I love this podcast, I’m really glad I came across it. I am a BSPH student and I love that this is a source of information that keeps me engaged and I get to hear different opinions on public health topics. The topics/episodes stimulate me intellectually & the host keep it interesting and funny. The only constructive feedback/comment I have is I would love to get through an episode without Jess being interrupted, let’s let her get through her opinion the same way as the guys please.

I discovered this podcast while I was completing my masters in public health and have continued to listen it as they never fail to discuss interesting and topical studies and you are guaranteed a few laughs and chuckles along the way. Great work everyone, keep ‘em coming. I highly recommend this podcast.

As an epi professor myself, I’m in love with Free Associations - the perfect blend of engaging stories, gnurred humor, and clearly explained insights into the practice of epi research. I’ve been filling my hour-long commute with these podcasts, and weekends, too. Feeling blessed by the deep backlog to draw from!

I’m a BUSPH alum and love listening to the professors break down studies from topics that range from COVID to Food! I have a busy schedule as a med student so often don’t get much time to read the latest literature and this podcast is a good way to catch up on some of what’s happening in the research and public health world. I’m sad the show is down to once a month and hope the older schedule can resume soon. Thanks to the hosts and guest speakers for really intriguing and thoughtful conversations!

I learn a lot each episode and I often litera-lol!

I love listening to this podcast! I’m an MPH Epi/Bio student at the BUSPH and this podcast keeps me abreast with the subject! This podcast is not only informative but also funny with Professor Matt Fox!

I love listening to qualified people talk about research and this show is my jam. I also appreciated Dr. Gill’s haiku: I was going to Write my own but then I felt Chagrined and humbled

I love this podcast and have recommended it to several friends. I teach a counseling research methods class at Umass Boston as an adjunct, and made the first assignment to pick one of the podcasts, read the original study, write a review of both the study and your discussion. It has been a great ice breaker for the first class.

I found this podcast fairly recently, and as an aspiring epidemiologist with an interest in non-communicable disease, I have particularly appreciated the variety of topics still discussed throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. I really enjoyed the most recent episode related to concussion testing as a former collegiate athlete as well. Thanks for your efforts to release these episodes so frequently!

Full disclosure: I am a big nerd and Professor Fox was my favorite professor from my time at BUSPH. Even for non-nerds though, this is an interesting and insightful listen.

I love the science and the humor!

I have become a staunch listener of this podcast. it’s at once entertaining and educational. the papers they pick are fun and interesting, but beyond that, I have learned so much about research methods through their discussions. the podcast is well-produced. the sound quality is divine, and the content is beautifully structured and organized 😍 dear Matt, Jen, Chris, and the rest of the production team: please keep making these because I don’t know what I’d do if you stopped.

I love these podcasts! Usually listen to it during my workouts. I’m pretty sure people at the gym think I’m crazy when I laugh out loud to the jokes. Question: where do you guys find the fun epi stuff for the amazing and amusing section? I read a lot but I never find the fun stuff. I particularly enjoyed the octopus story!

I don’t know if they’ll read this, but I am so happy I found this podcast. I usually listen to other medical podcasts, and reviewing of literature, but this is the first Public Health/ epi-podcast where the literature comes to life. Also, shout out to Chris and Fox, both whom I have had the pleasure of being taught a few lessons by! Especially Chris, definitely recommend his classes!

I have just been accepted as a PhD student in a related field, but I already started listening to this podcast before I applied. Not only did it help get me thinking like an epidemiologist, but it really made me want to join their ranks. I even thought about applying to Boston University. I got into somewhere else first, but I look forward to learning at a distance from these free associators.

Humor and knowledge true epi insights distilled herein drink some truth

Unique and fun to listen to! I appreciate all segments and they balance each other well. It would be great if more social epi was discussed. Although it’s mostly observational research and possibly outside the expertise of the hosts, it would be a great way to diversify topics and reach a new niche of epidemiology listeners. Keep up the great content!

I can’t get enough of this podcast. As an epidemiologist, I am biased, but this is the perfect podcast for my five mile runs. The hosts go over different subjects every week and between the three of them they always have something unique to offer. The provide serious analysis and criticism , but they never take themselves too seriously. Perfect tone. Great job!

