Thinking Public Health

Thinking Public Health is a monthly, in-person gathering for moderated, structured conversations on pressing public health topics. Held under the Chatham House Rule, these discussions encourage open dialogue within the WashU Public Health community. Each month will feature a different topic and a list of readings to accompany the discussion.

These events are held exclusively in-person; no online method is provided.

You can view upcoming Thinking Public Health sessions on our events calendar.

Past Thinking Public Health sessions

Readings are available on each past event page.

• April 3, 2026 – Food in a MAHA era
• March 3, 2026 – Regarding survey of academics and practitioners about state of the field
• February 19, 2026 – When Should Public Health Act on Imperfect Data? The Case of Tylenol
• January 15, 2026 – Is everything public health?
• December 18, 2025 – Agency and vulnerability
• November 20, 2025 – Decolonizing global health
• October 21, 2025 – Public health in the age of MAHA
• September 25, 2025 – A reflection on violence in the current moment
• April 18, 2025 – Truth
• March 27, 2025 – The problem of bad behavior
• February 21, 2025 – Navigating political divides to promote the health of the public
• January 28, 2025 – Changing the conversation: On the utility of symbols and statements