In this Q&A, Xue describes why she chose UW SPH for graduate school, her research on Alzheimer’s disease risk and the impact she hopes it will have, and how we improve health equity when it comes to public health genetics.

UW SPH alum Brandi Reano shares her thoughts on how to improve health equity among Indigenous communities, and advice for public health students entering the workforce.

In this Q&A, Keeley Ffrench shares her MPH practicum experience, what it was like working with practitioners at a public health organization, and advice for students beginning their practicum.

What motivated you to pursue biostatistics? I discovered biostatistics when I joined a microbiology lab as an undergraduate. I began using a variety of tools in applied statistics in that lab which I hadn’t yet interacted with in my regular coursework.

Q&A: MPH student Julia Kizis shares importance of maternal and child health amidst war and conflict

What influenced you to pursue a graduate degree in nutritional sciences? I was a really picky eater growing up and I always felt left out of the cool kids’ club. What was it about food that everyone liked so much? Why was it so blasphemous that I didn’t like a lot of foods other people did? Luckily, as I matured, my palette expanded, and I learned the secret: food is incredible and so complex.

What influenced you to pursue a graduate degree in nutritional sciences? I have always been acutely aware of the pressing triple burden of malnutrition around me, particularly in Tanzania, as well as in other low- or middle-income countries (LMIC). This awareness and firsthand experience ignited a desire to not only understand but also address these issues.

Why did you choose UW? After speaking to my professors at UC Davis about graduate programs in nutrition, I received high recommendations for the UW Nutritional Sciences Program for the way it prepares students to think and problem solve with an evidence-based and systems approach.

What influenced you to pursue a graduate degree in nutritional sciences? From my undergraduate education in human physiology and public health and my research focus in nutrition, I understood how crucial proper nutrition is to health, but also how difficult proper nutrition is to achieve due to numerous systemic barriers.

Becoming a public health storyteller