Let's Talk ID

In a special encore presentation in honor of Black History Month, Let’s Talk ID host and IDSA Board member Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, speaks with HIVMA Chair Allison Agwu, MD, ScM, FIDSA, HIVMA Immediate Past Chair Michelle Cespedes, MD, MS, and Darrell McBride, DO, about their experiences as Black infectious diseases physicians.

Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, sits down with infectious disease and critical care physician, Matthew Brigmon, MD, of the University of Texas at San Antonio, to explore his unique path as a double-boarded physician. They discuss the challenges and rewards of combining the two specialties and share guidance for trainees interested in forging a career in ID Critical Care.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, is joined by infectious diseases physicians and international medical graduates, Vidya Sundareshan, MD, and Alfredo Mena Lora, MD, FIDSA, to discuss how international medical graduates (IMGs) can pursue a career in infectious diseases. The trio discuss visa options, job search strategies, and how political change could impact the process.

Paul Sax, MD, FIDSA, speaks with Adam Ratner, MD, MPH, Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology at NYU Grossman School of Medicine and Director of the Division of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital and Bellevue Hospital Center, about his book, "Booster Shots: The Urgent Lessons of Measles" and the rise of vaccine preventable diseases. 

Anna Person, MD discusses threats to the Medicaid program and how they could impact people with HIV with Kate McManus, MD, MSc, FIDSA, Associate Professor of Medicine at the University of Virginia in the Division of Infectious Diseases and International Health and Amy Killelea, JD, Assistant Research Professor at the Georgetown University Center on Health Insurance Reforms (CHIR) and consultant to the HIV Medicine Association.  

IDSA Board Member Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, discusses public health forecasting and response efforts with Lior Rennert, PhD, director of the Center for Public Health Modeling and Response at Clemson University, and Dylan George, PhD, director of CDC’s Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA). 

IDSA Board Member Mati Hlatshwayo Davis, MD, MPH, FIDSA, Former CDC Director Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, FIDSA, and VP of Health Programs at the Carter Center, Kashef Ijaz, MD, MPH, discuss the legacy of Former President Jimmy Carter, his work addressing neglected tropical diseases and the impact and value of public advocacy and political support for these diseases. 

Buddy Creech, MD, MPH, FPIDS, is joined by Sustainabil-ID co-founders, Preeti Jaggi, MD, and Shreya Doshi, MD, to discuss how ID can address issues of sustainability.