InsideAPE: Simone Wien & Gentrification’s Impact on Nutrition in New York City

Simone Wien is a rising second-year Epidemiology MPH candidate who is spending her summer studying how gentrification in New York City has impacted children’s nutrition. She found her project through the city’s Department of Mental Health and Hygiene’s Epidemiology Scholar program. Read on to learn more!

Tell us about your APE project

I’m currently working on a data analysis project as an Epi Scholar with the New York City Department of Mental Health and Hygiene (NYC DOHMH) in the Division of Epidemiology, Bureau of Epidemiology Services. The goal of the analysis is to assess the relationship between gentrification in New York City and malnutrition in children under 5 years of age.

How did you find your APE?

A friend had participated in another NYC DOHMH program (HRTP) and loved it, and both programs were easily found on Handshake and The Confounder. I decided to apply to the Epi Scholars program because of its data analysis and methods focus. Both programs are offered every year!

How has your experience been so far? Has it been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, and if so, how are you adapting to those changes?

I’m currently in the third week of the program, and it has been phenomenal. My goal was to hone methods that we learned this past year, and that I get to learn from staff at NYC DOHMH has been a dream, even remotely. The program is typically in New York, so program staff and mentors communicate openly to facilitate as much online face-to-face time and training as possible, even as many of them are deployed for COVID-19 related duties. As participants, we keep in touch with each other via GroupMe and Zoom hangouts.

How did you survive lockdown and what’s the first thing you can’t wait to do once it’s safe again?       

Emotionally, making the shift from anticipating an “end” date to focusing on what I need to do now to ensure the well-being of myself and those around me keeps me grounded in the present. Once it’s safe to do, I would love to cook for friends and see my family.

Thanks to Simone for taking the time to talk to us, and check back for more about our students’ APE experiences!