This podcast is engaging and relevant to those inside and outside the field of public health. Their choice of topics help inform the health decisions that I make, and help me critically examine health topics that are portrayed in the media. Something that sets this podcast apart from others is the diverse expertise between its hosts. Combining physicians and methodologists allows for a great discussion, both on the podcast and on Twitter (#epitwitter). If this review is too long, consider this Haiku: You’ll learn something new Like how to critique Methods You’ll also giggle

It's wacky science. Still moon, cold sky. No, Matt says. Amazing and amusing.

the best journal club that you may ever attend join to laugh and learn A great podcast that takes a critical look at current public health literature in a fun and engaging way. You can really tell the hosts love what they do and love good science! :) Looking forward to listening to future episodes!

Per the hosts’ request: Come and listen to Some engaging podcasters Science and dad jokes In all seriousness, this is a great podcast for all public health students and practitioners, or anyone interested in critical reviews of scientific health (and sometimes not health) research. Matt, Chris, and Don present health research in an approachable way, and I learn something new every episode. Keep up the great work!

Fun and engaging, Matt, Don, & Chris present weekly on different research articles that have caught the public eye. They do a good job synthesizing the paper and critiquing the methods and conclusions, all while keeping audience members engaged through what has the potential be a somewhat dry topic (I've found most people's eyes glaze over when I talk science to them). Their witty commentary, natural chemistry, and the newer format of the show - which incorporates an "interesting and amusing" section as well as a section on a method or topic of interest - all make this a 5-star podcast in my opinion. Keep up the awesome work y'all!

I’ve listened to podcasts religiously for the past few years and have yet to find ones in my field that are both academic but also interesting enough for a commute or a run. I’m an SPH student now so I found this podcast in January and I love it. It’s engaging, humorous, and adds to my skill set. It makes me want to go to an actual health research journal club...but then I remember that no in-person journal club could be as fun as this podcast! Thanks guys! Maybe do a few critiques of ACEs related studies? ☺️

This is a great public health podcast that is published fortnightly by three Boston University School of Public Health professors. The podcast follows a set format with 1) a review of a paper from the medical literature, 2) a discussion of methodological issues related to the interpretation of the medical literature, and 3) a weird and wacky segment in which each host introduces a study that surprises and delights them. I always learn something new and I am always entertained. They should give CME for listening to this podcast!

While I am an epidemiologist/statistician, I think anyone who is interested in being able to understand science would really enjoy this podcast. They talk about both scientific findings as well as methods and other pertinent aspects (p-values!!) in a way that could really help anyone learn. Definitely check this out.

I am always smiling as I listen to you three. With my huge grin, I traverse the roads on my bike racing to work, immersed in the conversation, and completely entertained. As a former reacher in Kenya and India, I love sorting through the studies with you all. Thank you for all your time, energy, and thoughts. Appreciated from sunny, albeit partially burned, California!

This should be required listening for reporters and editors. They might communicate research findings more “accurately” and become funny and/or witty, too.

This podcast is great for anyone in the field of public health but also for anyone who wants to be more informed about these studies that get high press coverage but may be misleading. As a former student of Chris Gill’s at BUSPH (one of my favorite professors btw), I was excited about this podcast because Chris has an amazing way of explaining complex topics in a way that makes you say “wow, I get it now!” The combination of Matt, Chris, & Don is really great. They clearly have a lot of fun in the podcast which makes what they have to say even more enjoyable to listen to. I definitely recommend this podcast to all my public health field podcast listeners!

These guys are a breath of fresh air. While they sometimes get a bit off track and silly (tho' funny), they provide really sensible and accessible information about the sometimes bewildering health research that we see every day in the news. I'm not a scientist and certainly not an epidemiologist but it's still interesting to hear all the thought that goes into these studies and how they are all flawed to some degree. Knowing this helps us understand the take-home message better. It's a public service to have the curtain pulled back by experts in the field

I'm an epidemiologist so this podcast is pretty up my alley, but it's created in such a way to be accessible to all. I read journal articles all day and am often not entertained, so I was a little skeptical of this podcast's entertainment value but was pleasantly surprised. The hosts are personable, informative, and engaging. A great podcast for scientists and non-scientists alike.