When he's not reporting on breaking news or recording his podcast, "Chasing Life," Dr. Sanjay Gupta is immersing himself in investigative reporting to bring complex scientific advances to CNN viewers around the world. In his latest special, "Dr. Sanjay Gupta Reports: Animal Pharm," he sheds light on the evolving field of xenotransplantation, exploring both the promise and ethical dilemmas of a future where animal organs could help close the gap between the supply and demand for human organ transplants.
The Inside CNN team recently spoke with Dr. Sanjay Gupta about his interest in the subject and how his lifelong passion for making complex health stories accessible to the public inspired him to delve into the world of xenotransplantation.
Dr. Gupta, you've been with CNN since 2001, reporting on some of the most pivotal health stories both nationally and globally. What continues to drive your passion and focus on this work?
I am a lifelong learner and perpetual student. Couple that with curiosity, and there's no better job in the world than being a journalist. With medical journalism in particular, I get a lot of satisfaction from seeing our reporting improve the lives of people around the world. I love to learn and tell stories, and this job checks both those boxes.
The field of health is incredibly broad. How do you determine which topics are most important or timely to cover in your reporting?
Topic selection is one of the most important things we do. Certainly, things that are in the news are always going to be the biggest determinant of our story selection. Beyond that, though, we have a lot of leeway when it comes to enterprise stories. I look for stories that have really strong characters, are broadly relevant to the population as a whole and have a real story to tell, complete with a beginning, middle and end. Sometimes we choose stories that have a remarkable "gee whiz" component to them. "Animal Pharm" is one of those stories that fits all the criteria.
Are there any health issues or stories that weigh heavily on you—topics that keep you up at night?
Having reported nearly every day on the pandemic for a few years, I continue to be worried about the threat of new viruses circulating. Most of the infectious disease doctors I communicate with regularly tell me that it's not a question of "if" but "when," when it comes to another pandemic. Novel pathogens are a national security threat, and I think about them all the time.
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