NEJM Interviews

Peter Marks, the former director of the FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, discusses the evolving role of public health agencies in vaccine policy. He highlights the shift towards an evidence-based strategy during the COVID-19 pandemic and the challenges of implementing new vaccine policies, emphasizing transparency. Marks warns of the public skepticism growing from these changes and stresses the need for clear communication to maintain vaccine confidence, particularly among vulnerable populations. His insights reveal a critical examination of modern health policymaking.

Patricia Mae Santos is an assistant professor in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Emory University School of Medicine. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal. P.M.G. Santos, R. Jagsi, and C.I.A. Oronce. Who Will Care for America? Immigration Policy and the Coming Health Workforce Crisis. N Engl J Med 2025;393:105-107.

In this engaging discussion, Erin Fuse Brown, a professor at Brown University School of Public Health, delves into the complex topic of healthcare corporatization. She outlines how profit-driven motives are reshaping healthcare priorities, often at the expense of patient care and worker support. The conversation highlights the rising influence of private equity and corporate consolidation, which escalate costs and diminish service quality. Erin also discusses the toll on physician-patient relationships and offers insights on restructuring the system to better serve community needs.

Dariush Mozaffarian, a leading expert in nutrition and the Director of the Food is Medicine Institute at Tufts University, discusses the pressing issue of ultra-processed foods. He highlights the challenges consumers face with misleading labels and complex ingredient lists. The conversation reveals the alarming health effects linked to these foods and examines transformative policies aimed at promoting healthier diets. Mozaffarian advocates for initiatives like sugary product taxes and improved school meal standards to mitigate the obesity crisis.

I. Glenn Cohen is a Harvard Law professor and deputy dean, specializing in health law and bioethics. He discusses the growing impact of AI monitoring systems on healthcare, highlighting how they could reshape clinical workflows and patient care dynamics. The conversation also delves into the ethical implications of constant surveillance and the need for clinicians to assert their autonomy in implementing these technologies. Cohen advocates for their active role in governance to ensure patient-centered care and transparency.

Amanda Kallen is an associate professor in the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine and an adjunct professor at the Yale School of Medicine. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal. A.N. Kallen and Others. Undermining Women’s Health Research — Gambling with the Public’s Health. N Engl J Med 2025;392:2185-2187.

Watch the NEJM In Studio video of this interview at NEJM.org. David Jones is the Ackerman Professor of the Culture of Medicine at Harvard University. Harleen Marwah, the interviewer, is an Editorial Fellow at the Journal. W. Xue and D.S. Jones. Debating Race and the Diagnosis of Anemia — How Medicine Moved Away from Race-Based Standards. N Engl J Med 2025;392:2168-2173.

Amar Kelkar is a physician at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and an instructor in medicine at Harvard Medical School. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal. A.H. Kelkar. U.S. Research Leadership at a Crossroads — The Impact of Reducing NIH Indirect-Cost Coverage. N Engl J Med 2025;392:2081-2084.

Zirui Song is an associate professor of health care policy and medicine at Harvard Medical School and a general internist at Massachusetts General Hospital. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal. Z. Song and J.M. Zhu. Primary Care — From Common Good to Free-Market Commodity. N Engl J Med 2025;392:1977-1979.

Alice Chen is a primary care internist in Washington, DC, and former executive director of Doctors for America. Stephen Morrissey, the interviewer, is the Executive Managing Editor of the Journal. A.T. Chen and V.H. Murthy. The Power of Physicians in Dangerous Times. N Engl J Med 2025;392:1873-1875.