SF Chronicle, The Hill, STAT News, and MedPage Today.

Rachael Robertson

Enterprise and investigative writer, MedPage TodayRachael Robertson is a New York City-based health journalist and audio producer. She covers all things medicine as part of MedPage Today’s investigative and enterprise team, with a particular focus on pop culture, public health, and medical misinformation. Rachael is also MedPage Today’s beat leader for ob/gyn news and the creator, host, and producer of the bi-weekly health news podcast MedPod Today. In 2025, Rachael was one of AHCJ’s inaugural Uncovering Pathways to Better Health fellows. She is a proud graduate of the City University of New York’s Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism. Before pivoting careers to journalism, Rachael worked in communications for a New York City elder care organization.

ACIP meeting countdown: COVID vaccine and what else is at stake
2026-03-17 12:00 - 13:00
Don’t miss this opportunity to get up to speed before the March 18-19 CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting. This webinar, co-hosted by the Expert Vaccine Analysis Team and the Association of Health Care Journalists, will provide independent, evidence-based discussion of topics expected to come up during the meeting.

These items include vaccine safety and quality monitoring, data on COVID vaccine safety, possible recommendation votes related to COVID vaccine injuries, and other issues, such as the evidence framework the CDC uses to assess vaccine data and the risk/benefit analysis of vaccines. We will also discuss other emerging topics that may arise before the meeting.

Whether you’re a journalist covering immunization policy, a public health professional navigating a rapidly shifting vaccine landscape, or a researcher tracking the latest safety data, this webinar will help equip you with the scientific context you need to understand what’s at stake. The panel of senior vaccine scientists — including Norman Baylor, Ph.D., Miles Braun, M.D., Fiona Havers, M.D., and Paul Offit, M.D. — will cut through the noise and offer clear, unbiased analysis.

Moderator

Tara Haelle

AHCJ Health Beat Leader for Infectious Diseases and Medical StudiesTara Haelle is AHCJ’s health beat leader for infectious diseases and medical studies. She’s an independent science/health journalist, author, speaker, and photographer. Her work has appeared in the National Geographic, Scientific American, Texas Monthly, Science News, Medscape/WebMD, The New York Times, Wired, and O Magazine, among others.

She specializes in public health and medical research, particularly vaccines, infectious disease, maternal and pediatric health, mental health, healthcare disparities, and misinformation. She also covers medical research conferences and edits Long COVID Connection on Medium. Haelle earned a master’s in photojournalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and her images have appeared in Texas Monthly, NPR, the, Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere.

Norman W. Baylor, Ph.D.

President and CEO, Biologics Consulting GroupDr. Norman W. Baylor is an expert in the development and licensure of new vaccines, evaluating numerous vaccines throughout his career including vaccines for acellular pertussis, varicella, pneumococcal conjugate, human papillomavirus (HPV), influenza and shingles. He is currently the president and CEO of Biologics Consulting Group, Inc, where he is responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of the company.

Prior to this, he spent 20 years at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), most recently as Director of the Office of Vaccines Research and Review (OVRR) in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). In this role, he oversaw all facets of the clinical and product regulatory review activity, including quality assurance and oversight of review functions in addition to planning, developing and administering CBER’s broad national and international programs and operational activities for vaccines and related products. Dr. Baylor served as FDA’s liaison to CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services National Vaccine Advisory Committee, and the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines. He served on the board of the Infectious Disease Research Institute and continues to serve as an expert advisor to the World Health Organization on several global vaccine initiatives.

Fiona P. Havers, M.D.

Adjunct associate professor, Emory University School of MedicineFiona Havers, MD, MHS, FIDSA, is an infectious diseases physician and former medical epidemiologist at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Havers is a senior subject matter expert on vaccine-preventable respiratory diseases and vaccine policy. She was the CDC lead of the Respiratory Virus Hospitalization Surveillance Network (RESP-NET) Team in the Coronavirus and Other Respiratory Viruses Division within the U.S. CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases. Dr. Havers oversaw the COVID-19 and RSV platforms within RESP-NET, a population-based surveillance platform that covers ~9% of the US population and collects data on COVID-19, RSV, and influenza-associated hospitalizations. Dr. Havers left CDC in June 2025.

