Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health Scholars Showcase Research at APHA Conference

Faculty and students from the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science at UC San Diego represented the university at the 2025 American Public Health Association (APHA) Annual Meeting and Expo, held Nov. 2 – 5 in Washington, D.C.

As the nation’s largest gathering of public health professionals, APHA provides a dynamic platform for presenting innovative findings on disease prevention, health equity and community-based interventions. Contributions from faculty and students underscored the school’s commitment to advancing public health research and cultivating the next generation of leaders in the field.

Faculty on the National Stage

Associate Professor Annie Nguyen, Ph.D., M.P.H., was recognized with the Philip G. Weiler Award for Leadership in Aging and Public Health for her role in the APHA Aging and Public Health Section, including acting as past chair and fostering meaningful collaborations.

Presenting this year, Rebecca Fielding-Miller, Ph.D., M.S.P.H., associate professor, spoke during an epidemiology session reporting on her paper titled “Demographic associations with receiving an ideologically motivated NIH grant termination.” Her findings suggest that underrepresented racial minority and sexual and gender minority scientists have been differentially targeted by the current grant terminations.

In addition to presenting research, several UC San Diego faculty members played key supporting roles at the APHA conference.

Chadwick Campbell, Ph.D., M.P.H., assistant professor, contributed as an active member of the HIV/AIDS section, helping shape the HIV/AIDS programming for this year's meeting. His involvement is set to deepen next year as he prepares to take on a leadership role as co-chair of the program committee for the 2026 conference.

Meanwhile, Professor David Strong, Ph.D., served as an ambassador for the UC San Diego – San Diego State University Joint Doctoral Program in Public Health (JDP), engaging with attendees and prospective students to highlight the program strengths and its commitment to training future public health leaders.

Rising Public Health Voices

At the 2025 APHA conference, Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health graduate students presented original research focused on current public health challenges ranging from health equity and disease prevention to community-based interventions and data-driven policy. These emerging scholars showcased the depth and diversity of their work. Their presence at APHA reflected the school’s commitment to experiential learning and leadership development and underscored the vital role students play in shaping the future of public health.

Student Speakers

Jacob Carson, M.P.H., JDP student, session, “Taxes and Public Health: Do voter’s support transportation as a social determinant and essential service?”

Kristin Keilhold, JDP student, poster, “Promises and pitfalls of safer smoking supply distribution in the United States: A thematic analysis of open-ended survey questions from syringe service programs”

Ethan Wolfe, Chase Kornacki and Jared Helms, Master of Public Health students, session, “Building the next generation of public health leaders: CA-NARCH’s commitment to Indigenous public health”

Hannah Barca, M.P.H., JDP student, session, “Psychometric validation of an adapted version of the global appraisal of individual needs short screener (GAIN-SS) from the population assessment of tobacco and health study”

Yiwen Chen, M.S., Doctor in Philosophy in Biostatistics student, student award presentation, “Preparing for the next pandemic: factors impacting trust in the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine among a longitudinal assessment of a predominantly Hispanic/Latino cohort in Southern California”

Danielle Campbell, Ph.D., M.P.H., JDP alum, session, “‘So we get HIV, but we don’t participate in HIV research?’ An intersectionality-informed mixed methods study to assess sociostructural factors and syndemic conditions on research participation among Black women”

Hannah Battey, M.S., JDP student, session, “Using machine learning as a heuristic tool to identify predictors of tuberculosis: A cross-sectional study from Pakistan”

Nadia Hemmat, M.S., JDP student, poster presentation, “Women’s strategies around food security in Oaxaca, Mexico”

Graduate Students and Staff Engaged Attendees

Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health graduate students and staff played a vital role in promoting the school’s mission and programs at the APHA expo. They engaged with attendees, discussing the school’s research, diverse educational offerings and collaborative initiatives.

At the Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health booth, Cassidy Boyd, M.P.H., and Thet Nwe Myo Khin, M.P.H., students in the inaugural cohort of the new Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health with a concentration in Health Services Research and Implementation Science, as well as Dagmawit Assaye, Tamara Benrey Grinberg and Guillermo Echeverria Nunez, Master of Public Health students, helped foster meaningful connections with prospective students and faculty as well as other public health professionals.

Joining them were three staff members, Randy Brooks, associate dean of business affairs, Jenny Espiritu, Doctor of Philosophy in Public Health program coordinator, and Yadira Galindo, director of communications.

The JDP program had a separate booth in which students Hannah Battey, M.S., Hannah Barca, M.P.H., Jacob Carson, M.P.H., and Kirstin Kielhold, along with Eric Peng, M.Ed., JDP program coordinator, shared firsthand experiences and insights with prospective students.