This week, I embark on a contemplative journey, sharing a unique perspective on patriotism that transcends conventional allegiance to country. Born in Mexico and residing in the United States, I dive into the complex relationship between patriotism, sports, and national identity, challenging the tribal divisions often amplified by global events. Th…

In this episode, I share my thoughts following a conversation with fellow public health professionals. I talk about the challenges we face in urban public health, the relationship between socio-economic factors and crime, and the complexities surrounding homelessness. I also explore how political ideologies, both conservative and liberal, influence…

I'm an early adopter of technology, even the more controversial technology. I don't know why ChatGPT has awakened so many fears because it is clear to me that it is just another tool for us humans to use for good or evil. In this episode, I talk about my relationship with ChatGPT, what I use it for... And I even interview the darned thing. It's pre…

You might not know that I am a big fan of aviation. But I'm also one who gets nervous in planes with turbulence. Go figure.By Rene "Epi Ren" Najera

A quick 5-minute update about my recent illness, and how -- yet again -- I am promising to keep up this podcast.By Rene "Epi Ren" Najera

Just a quick, five minute episode to get you caught up. I’ll do better next time. Promise.By Rene "Epi Ren" Najera

My parents made sure I knew stuff, so I wouldn't fall for stuff. Scammers have to work hard to get me, and they hate that. I can see through the web of lies of antivaxxers and people who try to sell me Supplements or Complementary and Alternative Medicine (SCAM). I hope I'm passing all this on to my daughter, so she knows stuff and can identify bul…

Experiences in high school led me to understand how LGBTQ+ people needed me to stand with them, defend them, and, most of all, love them. And now, we in public health need to stand up against policies from governments who are looking to hurt transgender kids.By Rene "Epi Ren" Najera

I went for a walk to clear my head and start thinking of things to do for next week. Here are some of my thoughts.By Rene "Epi Ren" Najera

After a bad breakup twenty years ago, I decided to take up running. I met some women and even went on dates because of running. But there was this one race where I made a fool of myself just in time to avoid being labeled a criminal.By Rene "Epi Ren" Najera

My culture is kind of weird. We’re not allowed to do the things our bodies and minds ask of us, like crying. If you cry, you’re apparently not a man, or you’re less of a man. Of course, that is not the case. You need to be who you are, and who the world needs you to be.By Rene "Epi Ren" Najera

When I was younger, getting into internet arguments was kind of fun, even when said arguments were not productive or had the possibility of becoming violent. As I’ve aged, one of the best things I’ve learned has been to know when to walk away from arguing. Even better, I’ve learned to apologize. I’ve learned good sportsmanship in life, I guess. Let…

I'm a scientist, so I get a lot of questions about my religion. Like others have said, many of those questions are more in order to pass judgment or to identify with me than to really get to know me. That's okay. It's how humans work. This year, I've seen many people claim to be of one religion but act nothing like it. We see it all the time with t…

Have you ever wondered why infectious diseases are a thing? I mean, why do people keep giving things like gonorrhea or HIV to each other? Why do we get colds? The reason here is that viruses and bacteria that cause disease have figured out that we humans just can't seem to stay away from each other and/or follow public health guidance. This pandemi…

Do you take apart your car engine and make sure that it is functioning at 100% before you take a drive? Do you check and double-check to make sure that your airplane pilot went to the proper school, knows what to do in an emergency and doesn't have something in their past that would make you think twice about flying with them? A lot of what we do d…

I finally worked out a schedule whereby I can get more days off and get some rest before long hauls of long days fighting the pandemic. So I went for a long walk and thought about our mortality. Fun stuff... Creatives out there, listen and thank you.By Rene "Epi Ren" Najera

In which I tell you why it’s hurtful to say it’s okay for older folks to die during the pandemic. When they do, we lose knowledge. We lose wisdom. We lose valuable lessons that we could use right now to deal with all this. Don’t be okay with older folks dying.By Rene "Epi Ren" Najera

A quick 9-minute story of last Wednesday, the day I successfully defended my doctoral dissertation. It was quite a "day of days," and it ended very well. It brought together five years of hard work. So what's next? Listen to find out!By Rene "Epi Ren" Najera

On today's podcast, I talk to you about a recent tragedy in our family and how it helped me understand anti-vaccine parents a little more. Not completely, but just enough to realize that there is very little in the way of a debate that one can have with them.See, When people who don't believe that vaccines save lives tell you that there is no evide…

Today, I thought I'd share with you a 15-minute presentation I gave in Mexico City last about two weeks ago. It was on a paper I wrote based off a previous blog post. I talk about what I imagine to be the perfect system for keeping track of the population's health... That is, if money, technology, laws, and ethical considerations were not in the wa…

A few minutes where I catch you up on the craziness around me. Nothing bad, mostly good... Thanks for your time. Hope you enjoy it.By Rene "Epi Ren" Najera

Yeah, yeah… It’s been a while. I missed you too. Here’s 12 minutes of me catching you up on what happened this summer with dad getting cancer, me picking up cycling and swimming, and taking some exams. Also, there is something about Puerto Rico and Zika in there. As always, you can just download it by clicking here.…

Back in 2010, right before the flu season started, the bosses at the health department allowed me to do an interview with an AM radio station out of Washington, DC. The interviewer was awesome, and she really did a good job of asking pertinent questions and keeping my answers in line. It was a great opportunity to practice public speaking and speak…

The best kinds of friends are those who you can lose contact with for months and then catch-up with quickly over some coffee or hot tea or hot chocolate... Or a beer. In this episode, I try to catch-up with you after being gone a while.By Rene "Epi Ren" Najera

What else was I going to do while I waited out the great Northeast Blizzard of 2016 but do a podcast? And what is a better way to do it than to invite a couple of friends to chat with? I used a new app called ZCast to record a chat with Briana Morgan and Craig Egan about “Impostor Syndrome” and “Trolling”……

If you have ever had Norovirus, then you will remember it for a while. Let me tell you about it, and tell you to wash your hands once, twice, and three times. Listen to this, then go wash your hands. If you want to download the mp3 file, click here.By Rene "Epi Ren" Najera

Growing up, mom used to make me speak English well or Spanish well, but never both. I thought I spoke good Spanish, until I came to Colombia. My Spanish is different, and, in translating a document from English to Spanish, I learned my written Spanish needs a lot of work.By Rene "Epi Ren" Najera