July 2026 Apothek Dispatch
Decoding the signal: health x environment x technology
Welcome to the July 2026 Apothek Dispatch, where we decode the signal on health, environment, and technology.
This post marks one year of this project on SubStack! For those that have been here since the beginning, THANK YOU. For those joining more recently, WELCOME. Here are a few highlights of the past year:
12 past issues of this monthly Apothek Dispatch
Feature articles co-published in Science, Ars Technica, STAT, ICT Works, and Science Politics
Guest lectures at Georgetown University, George Mason University, the University of Texas Medical Branch, the University of Texas San Antonio, and the 2026 Consortium of Universities for Global Health conference
269 subscribers to the email newsletter (and counting), plus an additional 187 followers on the Substack platform, with a global reach across 33 US states and 29 countries
Since the June dispatch, I co-authored a long form post on health insurance in the US. The article explores the history of employer based coverage and potential reform that could lower costs, improve health equity, and boost health outcomes. Specifically, we discuss the potential for ‘single-payor’ health programs, noting that the majority (~20) of the 38 countries of the OECD use this approach. Read more below:
In this month’s dispatch, we’ll cover the new cyclosporiasis outbreak and the ongoing Ebola and measles outbreaks. From the environment sector, we’ll explore the impact of wildfire smoke and record setting extreme heat. From the tech sector, breaking news this week on a lawsuit related to dangerous health advice from ChatGPT. Yet despite these warning signs, new efforts aim to deploy AI on insurance prior authorizations.
As always, we’ll close with current opportunities: jobs, consultancies, fellowships, and grants for those working at critical frontiers.
It’s all below. If this sounds useful, hit subscribe and share it with your network.
Health: Global Vital Signs and Personal Wellness
By now we’ve all heard the warnings about bagged lettuce, and here’s an update via the NYT. According to the CDC, over 11,000 cases of cyclosporiasis have been confirmed or placed under investigation related to the recent outbreak. The disease is caused by a parasite that spreads through food or water contaminated by human feces. It’s hard not to wonder about how this is related to staffing losses at the CDC and FDA, which are meant to protect the nation from food-borne illnesses.
From the frontlines of the US measles epidemic, coverage from the Kaiser Family Foundation shares interviews with pediatricians in Utah (excerpt below). Confirmed cases of the disease this year alone have already exceeded a past record high over 30 years ago, and the 5 months ahead of us will push the numbers even higher.
“When children come in, they’re often bent over. We call it tripoding, which is particular to upper respiratory infections and airway swelling. They have a rash — viruses cause rashes all the time — but in this context, the kid is hunched over, mouth open, drooling, crying, maybe not even producing tears, because they’re so dehydrated. Really labored breathing, kind of tugging in their belly, tugging between their ribs. Their eyes look kind of glazed over. It’s like they’re seeing through you.”
-Dr. Emilie Morris (Salt Lake & Utah County) via KFFHealthnews.org
Via Craig Spencer, an article published in the Lancet shares updates on the Ebola outbreak in DR Congo and Uganda. And his commentary in The Atlantic reviews the lessons we have refused to learn from prior pandemics.
Environment: Climate Risks and Planetary Solutions
Wildfires in Ontario, Canada and Minnesota in the US this month led to severe air pollution across the Midwest and East coast. Reuters covered the health impacts of poor air quality here, noting that beyond the irritation of particulate matter, wildfire smoke is also a vector for heavy metals and synthetic toxins.
In addition to the smoke, we’ve also witnessed record setting temperatures across Europe and the mid-Atlantic US. This article via Grist explores the public health consequences of extreme heat and other aspects of climate change, including negative impacts on the body’s cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, and reproductive systems.
There’s a growing movement to transform privately owned lands into native plant forward biodiversity hubs. Ecological gardening is not without challenges, but native plant gardens may actually boost property value while supporting local wildlife (embedded links to the NYT). This reference guide by the Perfect Earth Project provides some ways to get started, e.g. reducing the footprint of your turfgrass lawn, diversifying your garden with native plants, and mulching your leaves and clippings.
Technology: Innovation and Evolving Frontiers
In prior issues of this dispatch we’ve explored the challenges of AI hallucination and sycophancy (see SubStack link below), and how dangerous this is for public health. In short, not only does AI make things up, it also tells you what (it thinks) you want to hear. A safety evaluation of ChatGPT for health, meant to be an AI model built to answer health and wellness queries, revealed “unbelievably dangerous” responses that often underestimated the severity of medical emergencies.
