S1E114 - Lisa Krieger - A Deeper Understanding of Bird Flu, COVID, Southern California Fires, and More

In this episode, Michael Krasny sought answers to what we need to know—and still don't know—about what many are convinced might be our next pandemic. Leading health and environmental journalist Lisa Krieger provided an immense amount of important information about avian flu (H5N1), discussing what humans need to be most concerned about and how it affects different animals, as well as vaccines, surveillance, what to avoid, and routes of transmission.

A listener asked Krieger what she, one of the nation's best and most awarded science writers, believes is the most underreported health or science story. This allowed Krieger to share her opinion and shed light on scientific progress, as well as questions surrounding the human genome project, health policy, and affordability.

Another listener raised questions about the CDC's prioritization of the norovirus, followed by Krasny questioning Krieger on the fires in Southern California and COVID—including new variants, vaccines, and long COVID. The discussion concluded as a listener inquired about AI and healthcare, and Krasny asked Krieger about the new HIV drug and her perspective on the ongoing battle with climate change.

Throughout this wide-ranging conversation, Krieger's expertise illuminated complex scientific and environmental challenges facing our society today. Her insights offered valuable perspective on how these various health and environmental issues interconnect, and what steps we might take to address them effectively.

Biography

Lisa M. Krieger is a journalist for The San Jose Mercury News/Bay Area News Group, covering science, medicine and environmental research news from Stanford University, University of California, NASA-Ames, U.S. Geological Survey, Lawrence Livermore Labs and other Bay Area-based research facilities.  She covered public health crises in Mississippi after 2005's Hurricane Katrina and rebel-held Sri Lanka after 2004's East Asian tsunami, on loan to Knight-Ridder News Service.

Krieger also teaches “News Feature Writing” in the Science Communication Program (M.S. degree) at UC-Santa Cruz. 

Prior to joining The San Jose Mercury News in 1998, she was the medical writer for the San Francisco Examiner, where for 12 years she covered the AIDS epidemic and other public health issues. 

Krieger graduated from Duke University with a degree in Biology and was the recipient of a National Association of Science Writers’ fellowship at Duke University School of Medicine.  She lives in Inverness, California, on the edge of Point Reyes National Seashore.

Conversation recorded on January 17, 2025.