The author of >100 publications while at CDC, Dr. Havers’ research interests have focused on the epidemiology, prevention, treatment and vaccine policy for vaccine-preventable respiratory pathogens, including influenza, pertussis, RSV and SARS-CoV-2. She was previously the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) Work Group lead for the Pertussis Vaccines Work Group and has worked extensively on COVID-19 and adult RSV vaccine policy, including as senior author on the initial adult RSV vaccine ACIP policy recommendations published in 2023.

Paul A. Offit, M.D.

Director, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Vaccine Education CenterPaul A. Offit, M.D., is the Director of the Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia as well as the Maurice R. Hilleman Professor of Vaccinology and a Professor of Pediatrics at the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Offit is currently a voting member on the FDA’s Vaccine Advisory Committee and has previously served on the Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices to the CDC. He is also the co-inventor of the rotavirus vaccine, RotaTeq, recommended for universal use in infants by the CDC in 2006 and by the WHO in 2013. This vaccine was estimated recently to save about 165,000 lives a year. He is also the author of 11 books written for the public about science, medicine, and vaccines.

M. Miles Braun, M.D.

Adjunct professor, Georgetown University School of MedicineIn April 2018, M. Miles Braun MD MPH, was appointed Adjunct Professor at the Georgetown University School of Medicine and the Georgetown Lombardi Comprehensive Cancer Center. Dr. Braun directs a new educational initiative to bring integrative approaches to optimize health and quality of life of adolescent and young adult cancer patients, survivors and caregivers. Integrative approaches include mind and body practices, natural products and lifestyle modifications.

Dr. Braun is board-certified in Public Health and General Preventive Medicine. He served for 20 years as a medical officer in the US Public Health Service (USPHS), including at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), National Institutes of Health (NIH), and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) where he was for more than 8 years Director of the Division of Epidemiology in the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research. He has received more than 20 USPHS awards and authored or co-authored well over 100 scientfic-medical publications, including multiple studies with important clinical impact and epidemiological studies on the causes of various cancers. Dr. Braun has practiced yoga (including meditation) for 25 years, is a registered yoga teacher with Yoga Alliance (RYT200), has completed multiple trainings and has extensive personal experience with integrative approaches.

Lunch and Learn: How to land a pitch
2026-03-19 13:00 - 14:00
Freelancers, what was the secret to your successful pitches? We’ll talk about how to pitch for different types of stories—narrative, short explanatory pieces, wellness, trade publications, and more.

At AHCJ’s Lunch and Learns, freelancer members chat about a designated topic over Zoom every third Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. ET. Registration is required for Lunch and Learns and is only available to current freelance AHCJ members.

Lunch and Learn: How to stay accountable
2026-04-16 13:00 - 14:00
Think about your goals for your freelance work: Are you hoping to get assignments from a wider number of publications? Or maybe from a “dream” publication? Do you want to be more organized and productive? Or just to feel more encouraged and motivated?

We’ll talk about how to stay focused on your goals, either with an “accountability partner” or by finding your own way to stay accountable.

At AHCJ’s Lunch and Learns, freelancer members chat about a designated topic over Zoom every third Thursday of the month at 1 p.m. ET. Registration is required for Lunch and Learns and is only available to current freelance AHCJ members.

HJ26 PitchFest Prep
2026-04-28 16:00 - 17:00
Whether it’s your first or tenth time at PitchFest, please join this virtual session to review the dos and don’ts of your one-on-one with editors. The PitchFest committee will share feedback it has gotten from previous years’ editors and advice on how to make the most of your 10-minute time slots.