Last week, the NYT reported on a pastor in Florida who filed a lawsuit against ChatGPT alleging damages from incorrect advice. In a clear case of sycophantic AI response, what ended up as a diagnosis of a pulmonary embolism was downplayed by the platform with the following response: “God did not design your body to endlessly fail.”
Despite these challenges, the US government is supporting pilot projects across 6 states to deploy AI for health insurance prior authorization (link to coverage in Ars Technica). Experts warn of an arms race between programs that can deny claims faster (boosting profits), versus others that make appeals just as quickly (supporting patients). In other words, they warn that we’re bringing “...more automation of a broken system that shouldn’t exist in its current form.”
Opportunity Signals
“What you seek is seeking you”
-Rumi
For RIF’d public servants from the foreign affairs community, the DACOR Bacon house is offering free “privileges of the house” that includes access to events at member pricing, the ability to reserve guest rooms, and “stop by/in” rights to the house during business hours.
Looking for a co-working space in DC? Former Gov and Eaton House are providing a weekly co-working space for the former government and military community on Tuesdays from 9a-5p. This is also a chance to connect with colleagues from Career Pivot for resume review or a mini-coaching session. Sign up here. [EXTENDED THROUGH SEPTEMBER 2026]
Fellowships & Grants:
American India Foundation AI Impact Fellowship: For US citizens and permanent residents or citizens of India. Program dates: September 1, 2026 – June 30, 2027.
VA Tech School of Public International Affairs: Scholarships offered for displaced federal employees.
Georgetown University School of Health: Resources (including tuition discounts) for displaced federal workers and contractors.
Senior Roles:
CEO (Lifebox) Deadline July 26.
Senior Manager (Instiglio): (Kenya based) Deadline July 26.
Exec Director Population Health (Johns Hopkins Medicine) No deadline specified.
Director Health Communications (ICF Next) No deadline specified.
Managing Editor Think Global Health No deadline specified.
Director of Sustainability (George Mason University) No deadline specified.
Director of Evidence and Impact Analytics (DIV Fund) No deadline specified.
Executive Officer, National Academy of Medicine: No deadline specified.
Mid-Career Roles:
Health Science Policy Analyst (HHS) deadline July 24 but still appears open.
Program Analyst (The Peace Corps) deadline July 31.
Program Officer (Buffet Foundation) No deadline specified.
Head of Fellowship Experience (World Wildlife Fund) No deadline specified.
Associate, Government Affairs (Oscar Health) No deadline specified.
M&E Specialist for CDC (Dexis) No deadline specified.
No deadline specified (National Academies) No deadline specified.
Consultant Digital Health (The World Bank) No deadline specified.
Sr Associate, Global Health (UN Foundation) No deadline specified.
Senior Associate, Public Health Data Improvement (PEW) No deadline specified.
Deputy Director of Health Policy (The American Legion) No deadline specified.
Call for Applications: Health Systems Strengthening Experts (MSH)
Call for Applications: Health Service Delivery Experts (MSH)
Call for Applications: Health Economics and Financing Experts (MSH)
Call for Applications: Supply Chain & Pharmaceutical System Strengthening Experts (MSH)
Senior Program Officer- Market Shaping (R4D) No deadline specified.
Program Officer, Lead Poisoning Prevention Program (Vital Strategies): No deadline specified.
Multiple mid-career contractor roles with the State Dept-GHSD Bureau: No deadline specified.
Early Career Roles
Communications Intern (Global Health Advocacy Incubator) No deadline specified.
Community Health Worker (CVS) Deadline July 28, 2026.
Associate Director of Research (CFR) No deadline specified.
Social Research Internship (TurnItIn) No deadline specified.
Program Assistant (PSI) No deadline specified.
Johns Hopkins U: Developer II (International Health) [requires computer science skills] No deadline specified.
Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine: Program Analyst (Clinical Affairs) [PMP certification preferred] No deadline specified.
Conferences / Training
PopTech, October 6-8, 2026 in Washington, DC.
International Conference on Urban Health, October 13-17, 2026 in Mexico City.
American Public Health Association annual conference, November 1-4, San Antonio, TX.
Global Digital Health Forum conference December 2-4, 2026 in Bangkok, Thailand.
Planetary Health MOOC (free)
Next Steps for Nature Webinar Featuring Prof Doug Tallamy The presentation is titled “How Can I Help? Saving nature with your yard.” See also this Gardenista article on lowering your carbon footprint in your outdoor space.
Help us strengthen the signal. Share any opportunities you've found this month in the comments below.Thank you for joining Apothek Dispatch. I'm excited to share this journey with you! This newsletter is free to everyone, thanks to the generous support of fellow Apothek Dispatch members. To support the effort, subscribe or upgrade below: