Shiny Epi People

Season 2 finale ends with a bang! Paris "AJ" Adkins-Jackson, PhD is a multidisciplinary health equity researcher and Assistant Professor in the Departments of Epidemiology and Sociomedical Sciences at Columbia University. She tells me how her career path moved from anthropology to studying impact of structural determinants of health on historically marginalized groups. She tells me about the richness of her life outside of work, including finding a home in music from childhood to today, and kicking butt boxing, We chat about looking for a co-parent, singing our grant applications, and fonts we hate. Thank you for all of your support this season! 
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You will surely love today's episode with Fausto Bustos, PhD. Fausto is an infectious disease epidemiologist and an ORISE Data Science Fellow at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, where he provides data analytic expertise, computational and statistical assistance, and substantive scientific knowledge to advance their research mission. Fausto grew up crossing the southern border of the US for school every day, lived in poverty with his mother and brother, and found an escape in education. His story is stirring, but his combination of intellect, humor, and silliness makes his life so far a story of resilience.
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Rachel Hardeman, PhD is nothing short of a powerhouse. She is a reproductive health equity researcher, scholar, teacher, writer, speaker, and activist. Rachel is Associate Professor and the first Blue Cross Endowed Professor of Health and Racial Equity. Division of Health Policy & Management, University of Minnesota School of Public Health.  Her research links structural racism to health, identifies opportunities for intervention, and dismantles the systems, structures, and institutions that allow inequities to persist. Two of her most important roles are as PI and founder of the Measuring & Operationalizing Racism to Achieve Health Equity lab and director of the Center for Antiracism Research for Health Equity. She has so many other roles and projects that I mention on this episode. Today, Rachel discusses what motivates her to keep doing the hard work in racial justice, what her biggest impact has been thus far in her career, and what she sees as the broader vision of her work. She also tells me about airplane snacks, Prosecco, her love of Prince (RIP), and advice for penguins. I am so very honored Rachel would find time to share with us!
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Today, my chat with the amazing Maria Glymour, ScD, Professor of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of California - San Francisco. Maria tells me about being lost after college and her winding road to epidemiology, growing up in rural Oklahoma, riding cows, the Beastie Boys, a dinner party with Jaws, and the 'flavor' red. I don't think I've ever laughed this hard during an interview. Enjoy!
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