Heather Yu is pursuing her Master of Public Health degree at New York University’s School of Global Public Health with a concentration in Epidemiology. Heather is from St. Augustine, Florida, and graduated from the University of Florida with a BS in microbiology and a minor in mathematics.
At NYU, Heather is involved in the Applied Global Public Health Initiative. In her role as a student researcher, she assisted with data analysis and the development of data collection methods alongside researchers in maternal and neonate health in Queretaro, Mexico.
To learn more about Heather, we spoke with the master’s student about her experience and interest in public health. Read our Q&A with Heather below!
Interviewed by Selina Ma.
Q: Can you tell us a little about yourself?
A: Sure! I am from St. Augustine, Florida, where I spent eighteen years of my life before moving to Gainesville to attend the University of Florida. I graduated with a BS in microbiology and a minor in mathematics. I am the proud daughter of a single mother and I have a twin brother back home, both of whom I am very close to.
Q: What sparked your interest in public health? Was there any particular project or experience that shifted how you think about public health or helped you make the decision to pursue a master’s degree in this particular field?
A: During my time at UF I started out on a pre-med track; however, my community involvement and activism in Gainesville led me to be interested in public health due to the broad nature of the field. My freshman year of college I independently organized a rally and march against gun violence with March for Our Lives in Gainesville that had over 3,000 people in attendance. This project piqued my interest in the public health field, because I am passionate about community issues like gun violence prevention, and I am also passionate about the medical, scientific, and policy sides of the issues. Public health is a field where you can address community health and health policy as well as the scientific and mathematic components of healthcare. And once I found that out I was invested in pursuing it further.
Q: What is a current emergency or disaster you believe is critical to address?
A: Antibiotic resistance. There are a dozen pathogens the WHO has deemed as emergency level threats to the world due to their increasing rate of antibiotic resistance. With growing resistance, known treatment methods are becoming obsolete, meaning once benign infections that could be easily cured are causing deaths that would have otherwise been preventable.
Q: Could you tell us more about your involvement and experience as a researcher at NYU’s Applied Global Public Health Initiative (AGPHI)?
A: With AGPHI, I have had the pleasure of working with an involved and supportive team both here in New York and in our study city of Queretaro, Mexico. We attend two to three meetings per week to discuss clinic trial progress in Mexico on the Birth Oximetry Routine for Newborns (BORN) ultrasound device. We collect survey data assessing the availability of similar devices, healthcare, hospitals, and doctors in the area. From this data we utilize ArcGIS (a geographic information system software) to develop availability bottleneck maps to visually demonstrate the need for more resources/available resources. I am involved in the collaborative survey development and data analysis aspects of the project. Involvement with the lab has given me important skills which I am looking forward to carrying into the workforce.
Q: Public health is an interdisciplinary field that encompasses so many diverse areas. Are there any interdisciplinary areas in public health that you’re passionate about or that you have learned from?
A: The interdisciplinary aspects of public health is what initially drove me toward pursuing an MPH. I have a special interest in infectious diseases, as my educational background lines up with, along with emergency management and preparedness, which I later discovered through my studies at NYU. By taking the emergency management class here, I found that the area of public health was one I was heavily interested in and had experience in, but had never considered.
Q: How do you handle stress and pressure? Do you have interests or hobbies outside of public health?
A: I find taking a break when things feel overwhelming helps to clear my head and give me a new perspective when looking at the situation. I like to read, write poetry, go for walks, spend time with family and friends, or even watch a video or play a game for a little to give my mind a break. By taking a break I often find I can return to the project causing my stress with a “fresh set of eyes” and figure it out relatively easily.
Q: What is next for you after you complete your MPH degree?
A: I want to work in the public health field for a little bit and then I am considering joining the Navy or Air Force for some time to further develop my skills in the public health field and get some more experience globally. In a couple years, whether or not I choose to join the armed forces, I plan on pursuing a PhD in virology or infectious disease.