Dr. Elizabeth Jacobs-“Defend Public Health.”

Dr. Elizabeth Jacobs is a cancer and nutritional epidemiologist, professor of epidemiology and biostatistics and nutritional sciences at the Mel and Enid Zuckerman College of Public Health, and a researcher with the University of Arizona Cancer Center. As Principal Investigator on a federally funded R01, her work examines how selenium supplementation affects cancer prevention, grounded in rigor, precision, and deep respect for human life.

But science alone is not Dr. Jacobs’ calling. She is the co-founder of Defend Public Health, an all-volunteer coalition of physicians, scientists, and advocates united in a steadfast mission: to protect the health and dignity of all people, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity. Her gift is the balance she has learned to hold, pairing scientific exactness with moral courage, and data with humanity.

Today’s conversation centers on an urgent and growing public health threat: the resurgence of measles in the United States amid declining vaccination rates. With confirmed cases reported among people detained at an immigration detention center in Dilley, Texas, the danger of unchecked spread is escalating.

We speak with Dr. Jacobs about measles, medical neglect, misinformation, and the human consequences of public health policy, and what it will take to respond with science, integrity, and compassion. Dr. Jacobs is clear-eyed yet unwavered ,because in the end, it’s the small things that help us attain the major victories.