ALUMNI SPOTLIGHTS

MPH graduate Colleen Dundas (‘16) is a Public Liaison Officer and Science Writer at NIH, working alongside researchers, clinicians and other leaders in science. This role, heavily focused on strong and clear communication between people, requires a deep understanding of communities— an area where Dundas thrives due to her rigorous coursework and hands-on experience while at UAlbany.

“When I think of how my education has supported my career, I think not only about how my MPH in epidemiology has provided me with a solid academic foundation for understanding the complex and meaningful research at NIH, but also about how my hands-on field work experience has provided me skills that will forever be useful, from adaptability and creativity to listening, relationship building, and leadership,” says Dundas.

At NIH, Dundas plans and develops webinars, creates plain language resources to share with underserved communities, and conducts outreach initiatives to reach populations disproportionately affected by various conditions. Of note, she co-leads the NIH-wide American Indian and Alaska Native Health Communications group, which shares strategies and effective communication approaches to develop and disseminate health information to Tribal communities. Dundas also serves on the NIH Language Access Plan Committee, which establishes the steps NIH will take to help to ensure that individuals with limited English language proficiency have meaningful access to NIH programs and activities.

“I am especially grateful to my UAlbany mentors, John Justino and Carol Whittaker, for cultivating my passions and supporting many of my endeavors and valuable experiences over the years, both abroad and here in the U.S.,” says Dundas. Biomedical Sciences PhD graduate Joshua Strauss (‘13) is Assistant Professor and Director of the CryoEM Core facility at the University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill. Cryo-electron microscopy, or cryoEM, is a biophysical technique for imaging biological samples like proteins, viruses and cells— and helps researchers to determine atomic models of different proteins. CryoEM and other 3D imaging methods were pioneered by researchers at NYSDOH’s renowned Wadsworth Center, where Strauss studied while completing his academic program, and are used by scientists around the world.

“My interest in cryoEM is a direct result from my studies at UAlbany,” says Strauss. “The Wadsworth Center has a long history in the development of cryoEM and being able to continue with this is a great source of pride for me.”

Now, Strauss has set up the CryoEM Core facility at UNC, where he operates the facility, trains researchers and works with investigators to determine structure protein complexes using cryoEM. Of note, this fall Strauss and colleagues published their first structure from the UNC CryoEM Core in Science— the first of many to come.

COVID-19 INFECTION

Nir Menachemi, MPH class of 1999, is the Fairbanks Endowed Chair and Department Head of Health Policy and Management at the Indiana University Fairbanks School of Public Health. He also holds appointments at the Indiana University Kelley School of Business and the on-campus Regenstrief Institute, an internationally recognized informatics and healthcare research organization dedicated to the improvement of health through research that enhances the quality and cost-effectiveness of health care.

Since April 2020, Menachemi has worked closely with the Indiana governor’s office and the state health department to lead a random sample study aimed at repeatedly determining the population prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 infections in the state.

The work has influenced state policy decisions and provided unique scientific data that has helped clinicians and public health responders reduce morbidity and mortality from COVID-19. Menachemi has assisted more than a dozen states to replicate the work he has lead in Indiana. INFECTIOUS DISEASE NURSING

MPH graduate Lindsey Jackson (‘14) is an Infectious Disease Nurse at Albany Medical Center, combining her public health education with clinical knowledge from her MS in nursing degree.

“My background in public health allows me to better understand and help treat my patient population, who often have several contributing factors within the social determinants of health that impede their full recovery,” says Jackson.

As an alum and a returned Peace Corps volunteer, Jackson also participates in the Center for Global Health’s seminar series to provide guidance and advice to students interested in global health.

“As a close-knit community, it is important for me to be able to help and encourage those at the School interested in traveling abroad and working in the global health sector,” says Jackson, pictured below, who has inspired many students to pursue global health activities to enhance their careers.

HEALTH DISPARITIES IN CANCER RESEARCH

Wayne Lawrence (DrPH ‘20) is a Cancer Prevention Fellow at NIH, investigating the role obesity and metabolic disorders play in cancer risk and survivorship among minority and underserved populations. At UAlbany, Lawrence’s research centered on cancer disparities, where he sought to examine the influence inequities in health care utilization, environmental exposures and behavioral factors contributed to cancer risk and poor survival among marginalized and economically disadvantaged populations. He contributes his academic achievement largely to UAlbany’s partnership with NYSDOH, where he received hands-on training in cancer epidemiology. During his doctorate, Lawrence was a Presidential Doctoral Fellow in UAlbany’s Center for the Elimination of Minority Health Disparities, which provided him methodological training in health disparities research.

EXTREME HEAT RISKS IN NEW YORK

Temilayo Adeyeye graduated in 2017 with a PhD in Environmental Health Sciences and works as a Research Scientist in the Bureau of Environmental and Occupational Epidemiology at NYSDOH.

Her research, which has been featured by NASA and Governor Andrew Cuomo, includes the effects of air pollution and traffic exposures on health outcomes in low income populations and the assessment of rural/urban differences in heat exposure and mortality.

Adeyeye’s research found that despite a moderate climate, New York residents were at significant health risks from extreme heat at the current advisory levels for the state. Therefore, NYSDOH worked closely with the local weather service offices to develop recommendations to lower the heat advisory thresholds in the State; and as of June 1, 2018, the heat advisory criteria for New York was lowered to 95ºF or more for two consecutive hours. FETAL ALCOHOL SPECTRUM DISORDERS

Biostatistics PhD graduate Tugba Akkaya-Hocagil (‘17) is currently affiliated with the University of Waterloo, where she is working on a project to advance scientific understanding of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders. Prior to this role, she worked on this same project as a postdoctoral research fellow at Harvard University.

“Fetal alcohol spectrum disorders are the most common preventable cause of mental disability in the U.S. and worldwide,” says AkkayaHocagil. “In this project, we are looking at the effect of low-dose prenatal alcohol exposure on the subsequent neuro-psychological development of children.”

This work will provide valuable insight, generating more evidence for public health professionals, medical experts and health communicators to use as they encourage individuals and communities to adopt healthy behaviors for pregnancy.

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