The 2026 ASPPH Annual Meeting for Academic Public Health, March 18–20, will feature three plenary sessions designed to foster shared learning, thoughtful dialogue, and collective progress across the academic public health community. As cornerstone events of the meeting, these plenaries will convene nationally recognized leaders, practitioners, and partners to explore timely challenges and opportunities facing the field, setting the tone for meaningful engagement and collaboration throughout the meeting.

The Thursday Opening Plenary, Beyond the Choir: Changing the Narrative for Broader Reach (March 19, 9:00–10:15 AM ET), will explore how public health can reframe both message and messenger to better engage skeptical or disengaged audiences. Moderated by Tom Frieden, MD, MPH, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, the session features Demetre Daskalakis, MD, MPH; Céline Gounder, MD, ScM, FIDSA; and Brinleigh Murphy-Reuter, EdM.

On Thursday afternoon, Why Should I Trust You?: A Dialogue Between Academic Public Health and MAHA (March 19, 2:30–3:30 PM ET) will convene academic leaders and representatives from the Make America Healthy Again movement for a good-faith discussion on trust and public health. The session will be moderated by Tom Johnson, co-host of the Why Should I Trust You? podcast, and includes Aaron Everitt, Elizabeth Frost, Megan Ranney, MD, MPH, FACEP, and Craig Spencer, MD, MPH.

The Friday Closing Plenary,Leading with Purpose: Power, Partnership, and the Path to Health Equity (March 20, 11:30 AM–12:45 PM ET), will feature Shavon Arline-Bradley, MDiv, MPH, President and CEO of the National Council of Negro Women, in conversation with moderator and ASPPH incoming board chair-elect Cynthia M. Harris, PhD, MA. The session will examine how values-driven leadership can advance equity and strengthen partnerships across communities.

Register today for the 2026 ASPPH Annual Meeting for Academic Public Health to ensure you do not miss these timely and important plenary conversations.