This year’s PitchFest will take place at Health Journalism 2026 in Minneapolis.

Maternal Tdap vaccine: The evidence behind it and how to tell the story
2026-05-13 13:00 - 14:00
Pertussis (whooping cough) cases are on the rise, and infants remain the most vulnerable population. Tdap vaccination during pregnancy is one of the most effective tools we have to protect newborns before they are old enough to be vaccinated themselves. In this webinar, you will hear from two expert groups working at the forefront of vaccine communication and evidence translation.

The Vaccine Integrity Project will present their evidence review of the current data on Tdap safety and efficacy in pregnancy, and The Evidence Collective will share the most common questions they hear from communities both on- and offline and discuss practical strategies for addressing them effectively.

Moderator

Tara Haelle

AHCJ Health Beat Leader for Infectious Diseases and Medical StudiesTara Haelle is AHCJ’s health beat leader for infectious diseases and medical studies. She’s an independent science/health journalist, author, speaker, and photographer. Her work has appeared in the National Geographic, Scientific American, Texas Monthly, Science News, Medscape/WebMD, The New York Times, Wired, and O Magazine, among others. She specializes in public health and medical research, particularly vaccines, infectious disease, maternal and pediatric health, mental health, healthcare disparities, and misinformation. She also covers medical research conferences and edits Long COVID Connection on Medium. Haelle earned a master’s in photojournalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and her images have appeared in Texas Monthly, NPR, the, Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere.

Bertha A. Hidalgo, Ph.D., MPH, FACE

Steering committee, The Evidence CollectiveDr. Bertha Hidalgo an Associate Professor with tenure in the Department of Epidemiology and Associate Dean for the Office of Access and Engagement at the UAB School of Public Health. She holds degrees from Stanford University, the University of Southern California and the University of Alabama at Birmingham. She leads research programs in genetic epidemiology and dissemination science.

Dr. Hidalgo has a highly productive record of peer-reviewed research in relevant research areas with publications as lead or co-lead author in high-impact journals including Nature, Scientific Reports, Diabetes, American Journal of Public Health, with over 100 publications in total as lead, co-author or senior author. She has attained research funding from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, National Institutes of Health, the American Heart Association, and internal funding from UAB.

Dr. Hidalgo is the past chair of the Minority Affairs committee and current President of theAmerican College of Epidemiology, as well as a long-standing member on the NHLBI Board of External Experts. Dr. Hidalgo is also a recipient of the 2019 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Early Career Achievement Award.

Elisabeth Marnik, Ph.D.

Executive director, The Evidence CollectiveDr. Elisabeth Adkins Marnik is a science communicator and immunologist working at the intersection of public trust, science, and public health. She earned her PhD in genetics and immunology from Tufts University.

Raised in a family that distrusted science and vaccines, Liz brings a personal understanding of hesitancy to her work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she launched Science Whiz Liz to help the public navigate emerging health information, combining lived experience with scientific expertise. Liz now leads national efforts to translate evidence into clear, responsible, and empathetic public communication. She is an inaugural member of the National Academy of Medicine’s Action Collaborative on Building Trust in Health Science Through Community Partnership and Lived Experience and was named to Mainebiz’s 2025 40 Under 40 for her leadership in science education and public engagement.

Emily Senerth, M.S., MPH

Consultant researcher, Evidence FoundationEmily Senerth, M.S., MPH, is a Consultant Researcher for Evidence Foundation, a registered nonprofit organization based in Cleveland, Ohio whose mission is to support evidence-based health care through training, mentorship, education, and collaboration. Emily managed the development of a rapid systematic review and meta-analysis on the effectiveness and safety of Tdap vaccination during pregnancy commissioned by the Vaccine Integrity Project.

She has also led methodological reviews to investigate systematic review approaches and decision-making frameworks in environmental and occupational health, systematic reviews on the health effects of noise annoyance and the impact of socioeconomic status on faltering weight, and technical reviews to support the development of guideline recommendations on left atrial appendage occlusion, management of chronic venous disease, diagnosis and treatment of pediatric urinary tract infection, and lung cancer screening.

