Francis Collins & Kristine Torjesen on The Fight for Public Health: Science, Faith, and What's at Stake?

Francis Collins & Kristine Torjesen on The Fight for Public Health: Science, Faith, and What's at Stake?

From Good Faith by Good Faith

March 19, 2026 · 54 min · Season 1 · Episode 224

About this episode

Curtis Chang discusses the intersection of science, faith, and public health with Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. Kristine Torjesen.

From Breakthroughs to Budget Cuts: The Rollercoaster of Modern Medical Research What happens when politics wages war on science—and Christians get caught in the blast radius? In this Good Faith Podcast episode, Curtis Chang talks with former NIH director Dr. Francis Collins and BioLogos president Dr. Kristine Torjesen about Collins' forced exit from NIH, the shutdown of a major HIV prevention programs in Africa, and how cuts to vaccines, medical research, and public health are threatening lives and future breakthroughs in cancer, Alzheimer's, and pandemic preparedness. They also confront vaccine distrust, anti-institution politics, and evangelical skepticism of science, while making the case that science is not the enemy of faith but a gift from God for truth, healing, and human flourishing. Take the Listener Survey Sign up for The After Party Sign up for The Good List Get tickets: Illuminate Arts + Faith Conference and our recording with Matt Maher 05:56 - Political Interference in Science Roles, Research, and Aid Cuts 10:57 - Are Medical Advances Threatened by Political Decisions? 16:03 - Curtis Gets Candid About Unexpected Benefits of Medical Aid in His Life 17:34 - Vaccine…

People in this episode

Host: Curtis Chang

Guests: Dr. Francis Collins, Dr. Kristine Torjesen

Topics covered

  • public health
  • science and faith
  • vaccine distrust
  • political interference
  • medical research
  • evangelical skepticism

Keywords

  • public health
  • science
  • faith
  • vaccine
  • politics
  • medical research
  • HIV prevention
  • COVID vaccine
  • evangelical

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: NIH, BioLogos, Illuminate Arts + Faith Conference

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