New Beginnings is a podcast where we shine a light on the people and stories driving health equity and empowerment in immigrant communities. This podcast provides accessible healthcare education for refugee and immigrant communities and creates a space for important conversations around the healthcare challenges they often face. Through real stories and community voices, we aim to inform, inspire, and advocate for change.
From Patient to Discovery: The Physician-Scientist’s Journey
In this episode of the New Beginnings Podcast, Aarush Gupta speaks with Dr. George Deepe, Professor of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, about infectious disease, immunology, and what it means to build a career as a physician-scientist.
Dr. Deepe shares his unexpected path from considering a career in English literature to becoming an infectious-disease physician and researcher. He explains how a puzzling case involving a patient with histoplasmosis sparked a research interest that would shape decades of his career. The conversation explores how Histoplasma capsulatum infects the body, why some people develop serious disease while most exposed individuals do not, and how advances in treatments and technology have transformed infectious-disease research.
Dr. Deepe also discusses the unique role of physician-scientists in turning observations at the bedside into questions that can be investigated in the laboratory. Reflecting on a career spanning medicine, research, and mentorship, he shares one quality he believes every aspiring scientist needs: perseverance.
27 Aug 2026
From Poverty to Policy: Rethinking Health Equity
In this episode of New Beginnings, Aarush speaks with Dr. Harsha Thirumurthy, professor at the University of Pennsylvania and Associate Director for Global Health at Penn’s Center for Health Incentives and Behavioral Economics. Drawing on his work across the United States, Africa, and South Asia, Dr. Thirumurthy explores how poverty, behavioral economics, and healthcare systems shape health outcomes.
The conversation examines why healthy choices can be difficult when people face competing priorities like food, rent, and work; how cash transfer programs can improve population health; and how researchers evaluate the impact of large-scale initiatives such as HIV and malaria programs. Dr. Thirumurthy also explains how behavioral economics can help redesign healthcare systems around the realities of people’s lives.
23 Aug 2026
Listening Before Leading: Building Sustainable Global Health Partnerships
In this episode of New Beginnings, Aarush Gupta speaks with Dr. Doug Stockman, a family physician and educator whose career has spanned refugee care in Rochester and community-based health work in Honduras. Dr. Stockman reflects on how surviving Liberia’s civil war deepened his understanding of displacement, why trust and listening are essential to good medicine, and how poverty, infrastructure, and culture shape health long before a patient enters a clinic. He also explains why sustainable global-health work begins by treating local communities as the experts—and why physicians may not change the entire world, but can change the world for the person directly in front of them.
22 Jul 2026
Preparing Today for the Outbreaks of Tomorrow
In this episode of the New Beginnings Podcast, Aarush Gupta speaks with Dr. Desiree LaBeaud, Professor of Pediatrics and Associate Dean of Global Health at Stanford University, about the growing threat of mosquito-borne diseases and what the world must do to prepare for future outbreaks.
Dr. LaBeaud explains how climate change is expanding mosquito habitats, why diseases such as dengue, chikungunya, Zika, and Rift Valley fever deserve greater attention, and how plastic waste and inadequate waste-management systems can create breeding grounds for disease-carrying mosquitoes.
The conversation also explores pandemic preparedness, infectious-disease surveillance, equitable global health partnerships, and the role of artificial intelligence in outbreak response. Dr. LaBeaud emphasizes that while technology can help process information and guide decisions, trust, partnership, and human connection remain essential to building healthier communities. She closes by encouraging listeners to respond to global challenges not with helplessness but with collective and purposeful action.
20 Jun 2026
Beyond the Disease: Building Better Health Systems
In this episode of New Beginnings, Aarush sits down with Dr. David Dowdy, physician, epidemiologist, and professor at Johns Hopkins University. They discuss tuberculosis, healthcare access, disease prevention, and the role of public health in improving lives around the world. Dr. Dowdy shares insights from his work in Africa, explains why healthcare systems matter as much as medical treatments, and offers advice for students hoping to make a difference through medicine and research.
13 Feb 2026
Global Health Equity, Policy, and Systemic Reform
In this episode of New Beginnings, Aarush speaks with Dr. Abid, a professor at Brown University and nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize. He is a specialist in global health and health policy. They discuss the deep-seated inequities in healthcare access across different populations, the role of policy in shaping health outcomes, and the structural barriers that prevent vulnerable communities from receiving quality care. Dr. Abid shares his insights on what it takes to build more resilient health systems and the importance of advocacy in the pursuit of true health equity.
18 Sept 2025
Living Between Two Worlds: Refugee Youth and Mental Health
In this episode of New Beginnings, Aarush speaks with Dr. Rochelle Frounfelker, assistant professor in the College of Health at Lehigh University. They discuss her research on refugee young adults navigating life between “two worlds,” the barriers they face in accessing mental healthcare, and strategies to create more inclusive and culturally sensitive systems of support.
29 Aug 2025
Depression and Mental Health in Refugee Communities
In this episode of New Beginnings, Aarush speaks with Lila Chamlagai, a doctoral student at Brown University whose research focuses on mental health in refugee communities. They discuss his personal journey, the challenges refugees face with depression, and the importance of culturally sensitive approaches to support mental well-being.
14 Aug 2025
Pap Smears and Preventive Women’s Health
In this episode of New Beginnings, Aarush speaks with medical student Rachel Pomeranets about the importance of Pap smears in preventing cervical cancer. They discuss who should get screened, how often, and the role of community education in making women’s healthcare more accessible.
29 Jul 2025
Prevention Starts Here: Colon Cancer and Community Health
In this episode of New Beginnings, Aarush sits down with Minseo Kim, a pre-med student at The Ohio State University and active member of BCCO and the RIHA Clinic. They discuss the importance of colon cancer awareness, who should get screened, and how simple lifestyle changes can reduce risk. Together, they explore how community-based healthcare efforts can empower and educate immigrant and refugee populations.
23 Jul 2025
Healing the Mind: Refugee Mental Health and the NAYMH Conference
In this episode of New Beginnings, Aarush speaks with Shristhi, a medical student at Ohio State University and an advocate for mental health in refugee communities. They discuss the stigma surrounding mental health, why open conversations are vital, and how the NAYMH Conference is working to create culturally sensitive resources and support.
2 Jul 2025
From Resettlement to Resilience: Healthcare in Immigrant Communities
Host Aarush Gupta interviews Sudarshan Pyakurel about healthcare challenges faced by refugee and immigrant communities, highlighting community-led efforts to foster healing and empowerment.
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Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
1 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 21 / 100
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Quality
43
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
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