"We Asked 6 Infectious Disease Experts What's Changed Since The Pandemic Began"
For the past three years, the LAist newsroom's public affairs show "AirTalk" — which airs weekdays on 89.3 FM — has dedicated hundreds of on-air hours to COVID-19 coverage. One of the ways AirTalk has been able to deliver this information is through a powerhouse roster of COVID-19 experts working on the frontlines who offered their time and answered your questions.
We brought the experts together for a special live event at Caltech’s Beckman Auditorium, and asked them how their lives have personally changed, what they’d change about public messaging looking back and how we use what we’ve learned to prepare for the next global health crisis — and much more.
UCLA Fielding School of Public Health faculty Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, professor of epidemiology and community health sciences, and Dr. Kristen Choi, assistant professor of health policy and management, participated as panel experts.
Faculty Referenced by this Article
![Robert Kim-Farley](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-11/___Robert_Kim-Farley-sq.jpg?itok=2D4uW5pC)
Robert J. Kim-Farley, MD, MPH, is a Professor-in-Residence with joint appointments in the Departments of Epidemiology and Community Health Sciences
![Denise Moore](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/DeniseEntrance_sq.jpg?itok=6Or9qyiM)
![Arlecia Powell-Halley](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/___Arlecia%20Powell%20Halley-sq.jpg?itok=iQE5IsTE)
![royce hall ucla campus](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-02/academic%20calendar_royce.png?itok=KKT1TKi6)
Nationally recognized health services researcher and sociomedical scientist with 25+ years' experience in effectiveness and implementation research.
![Andrew Juhnke](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/juhnke_andrew.png?itok=gj7SzRCa)
![Faculty/staff profile placeholder image](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=Yj28CoTl)
![Kyle Sullivan](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/___Kyle_Sullivan-sq.jpg?itok=O4VnOp95)
Director, Executive Programs in Health Policy and Management
![silhoette](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-10/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=pZbj71ST)
![silhoette](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-10/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=pZbj71ST)
![Faculty/staff profile placeholder image](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=Yj28CoTl)
![Cathy Lang](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/___Cathy%20_Lang-sq.jpg?itok=rgSJoTSR)
Assistant Dean for Research & Adjunct Associate Professor of Community Health Sciences
![Faculty/staff profile placeholder image](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=Yj28CoTl)
![silhoette](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-10/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=pZbj71ST)
![Zheyu Jiang](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/___ZHEYU_JIANG-8sq.jpg?itok=8pPYDMs2)
![silhoette](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-10/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=pZbj71ST)
![Faculty/staff profile placeholder image](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=Yj28CoTl)
![Jason H. Moore, Ph.D.](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/Untitled.jpg?itok=9a2cFtM_)
Automated and accessible artificial intelligence methods and software for biomedical data science.
![Faculty/staff profile placeholder image](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=Yj28CoTl)
![silhoette](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-10/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=pZbj71ST)
![Dr. Oliver Hankinson](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-11/___Oliver_Hankinson-sq.jpg?itok=q7cj47-I)
Dr. Hankinson is a Distinguished Professor of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, and of EHS, and Chair of the Molecular Toxicology IDP
![Kyle McJunkin](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-11/Kyle_McJunkin_sq.jpg?itok=ptJNsx3_)
![Diana Balderas](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/___Diana_Balderas-3sq.jpg?itok=5BfGtZqo)
![Dr. Dvora Joseph Davey](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-09/Dvora%20Joseph%20Davey%20headshot%20Feb%202019.jpg?itok=F2RZIQRF)
Dr. Joseph Davey is an infectious disease epidemiologist with over 20 years' experience leading research on HIV/STI services for women and children.
