Amanda Misiti: The Story Behind Octavia's Cure

In this introductory conversation, host Dr. Stella Safo and senior producer Amanda Misiti swap seats — Amanda asks the questions — to explain why they built Octavia's Cure, where the name comes from, and what listeners can expect from Season One and beyond. They talk about the Octavia Butler novels that inspired the show's name and mission, the promise of authenticity and humility they're making to listeners, and the tools (like the Carry the Cure card) designed to make each conversation actionable. They close with a preview of the season's six episodes and a look ahead to fall 2026. ## **Notable Quotes** "Octavia's, I think, visionary ability to see the future and paint the future, it actually allows people to say — this is the harsh future we're heading towards if we don't get our act together. How do we get our act together?" — Stella Safo "I think Octavia's cure is going to require us to really practice humility in addition to coming as our authentic selves. And I think it's from a place of humility that we will find the solutions." — Stella Safo "We all have the experience of being patients in a broken system, whether we come from really privileged backgrounds or less privileged backgrounds, and we all want a better healthcare system." — Amanda Misiti "There is — we shouldn't have had to trade measles for microplastics." — Amanda Misiti, quoting a friend ## **About the Hosts** **Dr. Stella Safo, MD MPH** is a primary care HIV/AIDS physician and founder of Just Equity for Health, an organization advancing health equity. She holds three degrees from Harvard and is a proud New Yorker who came to the U.S. from Ghana as a child. **Amanda Misiti** is the founder of Convey Dissemination Solutions, helping researchers and health leaders communicate their work. Her career spans the Peace Corps (Mali), Health and Human Services (Bangladesh), Mount Sinai, and Premier Inc. ## **Links & Resources** - Website & episode downloads: octaviascure.com - More about the organization behind Octavia's Cure at: [Just Equity For Health](justequityforhealth.com)