About Us

 

Public Health Post informs and inflects the broader conversation on health.

Every day we feature new articles about the state of the health of the population. We invite policymakers, journalists, academics, and practitioners to share their work in ways that can influence health on a local, national, and global scale. Our editors, working with graduate student Public Health Post Fellows, present health statistics, traditional journalism, research summaries, interviews with important health thinkers, and easy-to-understand data graphics to start new conversations about health. We join and drive the national dialogue on public health.

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Editorial Team

Edward Alexander

PHP Fellow

Edward Alexander is an MPH candidate at the Boston University School of Public Health focusing on community assessment, program design, implementation, and evaluation. His primary concerns are the way historic systems of racial and ethnic inequality manifest themselves in present health inequities. He is specifically driven to work within communities to improve their access to and utilization of health services, especially in chronic disease and reproductive services. Edward is a voracious consumer of words—in all their forms—and music, so he’s probably reading, listening to music, or doing both right now.

Gray Babbs

PHP Fellow

Gray Babbs is an MPH candidate at the Boston University School of Public Health pursuing certificates in epidemiology/biostatistics and sex, sexuality, and gender. Broadly, Gray is interested in how quantitative data and health policy inform one another, specifically in rural and LGBTQ populations. Drawing from their Kentucky storytelling roots, they are interested in the ways that public health research can be more effectively communicated to impacted communities and the public at large. In their free time, Gray enjoys baking bread and defending baseball as the world’s best sport.

Tasha McAbee

PHP Fellow

Tasha McAbee is an MPH candidate at the Boston University School of Public Health. She is also a professional medical illustrator/animator at Boston Children’s Hospital and enjoys educating through design and visual media. When not contemplating things like health law and policy, gender gaps in health, vaccine hesitancy, and environmental health, she can be found spending time with her three dogs, or more accurately, taking countless pictures of them.

Pat Williams

PHP Fellow

Pat is working on an MPH in healthcare management at Boston University. Public health topics he is most fascinated by include the intersections between socioeconomic status and career development, the connections between social support structures and comorbid mental health conditions, and the impacts of health literacy on healthcare decisions.  Pat has experience using his undergraduate degree in Psychology to author for an addiction research blog similar to the Public Health Post.

Jennifer Beard

Associate Editor

Jennifer Beard, PhD, MA, MPH, is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Global Health. She was a co-principal investigator for the multi-study Ghana Operations Research for Key Populations project. The nine qualitative studies focused on the HIV prevention and other needs of young female sex workers and their intimate partners, prisoners, men who have sex with men, post-secondary female students, women who work in bars, people who inject drugs, and people living with HIV at risk of dropping out of antiretroviral therapy.

Nicholas Diamond

Managing Editor

Nicholas Diamond holds a Bachelors degree in French and cell and molecular biology from Albion College and a Masters in Public Health from the Boston University School of Public Health. He speaks French and Wolof and uses storytelling as an advocacy tool for community-led movements at the intersection of HIV and LGBT rights. Nicholas has filled global health communications, research, and program implementation roles at MPact Global Action for Gay Men’s Health & Rights and Massachusetts General Hospital. He focuses on sex, sexuality, gender, and health and testified as an expert witness at the U.S. Department of Justice to secure asylum for the Senegalese LGBT community.

Michael Stein

Executive Editor

Michael Stein is the chair of the Department of Health Law, Policy & Management at the Boston University School of Public Health, executive editor of Public Health Post, and co-author of the newly released PAINED: Uncomfortable Conversations about the Public’s Health with Sandro Galea. He is a physician and health services researcher who is an international authority on the intersection of primary care, mental health, and substance use disorders.

Former Associates

Rachana Talekar

Editorial Coordinator 2019-2020

Rachana is an MPH candidate at Boston University of Public Health completing her certificate in Community Assessment, Program Designing, Implementation, and Evaluation. Her focus is working on a global platform for mental health destigmatization and reducing gender-based violence. She completed her undergraduate studies in dental medicine from India where she conducted health promotion and education programs in both urban and rural settings. In her leisure time, she loves to paint her moods and explore the city of Boston.

Oluwatobi Alliyu

PHP Fellow 2019

Oluwatobi (Tobi) Alliyu is an MBA-MPH candidate at Boston University where she is also pursuing a certificate in Global Health Monitoring and Evaluation. Drawing from her background in anthropology, she is focused on exploring the intersection of business and global health—particularly health systems strengthening, private-public partnerships, and building capacity for evidence-based decision-making in low- and middle-income countries. When she’s not writing, she can be found dancing to Afrobeats, exploring new cafés, or pretending to be an interior designer on HGTV.

Jori Fortson

PHP Fellow 2019

Jori Fortson is an MPH candidate at the Boston University School of Public Health completing certificates in Community Assessment, Program Design, Implementation, and Evaluation and Maternal and Child Health. She is broadly interested in racial and ethnic health inequities. Jori’s primary academic interests include sexual and reproductive health, mass incarceration, and adverse childhood experiences. She is drawn to conducting participatory action research, creating community-based interventions, and communicating with diverse audiences about public health matters through media and advocacy in order to influence policy. In her free moments she enjoys traveling and trying new foods.

Julia Garcia

PHP Fellow 2019

Julia Garcia is an MPH candidate at BUSPH focusing on Health Policy and Law. Previously, Julia worked at the DC Health Benefit Exchange Authority – the District of Columbia’s health insurance marketplace – assisting DC residents enrolling in both private and public health insurance. Julia also worked on an open enrollment campaign in Texas and for the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship, a non-profit organization focused on advocating for quality cancer care for all people touched by cancer. Julia is a proud Texan and graduate of Texas A&M University where she studied English and sociology.