![silhoette](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-10/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=pZbj71ST)
![Faculty/staff profile placeholder image](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=Yj28CoTl)
EMPH Academic Program Director with expertise in healthcare marketing, finance, and reproductive health policy, teaching in the EMPH, MPH, MHA program
![Michelle Garcia-Navarro](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-01/_Michelle_Garcia.jpg?itok=xunKqfS2)
![silhoette](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-10/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=pZbj71ST)
![Faculty/staff profile placeholder image](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=Yj28CoTl)
Dr. Ron Andersen is the Wasserman Professor Emeritus in the UCLA Departments of Health Policy and Management.
![Faculty/staff profile placeholder image](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=Yj28CoTl)
![Sarah Blenner](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/Sarah%20Blenner-sq.jpg?itok=8H4H3-qk)
Director of Field Studies and Applied Professional Training
![Faculty/staff profile placeholder image](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=Yj28CoTl)
![silhoette](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-10/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=pZbj71ST)
![silhoette](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-10/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=pZbj71ST)
![Riti Shimkhada](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/___Riti%20Shimkhada-9sq.jpg?itok=omVP_jS_)
![Mellisa Mulia](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/Mellisa%20Mulia-W-cropped.jpg?itok=VlWrYTGi)
![silhoette](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-10/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=pZbj71ST)
![Michelle Keller](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/keller-michelle_500x500.jpg?itok=uJryn-xx)
Dr. Michelle S. Keller is a health services researcher whose research focuses on the use and prescribing of high-risk medications.
![silhoette](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-10/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=pZbj71ST)
![person placeholder image](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-06/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=FBQhfTbr)
Academic Personnel Coordinator/Assistant to the Chair
![Laura Lliguin](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/Laura%20Lliguin-sq.jpg?itok=MhDbQISV)
![Erin Bresnahan](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-02/Bresnahan%2C%20Erin_500x500.jpg?itok=MYWPYgGz)
![Porchia Toussaint](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-02/IMG_4608.jpeg?itok=r6403kQB)
Assistant Director, MPH for Health Professionals Program
![Bose, Bijetri](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-02/Bose%2C%20Bijetri_500x500.jpg?itok=iSyZndIQ)
![Muhammad Naushad](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-02/Headshot_MPN.jpg?itok=0pzVnZ4S)
![Dr. Candace Tsai](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/___Candace%20Tsai-sq.jpg?itok=8tcJnDo3)
Associate Professor for Industrial Hygiene and Environmental Health Sciences
![silhoette](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-10/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=pZbj71ST)
![Julienne Jose-Chen](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/___Julienne%20Jose-Chen-sq.jpg?itok=LWcpkWzQ)
![Faculty/staff profile placeholder image](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=Yj28CoTl)
![Cameron Brandt de Flores](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-11/CBheadshot-sq.jpg?itok=jEnIh824)
![Carolina Cormack Orellana](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-01/CarolinaCormackOrellana_500x500.png?itok=D0rehdO_)
![Kaelyn Duke headshot](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2024-03/Kaelyn%20Duke%20headshot%202024_0.jpg?itok=eGVTB0if)
![Dr. Shane Que Hee](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/___Shane%20Que%20Hee_-4-sq.jpg?itok=yOWX8FOO)
Industrial Hygiene & Analytical Chemistry
![Allison Kamerman](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/___Allison_Kamerman-7-sq.jpg?itok=RTgh0trp)
![Mel Fleetwood](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/fleetwood%2C%20mel%20500x500.png?itok=SEfDcbqr)
![person placeholder image](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-06/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=FBQhfTbr)
![James Macinko](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/Macinko%2C%20J_500x500_10.jpg?itok=bsG1e-s6)
Professor of Community Health Sciences & Health Policy and Management, and Associate Dean for Research
![Janet Hung](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-12/JanetHung.jpg?itok=gw3HQT32)
![Faculty/staff profile placeholder image](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2022-07/person-placeholder.jpg?itok=Yj28CoTl)
![Mikaela Larecy](https://ph.ucla.edu/sites/default/files/styles/large/public/2023-05/Mikaela%20Larecy_headshot%20500x500.png?itok=uFWJ0nq7)