Let's Talk ID

Host Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, and former CDC director Demetre Daskalakis MD, MPH, explore the current state of public health. They discuss how political pressures and weakened infrastructure have left the system vulnerable, and how this moment could spark a public health “renaissance."

Let's Talk ID hosts, Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS, Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA and Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA reunite live at IDWeek 2025 to share their hottest takes on infectious diseases and public health. They discuss the controversial dismantling of CDC, exciting breakthroughs in treating staph aureus bacteremia, and shifts that could shape the future of the field.

Ana Velez, MD, FACP, joins Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, to share how her passion for art fuels her work in infectious diseases, from teaching through medical illustrations to using her art to give back to the ID community. Dr. Velez reveals the inspirations behind her work and how creativity brings new meaning to medicine. She also discusses her latest series of paintings that she is donating to the IDSA Foundation's Art Auction.Bid now to own one of Dr. Velez's paintings: https://givebutter.com/c/pclXSb/auction

Anna Person, MD, FIDSA, discusses the role of street medicine in improving access to HIV services and opportunities to support SM programs under Medicaid with Nathan Nolan, MD, MPH, MPHE, Founder of Street Medicine STL and Chris Menschner, Director, Complex Care Programs at the Center for Health Care Strategies.

Bruce Gellin, MD, MPH, FIDSA, ID physician and senior advisor at the Georgetown University Global Health Institute, joins Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS, to discuss the Vaccine Integrity Project and the importance of ensuring vaccine policy remains grounded in evidence. The two explore strategies for countering misinformation, building public trust, and empowering health care professionals to engage in constructive conversations about immunization.

Judy Guzman-Cottrill, DO, Professor of Pediatrics at Oregon Health & Science University, and John Brooks, MD, former CDC medical officer, rejoin Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, to discuss the impact of federal funding cuts, including the return of preventable diseases, the loss of mental health resources, and what can be done to protect the progress made toward health equity.

In this two-part series, Judy Guzman-Cottrill, DO, Professor of Pediatrics, Division of Infectious Diseases at Oregon Health and Science University, and John Brooks, MD,  former CDC medical officer and epidemiologist, join Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, to discuss the real-time consequences of federal funding cuts on public health. From dismantled community partnerships to stalled clinical trials, the three examine how these decisions are reshaping pandemic preparedness, and what we risk losing next.

ID physicians Priya Nori, MD, FSHEA, FIDSA, and Gonzalo Bearman, MD, MPH, FACP, FSHEA, FIDSA, join Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, to discuss challenges often faced by ID specialists, including gaslighting and uncompensated labor. The three discuss how physicians can advocate for themselves, set boundaries, and push for meaningful change within their institutions.Are We Being Gaslit? A Primer for Recognizing Corporate Jargon to Overcome Gaslighting for the Infectious Disease Workforce: https://academic.oup.com/cid/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/cid/ciaf097/8056053Minimizing Low-Value, Uncompensated Work in Academic Infectious Diseases: A 6-Step Program: https://academic.oup.com/cid/article/78/6/1656/7610959

Infectious diseases fellow Sam Peterson, MD, shares her unique journey to ID with Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS. The two explore the power of mentorship, the value of storytelling, and what it takes to inspire the next generation of ID specialists. 

John Fangman, MD, discusses threats to the Affordable Care Act and how they could impact people with HIV with JoAnn Volk, MA, research professor, founder, and co-director of the Center on Health Insurance Reforms at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy and Tim Horn, Director, Medication Access at NASTAD.