A podcast more reliable than your federal government. Hosted by public health professionals Ariel, Mattie, and Olivia, this podcast breaks down what’s actually happening in the world of health—without the jargon or spin, no background required. Each episode feels like catching up with friends who know how the system works and can explain why it matters to your everyday life. Expect the topic of the week, public health in pop culture, weekly recall updates, and the good news we all need to hear. Informative, honest, and occasionally unhinged…in the best way.
All views shared in this podcast are our own. Episodes drop every other Friday.
Ariel is a public health professional that holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health and is Certified in Public Health. Originally from New York, she moved to Colorado in 2013 and never looked back. She is the #1 fan of food (special shout-out to carbs), has made trail running her entire personality, and listens to podcasts obsessively. Catch her walking her dog, going to bed early, or checking out the newest taco truck.
Mattie Cassaday has her Masters of Public Health in global health and epidemiology from the Colorado School of Public Health. She’s worked in academic global health immunology research, at the CDC doing a laboratory research fellowship on arboviral diseases, and is now an Environmental Health and Safety Specialist in industry. Needless to say, she’s bounced around a lot (thx, federal government). Mattie was born and raised in Colorado (with a short stint in Oklahoma for undergrad) and in her free time she throws pottery, does photography, and reads an insane amount of romance novels.
Olivia Zarella holds an Doctorate of Public Health from University of Colorado and a Master of Public Health from the Emory University, with nearly a decade of experience in infectious disease prevention programs and health policy. Originally from Boston, MA, she splits her free time between restoring vintage furniture and diving into video games.
Dr. Alex Sundermann is an Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Public Health, where his research focuses on detecting and stopping infectious disease outbreaks in healthcare settings — using genomic sequencing and machine learning to catch transmission earlier and speed up infection prevention. Alongside his research, he's built a following as a public health communicator, using social media to debunk misinformation and break down outbreaks (like Cyclospora) for a general audience.
Find him on Instagram, TikTok, and Facebook @DrAlexSundermann (two N's!).
Dr. Elizabeth Soda, MD, is an infectious disease physician & public health advocate, former CDC EIS Officer and CDC staff member (2016–2025). Currently based in Italy and volunteering with the National Public Health Coalition and Fired, but Fighting.