with @DrAlexSundermann: 1 in 31 Hospital Patients Get an Infection. Here’s Why

In this episode of I Did My Own Research, Dr. Fran sits down in person with Dr. Alex Sundermann, an infectious disease epidemiologist and assistant professor who studies pathogenomics, hospital outbreaks, and healthcare-associated infections. He shares how he went from a microbiology undergrad who had never heard of public health to working as an infection preventionist and then a researcher, and how whole genome sequencing acts like “CSI for hospitals,” uncovering outbreaks that standard care misses, including a hidden VRE outbreak traced to a single unsterile radiology procedure. They also dig into why about 1 in 31 hospitalized patients develops a hospital-acquired infection, why infection preventionists are not the “police,” and why sinks have become his latest fascination.

The conversation also turns to the current Ebola and hantavirus outbreaks, how incubation periods shape contact tracing, and how public health and research funding cuts affect both outbreak response and the next generation of scientists. Dr. Sundermann explains how to communicate this kind of science online without sacrificing accuracy, and what viewers can do to take action.

Dr. Sundermann's social media: @DrAlexSundermann
Dr. Fran's social media: @PagingDrFran