How do powerful industries shape what we believe about health risks—and what we don't? Dr. Nason Maani, Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Inequalities and Global Health Policy at the University of Edinburgh, has spent years uncovering how commercial interests influence public health understanding.

Salma and Nason tackle the commercial determinants of health framework, moving beyond the typical focus on individual choices to examine the systems that shape those choices. They dig into Nason's "Manufacturing Doubt" paper, which investigated how industries weaponize uncertainty against public health evidence—using “alternative causation” arguments. The conversation explores the methodological challenges of researching corporate actors and the need to translate evidence about commercial influence into effective policy action.

This episode challenges listeners to consider whether our focus on individual behavior change might be missing the bigger picture of who benefits from keeping populations unhealthy. How have you seen commercial interests shape health discussions in your field?

Useful resources

• Maani N, Van Schalkwyk MCI, Filippidis FT, Knai C, Petticrew M. Manufacturing doubt: Assessing the effects of independent vs industry-sponsored messaging about the harms of fossil fuels, smoking, alcohol, and sugar sweetened beverages. SSM - Population Health. 2022;17:101009. doi:1016/j.ssmph.2021.101009
• Maani N, Petticrew M, Galea S, eds. The Commercial Determinants of Health. Oxford University Press; 2022. https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-commercial-determinants-of-health-9780197578759?cc=us&lang=en&
• Money, Power, Health with Nason Maani (podcast):
  • https://anchor.fm/s/b50fce1c/podcast/rss
  • https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/money-power-health-with-nason-maani/id1667592518
  • https://open.spotify.com/episode/0Aa2qRUtfM0eVUYNxF6Bvf

Host: Dr. Salma Abdalla Editors: Catalina Melendez Contreras and Zachary Linhares Music: Eden Avery / Melting Glass from Epidemic Sound https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/2fqOXWpHab/

As public health faces mounting challenges, what does meaningful progress actually look like? This inaugural episode features Sandro Galea, Margaret C. Ryan Dean and Eugene S. and Constance Kahn Distinguished Professor at Washington University's newly established School of Public Health.

Salma and Dean Galea dive deep into his concept of "consequential epidemiology"—the idea that research should drive real-world change, not just academic publications. They explore the "Healthiest Goldfish" analogy and what it reveals about how we think about population health interventions. The conversation also tackles why this moment feels particularly significant for launching a new school of public health, and Dean Galea shares the one public health question that genuinely keeps him awake at night.

This episode sets the stage for our series by examining not just what public health does, but what it should aspire to do differently. What assumptions about public health do you think need challenging?

Useful resources:

• The Healthiest Goldfish:https://sandrogalea.substack.com
• Galea S. Well: What We Need to Talk about When We Talk about Health. Oxford University Press; 2019.
• Galea S. The Contagion next Time. Oxford University Press; 2022
• WashU Public Health 4x4 Plan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRa1zpLXwCc&t=1s

Host: Dr. Salma Abdalla Editors: Catalina Melendez Contreras and Zachary Linhares Music: Eden Avery / Melting Glass from Epidemic Sound https://www.epidemicsound.com/track/2fqOXWpHab/