Rochelle Walensky, M.D., MPH

Professor of medicine, Harvard Medical SchoolMedical affairs adviser, Vaccine Integrity ProjectDr. Rochelle Walensky is a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and the medical affairs adviser for the Vaccine Integrity Project.

Dr. Walensky served as the 19th Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2021-23), Professor of Medicine, Harvard Medical School (2012-2021), and Chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases, Massachusetts General Hospital (2017-2021). Dr. Walensky is a board-certified infectious disease clinician whose research and over 300 peer-reviewed publications has focused on infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS policy, including cost-effective strategies for HIV screening, treatment, and prevention, both in the U.S. and around the globe.

Dr. Walensky is a member of the American Academy of Physicians, National Academy of Medicine, and Council on Foreign Relations. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees at the Doris Duke Foundation and The Carter Center. She is also a founding member and Medical Affairs Advisor at the Vaccine Integrity Project, which is dedicated to providing trusted, science-based information for informed vaccine choices.

Dr. Walensky received her BA (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1991) from Washington University in St. Louis; her MD from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine (1995) and her MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health (Clinical Effectiveness, 2001). She completed her Internal Medicine residency at the Johns Hopkins Hospital (1995-1998) and her Infectious Disease fellowship at the Massachusetts General/Brigham and Women’s Hospital combined program (1998-2001).

Health Journalism 2026
2026-05-27 00:00 - 2026-05-30 23:59
Pack your bags for the City of Lakes! The Association of Health Care Journalists and the Center for Excellence in Health Care Journalism are thrilled to bring Health Journalism ’26 to Minneapolis from May 27–30. Expect four energizing days of immersive field trips, standout sessions, hands-on workshops and abundant opportunities to connect with colleagues from across the country.

“I’m excited that we’re returning to the middle of the country for our annual conference, after holding the last two in LA and New York,” said Gideon Gil, AHCJ board president. “This year, we’re starting the conference a day earlier, on a Wednesday, and ending on Saturday afternoon, to make it easier for attendees to stay through the last sessions before having to head home.”

At a moment when truth and accountability matter more than ever, we’ll bring together journalists, health care professionals, policymakers and industry experts for timely discussions. Be a part of the conversation (and pitch your ideas for sessions until Jan. 30, 2026) as we explore health care’s biggest challenges and examine emerging opportunities and solutions. As always, you’ll walk away with plenty of story ideas and new contacts.

This year’s conference will also feature the 22nd annual Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism, a celebration of the best work in health care reporting.

“AHCJ is committed to moving our conference around the U.S. to make it more accessible to our members,” said Kelsey Ryan, AHCJ executive director. “We’re excited to give a national lens to local places each year, and Minneapolis has a lot that everyone can learn from.”

Beyond the sessions, Minneapolis offers so much to see and do. Visit George Floyd Square at the intersection of 38th Street and Chicago Avenue, which will soon have a memorial. Listen to live music on First Avenue or wander through the legendary Minneapolis Sculpture Garden, home to Claes Oldenburg’s iconic “Spoonbridge and Cherry” sculpture. Dive into the city’s vibrant art scene at the Minneapolis Institute of Art, the Mill City Museum, the Weisman Art Museum and the Walker Art Center. And don’t forget to schedule a guided tour of Paisley Park, Prince’s former home and recording studio.

More details coming soon — but for now, save the dates, submit a session pitch and start making plans to be in Minneapolis!

Behind the Ebola outbreak: An expert backgrounder for journalists
2026-06-30 12:00 - 13:00
As a widespread outbreak of the little-known Ebola Bundibugyo virus in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda continues to command global attention and generate controversy, accurate and nuanced reporting has never been more important.

