"It's really cool when you feel like you can show up for someone who felt like they didn't have anyone."

We're launching a new focus on This is Viral and turning our attention towards the career possibilities that open up when you choose to pursue public health. To kick things off, meet Ibukun Omole, a UVA graduate who has spent the last year working as a fellow in the Washington AIDS Partnership.

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“Who run the world? Girls!” -Beyoncé

Host Sarah Moxham returns to lead This is Viral's first all-women podcast episode. Joining her at the table are former UVA track/cross country runners, Georgie Mackenzie and Libby Davidson. This is their "love story" with running, and its peak highs and lows. A key study that inspired this episode details the gender-based differences in patterns of disordered eating in female student-athletes compared to male student-athletes of the same sports. How might disordered eating or disordered training affect mental health? Find out through the experiences of Georgie and Libby here!

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Have you ever wanted to learn about the life and mindset of a D1 athlete or a professional soccer player? Look no further!

Host Paco Abiad reconnects with some old friends: USMNT and New England Revolution defender, Henry Kessler, and University of Virginia forward, Cabrel Happi Kamseu, to discuss the world of soccer (or football for anyone outside of the U.S.) and the sport's parallels with life and mental health. We hope you enjoy this innovative approach to discussing mental health care in our daily lives.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Coach Bayram, a pillar of community and joy for the Charlottesville/UVA soccer community. Here is the link to his family's GoFundMe. Rest in Peace, Coach B, and thank you.

Music by Ketsa and Chad Crouch

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A story about Community health, the Meaning of "Siyabonga," and How to Be the Worst Uber Passenger!

Host Paco Abiad takes a deep dive into conversation with Fulbright Scholar Scarlett Bergam to learn all about what it's like to be living and working in South Africa this year amidst the latest developments with the COVID-19 Omicron variant. Today's story is one of the geographic beauties of South Africa and the resilient and collectivist culture of the local people. We hope that today's episode helps audience members to not simply point fingers at South Africa and block sub-Saharan Africa from the rest of the global community and to appreciate the infectious disease experts in South Africa for alerting the world to the Omicron variant.

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Are you in need of some soul-filling conversation? Do you want to learn a little bit about the U.S. healthcare system? Look no further than this episode, featuring Dr. Rick Mayes! Join co-hosts Paco and Daniel as they dive into what the Affordable Care Act is and what it means for providing access for mental health care. Make sure to listen all the way through the end, as Dr. Mayes shares some tips and strategies to promote our own well-being as we head into the fall season.

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How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected our collective mental health? Does America have the policies and infrastructure to protect and promote our mental health?

These are the burning questions that our team is investigating during this mini-series of content around mental health. Why are we launching this project? Hear what our guest, Dr. Zelle, has to say to find out more.

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We Need to Talk About Anti-Asian Hate.

In the aftermath of the Atlanta shootings and the continued senseless acts of xenophobia against AAPI, host Paco Abiad takes the microphone to share some of his raw thoughts and emotions as a Filipino-American and also as someone who's been researching the consequences of xenophobia during COVID-19 for the past year.

For more information and specific breakdowns/trends of reported xenophobic incidents, please visit StopAAPIHate.org.

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What enrages you and what gives you hope?

Between Helplessness and Hope, Fear and Fortitude, Isolation and Innovation. This has been a Year of COVID-19.

Join us in this very special episode of This is Viral as host Paco Abiad takes us back through the different stages, or rather, seasons, of the pandemic since it began in March 2020. This pandemic has fluctuated in waves that reflect both case transmission and our collective well-being. Today you'll hear from the voices of frontline healthcare workers, students, the immunocompromised, children, teachers, and even grandparents.

Timestamps by Season:

"Spring" March through May: (2:16)

"Summer" June through August: (15:05)

"Fall" September through December: (25:52)

"2021": (33:14)

Takeaways: (41:06)

In addition to this episode, we're continuing our search for reflections of this past year. Whether it’s your own voice recording, a photo or video of a hobby you picked up in quarantine, or a written letter or poem, send it our way at thisisviralpodcast@gmail.com. We hope to display submissions in a joint format moving forward.

THANK YOU for supporting This is Viral and helping us to get to TEN EPISODES. We are so grateful for your engagement and cannot wait to share more public health content with you in the near future.

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What enrages you and what gives you hope?