![group photo of 2024 PHP fellows, (from left: Abby Varker, Lia Musumeci [back], Heather Sherr, Dani Weissert [back], Jude Sleiman)](https://www.publichealthpost.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Fellows-Group.png)
In February, Public Health Post welcomed four new writing fellows and our first multimedia fellow to the editorial team. Our new fellows, Lia Musumeci, Heather Sherr, Jude Sleiman, Abby Varker (multimedia fellow), and Dani Weissert, will begin publishing daily articles in April, but we didn’t want to wait that long to get to know them. They sat down with PHPod host and former writing fellow, Kara Schmidt, to discuss health communications and their public health interests going into their year-long fellowships with PHP.
Lia Musumeci (writing fellow) is an MPH candidate at Boston University School of Public Health, studying community assessment, program design, implementation and evaluation with a focus on substance use and mental health. She has worked in a non-profit community mental health clinic and behavioral health research. She is passionate about drawing on her past experiences to explore mental health and substance use-related diversion programs, as well as to enhance interventions for smoking cessation. In her free time, she enjoys swimming and exploring different types of tea.
Heather Sherr (writing fellow) is an MPH candidate at Boston University School of Public Health, studying epidemiology and biostatistics with a concentration in chronic and non-communicable diseases. Her public health interests are informed by her background in developmental biology, genetics, and biological anthropology. In her free time, Heather enjoys listening to live music, visiting science museums, and playing video games.
Jude Sleiman (writing fellow) is an MPH candidate at Boston University School of Public Health, studying epidemiology, biostatistics, and global health programs. Informed by her extensive travel and experiences living in four diverse countries, Jude is dedicated to understanding and respecting how health is perceived and addressed across different cultures. She is passionate about leveraging data-informed health policy to enhance health outcomes worldwide. Jude has contributed to several public health projects including T.E.A.M. Malawi, demonstrating her commitment to practical, impactful health solutions. In her free time, she enjoys exploring new destinations, delving into the latest romance and mystery books, and binging her favorite TV shows.
Abby Varker (multimedia fellow) is an MPH candidate at Boston University School of Public Health, studying health policy and law, and sex, sexuality, and gender. Her passions include establishing policy to promote sexual and reproductive health and low-cost health care. Her background is in psychology, ethics, and the natural sciences, which informs her public health practice. She believes that all people deserve access to health care and public health knowledge through effective, clear communication with the general public. Outside of her public health work, Abby is in an a cappella group and has been singing since she was 4 years old.
Dani Weissert (writing fellow) is an MPH candidate at Boston University School of Public Health, focusing on global health and maternal and child health. She cares deeply about sexual and reproductive health justice, rural health, the ethics of program delivery, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WaSH) issues. In her free time, she enjoys reading, rock climbing, and being outdoors.