Join the Association of Health Care Journalists (AHCJ) and the Expert Vaccine Analysis Team (EVAT) for a one-hour briefing and discussion that will help journalists and other communicators build a deeper understanding of the virus — including its epidemiology and spread, strategies for containment, what the US needs to do to be prepared, and the latest advances in vaccines and treatments.

This one-hour webinar brings together prominent, experienced voices in infectious disease, public health, and vaccines to walk reporters through the core science in plain, accessible terms, including:

Craig Spencer, M.D., MPH, an emergency medicine physician and Associate Professor at Brown University. He was deeply involved in the 2014 Ebola response in Guinea, both as a physician responding to the outbreak and then, as a survivor of the disease.

Daniel Jernigan, M.D., a former CDC leader of multiple responses to public health emergencies, including the 2014 Ebola response in Sierra Leone and in the US.

Mary Bassett, M.D., MPH, Professor at the Harvard University School of Public Health who was New York City’s Health Commissioner from 2014–2018, leading its Ebola response.

Philip Krause, M.D., a virologist and infectious diseases specialist who serves as Chair of WHO COVID Vaccines Research Expert Group. He was formerly Deputy Director of FDA’s Office of Vaccines Research and Review.

The session will be moderated by AHCJ’s Tara Haelle and incorporate ample time for Q&A.

Who Should Attend?

Science, health, and international affairs journalists seeking authoritative background for their Ebola coverage.

Public health professionals and others who want a better understanding of the current Ebola landscape.

Moderator

Tara Haelle

AHCJ Health Beat Leader for Infectious Diseases and Medical StudiesTara Haelle is AHCJ’s health beat leader for infectious diseases and medical studies. She’s an independent science/health journalist, author, speaker, and photographer. Her work has appeared in the National Geographic, Scientific American, Texas Monthly, Science News, Medscape/WebMD, The New York Times, Wired, and O Magazine, among others. She specializes in public health and medical research, particularly vaccines, infectious disease, maternal and pediatric health, mental health, healthcare disparities, and misinformation. She also covers medical research conferences and edits Long COVID Connection on Medium. Haelle earned a master’s in photojournalism from the University of Texas at Austin, and her images have appeared in Texas Monthly, NPR, the, Chicago Sun-Times and elsewhere.

Mary Bassett, M.D., MPH

Professor of the practice of health and human rights, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public HealthMary T. Bassett is the Director of the FXB Center for Health and Human Rights at Harvard University, as well as the FXB Professor of the Practice of Health and Human Rights at the Harvard School of Public Health. With more than 30 years of experience in public health, Dr. Mary Travis Bassett has dedicated her career to advancing health equity. Prior to her directorship at the FXB Center, Dr. Bassett served for four years as commissioner of Health for New York City. As commissioner, she worked to ensure that every New York City neighborhood supported the health of its residents, with the goal of closing gaps in population health across the city.

Daniel Jernigan, M.D., MPH

Former director, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases, CDCDaniel B. Jernigan, M.D., MPH, recently resigned his position as Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Jernigan completed training at Duke University and Baylor College of Medicine and has completed residencies in Internal Medicine and Preventive Medicine.

He entered the CDC in 1994 as an Epidemic Intelligence Officer, and has been studying respiratory and emerging diseases since that time. He is a retired Captain in the U.S. Public Health Service and was the recipient of the 2019 Service to America Medal.

Philip Krause, M.D.

Chair, WHO COVID Vaccines Research Expert GroupDr. Krause was for the past decade Deputy Director, Office of Vaccines Research and Review (OVRR) at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER). Dr. Krause is currently Chair of the World Health Organization COVID Vaccines Research Expert Group, and most recently he shared responsibility for regulatory authorizations of COVID-19 vaccines in the US.

In a 30-year career at FDA Dr. Krause has collaborated at the highest levels with international and US domestic stakeholders including the European Medicines Association (EMA), Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH).