Greg Kantor

PHP Fellow 2019

Greg Kantor is an MPH candidate at the Boston University School of Public Health, pursuing a certificate in Health Communication and Promotion. Driven by undergraduate experiences at Muhlenberg College, his primary public health passions are tobacco control and the intersection of public health and journalism. Greg also works in communications for The Health Management Academy, an organization that provides educational and advisory services to executives of the largest US health systems. A native New Yorker, Greg is an avid fan of the state’s losing sports teams — the Mets, Jets, and Islanders.

Melissa Davenport

Managing Editor 2016-2019

Melissa Davenport received a BFA in painting from Rhode Island School of Design, and is completing an MLA in Legal Studies at the Harvard Extension School. Prior to her position at PHP, she was program manager at the Carpenter Center for the Visual Arts at Harvard University and open studios manager at Fort Point Arts Community. Melissa is from Maine, the way life should be, and makes short nonfiction films about labor, craft, and landscape.

Sampada Nandyala

PHP Fellow 2018

Sampada completed her Master of Public Health degree at Boston University School of Public Health, with a certificate in Epidemiology and Biostatistics. She is particularly focused on applying research to bridge communication gaps between health care professionals and the public, especially regarding infectious disease and women’s health. In addition to exploring her several and varied public health interests, Sampada loves browsing record stores, experimenting with her personal style, and petting dogs.

Chrissy Packtor

PHP Fellow 2018

Chrissy is an MPH candidate at the Boston University School of Public Health completing certificates in Health Communication and Promotion and Sex, Sexuality, and Gender. She is interested in effective science and health policy communication, especially in the realm of reproductive and sexual health. During her undergraduate studies, she was involved with advocacy work, focusing on abortion and healthcare access in West Virginia, as well as programming with her university’s LGBTQ+ center. Outside of the classroom, Chrissy enjoys traveling, trying new coffee shops in Boston, and reading.

Erin Polka

PHP Fellow 2018

Erin Polka received her MPH from the Boston University School of Public Health in Environmental Health and Biostatistics/Epidemiology. Drawing from her experience in agriculture and health work as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania, she explores the intersections of  climate change and environmental health in hopes of creating greener, healthier communities. A passionate conservationist, in her free time Erin can be found outside either cycling, climbing, or hiking for the view.

Jackie Rocheleau

PHP Reporting Fellow 2018

Jackie Rocheleau received her MS in Science Journalism from Boston University School of Communications, and her BA from Boston University in Neuroscience and Psychology. Jackie focuses on brain sciences and public health in her writing and hopes to support science literacy through her journalism. When she’s not writing, she’s probably either playing basketball, re-reading Harry Potter, or looking at pictures of dolphins.

David K. Jones

Editor-in-Chief 2016-2017

David’s research examines the politics of health reform. His book Exchange Politics: Opposing Obamacare in Battleground States examines how states made decisions about what type of health insurance exchange to establish as part of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. He has also written about Medicaid, CHIP, and health reform in Europe. His new project re-traces Robert Kennedy’s steps to examine the social determinants of health in the Mississippi Delta.

 

Gilbert Benavidez

PHP Fellow 2017

Gilbert Benavidez is a graduate of the Boston University School of Public Health, where he received his MPH and concentrated in health law, bioethics and human rights. His primary interest is combining data analytics with law and policy instruments to pursue human rights. Gilbert is currently a policy analyst for BUSPH, operating out of the Partnered Evidence-based Policy Resource Center (PEPReC) at the Boston VA. When he isn’t scouring Health Affairs, Gilbert loves to practice his Olympic weightlifting, play guitar, take pictures of his cats, and find new places to eat.

Madeline Bishop

PHP Fellow 2017

Madeline received her Masters of Public Health with certifications in Health Communications & Promotion and Maternal & Child Health. She is particularly drawn to adolescent mental health and development, as well as social enterprise as a tool to address health challenges around the globe. Apart from her seemingly endless list of interests in public health, Madeline enjoys talking to strangers, road-tripping, ocean views, and mountain adventures with her trusty canine companion.

Qing Wai Wong

PHP Fellow 2017

Qing Wai received her MPH from Boston University School of Public Health with certificates in Health Policy and Epidemiology. Her interests include policies that reduce health disparities and equal access to quality education as an important social determinant of health. When not pursuing her academic interests, Qing Wai can be found on the volleyball court, running, or volunteering for various youth development programs in the community.

Jonathan Gang

PHP Fellow 2016-2017

Boston University School of Communications

Jonathan is an editorial researcher at The Conversation Media Group in Boston. He is a radio producer, writer, multimedia journalist and communications specialist. He graduated from Boston University with a master’s degree in Journalism, and received his bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Colorado College in 2010. His work has appeared in print, on the air and online in publications such as the Boston Herald, Public Radio International, the Denver Post, Marquee Magazine, the Boulder Daily Camera, and the Colorado Springs Independent.

 

 

Maggie Thomas

PHP Fellow 2016

Maggie is a PhD student at the Boston University School of Social Work. Her doctoral research is concentrated on public policy, with a focus on poverty and systemic oppression. Maggie is a part of the Social Policy Analysis Working Group at the School of Social Work, working on child welfare, economic instability, and child care subsidy projects. Prior to joining BU, Maggie practiced social work with LGBTQ youth and families and in the child welfare system. Maggie is an avid Chicago Cubs fan and loved J.R.R. Tolkien before it was cool.

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