Alumni,Epidemiology

nehanda-jones

Epidemiology Business Leader Focused on Improving Health of Future Generations

Nehanda Jones, BS '19, MPH ’21

Having worked on cancer biology for so many years, Nehanda Jones was inspired by the potential of applying the principles of precision medicine — tailoring medical decisions to an individual’s known genetic and environmental profile — to improve health at a population level. She's now using those lessons to promote sustainable solutions in health through the work of her own public health technology firm.

Payton Watt, master's student in Epidemiology and Health Management and Policy, University of Michigan School of Public Health

Shaping Public Health Policy with Arab Communities in Israel

Payton Watt

With growing experience in epidemiology and health policy, master’s student Payton Watt is pursuing her passion for improving health in lower income populations. She continues to examine a pandemic that revealed flaws in US health care and how better policy can ensure access to basic needs.

Belinda Needham, Associate Professor and Chair of Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health

The Social Side of Disease and Disease Prevention

Belinda Needham

Socioeconomic status, overcrowding, institutional racism, political partisanship, and global economic inequality are all social factors that determine the disease risk for individuals and populations. And understanding those factors from all angles—from biology to sociology—can help us reduce that risk.

Kaitlyn Akel, Master’s Student in Epidemiology, University of Michigan School of Public Health

Confronting COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy with Public Health History

Kaitlyn Akel

Kaitlyn Akel combines her study of history and biology with her passion for public health to protect entire populations. From urban health to vaccine hesitancy to environmental health, Akel’s work connects academic and cultural insights to provide broader understandings of community health.