Plenary Sessions
The 2026 ASPPH Annual Meeting for Academic Public Health will include three plenary sessions. These sessions form the foundation of shared engagement, convening a wide range of stakeholders, experts, and thought leaders. As central elements of the annual meeting, the plenaries are designed to motivate, educate, and connect participants, establishing a strong framework for meaningful collaboration and collective progress during the meeting and into the future.
Thursday Opening Plenary Session
March 18, 9:00 AM – 10:15 AM ET
Beyond the Choir: Changing the Narrative for Broader Reach
Public health too often speaks to those already on our side. This session aims to explore how reframing both the message, and the messenger, can help us connect with audiences who are skeptical, disengaged, or simply out of reach.
Demetre Daskalakis, MD, MPH
Former Director
National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Disease Control and Prevention
Céline Gounder, MD, ScM, FIDSA
Medical Contributor, CBS News; Editor-at-Large for Public Health, KFF Health News; and Clinical Associate Professor, NYU and Bellevue Hospital
Brinleigh Murphy-Reuter, EdM
CEO and Founder
Science to People
Tom Frieden, MD, MPH
President and CEO
Resolve to Save Lives
Moderator
Thursday Afternoon Plenary Session
March 19, 2:30 PM – 3:30 PM ET
Why Should I Trust You?: A Dialogue Between Academic Public Health and MAHA
This session will bring together members of the academic public health community and leaders from the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement for a thoughtful, good-faith conversation about today’s most pressing public health challenges. The discussion will be moderated by the co-host of the podcast Why Should I Trust You?, which regularly examines topics such as vaccines, trust in science, and corporate influence on public health.
Aaron Everitt
Freelance Writer
Elizabeth Frost
Political Consultant and Campaign Strategist
Megan Ranney, MD, MPH FACEP
Dean
Yale School of Public Health
Craig Spencer, MD, MPH
Associate Professor of the Practice of Health Services, Policy and Practice
Brown University School of Public Health
Tom Johnson
Co-creator, Co-host
Why Should I Trust You? Podcast
Moderator
Friday Closing Plenary Session
March 20, 11:30 AM – 12:45 PM ET
Leading with Purpose: Power, Partnership, and the Path to Health Equity
Drawing from a career shaped by public health practice, faith-infused service, a commitment to diversity and inclusion, and national advocacy, our closing speaker will explore how value-driven leadership can inspire trust, mobilize collaboration, and advance health equity.
Shavon Arline-Bradley, Mdiv, MPH
President and CEO
National Council of Negro Women
Cynthia M. Harris, PhD, MA
Associate Dean for Public Health and Director and Professor, Institute of Public Health Florida A&M University Public Health Program
Moderator