“I have always been interested in studying how urban development plays a role in infectious disease. That motivated me to study both urban studies and public health."
Where did you grow up? Where did you attend undergrad and what was your degree/area of study?
“I am originally from Minneapolis, MN, and completed my bachelor’s of science B.S. here at the University of Minnesota in urban studies with a public health minor.”
What drew you to public health? OR What was that moment in your life when you decided you wanted to study public health?
“I have always been interested in studying how urban development plays a role in infectious disease. That interest is what motivated me to study both urban studies and public health during undergrad in the first place. Seeing how climate change and other factors influence how infectious diseases play out is something I am passionate about studying, especially on a global scale.”
What specific issue, problem, or area of research in public health do you care the most about and why?
“I am particularly interested in the intersection between genetics, infectious diseases, and the urban environment. Often within infectious diseases, we know so much about the biology of the virus or bacteria, but little about the person carrying the disease and even less about how that may be influenced by their environment. I am also interested in HIV/AIDS and its relation to HPV and cervical cancer.”
Are you currently involved in any public health research or professional work?
“I am a part of the Global Health Student Advocacy Board. In the spring, my team did a project on tuberculosis and diabetes care in India. We got a top 10 honorable mention from the Global Health Case Competition at Emory! We also got to meet teams from different parts of the world, like Australia and Indonesia.
I also just recently returned from Indonesia where I spent 12 weeks in Bali researching HPV, HIV, and cervical cancer. I received an NIH-funded grant in collaboration with the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Warmadewa University to conduct this research, and it was truly one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. Our research was specifically focused on testing the effectiveness of an education program to facilitate timely treatment of human papillomavirus (HPV)-related cervical precancerous lesions of women infected with HIV and expanding on research methods for E1 detection using pap smear samples, HPV, and the status of precancerous lesions.”
Why did you choose to come to the U of M School of Public Health?
“I was considering a few schools, but I thought UMN would make sense considering I wanted to study both urban development and public health. And UMN has amazing programs, so I just thought, why wouldn’t I stay here?”
What has been your favorite class so far?
“My favorite class was PubH 6450: Biostatistics I taught by Marta Shore. She made the class so fun! In the past, I think I have felt intimidated by certain subjects or courses. I felt imposter syndrome, thinking I wasn’t built for this. But her class was one of the first times that I felt like I didn’t have to be scared to take difficult courses.”
What do you like to do when you’re not in class?
“I love spending time with my friends and family in addition to photography, reading, and exploring film. My favorite book is The Island of Missing Tres.”
