Alumni,Epidemiology

Ainash Childebayeva

Drilling for DNA: The Unexpected Adventures of a Public Health Anthropologist

Ainash Childebayeva, PhD ’19

Could that researcher in goggles sitting in a lab really be an anthropologist? And how much adventure will they actually have? From the top of the Himalayas and the Andes to the insides of cells, Ainash Childebayeva has combined anthropology, genetics, and public health to uncover secrets of human history and keep today’s vulnerable populations healthy.

Katharine Bradley

Guiding Principles: Balancing Context and Evidence to Inform Policy

Katharine Bradley, PhD ’14

Katharine Bradley was steered toward public health by her mother’s career in hospital administration, but, she says, “health insurance policy is different than administration.” Now equipped with a PhD in Health Services Research and Policy, she works to create research-based evidence about Medicaid implementation so we can have better health care policy.

Brooke Callaghan

Inspired by Adversity to Create Better Health through Food

Brooke Callaghan

Inspired by her own brush with food insecurity, master's student Brooke Callaghan has committed her education, and her own personal time, to improving food access and trying to combat health risks associated malnutrition.

Theresa Gorman

Recovering from 9/11 and Moving Public Health to the Front Lines of Disaster Response

Theresa Gorman, MPH ’11

Theresa Gorman witnessed firsthand the clean up at Ground Zero after the September 11 attacks and how rescue and recovery workers began to suffer from respiratory problems. She has built a career around ensuring environmental and worker health and urges public health professionals to see their role in disaster preparedness and response.

Anand Parekh; Photo by Greg Gibson

The Loneliness of the Bipartisan Collaborator

Anand Parekh, MD, MPH ’02

Anand Parekh knows that people on both sides of the aisle agree on many things and want to work together. But actually getting policy made can be challenging. As a researcher, writer, and advocate, Parekh brings people together every day to improve access to health care and health in general.