Craig Spencer, M.D., MPH

Public health professor and emergency medicine physician, Brown University School of Public HealthCraig Spencer, M.D., MPH is an emergency medicine physician, public health researcher, and Associate Professor of the Practice of Health Services, Policy, and Practice at Brown University School of Public Health. His work spans global health and domestic community engagement — connecting nearly two decades of frontline humanitarian experience to an emerging body of research and practice focused on rebuilding public trust in American health institutions.

Dr. Spencer’s field work has taken him across Africa and Southeast Asia as a physician and epidemiologist with Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), including leading outbreak investigations in Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo, South Sudan, and Chad, and serving as a coordinator of MSF’s national epidemiological response during the West Africa Ebola epidemic.

How a new White House proposal could fundamentally change American science
2026-07-01 15:00 - 16:00
The second Trump administration has created upheaval in the biomedical research community. Widespread grant terminations, fast-changing policy changes, and proposals to downsize federal spending have created unease among a group that has largely been able to lean on the government as a partner.

In late May, another move caught the attention of many in the world of science: a 412-page proposal to change the regulation governing all contracts with the federal government. Issued by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget, the plan would alter the lay of the land for all research grants. Among the changes is a de-prioritization of peer review and greater latitude for political appointees to terminate grants.

It has garnered widespread attention from the scientific community because of the potentially wide-ranging impacts of the proposal. Join a STAT reporter who has covered the issue, a former NIH official, a government relations professional and a leading research for an exploration of this specific policy and what your audience may want to know before the public comment period closes on July 13.

Moderator

Anil Oza

General assignment reporter, STATAnil Oza is a general assignment reporter at STAT, where he covers health equity & the NIH. He previously covered all things science, from grassroots efforts to study the effect of urban heat to the elusiveness of urban rats, for NPR’s Short Wave, Science News, and Nature. He got his start as the assistant managing editor and science editor of his college newspaper, The Cornell Daily Sun, where he covered the Covid-19 pandemic. His coverage of the Trump administration’s upheaval of federally-funded research was part of a package of stories that won a 2026 George Polk Award, and 3rd place in AHCJ’s awards for excellence in health policy.

Sean Gallagher

Deputy director of federal relations, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)Mr. Gallagher serves as AAAS’ liaison to Congress and the executive branch. After spending 7 years on Capitol Hill, he now spearheads grassroots efforts and focuses on engaging and encouraging scientists to demonstrate their value to their peers, the media, and policymakers. Sean has a Master’s Degree in Public Policy from Georgetown University and received his Bachelor’s in Political Science from Villanova University.

Elizabeth Ginexi, Ph.D.

Independent health science consultantFormer senior program official, National Institutes of Health (NIH)Dr. Elizabeth Ginexi served the National Institutes of Health for 22 years as a Program Official, shaping biomedical and behavioral health research strategy. During her tenure, she managed a portfolio of 305 grants totaling $132 million across several institutes and centers, and co-authored 18 funding initiatives that generated 1,087 projects totaling $778 million spanning mental health, substance use prevention, pain management, data science, and health services research. She left NIH in April 2025 because she witnessed the new leadership replacing NIH’s scientifically-driven system with one that is politically directed and violates the Public Health Service Act of 1944. She has been writing about the dismantling of the NIH on substack since December 2025.

Eric Rubin, M.D., Ph.D.

Editor-in-chief, The New England Journal of Medicine, NEJM GroupEric J. Rubin, M.D., Ph.D., joined the New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and NEJM Group as Editor-in-Chief in September 2019, taking on the responsibility for oversight of all editorial content and policies.

Dr. Rubin is an Associate Physician specializing in infectious disease at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and is a Professor in the Department of Immunology and Infectious Diseases at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. He serves on several scientific advisory boards to groups interested in infectious disease therapeutics. Dr. Rubin has also previously served as the Associate Editor for Infectious Disease at the New England Journal of Medicine as well as an editor for several basic science journals including PLoS Pathogens, Tuberculosis, and mBio.
